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GEF Strategic Partnership on the Black Sea and Danube Basin
[last updated May 2, 2005 12:00 AM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected Timeframe 2002 - 2006 |
Partners
Governments:
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Major Groups:
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UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Sub-regional Danube - Black Sea Basin
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine |
National Focal Points
This partnership has not made any contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the countries involved
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
The Global Environment Facility Strategic Partnership on the Black Sea and Danube Basin is an initiative aimed to address the root causes of environmental degradation in this region and promote investments and capacity building to return the Black Sea/Danube Basin environment to its 1960s condition. The GEF funded Partnership has been established with the cooperation of the World Bank, UNDP, UNEP and other multilateral and bilateral financiers and basin countries.
The elements of the Partnership are two UNDP Regional Projects and the WB Investment Fund:
* The Danube Regional Project (DRB): Strengthening the Implementation Capacities for Nutrient Reduction and Transboundary Cooperation in the Danube River Basin
* The Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project (BSERP): Control of eutrophication, hazardous substances and related measures for rehabilitating the Black Sea ecosystem
* World Bank Investment Fund for Nutrient Reduction in the Black Sea/Danube Basin
The elements of the Partnership are two UNDP Regional Projects and the WB Investment Fund:
* The Danube Regional Project (DRB): Strengthening the Implementation Capacities for Nutrient Reduction and Transboundary Cooperation in the Danube River Basin
* The Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project (BSERP): Control of eutrophication, hazardous substances and related measures for rehabilitating the Black Sea ecosystem
* World Bank Investment Fund for Nutrient Reduction in the Black Sea/Danube Basin
Targets and Progress
Partnership targetsUNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project:
It is expected that the implementation of committed national investment programs and planned activities for pollution reduction in municipal, industrial, agricultural sector and wetland restoration, supported also by the EU and other multilateral and bilateral assistance, will lead to an annual reduction of 58,600 tons of nitrogen and 12,100 tons of phosphorus representing 10.6 % and 24.8 % respectively of the total nutrient loads discharged into the Black Sea. Reduction of nutrient emissions from non-point sources through implementation of policies, legislation and mechanism for compliance, is estimated in amount of 60,000 tons of Nitrogen and 4,000 tons of Phosphorus, representing 10.9 % and 8.2 % respectively of total nutrient loads discharged into the Black Sea. At the end of the Project, nutrient loads to the Black Sea will be considerably reduced by 21.1 % for nitrogen and 32.0 % for phosphorus. UNDP/GEF Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project: The overall objective of the Black Sea Recovery Project is to support participating countries in the development of national policies and legislation and the definition of priority actions to avoid that discharge of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Black Sea exceed those levels as observed in 1997. An Investment Fund funded by the GEF and implemented by the World Bank, whých ýs focused on the recovery of the Black Sea, is proposed as a means for catalyzing an investment response necessary to accelerate urgent action by a wide group of stakeholders. This Investment Fund will provide a regional context under which countries can pursue investments aimed at common nutrient reduction goals, and help jump start and further accelerate key investments. As a part of this partnership, the GEF will commit to a targeted envelope of US$70 million, approved in several tranches based on progress reports submitted to the GEF Council. The World Bank¿s role in the Partnership will be to promote use of the Partnership funds in country-based dialogues with stakeholder governments; to promote inclusion of Black Sea/Danube issues in the ongoing Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) process; to promote policies that address nutrient reduction; and to use the Bank¿s convening powers to engage other donors and partners in helping meet financing needs. Grant funds provided under the Partnership will both help leverage World Bank investment lending with borrower countries, and attract additional resources from other international lenders and donors toward the same nutrient reduction objectives. |
Progress against targetsNot available at present.
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Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
- Institutional strengthening, including local participation
The UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project - complementing the activities of the ICPDR
In the frame of the project objective 2: Capacity building and reinforcement of transboundary cooperation for the improvement of water quality and environmental standards, the project provides support for institutional strengthening and capacity building of government, local administration and the private sector (NGOs), as well as for the ICPDR expert bodies through a training programmes. Further focus is on reinforcement of standardization of methods and parameters for water quality and environmental pressures / impact assessment, setting up appropriate management and information system, and response to accident emergency situations.
The project objective 3: Strengthening of public involvement in environmental decision making and reinforcement of community actions for pollution reduction and protection of ecosystems is primarily focused to increase public participation in environmental decision-making. The Project focuses on implementing the awareness raising campaigns, community involvement and NGO institutional development support and improvement of public participation by better access to information for addressing priority sources of pollution.
The UNDP/GEF Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project ¿ complementing the activities of the ICPBS
The project Objective 1: The institutional mechanisms of the ICPBS are reinforced and fully operational ensuring cooperation between all Black Sea countries to efficiently implement joint policies and actions and operate common management and control mechanisms.
The project Objective 2: Policies and legal and institutional instruments in all Black Sea countries are revised and reinforced to assure sustainable coastal zone and marine resource management while reducing nutrients and hazardous substances though the application and translation into concrete actions of revised policies and legislation in the agricultural, industrial, transport and municipal sectors.
The project Objective 4: Institutional and organisational mechanisms for transboundary cooperation in water quality monitoring and information management including GIS are established and fully operational at the regional and national level by 2006 to assess water quality and nutrient reduction to the Black Sea
The project Objective 5: The civil society and in particular national NGOs in all Black Sea countries are at the end of the Project informed and proactively participating in national programmes for nutrient reduction, coastal zone management and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems.
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
Contribution to the Agenda 21 and the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21
The Danube - Black Sea Strategic Partnership contributes to the implementation of the Agenda 21 in the context of the Chapters 17 and 18.
