Events

The instruments for water resources management were discussed during the meeting. Best practices of international experiences and brief summary were presented

The conference is the preliminary stage to the World UNESCO Conference on Education for Sustainable Development Learning Today for Sustainable Future, which is to take place in November 10-12, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

The conference is supposed to focus on issues of environmental ethics, education for sustainable development, globalization, noosphere conscience development, cultural values preservation, hermeneutical methodology, sustainable development technologies at Baikal territory and other issues.

The issues of estimation of epidemiological risk of pollution of transboundary waters to the health of population were discussed during the workshop.

The second Eco-week was held on 17-21 May 2014 on the Red Square, Moscow. This project includes an installation on the central square of the capital some objects: ecological pavilions, demonstrating new technologies and innovations, art and cinema, spherical cinema, eco-market etc.

http://rusecoweek.ru/

The Meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Green Development of Mongolia was held on 29-30 April 2014. The Project Manager met the Head of the National Water Committee, Mr. Badrakh Tsend.

The educational workshop for presentation of learning kit “Baikal treasure” was organized on 26-30 April 2014 in Ulan-Bator. Four authors of the learning kit participated in preparation of the workshop. More than 70 participants attended the workshop.

The workshop provided a platform to:

Discuss between stakeholders with different backgrounds (water practitioners, politicians, parliamentarians, journalists, researchers...) the benefits of transboundary water cooperation and how benefits assessment can support the transboundary water cooperation processes;

Share experiences, good practices, challenges faced and lessons learned on the identification, assessment and communication of the wide range of benefits that can be generated by transboundary water cooperation;

Support the further development of the draft Policy Guidance Note on identifying, assessing and communicating the benefits of transboundary water cooperation.

During the workshop a wide range of problems was discussed. The problems are associated with the solution of socio-economic and environmental problems in the coastal areas of the Baikal region. The need was confirmed for a close and continuing coordination of municipal authorities as the closest level management interacts with the public.

Every year the world water day is celebrated on March 22^nd, 2014. In the frameworks of this event and in cooperation with UNDP-GEF Project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem”, Orkhon River Basin Authority organized essay writing competition on topics “Water conservation” for senior students of 9-12^th grade, “Who knows Ugiinuur the best?” for students 7-8^th grade and drawing competition on topics “Water-precious thing” for 4-6^th grade students among secondary school children of Erdenebulgan and Ugiinuur soums. Totally 45 students participated in 3 competitions.

In 1998, the lake “Ugii” was inscribed in Ramsar convention. The lake is located on Orkhon river basin with coastal area of 2510 hectares which consists of slushy ground surrounded by grassland. The lake is natural scenic place, which has numerous rivers and ponds as well as bog with alluvium stream on the west.

Total area of the lake is approx. 50km² and length of the coastal line is 24.7 km. Maximum depth of the lake is 15.3 m and total volume is 147.9m³.

Cleaning campaign was organized around the “Ugii” lake on 20-21 March, 2014 under the financial support of UNDP-GEF Project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem”

Totally 20 people and 2 trucks participated in the cleaning campaign and disposed 5 tons of garbage to local Ugiinuur soum’s dump.

Russian and Mongolian language versions of “Baikal without boundaries” HD films were televised by number of TV channels. TV channel “MIR Buryatia” in Russia and Soyon Gegeeruulegch TV in Mongolia have already broadcasted this film. Moreover, negotiations are in progress regarding the film translations on another TV channels:

The field trip over protected areas in Kabansky, Barguzinsky districts and cattle mortuaries constructed in Kurumkansky district (Buryatia) was organized by PMU team for international expert-evaluator during mid-term evaluation of the project.

Second Workshop: River Basin Commissions and other Joint Bodies: Technical Aspects was held 9-10 April 2014 and focused on specific areas and technical aspects of cooperation in the framework of joint bodies, such as preservation and restoration of ecosystems, water infrastructure, etc. Topics for the Second Workshop were developed taking into account the recommendations of participants made during the First Workshop.

On 20^th of March, a meeting with students and readers of Russian State Library was held with support of Informational UN Centre. The meeting was devoted to International Water Day.

Alexander Shekhovtsov, National Technical Director of UNDP/GEF Project, opened a discussion of experts. He told, that, UNDP/GEF project started in 2011 to study these areas. Rivers and streams that flow into lake Baikal, located in Irkutsk region, Buryatia, and they are quite dirty. Another problem - the Selenga River, the largest tributary of Lake Baikal, which originates in Mongolia. It is planned to build several power plants that may affect the lake. Currently The Project is working together with scientists from Russia, Mongolia and UN staff to monitor the status of Lake Baikal.

The film “Baikal without boundaries” was demonstrated to the readers and guests.

Source (text and photo):  http://www.rsl.ru/ru/s7/s409/2014/voda

The Documentary "Baikal without boundaries" was presented to the project stakeholders in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

To provide a successful implementation of intercalibration procedures in the framework of RFQ_EMO_2013-038 «Intercalibration of analytical procedures for analytes, included into harmonized program of hydrochemical monitoring for Selenga river basin (Mongolia)» and in accordance with a decision of the Project Steering Committee, new ion chromatograph was procured and installed in Central Laboratory of Environment and Metrology (CLEM), Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This new modern equipment allows to determine low concentration of some anions (and optionally, cations) in water samples, so now CLEM has enhanced its analytical capabilities in order to make a cooperative actions together with Mongolian and Russian analytical institutions.

UNEP/IW:LEARN ICT Workshop on Spatial Data Management was attended by Project Manager, Sergey Kudelya to improve interaction between IWLEARN Geonode system and Baikal Informational Center Webportal.

Co-organized by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, the workshop aimed to help projects and their partners communicate spatial data using maps by providing an in-depth understanding and transferring and enhancing the skills needed for spatial data management using best practices and standards. The workshop evolved mainly on the use of GeoNode platform, which is an open source, online collaborative platform that enables the managing, sharing and increased use of geospatial data, and which can aid decision-making processes for the management of marine and freshwater ecosystems and resources.

http://geonode.org/