Polycentric environmetal governance: Towards stability and sustainable development

Spanning the borders of Albania, Greece and Macedonia in the Western Balkans, the Lake Ohrid Watershed (LOW) encompasses a unique lake ecosystem that has been identified as one of the most important European fresh-water systems [15]. Home to over 1500 species of plants, about 360 vertebrate species and a large but uncounted number of invertebrate species, many of which are endemic, the LOW represents a unique part of Europe's natural heritage [9, 16]. This ecosystem is also located in one of the most unstable geopolitical contexts on the continent, where national, religious and ethnic rivalries, weak states and organized criminal networks combine to produce a security challenge for the European Union and NATO. The social, political and ecological complexity and importance of the Western Balkans is such that it will remain a priority for European policy makers and international aid and funding organizations for many years. This article examines the development of a polycentric transboundary environmental governance structure in the LOW that has two main loci of activity and institutionalization. We argue that this system of governance may provide a robust and adaptive institutional structure that can address the complex ecological, social and political problems of the region.