Environmental projects in Belarus, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental Assistance to Eastern Europe 2001

Environmental projects in Belarus

In 2001, DEPA continued the restrained policy towards Belarus according to the strategy from 1999. The strategy implies that according to the EU Council conclusions from 1997 new projects may be implemented in Belarus provided they are regional, transboundary, humanitarian or NGO projects. In 2001, four projects have been granted amounting to a total sum of approx. DKK 3 million. Compared to 2000 there has been a decrease of quite 44% from a total sum of approx. DKK 5.4 million.

In 2001, a new project was implemented on the management of a national park on the border between Belarus and Poland. In addition to this the formulation and tender of a project on the implementation of the Aarhus Convention was supported. Furthermore, the project for a local project co-ordinator was continued.

Project title	Belovezhskaya National Park - NGO Co-operation
File no.	124/015-0026
Project recipient	Belarussian and Polish NGOs
Project manager	COWI as
Project description	The overall and long-term objective of the project is to contribute to the preservation of the unique biodiversity in the Belarussian part of the Bialowieza-Belovezhaskaya national park on the border between Belarus and Poland. The park has been classified by UNESCO as a 'Unique Biosphere Reserve and World Natural Heritage Site', and the Belarussian part of the park is four times bigger than the Polish part. The latter has received support from the Danish Environmental Support Programme since 1999. The project is to support the cross-border cooperation between NGOs on nature conservation and environmental information in order to strengthen the Belarussian NGOs in the environmental protection work and to contribute to the process of democratisation in Belarus.
Environmental effect (expected)	The project will improve the knowledge and understanding of the conservation of nature and the environment and contribute to the protection of the biodiversity in the Belarussian part of the park. Belovezhskaya Protected Forest Reserve covers 87,600 ha with more than 900 plant species, 220 birds species, 56 mammal species including the last viable and breeding population of the European bison.
Grant	DKK 2,025,390
Total costs	DKK 2,025,390

Project title	Project to Assist Belarus in the Implementation of the Aarhus Convention – Project Identification Mission
File no.	124/015-0028
Project recipient	The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Belarus
Project manager	Milieu Ltd. Environmental Law Consultancy
Project description	The objective of the project mission is to identify a project, which is to assist Belarus in implementing the Aarhus Convention. Primarily the projects will focus on pillars 1 and 2 in the convention (access to information and public participation in decision making).
Environmental effect (expected)	No direct effect, since this is a project identification mission.
Grant	DKK 450,692
Total costs	DKK 450,692

Project title	Local Project Co-ordinator, Belarus, 2001-2002
File no.	124/015-0029
Project recipient	The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Belarus and the Danish Environmental Support Programme
Project manager	UNDP Minsk
Project description	An agreement is made with The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Belarus (MNREP) on the continued employment of a Local Project Co-ordinator (LPC) for the period July 1. 2001 to December 31. 2002. The position will be changed from half time-basis to full time. The LPC is to assist in the co-ordination of Danish activities, primarily under the Danish Environmental Support Programme. The LPC is to improve the monitoring of the projects supported by Denmark. The LPC will be placed in The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Belarus.
Environmental effect (expected)	No direct effect.
Grant	DKK 329,526
Total costs	DKK 329,526

Project title	Tender Preparation for Project on Implementation of the Aarhus Convention, Belarus
File no.	129-0278
Project recipient	The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Belarus
Project manager	Modus Consult
Project description	The objective of the project is to implement a tender to identify the most qualified and most cost efficient company for the implementation of Aarhus Convention projects in Belarus.
Environmental effect (expected)	No direct effect.
Grant	DKK 142,342
Total costs	DKK 142,342