CEP Bulletin
http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/2004/Dec.asp
Decemberr 2004
No. CEP-B-04/3



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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
Artificial spawning of Rutilus Frisii Kutum
Republic
Kazakhstan
Conservation and restoration of the Caspian
Sturgeon stock by promoting the development of
commercial sturgeon farming in the Atyrau and
Managystau region
Russian
Supplying the floating hotels located in the Volga
Federation
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
Training teachers about Caspian Issues
Republic
Iran Islamic
Improvement environmental knowledge of
Republic
clergies in central Gilan
Russian
The Volga and the Caspian from the
Federation
Astrakhan journalist's view
Russian
Cycle of telecasts on Caspian coasts about
Federation
problems of natural environment of the
Caspian coast of Dagestan
Turkmenistan
World which we live in
Turkmenistan
Caspian Biodiversity ­ Future Generations


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CEP Bulletin
http://www.caspianenvironment.org/newsite/EBult/2004/Dec.asp
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
The Caspian Environment Programme Steering Committee Meeting was held in Baku , Azerbaijan
on 17 th November 2004. The Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) is governed by a Steering
Committee composed of representatives, typically at the Ministerial or Deputy-Ministerial level, from
each of the five Caspian littoral states. In addition, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP), the World Bank (WB), the European Union/Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of
Independent States (EU/Tacis), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) are members of the Steering Committee. The
Steering Committee is the Governing and Policy-Making body of the CEP. The Steering Committee
meets at least once a year in its ordinary meetings. The meeting was hosted by the Minister of
Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Republic. Many objectives of the meeting were
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achieved successfully, including the briefing of the Steering Committee members on progress of
implementation of SAP and NCAPs in the littoral states as well as the progress of projects and
initiatives under the CEP supported by International partners, reviewing of the working arrangement
and the regional support for the RAGs and the cooperation with the regional bodies and private
sector. As with the previous meetings of the Steering Committee, a one-day meeting of the CEP
National Focal Points was held on 16 th of December in Baku .
Biodiversity Protocol Technical Meeting ­ Baku ­ 18 November 2004
The Biodiversity Protocol Technical Meeting was held in Baku on November 18 th 2004. In this
meeting, the technical scope of a Biodiversity Protocol to the Framework Caspian Convention was
discussed. The representatives of the five Caspian littoral countries participated in this gathering
that was facilitated by the UNEP/ROE as the Interim Secretariat for the countries
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
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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
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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 .

Upcommings:



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 ).


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