CEP Matched Small Grants Awarded

USD 178,837 was awarded at the first round of the CEP Matched Small Grants Programme (MSGP) to six projects from five littoral countries. Out of many proposals received from five littoral countries, six proposals reached to the optimal scores and awarded during the MSGP Evaluation Committee Meeting of 15 November 2004. The awarded proposals are:

Country Project Title Azerbaijan Oily Soil Clean Up Iran Islamic Republic Artificial spawning of Rutilus Frisii Kutum Kazakhstan Conservation and restoration of the Caspian Sturgeon stock by promoting the development of commercial sturgeon farming in the Atyrau and Managystau region Russian Federation Supplying the floating hotels located in the Volga river delta with the equipment for the sewage purification Turkmenistan Breading Artemia Salina in Ponds Turkmenistan Obtaining of potable water for the inhabitants of Goyudijik settlement

The Grantees of the 6 awarded projects will participate in an Orientation Meeting to be held by CEP during December to sign their Contract, to introduce their projects to one another and to be briefed about the main project implementation procedures and management arrangements. Implementation of the six MSGP projects will start on 1 st January 2005.

CEP Micro Environment Grants Awarded

USD 23,400 was awarded at the first round of the CEP Micro Environment Grants (MEG) to eight projects of littoral countries. Out of so many proposals received from the littoral countries, eight proposals reached to the optimal scores and awarded during the MEG Evaluation Committee Meeting of 14 November 2004. The awarded proposals are:

Country Project Title Azerbaijan Education of Growing up youth on prese5vation of the environment on particular ecologies of the Caspian Sea Azerbaijan The prevention of illegal fishery in the districts of Neftchala and Lankaran Iran Islamic Republic Training teachers about Caspian Issues Iran Islamic Republic Improvement environmental knowledge of clergies in central Gilan Russian Federation The Volga and the Caspian from the Astrakhan journalist's view Russian Federation Cycle of telecasts on Caspian coasts about problems of natural environment of the Caspian coast of Dagestan Turkmenistan World which we live in Turkmenistan Caspian Biodiversity – Future Generations

Ninth Session of the CASPCOM

October 27 th 2004 – AZERTAC: The Coordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea /CASPCOM/ commenced its ninth session on October 27 in Baku . The event gathered representatives of the World Hydrometeorology Organization and hydrometeorological services of the Caspian littoral states (except Turkmenistan ). A Turkish delegation was also invited to the session as observer. Founded in 1994, The Coordinating Committee acts on “Integrated Program on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Environment in the Caspian Sea Region”. It aims to establish a regional system for monitoring and exchange of information on the state of environment and its pollution by providing a framework for comprehensive studies on water level fluctuations and its environmental impact on the region. In this session, development of international cooperation in hydrometeorology and oceanographic research in the Caspian Sea was also discussed.

TACIS Meeting on Ecological Information and Public Awareness Promotion

November 9 th 2004 – AZERTAC: A seminar reviewing the results of the TACIS regional project “Ecological Information, and Public Awareness Promotion” took place at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in Azerbaijan. The project's 2,5 million Euro has been implemented during 2 years in 6 CIS countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine by Dutch company Royal Haskoning and Regional ecological Center for Central and Eastern European countries with headquarters in Kiev, which will be finished in December 2004. Head of the project Veronica Vann requested further assistance for implementation of the regulations of the Orhus Convention by the officials, NGOs and general public. In all the countries involved, the project has resulted in forming of national groups, developing regional training and information packages, holding training courses and implementing pilot projects on the national and local levels.

1 st Meeting of the Interim SDCCRAG in Ashgabat - Turkmenistan

The first meeting of the Interim Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities (SDCCRAG) was held on November 10th, 2004 in Ashgabat in conjunction with the Technical Training Workshop on Sustainable Coastal Development on the 11th which was organized by the EU/Tacis supported Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities Project. The objectives of the SDCCRAG meeting were to outline a strategic work plan for the sustainable coastal community development components of the Caspian Strategic Action Programme (SAP) and the CEP related projects to provide advice on implementation mechanism with a view to ensure a cost effective modality while enhancing regional involvement in the projects activities and to review the status of dialogue and inter-action between the international, regional and national bodies involved in the SDCC management activities.

Sustainable Development of Caspian Communities Discussed in Ashgabat

November 16 th 2004 – AZERTAC: A one-day conference on the topic “Sustainable Development of the Caspian Communities” was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on November 11 th to discuss the accomplished work and following the tasks under the framework of the EU TACIS Small Grant Program for Assistance to Local Communities Project /2004-2006/ being implemented in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Moreover, the exchange of views, presentation of new projects and offering of small grants to non-governmental organizations, farmers and small entrepreneurs in the Caspian Littoral States were the other objectives of this meeting.

