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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

EU/UNDP Project: Improving Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea - Selected Measures (EMBLAS-Plus)

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Local / Regional Government
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    Description
    Description
    The Black Sea is one of the most vulnerable regional seas in the world given its limited exchange of water with the open oceans and the large watershed area in continental Europe. The five strongly interlinked priority trans-boundary problems of the Black Sea are: eutrophication, nutrient enrichment, changes in marine living resources, chemical pollution, biodiversity/habitat changes and marine litter.

    The development and improvement of a monitoring network and national marine monitoring programs is a management target of high priority in the region. Coordination in policies and legislation among the Black Sea countries is also of common interest to the EUs partners as it influences their own ability to implement EU legislation and policies (the EU Water Framework Directive WFD; and EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive - MSFD).

    The overall objective of the project is to help improve protection of the Black Sea environment. Besides further enhanced monitoring by 10 out of 11 descriptors of MSFD this objective will be pursued through further technical assistance focused on marine data collection and local small-scale actions targeted at public awareness raising and education.

    The activities are dealing with national marine monitoring systems and tools for environmental data assessment, initial assessment of the Black Sea, development of relevant programmes for harmonized chemical and biological monitoring, national needs assessment for equipment and training, as well as organization of Joint Black Sea Survey (in conjunction with Joint Danube Surveys organized by ICPDR) and further development of web-based Black Sea Water quality database (blackseadb.org ).

    The project also has a special component of marine litter (both monitoring as well as practical actions to reduce it) as well as other small-scale actions towards improvement of the state of the Black Sea. The project will continue a large public awareness campaign both about the problems and values of the Black Seas, promoting scientific results of the Black Sea surveys and supporting environmentally friendly choices in everyday life.

    The combination of the policy work with the scientific field work and capacity building makes the EMBLAS project very unique. Active involvement of the national partners facilitates use of harmonized methodologies for monitoring and assessment in all three countries. The project brings the expertise also from the other EU Member States that helps to the countries, to become strong partners in international community and strengthen international cooperation in the environmental protection of the Black Sea.

    Partners
    Black Sea Commission and its Permanent Secretariat - Istanbul, Turkey (Intergovernmental organization);
    National institutions responsible for marine monitoring in the beneficiary countries (Georgia, Russian Federation and Ukraine);
    NGOs and CSOs
    Nature
    Organization of the Black Sea Clean Beach Day, connected with educational activities and beach clean-up

    Goal 12

    Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

    Goal 12

    12.1

    Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

    12.1.1

    Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production

    12.2

    By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

    12.2.1

    Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

    12.2.2

    Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

    12.3

    By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

    12.3.1

    (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index

    12.4

    By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

    12.4.1
    Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement
    12.4.2

    (a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment

    12.5

    By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

    12.5.1

    National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

    12.6

    Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

    12.6.1
    Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

    12.7

    Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

    12.7.1

    Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans

    12.8

    By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

    12.8.1

    Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

    12.a

    Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

    12.a.1

    Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)

    12.b

    Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

    12.b.1

    Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability

    12.c

    Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

    12.c.1

    Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP

    Goal 14

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

    Goal 14

    14.1

    By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

    14.1.1

    (a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density

    14.2

    By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

    14.2.1

    Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas

    14.3

    Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

    14.3.1
    Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

    14.4

    By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

    14.4.1
    Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

    14.5

    By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

    14.5.1
    Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

    14.6

    By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

    14.6.1

    Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

    14.7

    By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

    14.7.1

    Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries

    14.a

    Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

    14.a.1
    Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

    14.b

    Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

    14.b.1

    Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries

    14.c

    Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"

    14.c.1

    Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

    Name Description
    14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
    14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
    14.a Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
    Organization of Joint Black Sea Survey, to collect data on 10 out of 11 MSFD descriptors (including screening of water and biota samples for presence of more than 2000 chemicals (including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, flame retardants etc.), observations of invasive species, marine mammals, marine floating litter monitoring using DG JRC methodology and their mobile data collection application, metagenomics analyses of water and sediment samples and hypoxia measurements
    Refined cost-efficient national monitoring programmes, designed in line with the EU legislation (MSFD, WFD) further tested and endorsed in Georgia and Ukraine
    Initial Assessment of marine waters, determination of Good Environmental Status and establishment of Environmental Targets and Indicators in line with the EU MSFD, based on the results from the Joint Black Sea Surveys 2016 and 2017. The initial Assessment will be the basis for design of the Marine National Strategies and Programme of Measures for sustainable management and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems
    Organization of the Black Sea Clean Beach Days 2019-2020 connected with the small-scale projects, educational campaign and beach clean-up activities; beach litter monitoring using mobile application and database system of EEA, involvement of at least 1000 young people (children and students) in voluntary Black Sea coast clean-up, biological monitoring with involvement of public using mobile application
    Financing (in USD)
    1827000
    Title Progress Status Submitted
    Partnership Progress 2019-03-14 On track
    Partnership Progress 2019-03-14 On track
    Partnership Progress 2018-01-02 On track
    False
    Action Network
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    Timeline
    01 January 2019 (start date)
    01 September 2020 (date of completion)
    Entity
    United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
    SDGs
    Geographical coverage
    UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
    Other beneficiaries
    Black Sea countries
    Ocean Basins
    North Atlantic
    Communities of Ocean Action
    Marine pollution, Marine and coastal ecosystems management, Scientific knowledge, research capacity development and transfer of marine technology
    More information
    Countries
    Georgia
    Georgia
    Russian Federation
    Russian Federation
    Ukraine
    Ukraine
    Contact Information

    Vladimir Mamaev, UNDP/GEF Regional Team Leader and Regional Technical Advisor Water & Ocean Governance Programme