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IN THIS ISSUE:

CEP & REGIONAL NEWS

COUNTRY NEWS

• AZERBAIJAN
• I.R. IRAN
• KAZAKHSTAN
• TURKMENISTAN

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC ADVOCACY CENTER

CEP & REGIONAL NEWS

1. CASPIAN-BLACK SEA FORUM TO BE ESTABLISHED BY LATE DECEMBER
2. 32 PROJECT PROPOSALS WILL BE EVALUATED IN THE FRAME OF THE SMALL MATCHED GRANT PROGRAMME OF THE CEP
3. A CEP IS HOLDING ITS REGULAR STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN MOSCOW

1. CASPIAN-BLACK SEA FORUM TO BE ESTABLISHED BY LATE DECEMBER
The annual Caspian-Black Sea forum will be founded during the "Oil and security" round table, scheduled for early December, 2001, deputy of the head of Russian Social and Political center Sergey Mikhailov said.According to Mikhailov the organizers believe, that "Oil and Security" forum have to unite both Caspian states and European and Western states as a whole. Thus, representatives of some European and Southern Caucasian states, as well as Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran expressed their readiness to take part in the works of the forum. Talking on Turkmenistan, Mikhailov expressed hope, that Ashkhabad would not ignore the meetings of five littoral Caspian states as it used to do earlier". Social and Political center is ready to cooperate with another forums and units, interested in problems of Caspian region. He mentioned both International Caspian forum, established on October 25-27 in Derbent by the initiative of the Russian Institute of Federalism and "Caspian: perspectives and problems" annual seminar, expected to be held in late December, in Tehran.EE
Source: Caspian News Agency

2. 32 PROJECT PROPOSALS WILL BE EVALUATED IN THE FRAME OF THE SMALL MATCHED GRANT PROGRAMME OF THE CEP
In October 2001 Caspian Environment Programme has completed reception of pilot project proposals delivered in the frame of Small Matched Grant Programme of the Priority Investments Portfolio Project announced in July 2001. The amounts to be granted fluctuate between 10 ths. USD up to 100 ths. USD, and the granting mechanism imply that the grant recipient is obliged to invest amount equal to the requested grant. Totally 50 project proposals from all the littoral countries have been submitted to the Grant Selection Commission, however, only 32 of them passed initial screening, as the rest of the projects did not comply with the format criteria. 16 proposals out of 32 have been prepared by the Azerbaijan state offices, private companies and non-governmental organisations, 7 - Russian and 9 from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and I.R.Iran altogether. These pilot project proposals are aimed at practical solution of the Caspian problems such as liquidation of pollution, preservation of transboundary biodiversity and protection of endangered species, ecological agriculture and alternative energy resources. Few of the projects include introduction of innovations. The projects evaluation and selection will be done on November during the meeting of Evaluation Committee, which comprises National Focal Points of Caspian countries, representatives of the Programme Coordination Unit from UNDP and Tacis, as well as experts from the World Bank.
Source: Turan News Agency:

3. A CEP IS HOLDING ITS REGULAR STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING IN MOSCOW

The Caspian Environment Programme is holding its regular Steering Committee Meeting in Moscow, Russian Federation, which started on October 30 and will last until November 01, 2001.

All the Caspian countries participate in the Meeting on the level of Environmental Ministries and ministries of Foreign Affairs, CEP's Managing Officers and leaders of the Caspian Regional Thematic Centers (CRTCs) and consultants, as well as observers in the face of NGOs from Russia and Turkmenistan appointed in collaboration with ISAR headquarters.

The Meeting will discuss the following issues:

• Report on the CEP activities up to date, including reports of CRTCs and CEP's projects and initiatives such as Ecotox, Mnemiopsis, At Sea Training Programme and others;

• Presentations and discussion on Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, National Caspian Action Plans, Caspian Ecological Fund and role of private sector in the CEP's work;

• Presentations and initial ideas on the CEP's second phase in 2002 - 2006;

• Appointment of Chairman of the Steering Committee and venue of the next Meeting

