GEF Danube-Black Sea Strategic Partnership for Nutrient Reduction Strategic Partnerships for GEF IW Mainstreaming GPA in Transboundary Basins and LMEs Ivan Zavadsky, UNDP/GEF Regional Programme Director Danube/ Black Sea

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.

3 Relevance of the GEF D–BS Partnership to GPA Priority 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.

4 Pollution Control in the Danube-Black Sea Region Cooperation 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership Two regional projects »Danube Regional Project; »Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery projects.

8 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.

9 COOPERATION IN THE DANUBE RIVER BASIN Danube 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.

10 Cooperation in the Black Sea Basin Convention 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.

11 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 »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.

12 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.

13 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.

14 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.

15 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership GPA 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.

16 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership GPA related experience Implementation of GPA : »Requires considerable finances; »Should be built-in into national programmes; »Requires realistic measures.

17 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership General 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.

18 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership General 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.

19 ACHIEVEMENTS »Reduced nutrients – upper Danube; »Reduced P discharges from Danube; »Reduced anoxic conditions NW Black Sea; »Increased zoobenthos diversity NW Black Sea.

20 Actual loads Flow – corrected loads Inorganic NTotal P Danube loads to Black Sea

21 Phytoplankton Zoobenthos Zooplankton ? Phyllophora/Fisheries Ecological status of Black Sea

22 REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS »Political will – countries collaborate; »Legal framework – convention; »Strong institution – e.g. ICPDR; »Long-term support – e.g. UNDP/GEF projects.

23 GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership Next 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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