National Capacity Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management in Ukraine
| Address: 1, Klovskiy Uzviz Kyiv,01021,Ukraine Phones: +38 044 253 9363 e-mail: Vasyl.Tolkachov@undp.org Project Manager: Vasyl Tolkachov UNDP Programme Manager: Sergei Volkov |
Ukraine is actively involved with international environmental issues and is a party to 19 international conventions and protocols. In terms of Conventions implementation and institutional arrangements the additional assistance is required as Ukraine is relatively newcomer to Kyoto Protocol, Cartagena Protocol, Convention to Combat Desertification, Convention for the Protection of Environment of the Danube Basin and some other. This has implications for the NCSA process as there is a need for further in-depth analysis for biodiversity, biosafety, climate change, desertification.
WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE?
Biodiversity:Ukraine has a rich biota, which comprises more than 25,000 Ukraine has a rich biota, which comprises more than 25,000 species of plants and fungi and 45,000 species of animals, some of which are endemic. Under particular pressure is the steppe landscape, mostly threatened by the fragmentation of habitats, agricultural pressure, development of infrastructure, and the conflicting interests of environmental preservation on the one hand, and of agricultural and forestry activities on the other. Two main migration routes for birds pass across Ukraine and some nesting sites are of great international importance. For instance, 90% of the global population of martins is nested on the islands of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve.
Ukraine ratified the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994. Under the framework of the Convention, the Ukrainian government has been working to provide protection, environmentally sustainable use and restoration of biological and landscape diversity.
Currently the major concern of the Ukrainian government is related to the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biological Safety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
There is no special law or transparent system in Ukraine that would legally govern the utilization of biotechnological products in terms of registration and authorization for testing and use. Nor is there a procedure for the testing of biotechnological products, particularly, of GMOs and defining their possible adverse effects on human health and the environment. The existing biological safety system does not regulate importation, exportation and transit of locally registered GMOs.
Likewise, no norms exist in Ukraine that would govern the charging of companies for violation of the applicable law and where the genetically modified organisms are found to possess heretofore unknown properties which may jeopardize human health or environment. Bearing in mind that the Ukrainian biological environmental safety system was launched in 1999 solely to meet the requirements of genetically modified agricultural crops, no criteria have been worked out up till now for assessing an ecologically sound use of genetically modified animals, microorganisms and non-agricultural plants, nor have methodologies and regulations been designed for related tests.
Climate Change:Ukraine is one of the world’s most energy intensive countries due to several factors. First it results from inefficient practices in key economic sectors, such as energy and heavy industry and second it reflects the losses in the heating sector, in which, 25 – 40% losses in transmission and distribution are not uncommon.
Ukraine signed the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. The Parliament of Ukraine ratified this Convention on October 29, 1996, and has been a party to it since August 11, 1997, subject to the UN procedures. On March 15, 1999 Ukraine signed the Kyoto Protocol, which committed Ukraine, as an Annex I party, to stabilize its greenhouse gas emissions for the period of 2008-2012 at the 1990 level. The Kyoto Protocol was ratified by the Parliament of Ukraine on February 04, 2004.
The top government body overseeing climate change issues in Ukraine is the Interministerial Commission for the Implementation of the UNFCCC, which was established in Ukraine under the Executive Order No 583 in April 1999 by the Ukraine Cabinet of Ministers.
Among the specific challenges that Ukraine needs to resolve to comply with the UNFCCC are: Creating and maintaining a sustainable inventory system that spans across various economic sectors and government institutions; creating and maintaining a registry of greenhouse gas emissions. Developing adequate institutional infrastructure, including a designated office to handle project-based activities. This would involve making decision on the distribution of tasks in fulfilling Ukraine’s obligations towards the UNFCCC between relevant ministries and other national stakeholders.Adopting appropriate legislative framework and a draft National Action Plan; accordingly amend and update existing National Programmes in related sectors.
The NCSA provided an opportunity to identify key areas for capacity building within Climate Change area and set up linkages with other conventions.
Desertification and Land Degradation:
Ukraine’s soil is widely recognized as a major national asset thanks to its tremendous fertility and outstanding agricultural qualities. According to data compiled by the State Committee for Statistics, agriculture currently occupies 72% and forests 17.2% of the total land area (60.4 million ha). However, the Ukraine is one of the countries that exemplify the seriousness of land degradation in the region as described in the Regional Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe, of the Convention.
During Soviet times the intensification and expansion of agriculture resulted in soil degradation. In 1998 changes took place in the structure of land resources. In comparison with 1997, the area of arable land decreased by 27,800 hectares, with the area of tillage being reduced by 223,400 hectares. While some of these changes are the result of expansion of previously planted protective forest plantations and strips, silt-catching basins and river-bank reinforcements, most of the change has occurred due to the change of ownership and abandonment of previously intensively-tilled agricultural land.
The redistribution of land has contributed to a considerable decrease in the amount of land conservation and restoration activities in the last decade. The ecologically sound proportion between areas of arable lands, pastures and forests has been neglected. Low productive plots, including river meadows, marginal lands and slopes were reclaimed into crop production without proper fertilization and up-keep. Anti-erosion measures, such as planting shelterbelts and terracing slopes have been almost non-existent in the last decade. The amount of irrigated lands has been decreasing due to the difficulties in their maintenance.
