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World Water Day 2013 International Year of Water Cooperation
In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154). In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March 2013, also will be dedicated to water cooperation. Therefore, UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead the 2013 United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation, in particular because of the Organization’s unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication. Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation naturally would embrace and touch upon all these aspects.
The objective of this International Year is to raise awareness, both on the potential for increased cooperation, and on the challenges facing water management in light of the increase in demand for water access, allocation and services. The Year will highlight the history of successful water cooperation initiatives, as well as identify burning issues on water education, water diplomacy, transboundary water management, financing cooperation, national/international legal frameworks, and the linkages with the Millennium Development Goals. It also will provide an opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and to support the formulation of new objectives that will contribute towards developing water resources that are truly sustainable.
http://www.unwater.org/watercooperation2013/
International Year of Water Cooperation 2013 - Secretary-General's Video Message
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New tenders announcement
Dear colleagues!
We would like to inform you about new tender:
«Shoreline and ice cleanup campaigns for Lake Baikal and Selenga River», application period: 20 March 2013 - 30 March 2013
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Tender RFQ_EMO_2013-035 «Shoreline and ice cleanup campaigns for Lake Baikal and Selenga River», application period: 20 March 2013 - 08 April 2013
RFQ_EMO_2013-035_upd 20-Mar-2013 Shoreline cleanup of Baikal, Selenga (Russia).pdf — PDF document, 216 kB (221187 bytes)
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VA/2013/B5002/2006
Project is looking for Consultant for cattle mortuary design. VA is published on UNOPS official web site:
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Presentation of the Toolkit "Baikal Box"
1A presentation of the toolkit for primary and middle grade students “Baikal’s Little Treasure Chest” will be held on February 21 at the Music and Humanities High School. The presentation is organized by the Baikal Information Center “GRAN” with the participation of school teachers from Ulan-Ude and the Republic of Buryatia, The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology and UNDP representatives.
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All-Russian symposium “Topical problems of analytical chemistry. Analytical methods of environmental objects analysis"
Event details
When
Aug 26, 2012 02:25 PM
Where
The UNDP/GEF project "Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem" has supported All-Russian symposium “Topical problems of analytical chemistry. Analytical methods of environmental objects analysis", which was held in Ulan-Ude during 19-26 August, 2012.
The chairmen of the organizing committee were Academician Yuri Zolotov, Corr. RAS Arnold Tulokhonov and Corr. RAE Stepan Kalmykov. The symposium featured presentations of leading experts in the field of analytical chemistry from Moscow State University, Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk), Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry RAS (Moscow), Ural Institute of Metrology (Ekaterinburg) and other institutions.
Current problems of the project were covered by PM Sergey Kudelya on the plenary meeting.
The symposium was attended by more than 300 participants from number of organizations of Buryatia relating to environmental analysis.
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Public Awareness Plan - Mongolia
Communication and Public Awareness Plan for Conservation of Natural resource management in the Baikal Basin has been developed.
Key actions focus on:
1. Immediate development of awareness of the project’s activities within potential partners
and target groups, with a subsequent focus on broader conservation issues of interest and
relevance to the regional community in Mongolia as well as in Russia, on mobilization of
broad public support for locally implemented activities in natural resource conservation,
and on integration of successful public-private partnership activities into communication
and public awareness programming.
2. Identification of appropriate partners for further development and implementation of the
Project’s communication and public awareness strategy.
3. Regularly update a website providing information on the project’s activities, and the
opportunity for partner and public input.
4. Development of a network of organizations engaged in biodiversity conservation and
related activities in Mongolian and Russia, with the objective of developing and sharing
information on transboundary biodiversity, and education and communication materials for
development of public awareness.
5. Development of communication and public awareness activities based on as wide a range
of methods and techniques as possible, including a broadly-based school program and other
activities focusing on children.
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Climate Change Assessment for TDA
The following tasks have been accomplished:
- Review, analyse and summarise existing baseline information relevant to expected environmental and socio-economic impacts of global climate change in the Lake Baikal catchment region, with particular emphasis on transboundary problems as identified in the revised TDA.
