Friday, 08 November 2024
Ivana Smilović

Ivana Smilović

Ivana Smilović – a senior journalist at The Dubrovnik Times. Born and raised in Dubrovnik, Ivana (or Smile as she is known to all) graduated Media Studies from the University of Dubrovnik. A book worm, coffee addict and want-to-be world traveller Ivana brings her unique local insight, connections and general optimistic and well smiley feel to the Times.

Email: ivana@thedubrovniktimes.com

The International Day for Biological Diversity and the Day of Nature Protection in the Republic of Croatia are celebrated on this date, May 22nd. 

The United Nations declared International Day for Biological Diversity in 1993 to highlight the great role that biodiversity plays in sustainable development, and as a memory of the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted on 22nd of May 1992.

Nature Protection Day in the Republic of Croatia has been marked since 2003 by a Decision of the Croatian Parliament.

This year, the International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated under the slogan "Our solutions are in nature". This slogan emphasizes the importance of working together to build a future that is in harmony with nature.

Given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is called upon to rethink its relationship to nature. About 70 percent of new diseases in the human population are zoonoses that have been passed from wild animals to humans as hosts. Loss and degradation of natural habitats, especially forest ecosystems, changes in the composition of living communities, loss of natural hosts, increased human contact with wildlife and their uncontrolled use are reasons to increase the risk of pathogens passing from wild animals to humans.

It is the current health crisis that has shown that despite our technological progress we are completely dependent on healthy ecosystems that are a prerequisite for preserving human health, drinking water, quality air, quality and healthy food, medicines, clothing, effective response to the climate crisis, etc.

Nature protection certainly contributes to economic development. As much as half of the global gross domestic product, or 40 trillion euros, depends on nature.

Ambitious and urgent action is needed at all levels in society, from individuals to institutions to ensure development and existence in harmony with nature.

Biodiversity means the totality of all living organisms that are integral parts of terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes, and includes diversity within species, between species, and diversity between ecosystems.

The Republic of Croatia is considered one of the richest countries in Europe in terms of biodiversity. The reason for this is the specific geographical position of Croatia at the crossroads of three biogeographical regions, each of which is characterized by special ecological, climatic and geomorphological conditions. The great diversity of habitats has also resulted in a great wealth of wild taxa (species and subspecies). So far, a total of about 40 thousand species are known, most of which (about 25 thousand) are invertebrates. However, the estimated number of species is significantly higher, with estimates ranging from at least 50 thousand to more than hundred thousand. Each year, scientists record, discover, and describe new species and subspecies - Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy writes.

All foreign citizens who intend to enter the Republic of Croatia, as well as Croatian citizens who do not reside in the Republic of Croatia, can find out the answers to all questions related to entering the Republic of Croatia in one place.

Given the restrictions in force, to combat the spread of COVID-19, and to obtain relevant information faster, all frequently asked questions and answers about the conditions of entry into the Republic of Croatia are published on the official website of the Ministry of Interior under the category UZG COVID on main menu bar.

If you do not find your answer on the conditions of entry into the Republic of Croatia among the most frequently asked questions and answers, an online inquiry form is available through which you can contact the Ministry to get a specific answer to their question about the possibility of entry.

The page and the online form are currently available in Croatian, English and German, and it is planned to expand to other foreign languages.

The data requested from the interested party through the form, with the aim of giving a specific answer are: citizenship, whether the foreginer has a regulated status in the Republic of Croatia (approved stay), planned date of arrival at the border crossing, name of the border crossing and reason for entering the Republic of Croatia.

Mayor of the City of Dubrovnik, Mato Frankovic, held a meeting via video call with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Republic of Croatia, Andrew Stuart Dalgleish.

The topic of conversation was the readiness of Dubrovnik to welcome visitors this season, as soon as all the preconditions are met, such as the opening of borders, in this case British tourists who are traditionally particularly fond of Croatia and Dubrovnik.

The Mayor presented to the Ambassador everything that the City of Dubrovnik, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Dubrovnik Airport, Dubrovnik General Hospital and other stakeholders have undertaken to ensure conditions for the earliest possible activation of tourist traffic, including the program to encourage international flights through targeted marketing campaign. He said that Dubrovnik was completely ready to accept British tourists after the opening of borders and the re-establishment of direct flights.

Ambassador Dalglesih said that tourism is a significant part of the economy in the UK, where the need to normalize economic activities as soon as possible is also emerging. He expressed his belief that British tourists will travel as soon as the basic preconditions are met and that they are able to do so, as well as that Dubrovnik has not lost a shred of its lasting appeal to British tourists and that they will gladly return. He praised the readiness of the City of Dubrovnik to welcome its guests and provide them with a pleasant and safe stay.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ambassador Peter Clements and Deputy Head of the Administrative Department for Mayor Business Ivana Brnin.

