UNDP | Europe & CIS | Western Balkans Regional Environmental Programme

Western Balkans Regional Environmental Programme

Montenegro, 28 February 2008 - “Strengthening capacities in the Western Balkans countries to address environmental problems through remediation of high priority hot spots”

As Sanja Bojanic, Regional Programme Manager for the biggest UNDP regional programme in South Eastern Europe, explained in her interview, cooperation is key to a healthier environment and more neighbourly future.

See photos from the project sites.

What is the aim of the Regional Environmental Programme?
The aim of the three-year, $15 million Regional Environmental Hot Spots Programme is threefold:

To enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (by showing that this achieves better solutions to shared environmental problems which cross national boundaries, encouraging stronger regional cooperation in the future),
To improve living conditions in communities around targeted environmental hot spots through progress in clean-up (remediation) activities (both making measurable progress and communicating this to those affected),
To ensure control of existing pollution and prevent similar environmental mistakes happening in the future, through building up knowledge and capacity in the local communities and at the national level to solve these issues.

I would like to emphasize that this Regional Programme is unique in having a rare blend of concrete clean-up operations (i.e. physical works) combined with a so-called soft component focused on educating people, building an understanding of how people can influence the decision-making processes that affect their health, well being and economic opportunities. With respect to that “soft” component, active advocacy will be critical in terms of involving local communities, experts and decision-makers, as care for the environment has not yet reached the level of importance it should have in the Western Balkans region. In addition to improved policy dialogue, the Programme will enhance capacity within participating countries for professional environmental management.

How did the Programme come about?
UNDP Montenegro initiated negotiations with the Royal Netherlands Embassy. With support from five other UNDP offices in the region, UNDP Montenegro prepared the Regional Environmental Hot Spots Programme, funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Belgrade and signed in October 2007. Involving six countries/territories and covering nine environmental hot spots, this is the biggest regional programme UNDP has ever implemented in South Eastern Europe. As well as improving the environment in the degraded locations, it is also an opportunity for UNDP to position itself as an implementing partner for similar regional programmes/projects in the region, building upon its two important advantages – local presence and its knowledge base/network.

The locations were selected based on priorities jointly defined by the participants in this programme – governments and UNDP Offices in the region, including consultations with local Dutch Embassies and the civil sector in all the countries/territories. The criteria for selection of locations were potential or existing cross-border pollution/environmental impact of the hot spots, committment and priority that national governments attached to particular hot spots and their readiness to cofinance clean-up operations, availability of technical documentation, ability to establish partnerships including public and private partnerships, as well as readiness of local authorities and other interested stakeholders to take over the leading role in post-clean-up sustainable management.

Who is involved?
The main partners of UNDP are the governments in the region, and within them a wide range of ministries. At the local level, municipalities (Mojkovac, Ugljevik, Tuzla), public utility “Vode Vojvodine”, Cantonal hospital, Agency for Public works, private companies (Romtrade Ltd., Farmakom MB Zajaca) and local communities are involved. Dutch Embassies in the region have nominated focal points that monitor project implementation. In addition, the Programme will aim to closely involve a network of regional and international experts, NGOs, the UN Environment Programme, EEA, OSCE, Regional Environmental Center, the European Commission and bilateral and multilateral donors as potential funding partners for further regional environmental activities.

What kind of environmental problems are being addressed through REP?
Five of the nine pilot or demonstration projects are mining hotspots, most of them also identified as highest priority clean-up candidates by the EnvSec3 (Initiative) desk study and proposal on environmental security risk reduction from mining.

In Montenegro, one location will be worked on. The amount of 1.8 million US dollars will be directed in physical work on remediation and rehabilitation of the Mojkovac lead and zinc tailing mine impoundment. In contrast to Mojkovac, which is an abandoned mining operation, the four projects in Macedonia and Kosovo are re-opened mining and minerals processing activities with considerable legacies from past activities.

The two projects in Macedonia involve capping and containing toxic mining residues to protect human and environmental health at Lojane and constructing controls for heavy metal laden mine drainage and dust at Bucim.

In Kosovo, the two projects involve the relocation of some mining waste, construction of a number of protection measures and introduction of management practices to reduce mining waste impacts through heavy metals being dispersed through water and air pollution and the introduction of other control measures such as at Mitrovica and Novoberde.