Source: PPA Azerbaijan

AZERBAIJAN

1. Azerbaijani Association for Protection of Animals...
2. FISRT CHILDREN ENVIRONMENTAL COURT LAUNCHED IN BAKU

1. Azerbaijani Association for Protection of Animals is organized a Celebration devoted to the World Animals Protection Day on October 20, 2001. CEP and the British Embassy for Azerbaijan are sponsoring the event. The event is a part of the CCG Project "Improvement of environmental situation in Khatai districts through environmental education".
Source: PPA Azerbaijan

2. FISRT CHILDREN ENVIRONMENTAL COURT LAUNCHED IN BAKU
First Children Environmental legal process was launched in Baku in October 2001. Caspian Environment Programme was invited to observe the event. It was first of its sort of theatrical court in Baku, Azerbaijan where children played roles of adults protecting their right for clean drinking water and fighting state administrations responsible for supply of drinking water. Children not only raised the question of quality the drinking water in Baku, but showed that the issue is burning and requires solution. Children were not only good at playing roles of plaintiff, defendant, witnesses, but made a good job at preparing a full set of evidences under the joint guidance of NGO "TUTU" and Lyceum # 1, where young actors and stickles of healthy environment study.
Source: PPA Azerbaijan

1. GOOD NEWS FROM HCEP
2. SOLID WASTE
3. ECOTOURISM
4. 1st Educational Workshop on Development of Energy Resources & Assessment...
5. EIA WORKSHOP
6. Kilka industry is going down the drain
7. The extremely endangered Siberian Cranes showed up in their wintering area on south-eastern coast of Caspian a week earlier this year
8. "AIDS" has made its way to southern coast of Caspian
9. Floods keep striking the southern coast of Caspian and take toll
10. Arrival of large flocks of migratory birds in Miankaleh Biosphere reserve, located at southeastern corner of Caspian Sea
11. President Khatami's cabinet...
12. 5800 fishermen, all members of 74 Dragnet Fishery Cooperatives celebrated...

1. GOOD NEWS FROM HCEP
The 20th official session of The High Council for Environmental Protection was held with chairmanship of president Katami.
In this meeting, all the proposals & projects for development of railroad systems & roads / highway constructions were subjected to submission of EIA reports & related regulations.
19 important forested regions in 7 provinces, including Golestan & Mazandaran (Caspian coastal provinces) were declared as "Protected Areas", as part of the previous resolution, that made it mandatory to set 10% 0f the total forested areas of the country aside to be fully protected by the laws governing the protected areas.
Lar Protected Area, which is of great ecological importance, was also declared a national park, to be fully covered by the strict laws that protect areas under this category.
Lar area covers a great portion of the watershed that provides good percentage of the water supply of the greater Tehran.
"Naiband No Hunting Region" in Khorasan province, which is one of the last remaining refuge for the extremely endangered Asiatic Cheetahs, was also promoted to "Protected Area"
Source: Hamshahri, 18 Oct.

2. SOLID WASTE
Director of development planning of Min of Interior:
10 centers for recycling of solid waste will be established in different regions in the country. The major problem with the solid waste is lack of an integration practice of it at the sources.
Source: Hamshahri 18 Oct.

3. ECOTOURISM
According to global definition for Eco-tourism, two types of attraction make an area eligible to be categorized suitable for such activities: Recreational and Natural. Iran's geographical location & topographical structure, where atmospheric high pressure systems meet warm equatorial warmth, has created such diverse and magnificent ecosystems, to make it eligible to be ranked among the top 5 countries in the world.
According to The World Tourism Organization, the present number of tourists (625 million in year 2000) and the annual revenue from this source (USD445 bill. For year 2000) will reach 1.6 mil. and $2000 bill. In 2020, respectively. This great potential is waiting yet to be utilized.
Source: Hamshahri 18 Oct.

4. 1st Educational Workshop on Development of Energy Resources & Assessment of the Related Environmental Impacts started in Teheran, with participation of representatives of ECO members.
Najafi, the deputy director of DOE addressed the meeting. He pointedout to the ever-increasing damages to the environment, throughout the world, and emphasized on the importance of the EIA in harnessing the environmentally hazardous projects and   activities. He also criticized the management of the forests of Iran in the last 2 decades & predicted further damages to this unique and valuable resource, if immediate proper action are not employed.
The most precious forests in Iran are located on the northern slopes of the Alborz range, adjacent to the southern Caspian coast.
Source: Iran Daily 8 Oct.