With no recultivation and gradual deterioration of soil and water conservation systems after a long span of unsustainable practices, agricultural land faces a crisis with intensified erosion, nutrient depletion and loss of protective forest coverage. The annual rate of soil dehumification in Ukraine runs as high as 0.6 to 1.0 thousand hectares, and the eroded land area measures now 40% of the total territory. Up to 500 million tons of soil are washed from hillsides annually, which results in the loss of 11 million tons of humus, 500 thousand tons of nitrogen, 400 thousand tons of phosphorus and 700 thousand tons of potassium.
The average annual rate of increment of eroded area is 80 thousand hectares. The negative balance of the soil nutrition elements reaches 100 kg per hectare and more, and nearly all the tillage soil is over-condensed. Serious concern arises from the fact that in some regions soil does not receive enough important microelements such as molybdenum, manganese, and iodine. The total environmental and economic damage is estimated at about 4 billion USD.
In July 2002, the Parliament of Ukraine ratified the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD). Approved by Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine the National Action Plan on CCD implementation is being implemented now with having the Ministry of Environmental Protection as a key player. Overall, the NCSA contributed to this process.
WHAT IS THE PROJECT’S MISSION AND ACHIEVED RESULTS?
The objective of the National Capacity Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management is for Ukraine to undertake a capacity assessment so that it can meet its requirements under the global environmental conventions, in particular those pertaining to climate change, land degradation, biodiversity, migratory waterbirds, biosafety.
In addition, the NCSA process provided an opportunity to facilitate the development of concrete initiatives that would lead to synergistic approaches in addressing global environmental issues at the national and local levels. At the same time it helped integrate global environmental management objectives to national environmental management and sustainable development frameworks.
Furthermore it facilitated conducting an open dialogue, information exchange and cooperation amongst Ministries, Scientific Institutions of the Academy of Sciences, NGOs and the private sector and enhance general awareness about the Conventions countrywide.
The Project resulted in the elaboration of a strategic national environment document and action plan.
Other inputs included:
1. Baseline reports (climate change, biodiversity and desertification) developed;
2. Thematic reports (climate change, biodiversity and desertification) developed;
3. Synergy report and Action Plan developed;
4. “National Environmental Policy of Ukraine” document developed and launched;
5. Project “Establishment of the JI Secretariat in Ukraine” successfully implemented;
6. Project “Raising awareness and building in-country expertise for identification and development of JI projects in Ukraine” successfully implemented.
THE PROJECT’S ACTIVITIES:
The project worked with counterpart institutions in order to ensure that they have the capacity to assimilate the skills for policy development, integration of cross-sector issues into environmental policy and policy implementation in relation to the three thematic areas.
Since the project became process-driven and involved all relevant stakeholders, one of the important outcomes was the enhancement of cross-sectoral cooperation through the development of functional mechanisms to assist in the assessment process that will eventually contribute to integrated approaches to national environmental policy formulation and implementation beyond the three thematic areas. The process is envisaged in the long term to move away from a sectoral and stand-alone, isolated project approach towards programmatic inter-sectoral approaches for global environmental management.
Steps in the NCSA
The Project’s experts performed the following actions:
- Developing thematic profiles related to each of the three Conventions;
- Drafting the Assessment Reports;
- Assessing and analyzing cross-cutting issues;
- Preparing an action plan;
- Preparing a strategic environment document.
They collected baseline data for each of the thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and desertification/land degradation in order to develop specific opportunities for capacity building within the three directions. In this regard, a variety of reports already prepared related to the thematic areas of biodiversity, climate change and desertification/land degradation and to other areas of environmental management and sustainable development were used.
The thematic profile/situation analysis provided insight and guidance into major challenges and opportunities for future capacity building interventions. With this information in hand priorities were identified (or confirmed) and related capacity constraints and opportunities for capacity building were determined. All interested and affected parties had an opportunity to contribute to the preparation of the profiles and prioritisation analysis through a broad public and interministerial consultative process.
Identifying the cross-cutting synergies regarding capacity building needs under the Rio Conventions and environmental management in general will ensure effectiveness and efficiency in strengthening capacity for global environmental management. With this in mind, a cross-cutting analysis may be conducted to explore synergies in capacity needs with regards to the Rio Conventions in such critical areas as agriculture (climate, biosafety, land degradation), energy (energy efficiency, land degradation, alternative energy sources), and transport.
Based on the capacity constraints and opportunities for capacity building identified in the assessment phase an Action Plan for capacity building to protect the global environment was developed. The Action Plan comprised a goal, specific objectives to be achieved and courses of action and/or concrete projects for both thematic areas as well as cross-cutting issues. Concrete project proposals for specific thematic areas, cross-cutting and synergetic actions may also be developed for further consideration by GEF and other interested partners.
The strategic environment policy document containing concrete recommendations on the policies were developed. These recommendations were politically neutral. In addition to providing Ukraine with sound policy support at a crucial turning point in the nation’s history, the Report created an ideal platform to attract national and international partners for its efforts to promote prosperity. To assist Ukraine in identifying, prioritizing, and designing the specific steps to be taken in midterm and long-term perspective the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly with the Ministry of environmental protection of Ukraine initiated establishing the Council composed of outstanding Ukrainian and international experts in the sphere of environmental protection.
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?
National Executing Agency: Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine
State authorities, national scientific institutes, public and non-governmental organizations.
The Project has been funded by Global Environment Facility.
