2

THE DANUBE – BLACK SEA REGION

» 81 Mio Inhabitants in the Danube Basin;

» 16 Mio Inhabitants – Black Sea Coast;

» 21 Countries with diverse cultures, economic and social background;

» Pollution of the Black Sea by nutrients – degradation of ecosystems, reduced biodiversity, economic loss.

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Relevance of the GEF D–BS Partnership to GPAPriority issues and problems

» Nutrients and eutrophication - nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the Black Sea;

» Sewage - Inputs of insufficiently treated sewage result in the presence of microbiological contaminants;

» Oil pollution - Significant amounts of oil enter the environment from land-based sources and activities (as well as from vessel discharges);

» Unregulated coastal development.

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Pollution Control in the Danube-Black Sea RegionCooperation related to GPA implementation

» GEF Support: GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership and TDA/SAP Process ;

» Two regional Conventions and Commissions:

» Danube Convention and the ICPDR;

» Black Sea Convention – BSC;

» ICPDR/BSC Memorandum of Understanding;

» LBSA Protocol to the Bucharest Convention;

» EU Directives, EU Marine Strategy.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership

» To reduce pollution of the Black Sea and recover its ecosystems;

» Activities aimed at new policies, legal mechanisms and measures development, institutional strengthening, investment projects and stakeholder involvement.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership Stress Reduction Targets

» Danube:

» 22% reduction in P emissions and 33% reduction in N emissions by 2005 of 1996 baseline level.

» Black Sea:

» To avoid exceeding nutrient loads of 1997;

» To reduce nutrients loads allowing Black Sea ecosystems to recover to conditions similar to those observed in the 1960s.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership Two regional projects

» Danube Regional Project;

» Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery projects.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership World Bank Nutrient Reduction Investment Fund

» US$70M GEF grants implemented through the World Bank;

» Combination of investments and policy reforms in individual countries;

» Focused on nutrient reduction from municipal, industrial and agricultural sources;

» Access to international best practice;

» Catalytic effect among donors - Leveraging over US$210M of co-financing.

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COOPERATION IN THE DANUBE RIVER BASINDanube River Protection Convention – DRPC

» The legal frame for co-operation to assure protection of water and ecological resources and their sustainable use in the Danube River Basin.

» Objectives:» sustainable and equitable water management;» conservation, improvement and the rational use of waters;» Control of waste waters discharges, inputs of nutrients and

hazardous substances from sources of emissions;» Control of floods and ice hazards;» Control of accident hazards (warning & prevention);» Reduction of pollution loads of the Black Sea from sources

in the Danube catchment area.

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Cooperation in the Black Sea BasinConvention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

» The legal frame for co-operation to assure protection of water and ecological resources and their sustainable use in the Black Sea Basin,

» Key Objectives:» Prevent, reduce and control pollution from land-based

sources;» Prevent, reduce and control pollution of marine

environment from vessels, from emergency situations;» Prevent, reduce and control pollution caused by activities

on continental shelf, incl. exploration & exploitation of natural resources;

» Protect the biodiversity and marine living resources;» Provide framework for scientific and technical cooperation

and monitoring activities.

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Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution LBA Protocol

» The Protocol on Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment Against Pollution from Land Based Sources was adopted in 1992 and entered into force in 1994.

» Revised BS LBSA Protocol prepared by BSC with support from BSERP and GPA Coordination Office and UNEP ROE, presented to the BS Commission meeting in Feb 2006.

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Integrated Coastal Zone Management BSERP activities relevant to GPA

» Feasibility study on ICZM Protocol;

» The concepts and guidelines for ICZM are incorporated in the national strategies and local planning;

» A Pilot Project to test Concept and guidelines for ICZM (developed by BSC/Tacis);

» Strengthening the capacity of BSC to coordinate the ICZM planning process.

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The EU Marine Strategy Current Challenges

» Protection and conservation of the marine environment;

» Achieving good environmental status of the EU’s marine waters by 2021;

» The marine strategies will contain:

» assessment of environmental status;

» clear environmental targets;

» programme of cost-effective measures;

» Fully consistent with the EU WFD.

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Cooperation in the Black Sea Basin The way forward to GPA

» Work programme for implementation of the Black Sea Land-Based Activities Protocol to the Convention approved by the Commission;

» Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy approved by the Commission;

» Fisheries legally binding document under negotiation.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic PartnershipGPA related experience

» Involvement of UNEP/GPA from the earliest stages;

» the LBSA Protocols to be coordinated with the current legislative and institutional set-up;

» Importance of the national ownership of the process from beginning;

» Strong regional institutional support needed.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic PartnershipGPA related experience

Implementation of GPA :

» Requires considerable finances;

» Should be built-in into national programmes;

» Requires realistic measures.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic PartnershipGeneral experience

» Robust decisions are based on good information.

» Public perception and/or alternative drivers are critical to ensuring success.

» Present sensible targets: challenging, but not over-ambitious. Timing is crucial.

» Not the only player in town; co-operation is the lifeblood of success.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic PartnershipGeneral experience

» Source apportionment studies are invaluable, but the same methodology must be used by all participants.

» Over a short-intermediate timescale, P export is easier to tackle than N export.

» Point source nutrient emissions are “easier” to tackle than diffuse source emissions.

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ACHIEVEMENTS

» Reduced nutrients – upper Danube;

» Reduced P discharges from Danube;

» Reduced anoxic conditions NW Black Sea;

» Increased zoobenthos diversity NW Black Sea.

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DIN

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Actual loads

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Inorganic N Total P

Danube loads to Black Sea

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Phytoplankton Zoobenthos

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Ecological status of Black Sea

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS

» Political will – countries collaborate;

» Legal framework – convention;

» Strong institution – e.g. ICPDR;

» Long-term support – e.g. UNDP/GEF projects.

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GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic PartnershipNext steps to implement GPA

» Draft LBSA Protocol to be finalized by 2007;

» LBSA Protocol reflected in the revised Black Sea Strategic Action Plan;

» LBSA Protocol to be signed at the next Ministerial Conference (2008).

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Thank you for your attention!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.icpdr.org

www.blacksea-commission.org

www.undp-drp.org

www.bserp.org