Chapter 17: Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources. Specifically, the activities of the BSC and the Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project :
Reaching of the overall goal of the project will require countries to adopt strategies and measures that permit economic development whilst ensuring the rehabilitation of coastal and marine ecosystems through pollution control and reduction of nutrients and hazardous substances. Specific objectives include the reinforcement of the regional cooperation under the Black Sea Convention, setting up of institutional and legal instruments and to define priority actions at regional and national levels to assure sustainable coastal zone management, ensure the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems and habitats in order to secure sustainable use of coastal and marine resources. The main activities of the project relate to institutional, economic and technical tools for the reaching of the project objectives.
Chapter 18: Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: Application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources. In particular the activities of the ICPDR and the Danube Regional Project related to the river basin management planning, monitoring of water quality, accident emergency response are relevant to the programme areas proposed for the Freshwater Sector: a) integrated water resources development and management; b) water resources assessment; and c) protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
In the frame of activities of the both Commissions and Projects, the high priority is given to the implementation of policies and programmes for integrated river basin management planning in the context of the EU WFD, that is a key element of the work plan for the ICPDR Expert Group for River Basin Management and the DRP Component on Support for Policy Development. Activities related to capacity building, information management, exchange dissemination and transboundary cooperation are being carried out by the ICPDR EG for Monitoring, Laboratory and Information Management and Emission EG and supported by the DRP Component on Capacity Building and Transboundary Cooperation.
In this context the Danube - Black Sea Strategic Partnership contributes also to the Programme for further implementation of the Agenda 21 in the Sector of Fresh Waters and Sector of Seas and Oceans.
Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
The Danube - Black Sea Strategic Partnership contributes to the implementation of the Agenda 21 in the context of the Chapters 17 and 18.
Chapter 17: Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources. Specifically, the activities of the BSC and the Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery Project :
Reaching of the overall goal of the project will require countries to adopt strategies and measures that permit economic development whilst ensuring the rehabilitation of coastal and marine ecosystems through pollution control and reduction of nutrients and hazardous substances. Specific objectives include the reinforcement of the regional cooperation under the Black Sea Convention, setting up of institutional and legal instruments and to define priority actions at regional and national levels to assure sustainable coastal zone management, ensure the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems and habitats in order to secure sustainable use of coastal and marine resources. The main activities of the project relate to institutional, economic and technical tools for the reaching of the project objectives.
Chapter 18: Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: Application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources. In particular the activities of the ICPDR and the Danube Regional Project related to the river basin management planning, monitoring of water quality, accident emergency response are relevant to the programme areas proposed for the Freshwater Sector: a) integrated water resources development and management; b) water resources assessment; and c) protection of water resources, water quality and aquatic ecosystems.
In the frame of activities of the both Commissions and Projects, the high priority is given to the implementation of policies and programmes for integrated river basin management planning in the context of the EU WFD, that is a key element of the work plan for the ICPDR Expert Group for River Basin Management and the DRP Component on Support for Policy Development. Activities related to capacity building, information management, exchange dissemination and transboundary cooperation are being carried out by the ICPDR EG for Monitoring, Laboratory and Information Management and Emission EG and supported by the DRP Component on Capacity Building and Transboundary Cooperation.
In this context the Danube - Black Sea Strategic Partnership contributes also to the Programme for further implementation of the Agenda 21 in the Sector of Fresh Waters and Sector of Seas and Oceans.
Relevant Sections of Agenda 21
Protection of the oceans, all kinds of seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas, and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources; Protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources: application of integrated approaches to the development, management and use of water resources
Relevant Sections of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation Protection and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipJoint Danube-Black Sea Technical Working Group and the Danube ¿ Black Sea and Memorandum of Understanding
The ICPDR and the ICPBS established a Joint Danube Basin-Black Sea Technical Working Group (DB-BS/WG), in order to facilitate and support the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding. The Work Program for the Group focuses on the development of ecological status indicators for the Black Sea, on the development of a regional monitoring program for the Black Sea and on updating of the assessment on point and non-point sources of pollution and the ecological status of the Black Sea, including eutrophication (cause-effect analysis). The DB-BS/WG further assures proper coordination of activities between the Danube Project, the Black Sea Project and the World Bank Partnership Programme. |
Implementation Mechanism of the PartnershipUNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project and the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project
The two UNDP Regional Projects are aimed at addressing transboundary environmental degradation in the Danube/Black Sea basin through policy and legal reform, public awareness raising, and institutional strengthening of individual riparian countries and their commissions (Black Sea Commission, Danube Protection Commission). The WB Investment Fund The World Bank Investment Fund for Nutrient Reduction in the Black Sea/Danube Basin is focused on the recovery of the Black Sea and aimed to help finance investment projects in industrial and domestic wastewater treatment, wetland restoration and environmentally friendly agriculture. The Black Sea Commission The `International Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea (ICPBS)¿ was established to implement the `Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution¿. This Convention is a `shoreline convention¿, i.e. it itself holds no power over the inland activities of the States within the hydrographic drainage area discharging to the overall Black Sea (Black Sea proper, Sea of Azov). The Danube Protection Commission The `International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR)¿ was established to implement the `Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River'. This Convention is a `hydrographic basin convention', i.e. it itself holds power over the transboundary impact via the drainage network of the River Danube Basin (valid only for Contracting Parties to this Convention). |
Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 95000000
Source(s): IGO - Other
UNDP/GEF DRP and BSERP: 25,000,000 WB Investment Fund: 70,000,000 |
Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s):
Not applicable |
Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: not specified
Source(s) already approached: ICPDR (Country Contributions and activities 2002- 2006): 19,478,000 USD
BSC (Country Contributions and activities 2003 - 2006): 1,227,632 USD |
Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s): Not applicable
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
No additional information at present.