5. EIA WORKSHOP
Solid waste remains the number one problem on Iranian coast of Caspian. There are more than 6.5 million people residing in 3 coastal provinces and if 50 million annual visitors (90% in 3 summer months) be added to the native population, then the amount of solid waste generated by such crowd in such small area that is naturally bounded by the Alborz range and the sea can create a real headache.
Source: PPA Iran

6. Kilka industry is going down the drain
Everybody is blaming the drastic reduction if Kilka catch in Mniopsis leydii, an invader which has made its way to Caspian waters from Black Sea.Many fishing fleets have been anchored at the harbors for months now. The vessel owners claim that they even can not catch enough Kilka to pay for half of the daily wages of the crew. There are 700 men involved in Kilka catching operation in Mazandaran province, leaving the other 2 coastal provinces out. According to state fisheries of Gilan province (SHILAT), the total catch of Kilka, by 110 vessels, in the past 5 months, has been only 9730 tons.
This figure shows a 50% reduction in catch, when compared to the same period, last year.
The amount of Kilka caught in Mazandaran Province in the past 5 months did not exceed 4000 tons, that shows 53% reduction in comparison with the similar period in last year. The situation in Golestan Province does not seem to be any better than other two coastal provinces mentioned above.
Source: PPA Iran

7. The extremely endangered Siberian Cranes showed up in their wintering area on south-eastern coast of Caspian a week earlier this year.
3 Siberian Cranes were observed in Fereidoonkenar area in Mazandaran province of Iran on 12 October. Another pair also was reported from a nearby site, that could be a part of the trio, or the real number of the cranes could be 5. Another report from Astrakhan points to observation of 3 Siberian Cranes on 11 October, which can mean that there will be 3 more "Sibes" in Fereidoonkenar soon. Members of Mazandaran Crane Conservation Association, a local NGO in Fereidoonkenar, together with game guards of Dept. of Environment are all on alert to make sure that newly set "No Shooting" regulation in the area is fully observed.
Siberian Cranes left their wintering area at Fereidoonkenar for their breeding grounds east of Aral mountains last March.
Source: PPA Iran

8. "AIDS" has made its way to southern coast of Caspian.
18 patients have been admitted to hospitals in coastal province of Mazandaran in past 6 months. Reports from public relation office of the Medical Sciences University of Mazandaran indicates that 65% of the admitted patients were addicts and were infected by infected injections and another 10% got the virus through sexual contacts.
Source: PPA Iran

9. Floods keep striking the southern coast of Caspian and take toll.
Many other floods have caused extensive damages to the entire coastal area after the massive and destructive flood of mid August, which claimed more than 250 lives in coastal province of Golestan. Many specialists and some authorities blame the logging operations on steep slopes of the northern faces of the Alborz range, as the major cause of repeated floods.
The area of the precious southern Caspian forest have been diminishing in the last decades, and lack of proper management has been thought to be the cause.
Source: PPA Iran

10. Arrival of large flocks of migratory birds in Miankaleh Biosphere reserve, located at southeastern corner of Caspian Sea.
13000 ducks of different species, 10000 Coots, 5000 Flamingos & 100 Pelicans were counted in mid October observation, Mazandaran DOE's P.R. officer reported.
Unusual arrival of a flock of 360 Sarus Cranes has surprised wildlife experts. This is the first time that these birds are being reported in this unique reserve. Careful observation is being conducted in search of Siberian Cranes, which may be with their Sarus crane foster parents. Eggs of Siberian cranes have been repeatedly placed in the nests of Sarus cranes in western Siberia, hoping to establish new flocks of Sibes in Central & western range of this endangered species.
Source: PPA Iran

11. President Khatami's cabinet has approved an additional 5 Billion Rials for environmental projects of Department of Environment. DOE has been quite active in the past 5 years & has recently passed a law, which allows tax reduction for the industrial units that observe the environmental measures. P.R. director of DOE has criticized the lack of laws & regulation, which prohibit the production of environmentally hazardous products.
Source: PPA Iran