- Review and summarise existing policy and regulatory frameworks relevant for disaster risk reduction in Mongolia and Russia.
- Review, analyse and summarise relevant activities by national governments, donors, NGO’s and private sector institutions that are relevant to adaptation to the expected impacts of global climate change in the Baikal basin region.
- Formulate recommendations for strategic actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the Baikal basin region, with specific emphasis on transboundary problems as identified in the revised TDA.
- Identify gaps in the available information, and provide a list of recommendations for further studies.
- Identify potential sources for relevant data/information (e.g. reports, recent scientific papers) and include these as a reference list in the final consultancy document.
- Provide inputs to improve the quality of the relevant climate change section in the draft revised TDA document.
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Hotspot Assessment for TDA
The following tasks have been accomplished:
- Identify local sources of pollution located in the Russian catchment area of Baikal Basin.
- Determine their impact on water quality (surface and underground) on relevant chemical and biological parameters.
- Review and rank upgrade needs for Selenga basin municipalities, including of ongoing and planned water and sanitation projects.
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2012 Summary
Within the scope of the Project according to 2012 work plan there were 17 themes under performance, provided by the following organizations:
- state scientific and educational institutions, such as Faculty of Geography (Moscow State University), Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (Ulan-Bator), Institute of Geoecology of Mongolian Academy of Sciences (Ulan-Bator), Mongolian Institute of Water Research and Development (Ulan-Bator), Limnological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences (Irkutsk), Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk State Technical University, Baikal Institute of Nature Management of Russian Academy of Sciences (Ulan-Ude), Buryat State University (Ulan-Ude), Buryat State Academy of Agriculture (Ulan-Ude), Budget Institution “BurPriroda” (Ulan-Ude), Zabaikalsky State Pedagogical University (Chita), Hydrochemical Institute of RosHydromet (Rostov-on-Don).
- non-governmental organizations, such as ANO “Center of International Projects” (Moscow), Mongolia Water Forum-ushelts (Ulan-Bator), RPO “Baikal Ecotourism Association” (Moscow), Youth Artistic Theatre (Ulan-Ude).
During implementation of the Project in 2012 there were 13 individual contracts with Russian and Mongolian experts of water resource management, interaction of surface waters and underground waters, biodiversity preservation in mining and tourism, Baikal basin hot spots, climate change on the Baikal nature territory, communication and public awareness of environment pollution and tourism development, training programs development and stakeholders’ self-assessment.
Moreover, 3 contracts with international experts have been concluded (as per Project document) for the following tasks:
- Preparation of Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis according to requirements of international organizations financing the Project;
- Carrying out of analysis of international cooperation in the field of transboundary water resources between Russia and Mongolia, detection of gaps in legal and institutional issues;
- Interaction of surface waters and underground waters (sub-contract with UNESCO).
The Project participates in different events relevant to its goals and tasks, as well as it supports their organization. Totally in 2012, Project implementation bureau staff took part in 29 events. Moreover 50 media sources have published information about project activities.The list of such events is available on the project web site.
The Project web-site has been launched. It works in Russian, Mongolian and English. Information is regularly updated.
Approved first year budget is 1 083.377 USD. Expenditure by the end of 2012: 1,020,937 USD. Approved first year budget of the Project was realized by 94 %.
Download the 2012 first quarter progress report
Download the 2012 second quarter progress report
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Public Awareness Plan and Tourist survey - Russia
The communication and public awareness plan for conditions, challenges and threats to the environment of the Baikal Basin has been developed. This plan is oriented to stakeholder groups targeted by the project: government (line departments, parliamentarians, local authorities and the judiciary); civil society (NGOs, community organizations and sociability). Project public awareness activities also address issues such as in country and cross country communications and knowledge sharing.
In addition surveys for tourists to determine pollution awareness and ecotourism interests has been developed.
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Selenga Delta - water quality
Executors: Baikal Institute of Nature Management (Russian Academy of Sciences) and Limnological Institute (Russian Academy of Sciences). End of works: November 25, 2012.