The first project in Bosnia and Herzegovina involves changing the local energy supply system for two health clinics at the municipal level in order to close down two heavy polluting plants for the (public health) benefit of the urban population in Tuzla. The second involves involves modernizing an industrial water treatment plant to reduce the load of salt and other chemicals entering natural waterways at Ugljevic through the plant’s waste water.

In Serbia there is one project (the Kula-Vrbas section of the Danube-Tisa-Danube or Grand Canal) which involves one part of a multi-year, large investment (more than USD 50 million) Water Resources Rehabilitation; without such prior rehabilitation a desirable level of integrated water resources management can never be achieved.

In Albania there is one project in Shkoder which involves cleaning up a chemical stockpile created through the careless storage of toxic chemicals mixed with other materials in Bajza and which poses a significant threat to the valuable (Ramsar-listed) ecologic system (Skadar lake) shared between Montenegro and Albania.

Altogether, this package represents a ‘cross section’ of the hotspot problems present in the region, each calling for its own tailor-made corrective actions—or at least a first step in the right direction. Success in cleaning up these locations is likely to not only improve the living conditions of the local population and surrounding area but to attract new regional investment and act as a showcase for other communities in the region on how to clean up as well as control and prevent environmental pollution and contamination.

Economic growth in the region has generally been strong in recent years – how will the programme convince politicians, business leaders and the public at large that environmental protection measures can go alongside increasing prosperity?
It has been well established in the region and the wider world that lower environmental quality in polluted areas directly influences the quality of life and acts as a real barrier to future economic growth. It is a vicious circle… Therefore the real message this programme needs to communicate is that there is no sustainable prosperity without taking into account environmental and social effects of development.

Some of the hot spots, let’s take the example of the closed mine in Mojkovac, were once perceived and presented to communities (by business leaders and politicians) as the major economic opportunity, the generator of local and national economic growth. Instead, the mine and the tailing that remained after it was closed have had a negative impact on the community and environment without producing the expected economic benefit. It now needs more than 7 million EURs to clean up contamination left behind.

While clean-up is required, it is equally important to make sure all stakeholders (people) reflect on the development process and ensure that future investment decisions factor in all economic, social and environmental costs. The local community is best placed (more than politicians and business leaders) to care about and consider the “sustainability” or the long term effect. So besides assisting the clean-up, this Programme will help communities to reflect, understand the development process, consider all costs and benefits and learn how their voice can be taken into account when investment decisions are made which involve pollution.

That is the component that the Programme will use to convince all interested parties that it is sooner rather than later that environmental consequences need to be taken into account.

Another example is Global warming. It has become clear that mankind cannot just grow without taking into consideration environmental effects/consequences/costs. Nature strikes back... Ignoring environmental costs will not make them disappear; the “bill” will come with interest - the Bali conference, the movie ‘Inconvenient Truth’ etc. are signs that increasingly there is more understanding among politicians and business leaders. However, making real progress in including environmental considerations will also depend on the involvement of local communities, so-called bottom-up pressure.

Have you encountered any problems in making multi-national cooperation work?
Not at all in terms of dedication and commitment of our partners in the Governments, UNDP offices and at the local level. However, involvement of more parties complicates things and it is important to have a clear framework for implementation. I think we have done well so far and it will be important to keep the level of clarity and cooperation high as we progress further. Also, politics is always an important factor in implementing complex regional programmes such as this, and bearing in mind that this region is quite politically dynamic, I think the Programme will benefit from UNDP’s political sensitivity and neutrality.

You've united the Western Balkan region – is the programme also in touch with UNDP environmental activities in other bordering countries?
Definitely, we are staying tuned in to what is happening globally and even more closely on what is happening in the wider South-East Europe region as well as the EU, especially in relation to Global warming/climate change. During the life of this Programme the regional center will organize three regional ministerial conferences. This year’s regional ministerial conference will happen in November and it is devoted to "Addressing Global Warming through pollution prevention, reduction and control". It will be a chance to present what has been going on in the Western Balkan region but also to hear about experiences in the bordering countries and wider, in EU countries. Environment knows no borders …