Kazakhstan & GEF portfolio: Results and lessons learned

GEF portfolio in Kazakhstan POPs Energy efficiency Biodiversity Capacity Development

Comprehensive POPs management in Kazakhstan Beneficiaries: Ministry of Environmental Protection Industry companies with PCB waste in their Project Duration: TOTAL BUDGET: Global Environment Facility: $3,85 mln UNDP: $ 15,000 Government of Kazakhstan: $9,75 mln (parallel) $1,126,356 (in-kind) Private sector: $6,618,324 mln (parallel)

Unused or buried equipment containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - critical issue for health security in Kazakhstan. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) inventory in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union - Kazakhstan, with 980 tons of PCB-containing oils and 255,000 tons of PCB contaminated soil, second after Russia in PCB pollution. PCBs no longer in use, but were extensively used in medium- and large-scale energy equipment in metallurgical, energy and oil sectors. No specific regulation on PCBs in Kazakhstan, making activities related to handling, storage and destruction of such waste problematic.

Results: Results: Ensure minimization of PCB releases and subsequent health and environmental impacts through systematic capacity development for sound PCB management in the country. The activities will consist of: Regulatory and administrative institution strengthening Capacity building for sound PCB management, identification of additional PCB sources Replacement, setting-up safe dismantling of 850 tons of PCB transformers and their safe disposal Regionally organized secure storages and disposal of PCB capacitors Monitoring, learning, adaptive feedback, outreach and evaluation

Energy Efficient Design and Construction in Residential Sector Project duration: TOTAL BUDGET: $35,945,000 Global Environment Facility: $4,569 mln UNDP: 50,000 Government of Kazakhstan: $6,828 mln Other Entities: $6,372 mln

Share of total final energy consumption will double by housing sector will become one of largest energy consumer and source of GHG emissions in Kazakhstan. Main reason is barriers to energy-efficient design and construction of buildings in country. Project goal is to transform building market in Kazakhstan towards more energy efficient building design and practices. Energy efficient building is result of skilled architects, designers and engineering professionals working together towards solving challenges and maximizing positive impacts related to the external environment.

Results Enforcement of mandatory EE building norms, standards and labels for buildings and construction materials; Support development of domestic manufacturing base for more energy efficient materials and components of building envelope; Raise awareness and build capacities for integrated building design approach; Demonstrate application of integrated building design in two state-funded residential buildings.

Quest for saving in an energy- hungry environment Project Duration: 2007 – 2011Total Budget: $ 4,410,244 GEF/UNDP:$ 3,290,000 Akimat of Astana: $ 1,000,000 Akimat of Almaty: $ 87,744UK Embassy$124,000 Other entities: $ 32,500

Project aims - to remove barriers to energy efficiency in municipal heat and hot water supply - to develop local possibilities - to strength legal, regulatory and institutional framework - to create incentives for implementation of new institutional and financing mechanisms to leverage new sources of financing for energy efficiency in municipal heat and hot water supply

Results: Supportive legal and regulatory framework in place to promote and provide incentives for improvement of energy efficiency of heat and hot water supply services in Kazakhstan Includes specific incentives and other mechanisms to encourage effective implementation and enforcement of adopted laws and regulations by key stakeholders. Compilation, analysis and dissemination of project experiences and lessons learnt and initiation of effective replication in Kazakhstan and other CIS countries/municipalities.

Good practice in rangeland management Project Duration: 2009 – 2011 Total Budget: $ 3,763,000 Allocated resources (cash): GEF $ 950,000 GTZ $ 400,000 UNDP $ 21,000 In-kind contribution: UNDP $ 29,000 Government $ 1,900,200 NGOs $ 462,800

Rangelands in Kazakhstan cover nearly 188 million ha or 70 percent of country’s surface. Total area of degraded rangelands comprises more than 48 million ha (26% of total rangelands in country). Policy, regulatory, institutional, socio-economic and financial knowledge barriers intensify process of rangelands degradation. Project concentrates on removing key barriers to sustainable rangeland management by strengthening capacities at systemic, institutional and individual levels and promoting enabling environment at policy and regulatory level.

Results: An enabling environment conducive for Sustainable Rangeland Management enhanced at central and local level. Capacities and knowledge on integrated SRM of local government, community- based structures and individual farmers strengthened. Local infrastructure that allows greater mobility of livestock herds improved. Learning, evaluation and adaptive management implemented.

Preserving the unique mountainous agro- biodiversity in South-East Kazakhstan Project Duration: Total Budget: $22,569,877 Global Environment Facility: $3,022,967 Government of Kazakhstan:$17,244,710 (paralell)Other Entities:$2,302,200 (parallel)

Wild fruit forests in Zailiyskiy and Dzhungar Alatau habitat for ~100 varieties of plants of global significance. Species identified as wild ancestors of 24 agricultural crops = more than 75% of plant agrobiodiversity of Kazakhstan. Mountain relief and ecological factors contributed to genetic variety of apple and apricot and polymorphism of species - source of selection for their cultivated species. Project supports establishment of Dzhungar- Alatau National Park and specially protected seed sites, development of site management plans for Ili-Alatau National Park and Almaty State Reserve, and training of managers and staff.

Results: Government of Kazakhstan decision to establish Dzhungar - Alatau National Park, largely due to studies conducted by project New legal framework developed on management and conservation of Specially Protected Areas Information campaign brought greater understanding of local environmental concerns and role of protected areas Capacity of environmental NGOs strengthened through cooperation between project and GEF Small Grants Programme

Challenges and lessons learnt Poor intersectoral coordination at all stages of the GEF project implementation.  Need to improve intersectoral coordination and information access of all involved stakeholders No operational mechanism for initiation and utilization of co-financed resources  Need to establish clear mechanism for initiation and utilization

Addressing the challenges Established an intersectoral Working Group under GEF OFP Endorsed rules and procedures of GEF project initiation and implementation in Kazakhstan based on GEF rules Focal Points for all environmental Conventions are appointed in the MEP Enabled information access through workshops and translation of the GEF information

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