CEP Steering Committee Meeting held in Baku - Azerbaijan

Biodiversity Protocol Technical Meeting – Baku – 18 November 2004

The World Bank Caspian Environment Investment Forum, Baku – Azerbaijan

The World Bank organized a Caspian Environment Programme Investment and Donors' Forum, in Baku on 19 th and 20 th of November. The main aim of the Forum was to give the Caspian states a platform for presenting to potential investors and donors the priorities identified in their National Caspian Action Plans (NCAPs) and the regional Caspian Strategic Action Program (SAP). The event was designed to help the states to establish partnerships to mobilize resources for implementation of the priority projects. These included the public goods investments, commercial projects, and public-private partnership opportunities, as well as a number of small-scale actions appropriate for grant funding. The Forum was co-sponsored by Germany , and supported by the Project Preparation Committee (PPC) of the Environment for Europe program and by the Asian Development Bank. For more information, visit the Forum website: www.worldbank.org/caspianenvironmentforum .

Environment Ministers of Eastern European, Asian and Caucasian Countries Met in Baku

November 25th 2004 – AZERTAC: A meeting held at the office of Regional Environmental Center (REC) of Caucasus in Azerbaijan was dedicated to results of the recent conference of the ministers of environment of the countries of Eastern Europe, Asia and Central Caucasus (EEACC) in Tbilisi.
In this meeting, several issues were discussed including the importance of the national plans on eco-strategy of EEACC and the significance of the tasks stated by the ministerial forum in Kiev and Tbilisi . It has to be noted that in the EEACC countries, there are five functioning Regional Environmental Centers (REC) - in Hungary, Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and in the Caucasus, which are to implement sustainable partnership on realization of EEACC strategy.

Summit of Ecology Ministers of Caspian & Black Sea Regional States, Istanbul - Turkey

November 25th 2004 – AZERTAC: Summit of ministers of ecology of the states in the Caspian and Black seas region on “Caspian and Black Sea Ecology 2004” was held in Istanbul on 25 th and 26 th of November. In this summit, delegations from Turkey , Russia , Iran , Romania , Ukraine , Kazakhstan , Bulgaria , Azerbaijan and Georgia , as well as representatives of the international and regional oil-and-gas, transport and tanker companies and NGOs took part. The participants with emphasis on development of regional interstate and industrial cooperation on preservation of the environment considered number of issues influencing the ecological system of the region. Also discussed were development of ecologically safe methods and technologies for oil and gas recovery as well as transportation of power resources in the Caspian-Black Sea region.

Iran Newspaper and the CEP Project Manager

According to Iran Newspaper, Dr. Hamid Reza Ghaffarzadeh, the Project Manager of the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP), in an exclusive interview elaborated on the importance of the public participation on the protection of the Caspian environment and the steps taken by the CEP to ensure the stakeholders involvement in its activities. Ghaffarzadeh mentioned that employment of five national public participation advisors in the Caspian littoral states and international public participation consultants as well as the creation of a fund for the matched small grants are in line with this objective. Ghaffarzadeh also talked about the role of CEP as a successful promoter of a constructive dialogue between Caspian states and the signing of the Tehran Convention on the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003 as a significant outcome of this dialogue. Ghaffarzadeh pointed out to the current ratification process of the Convention in the littoral countries and the ongoing technical meetings for preparation of the related protocols. He emphasized that Caspian Environment Programme can not interfere in the internal affairs of the countries and the littoral states, especially the public are the true owners of this programme and the ultimate success or failure of the CEP depends on public's support and their participation.

New Environmental Book for Kazakh Schools

According to Eurasia News Website, a new textbook on environmental education and climate change, the first of its kind in Kazakhstan, has been prepared for students in secondary schools thanks to a British Council and European Commission (EC)-funded project implemented by the Central Asian Regional Environmental Centre (CAREC).The textbook, "Environment for Future Generations", was written by a team of teachers and NGOs specializing in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including experts from the UK-based NGO Field Studies Council on Environment Education (FSCEE). The United Kingdom is supporting a number of projects aimed at prevention climate change and financing the work of the Centre for Climate Change in Kazakhstan .

On Line CEP Library

The on Line CEP Library is updated, which contains more than 1000 books and technical reports in English and Russian including researches and reports on biodiversity, pollution control, fisheries, coastal management and other environmental issues of the Caspian Sea. The list of all the books and reports that are available in our Technical Document Center is available on our website in electronic format, or visit our library at PCU with prior arrangement. http://217.218.78.133/ceplibrary/view/

Birds Flock to the Habitats of East Azerbaijan Province – I.R. Iran

November 4 th 2004 - Iran Daily Newspaper: A wildlife and aquatics expert with the East Azerbaijan Department of Environment said that one million migratory birds came to the province's natural habitats in the fall. Mohammad Reza Masoud said that the birds, which started migrating to the region in early October, include various waterfowl species such as gray and white-headed ducks, IRNA wrote. "Of this number, about 500,000 birds will move to other habitats across the country after taking a rest in the region, while the others will stay in provincial sanctuaries until the start of the cold season," he said. Masoud explained that the origin of these birds is in Central Asia including the Caucasus, Turkmenistan and Siberia . "Once the cold season is in, they head off for warmer regions in southern Iran ," he added. According to the expert, the migratory birds usually come to rest in Qouri-Gol and Qara-Qeshlaq wetlands, as well as alongside the Aras River and dam lakes such as Mollajan in Hashtroud, and Ardalan and Baftan in Sarab. He referred to green-headed duck as the leading migratory species in the province which stays in wetlands surrounding the Orumiyeh Lake . He put the number of bird species in the province at 220, of which some indigenous varieties are known globally.

