ZOE Stakeholder Workshop in Slovenia
On December 12, 2025, the last of a total of five stakeholder workshops for the ZOE-project took place in in Postojna, Slovenia.
For more information on the objectives of the stakeholder workshops in the five case study regions and a recap of the workshop in Slovakia, see here.
The workshop was conducted by the Slovenian ZOE-team, consisting of researchers in virology and psychology, with the support of the ZOE-team Charlotte Tienes, Julia Wesely and Johannes Richter. It was attended by local and national experts in veterinary medicine, biology, forestry, and the health sector who are involved in the spread and prevention of zoonosis in the region. The aim of the workshop was to identify and discuss local behaviours and structural factors in the emergence of zoonoses.
As with the stakeholder workshops in the other case studies, the format included both group and plenary discussions. After jointly defining the zoonoses relevant to the region, the discussions focused on behaviours in dealing with wild animals, farm animals and pets. In addition, the participants exchanged insights about the local population’s knowledge of various vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, rodents). They also discussed which structural factors, such as land use changes, promote or prevent the spread of zoonoses and preventive measures. The identified factors were then visualized and discussed further together.
The region around Postojna was selected as a case study because it features three types of land use relevant to the ZOE project: 1. natural forest areas, 2. deforested areas that are now used for agriculture, and 3. reforested areas. In addition, the area is both a tourist and transit region and an important hotspot for migrating birds and, due to its good transport links to cities such as Ljubljana, heavily influenced by commuter traffic. The combination of land use changes, biodiversity and social-economic development makes the region particularly interesting for studying the interplay between human factors and the emergence and spread of zoonoses.
In between the exciting content related discussions, the workshop also provided the experts a good opportunity for networking. They described the interdisciplinary exchange as a valuable opportunity to get to know experts from the region who are working on the same topics.
The sociological research of the ZOE-project will move to the next phase in 2026. Complementing the perspectives of the experts from the stakeholder workshops, our team will collect data from the population in the various case study regions using questionnaires and observations. The aim is to gain deeper insights into behaviours and potential routes of infection, as well as relevant environmental and contextual factors in the different regions.
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