In a wetland between Croatia and Serbia covered with land mines left over from a warring past, support for biodiversity is fostering cooperation. Despite improved government relations, there are still border disputes between these neighbouring countries. International efforts to support relations and maintain stability continue. Against this backdrop of political and economic activity, in wetland areas either side of the border, such as the Kopacki Rit Nature Park, people are already working together to protect biodiversity. They are aiming to help local communities develop in parallel with nature, rather than in spite of it and have plans for an EU-funded research project to show how more of this work could actually create jobs rather than prevent them. On our brief visit we saw a pair of endangered black stalks, wild pigs and a herd of red deer and it is the nurturing of this type of wetland animal life that local people believe could play a part in attracting visitors, and the related economic development, to this region. It's fascinating that people here are also seeing that such international collaborative projects can strengthen relations and help foster greater mutual understanding across borders - this region is even the site of one of the world's three "bicycle peace trails" between Croatia and Serbia (the others include the border between North and South Korea, so not a guaranteed success strategy!).

So we're here finding out what biodiversity has ever done for us; it seems that beyond what we are already discovering about direct benefits to people, the variety of life could even be playing a role in bringing together different communities who, in the past, have not found much in common.

To find out more, check out the websites of the wetland area and the NGO, project managed by Jasmin Sadikovic (pictured), that is doing such great work there: http://www.zeleni-osijek.hr and http://www.zlatna-greda.org