Afforested Terrains in Mazandaran – I.R. Iran

November 25 th 2004 - Iran Daily Newspaper: Close to 11,000 hectares of natural terrains in Caspian province of Mazandaran will be afforested by the March 2005. Deputy Head of the Mazandaran-Sari Natural Resources Department for Technical Affairs, Kazemi, said that 3,500 hectares will be planted within the framework of the National Scheme for Preservation of Forests by the Iranian government. Kazemi further explained that "Some 3,000 hectares would be forested for timber production and another 1,000 hectares for expansion of green area in collaboration with the public, state-run and non-governmental establishments". He emphasized that preservation of natural resources requires a firm national resolve and expressed hope for the expansion of such projects in the future.

I.R. Iran - Gilan Slaughterhouses Contaminating Ecosystem

Director General of Gilan Department of Environment criticized slaughterhouses in the province for excessive emission of pollutants into the environment. Shabanali Nezami told IRNA that traditional slaughterhouses posed serious threat to water ecosystems in the area due to unfettered emission of sewage and improper disposal of livestock excretion. "Blood is considered as one of the most hazardous pollutants of water ecosystems because of containing durable organic substances. Such substances dramatically decrease the amount of oxygen in water and affect the biology of water" he added. Nezami also blamed the nonstandard slaughterhouses for spread of diseases transmissible between livestock and humans, and insisted that these centers should be closed and converted into industrial slaughterhouses because they do serious harm to the nature. Some 24 traditional slaughterhouses were operating in Gilan, of which nine were closed down by Gilan's DOE with the collaboration of the Veterinary Department.

Sighting of Sea Eagle in Boujaq Park in Gilan Province – I.R. Iran

November 11 th 2004 – Iran Daily Newspaper: Director General of Gilan Department of Environment said a pair of white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), a species already pushed to the brink of extinction worldwide, was for the first time sighted in Boujaq National Park of the province, ILNA reported. Shabanali Nezami added the white-tailed sea eagle is 80 to 90 centimeters in length. The bird of prey is only active in daytime. The hunting of the eagle is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), he said. Nezami explained the specifications of the carnivorous eagle, as a huge bird of prey with a hooked thick beak, strong claws and long broad wings (200-240 centimeter of wingspan) as well as a big head. He added the male and female are similar in shape, except that the female is larger than the male. White-tailed sea eagle feeds on fish, waterfowls and mammals. Its habitat is in coastal areas, broad rivers, islands and wetlands, and it nests and breeds mostly on tall trees. In Iran , the white-tailed sea eagle is mostly found in the northern slopes of the Alborz mountain chain as well as the wetlands in Fars and Khuzestan provinces. It normally breeds in Middle East, Eastern Europe and Central Asia .

CAREC National and Regional Evaluation Meetings, December 2004

The CAREC in cooperation with REC Caucasus and Russian REC will arrange evaluations process for second round of the “Sustainable Development of Caspian Coastal Communities” Small Grant Programme. This programme is financed by the European Commission and implemented in four counties ( Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Russian Federation and Turkmenistan ). The main objective of this programme is to reduce and prevent excessive use of natural resources in the Caspian region through funding projects on building more sustainable life sustenance sources. The tentative schedule for SDCC SGP national and regional evaluation meetings is around 18-20 December (Atyrau, Turkmenbashy, Astrachan and Baku) at national level and on 23 -24 of December at regional level . For additional information please contact the programme National Coordinators in the above-mentioned countries or contact Ms. Yelena Yerzakovich, CAREC Programme Manager: Lyerzakovich@carec.kz . All the documents are also available on the CAREC website (www.carec.kz).

Mediterranean Coastal Environment/MEDCOAST 05 , October 25-29 of 2005 in Turkey

The Seventh International Conference on the Mediterranean Coastal Environment/MEDCOAST 05 will convene during 25-29 October 2005 in Kusadasi , Turkey . The conference is being organized by the MEDCOAST Secretariat in collaboration with four Turkish Universities (the Universities of Adnan Menderes, Dokuz Eylul, Ege, and Mugla. The bi-annual MEDCOAST conferences cover all aspects of coastal and marine policy and governance, management, science and engineering. The conference program will contain keynote sessions, oral and poster presentations, workshops and special sessions organized in collaboration with other institutions. An exhibit of coastal and marine products and services, research and educational activities will take place in parallel with the conference. The deadline for abstract submission is 31 January 2005. More information about MEDCOAST 05, the list of conference topics and the abstract submission procedure can be found in the MEDCOAST's website ( www.medcoast.org.tr ).