12. 5800 fishermen, all members of 74 Dragnet Fishery Cooperatives celebrated the start their seasonal activity in Gilan province. The activity range of these cooperatives is from Astara to Chaboksar, at the border of Mazandaran province. These cooperatives are only allowed to catch bony fish. In Mazandaran also, 5000 fishermen of 57 cooperatives started the new season, which begins on 7 October anc continues till 7 April.
Director General of Shilat Fisheries Company (State owned) in Gilan province warned the participants of a scientific meeting about the possible genetic mutations among the Caspian fish populations. Announcing that only 2% of the Caspian commercial fish populations are naturally bred, he declared his deep concern for the genetic fate of the bony fish of this great body of water. According to his report, 93 million fingerlings of 3 popular bony fish species are annually released in Caspian by Shilat of Gilan province only.
Source: PPA Iran

1. The Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, called for not giving occasions to the international terrorists of using problems urgent for the Central Asian states "to breed strife, to turn the region into the next hotspot." "Terrorism in its various forms should be grimly prevented. We fully support the international coalition in the terrorism-fighting," Nazarbayev said. Terrorism should not be linked with any religion or people.
Source: Caspian News Agency

2. Non-governmental and ecological organizations of Kazakhstan intend to conduct the national campaign for prohibiting importation and burial of the radioactive waste from other states. The draft of decree on importation of spent fuel, which was submitted to the parliament by Kazatomprom company, does not have the technical basis.
Source: Caspian News Agency

3. According to the data of Kazakh seismologists a devastating earthquake is expected on the territory of Kazakhstan in the nearest several years. The official noted that the state is not ready for such earthquakes as equipments of most of seismic stations became out of date.
Source: Caspian News Agency

4. Kazakhstan will proceed consultations with Russia "on simultaneous joining the World Trade Organization." The Kazakh Prime Minister considers that the synchronism of Russian and Kazakh WTO joining is ridden on "the common free market zone" the two states possess.
Source: Caspian News Agency

5. By the end of 2002, Hurricane-ShNOS company will invest to implementation of its projects in Kazakhstan USD 705 million, while its preliminary investment obligations do not prevail USD 430 million. Next year, a gas power station for 40MW will put into operation next year. It will utilize associated gas extracted on Kumkol oil field. Moreover, a 176 km pipeline linking Kumkol, Kizilkiam, Ariskul and Iaybulak oil fields with railway terminal at Jusali station of kizilordin region will be put into exploitation as well.
Source: Caspian News Agency

TURKMENISTAN

1. The Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov suggested the UN...
2. Turkmenistan has celebrated its 10 anniversary of independence...

1. The Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov suggested the UN to view the possibility of implementing the project of trans-Afghan gas pipeline in Pakistan as an effective mean of settling ordinary life in Afghanistan. This idea was voiced at his meeting with deputy of the UN Secretary General Kenzo Oshima.
Source: Caspian News Agency

2. Turkmenistan has celebrated its 10 anniversary of independence on October 27 with a grand parade and 10 days of holiday and festivities.
Source: PPA Turkmenistan

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
New Grantmaking Competition

The Program on Global Security and Sustainability of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announces new guidelines for grants under the Research and Writing Grants competition. The Foundation invites proposals relating to either of the following themes:

Migration and Refugees, including the causes and consequences of migration and refugee flows, and policy responses to international and internal migration and refugees; or Technological Change and Global Security and Sustainability, examining the impact of technological advances-and uneven access to technologies-on global security and sustainability.

The Program seeks to support research and writing projects in any academic discipline or profession, as well as creative work conducted outside of traditional disciplinary and professional approaches. Applicants may request up to $75,000 for individual projects, and $100,000 for two-person collaborations. Applications must be received by February 1, 2002 to be considered for the current round.

The text version of the application guidelines and procedures can also be downloaded from the Foundation's web site at: www.macfound.org. Inquiries about the competition can be made at researchandwriting@macfound.org

ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC ADVOCACY CENTER

Environmental public advocacy center (EPAC) has been launched by a non-governmental organization (environmental law center) "Ecolex-Azerbaijan" in Baku.

The project is implemented by Financial Support of Open Society Institute.

The following steps will be provided for the environmental-law information of NGOs and population:

• Publication and circulation of the environmental-law bulletin "Ecolex"
• Preparation and circulation of the electronic version of environmental-law bulletin "Ecolex"
• Preparation and location of the environmental-law information in English and Azeri Web-site of the organization (http://ecolex.aznet.org);

Please send us your contact information if you are interested in working together with an NGO, initiative group or Eco club in the Caspian region.