Russian Federation and Western CIS countries in Europe & CIS

Western CIS and Russia

• Integrated Environmental Policies
• Water Governance
• Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Land Management
• Energy and Climate Change

Integrated Environmental Policies

Major environmental problems of this region are associated with the past disregard for the environment during rapid industrialization and with high energy-intensive economies. To support wise restructuring of the energy sector (high on the agenda mainly in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine), and sustainable use of significant natural resources the region still possess, the countries shall focus on: (i) establishment of strong and adaptive institutions of environmental protection, which still remain relatively week, (ii) application of mechanisms enabling to understand and integrate potential impacts (of energy restructuring) into policy-making (as key lessons of Chernobyl remain on the agenda), (iii) gradual building of public and media awareness on potential impact of development on development, and (iv) strengthen implementation of the international conventions that support transparent and participative planning and policy making. One of the biggest challenges for Moldova and Ukraine is to bring their environmental norms in line with EU Directives. [back to top]

Water Governance

Flooding is one of the most important water resource issues in Western CIS and Russia. In Russia alone, around 300 major cities are prone to floods. In addition, trasboundary water management issues exist in the region. The Volga River in Russia and its basin suffer from poor water quality and ecosystem degradation. Mainly as a result of household and industrial waste water discharges, most sections of the river are classified as polluted; 22 percent is classified as dirty. In Moldova, around 80 percent of water treatment plants are not operational. As a result, large amounts of untreated waste water are discharged into water courses. In Ukraine, the Dnipro Basin has been described as a classic example of unsustainable development due to repeated attempts to transform an agricultural region into a major industrial one in just a few decades. More than 10 years ago, pollutants from inadequate sewage treatment facilities, direct discharge of industrial waste, excessive fertilizers, and untreated animal waste, have made the water undrinkable in many areas. [back to top]

Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Land Management

In Ukraine, steppe landscape is under particular pressure, mostly threatened by the fragmentation of habitats, agricultural pressure, the development of infrastructure, and the conflicting interests of environmental preservation on the one hand, and of agricultural and forestry activities on the other. Agriculture still exerts pressure on biodiversity, particularly in the core countries of production, such as Ukraine.  In Russia, forest cover has been decreasing. In Moldova, 10 percent of vascular plants, and about one third of vertebrate animals, are included in the Red Book of Moldova. Furthermore, 13 of 82 Moldovan fish are listed as endangered species. About 75 percent of forests are degraded, and illegal timber cutting is widespread. The steppe eco-systems are also under intense land use pressures. A large portion of steppe’s flora and fauna is in danger of disappearing in the next 10 years. [back to top]

Energy and Climate Change