Designated terrestrial protected areas

In 2004, the Nature Protection Law introduced a new system for categorising protected areas in accordance with the International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria, with its provisions coming into effect in 2005. This reform enabled national protected areas to integrate into the global network of protected areas, fostering better conservation efforts. Article 66 of the law defines six categories of protected areas aligned with the International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. To declare an area as protected, a valuation or revaluation study is conducted to assess its condition and provide the necessary professional basis. The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning manages this process, proposes suitable authorities and institutions to manage the areas and ensures proper oversight of their protection.

Since 1948, when Pelister National Park became the first national park, both the number and total area of protected regions have grown consistently. Today, North Macedonia has 68 protected areas, covering 352 135.23 hectares or 13.84% of its territory (see graph). National parks occupy around 7% of the country’s land, natural monuments about 3% and other categories approximately 4%, reflecting a robust commitment to environmental preservation. The combination of candidate Emerald Network sites and national protected areas covers 26.6% of the country territory, and this share is expected to increase further with the four additional candidate Emerald Network sites and the ongoing process of identifying Natura 2000 sites as part of EU accession.