A GIS database of montenegrin katuns (Kuči mountain and Durmitor)

Abstract

A two year ongoing project (2015–2017) Valorizing the Montenegrin Katuns through sustainable development of agriculture and tourism – KATUN is innovative because of its multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach of all the aspects of the katuns (temporary centre of traditional summer livestock rearing lasting for centuries in the Montenegrin society). The main idea of this project, being implemented by the interdisciplinary research team, is to create a knowledge base for the multipurpose use of the Montenegrin mountain resources, by combining the traditional agriculture with boosting tourism activities and protecting the cultural heritage. Katuns as nuclei of traditional agriculture in mountain areas face many challenges. This uniqueness of Montenegro has to be preserved and revitalized via new opportunities in tourism and other complementary activities (handcraft, trade, culture, services). Dealing with mountain cultural heritage the first step was creating a pertaining database and mapping and GPS positioning of the katuns, and objects of cultural-historical importance in research area, inventorying of the katuns, determining their condition, origin and characteristics and documenting current condition (photo, video, graphic and textual) of the katuns.