Final products:
- Project of Terms of references for monitoring of physical-chemical and biological parameters of the Selenga basin water quality and preparation of recommendations for its execution.
- Analysis of climate change impact on the Selenga basin water quality and assessment of man’s impact on it.
The work completed. The Selenga basin water run-off seasonal variation in 2012 has been shown, as well as its correlation with biogenic elements content in water, heavy metals in water and bottom sediments. Project of Terms of references for monitoring program in the Selenga river delta.
Download the Final report (RUS)
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Tourism plan for Baikal Bioshpere Reserve
Executor: NGO "Baikal Ecotourism association"
End of works: December 2012.
Final products:
- Assessment of the Baikal Bioshpere Reserve conformity with international criteria of joining to international ecotourism net.
- Plan of joining of Baikal Bioshere Reserve to international ecotourism net.
The work completed. Strengths and weaknesses of the Baikal Bioshpere Reserve have been analyzed. Plan of its joining to international ecotourism net has been developed.
Download report on evaluation of Reserve
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Strategy for (dead) livestock disposal
Executor: Buryat State Academy of Agriculture.
End of works: November 2012
Final products:
- Inventory of cattle mortuaries in Barguzinsky and Kurumkansky districts of Buryatia, assessment of their ecological and microbiological condition.
- Assessment of technologies of elimination of unconditioned cattle mortuaries, using best existing practices.
- Development of necessary improvement in dead livestock disposal which leads to the anthrax outburst.
The work completed. Analytical review of anthrax incidents on the Baikal basin transboundary territory (Buryatia, Zabaikalsky Krai, Mongolia) has been compiled. Inventory and mapping of existing cattle mortuaries in Barguzinsky and Kurumkansky districts has been carried out. Assessment of technologies of elimination of unconditioned cattle mortuaries has been conducted.
Certain places have been determined and local construction estimates of 2 new cattle mortuaries have been prepared. Request for quotations for cattle mortuaries erection in 2013 have been made.
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Education Plan - Buryatiya
Executor: Buryat State University.
Final products in 2012:
The work completed. Road map of ecological education enhancement till 2015 at different levels (preschool, school, college education) has been developed.
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Training manual
Executor: Zabaikalsky State Pedagogical University
Final products in 2012:
The work completed: conception and academic manuals for upgrade of competency of administrative staff in the field of ecology and sustainable development have been developed. The work is recommended for replication and introduction in regions of the Baikal district.
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Education Plan
Executor: Moscow State University.
Final products in 2012:
The work completed. Road map of ecological education enhancement till 2015 at different levels (preschool, school, college education) has been developed. The work is recommended for replication and introduction in regions of the Baikal district.
Download the Final Report (RUS)
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2012 Shoreline clean-up of Hovsgol lake
Executor: Mongolia Water Forum-ushelts; “Domogt Dalai” environmental NGO, Khatgal.
End of works: September 2012.
The work completed. Shoreline clean-up of Hovsgol lake in the zone of Khatgal village has been organized together with local administration and school kids.
Water sanitation zone has been erected for the lake’s shoreline pollution protection. The action has been published widely in mass media.
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Shoreline clean-up - Russia
Executor: International Baikal shoreline volunteer group, “Save Baikal” project, youth artistic theatre.
End of works: spring-summer 2012
The work completed. The Project has supported the activity of Baikal shoreline volunteer group camp. Shoreline and lake’s ice-cover clean-up actions in winter period have been held. The Uda river shoreline action has been organized together with city’s administration and citizens. Within the summer period the volunteers gathered more than 450 tons of garbage on the Baikal shoreline of 25 kms long.
More than 100 volunteers have taken part in the action.
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BIC Conception
Executors: Budget Institution “BurPriroda” of ministry of nature resources of Buryatia (Ulan-Ude), Institute of water research and development (Mongolia).
Final products:
- Information structure of data base and list of information resources, computer programs for collecting, storage and usage of ecological information.
- Type of information activity and technological structure of Baikal information center.
- Scope of activity and participants’ competency level (organizations, their information and users).
Project of agreement between organizations involved in developing of Baikal Information center has been prepared. Currently, it is under agreement process.