T'Way Air Co. becomes the first South Korean low-cost airline to fly from South Korea to Croatia soon – said Zoran Horvat, Director of the Croatian Tourist Board Representation Office in South Korea.

-T'way Air will fly four times a week to Croatia in 2020 from the second half of the year, and we expect to define the exact date of the first flight and destination in Croatia soon - said Croatian National Tourist Board Director Kristjan Stanicic.

T’way Air was founded in 2010 and is the third largest Korean low-cost airline with 2.9 million passengers in domestic and 4.2 million passengers in international traffic in 2019. It owns a fleet of 28 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts and flies to 38 destinations in Korea and the world. 

The news was also published in the Korean daily papers The Korea Times, after the airline received permission from the Seoul Ministry of Transport. The Transport Ministry said airlines could use their new route permits once South Korea and foreign aviation authorities reach an agreement on aviation security, regarding the coronavirus pandemic situation.

On the website of the City of Dubrovnik, a project tender has been published for the development of a conceptual urban-architectural-landscape solution of the Gradac Park with a wider urban landscape belt.

As stated, the aim of the tender is to find the best design, functional and economical solution of Gradac Park with a wider urban landscape belt.

The tenderer will enter into a public service contract on the basis of a negotiated public procurement procedure without prior publication with the author of the first-prize winning work.

It will be interesting which will be the winning idea for the park that is loved by the many Dubrovnik citizens, located just a few minutes walk from the historic core.

The European Commission presented the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 - Bringing nature back into our lives, which is one of the key elements of the European Green Plan, a new European strategy for achieving the sustainability of the European economy.

Nature is just as important for mental and physical well-being as it is for society’s ability to cope with global change, health threats and disasters. It was the COVID-19 pandemic that raised awareness of the connection between human health and ecosystems, supply chains and consumption patterns. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and functioning ecosystems are a key part of responding to the global health and environmental crisis and an important aspect for ensuring the long-term survival and well-being of our societies and for strengthening our resilience and preventing the emergence and spread of future diseases, as Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy writes.

-I welcome the presentation of the Strategy during our presidency of the Council of the European Union, which in these circumstances is more relevant than ever - said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric, adding that he hopes that the ambitions from the Strategy will be transferred globally.

Protecting, restoring and conserving nature will be crucial factors in Europe's recovery from the economic crisis. That is why on March 26th, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union called on the European Commission to start working on the comprehensive recovery plan for the European Union, which includes green transition and digital transformation.

You can see the Strategy here.

An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude was recorded in the first hours of Thursday in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea, and it was also felt in Dubrovnik – Slobodna Dalmacija reports.

According to a report by the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), the erarthquake occurred just before 2 am CET. The epicenter was about 240 kilometers southwest of the Greek province of Methoni, and the hypocenter was at a depth of 10 kilometers.

According to testimonies from the EMSC internet portal, the earthquake was felt by the inhabitants of many Mediterranean countries, and in Croatia it was felt by the people of Dubrovnik, even though they were 846 km away from the epicenter – Slobodna Dalmacija writes.

One of the most read American daily newspapers, The New York Times, whose online edition is followed by over five million subscribers, ranked Dubrovnik among the top 11 tourist destinations in the world which, in the midst of the corona virus pandemic, were turned into peaceful places to live, Director of the Croatian Tourist Board Representation in New York Ina Rodin reported. 

As The New York Times writes, travel restrictions have turned 11 overtouristed destinations into quiet, almost unrecognizable places, even for those who live there. It’s a bittersweet experience for the people they talked to.

Apart from Dubrovnik, the selected "changed" destinations are Rome, Bali, Iceland, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Venice, Prague, Halong Bay in Vietnam and the Galapagos Islands. Locals shared their experiences, and the situation in his native Dubrovnik was described by Darko Perojevic, chef and owner of the restaurant "Azur".

Perojevic says that the Old Town of Dubrovnik, where he has lived most of his life, hasn’t been empty like this since the war and the eight-month shelling of Dubrovnik in 1991 and ’92 and that the citizens of Dubrovnik all have had some lingering sadness because the emptiness of the city is a reminder of that time.

As he explains, the situation here is bittersweet. Bitter, because of his business, but also sweet because there are many benefits, such as walking around town without crowds, children playing in the streets, meeting old friends…

-We’re not making money but we’ve got our town back to ourselves. We usually get kind of annoyed with all the tourists in Dubrovnik but people here are even back to loving cruise ships again – Perojevic said. 

You can see full interview with the owner of the Azur restaurant and read the stories from other countries in the original article HERE.

The Voice of Dubrovnik

THE VOICE OF DUBROVNIK


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