UNDP in Croatia joins the international initiative in celebrating the Coast Day, dedicated to healthy coastal regions and preservation of the coast across the Mediterranean. The initiative was launched in 2007 and this year, for the first time it will be celebrated in Croatia, in organization of the UNDP's COAST Project in cooperation with the NGO Split - Healthy City, under the high patronage of Ministry of environmental protection, physical planning and construction. The main event, sailing race entitled "Coast for all" will take place in Split, on Tuesday, October 28.
Sailing race is organized in order to send the message of the importance of the coast as social, economic and natural resource that should be actively and responsibly taken care of. Participants of the sailing race will be children from Split, persons with special needs, students and elderly persons. In line with principles of environmental and social sustainability, this implies active participation of all the citizens when it comes to decision making on sustainable future of our coast. Sailing team of the 49er class, that represented Croatia in this year's Olympic Games in Beijing, Pavle Kostov and Petar Cupać, as well as their coach Ivan Bulaja, will be appointed as Croatian Ambassadors for the Coast for the year 2008/2009. They were chosen as representatives of a sport that stands for environmental awareness, but also due to their altruistic fair play gesture and solidarity demonstrated during the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Responsible planning and managing of the costal area, that implies active participation of all the citizens is the only way that guarantees economic development in line with natural resources preservation and improvement. Celebration of the Coast Day, that aims to increase public awareness when it comes to importance of the coast as well as the threats that it is exposed to, further intercession of all the stakeholders is encouraged, in order to achieve sustainability of the coast for future generations.