Presentation given during the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project's Final Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey from 14-15 February 2008 by Emma Gileva of the Black Sea NGO Network.

1. Black Sea NGO Network
NGO Support to the Process
of Public Involvement and
Participation
UNDP/GEF Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project
Final Seminar - 14 – 15 February 2008, Istanbul, Turkey

2. www.bseanetwork.org
15 years of UNDP/GEF in the Black Sea
Region
• The Bucharest Convention 1992
• Framework of 30 articles, 5 resolutions, 4
protocols
• Established the format of the first ever regional
collaboration aiming to protect the Black Sea
environment.
• Process – legal framework, regional bodies,
environmental policy goals, planning,
stakeholder involvement – including NGOs.
www.bseanetwork.org

3. www.bseanetwork.org
15 years of UNDP/GEF in the Black Sea
Region (2)
• Regional bodies
• Environmental policy goals (Odessa
Declaration)
• Strategic planning for their achievement
(BS SAP)
• Involvement of stakeholders, including
regional NGOs.

4. www.bseanetwork.org
NGO development process
• The Black Sea NGO Network (BSNN) came into
existence in 1998 as a result of the development of the
NGO community in the countries signatories of the
Bucharest convention.
• 62 registered members in the six littoral states and
many associates. BSNN maintains contacts with many
other Black Sea and environmental NGOs, over 150,
and provides information and representation to the
regional third sector. In 2001, in recognition of its role as
an institution of civil society in the region, the BSNN was
granted the status of permanent observer at the Black
Sea Commission (BSC)
• BSNN has been implementing activities on regional,
national and local level on a broad range of issues.

5. www.bseanetwork.org
Support to stakeholder involvement
and participation
• UNDP/GEF – support to NGO development and
maturation, specialization in the third sector,
capacity building
• National grants BSERP SGP 1 and 2 (17 small
projects SGP 1, 1 regional; 5 per country SGP 2)
• EU funding – TACIS, Phare etc.
• Other donors – Novib, OSI East-East
Programme

6. www.bseanetwork.org
Bulgarian NGOs
• Major areas of work recently – water management,
nutrient reduction, biodiversity protection, wetland
management, policy issues on the Black Sea coast.
• 2 national and 1 regional project in BSERP SGP 1
• 3 projects of BSERP 2nd
SGP focus on agriculture and its
impact on waters. 2 teach farmers about storage and
use of manure and fertilizers, 1 promotes organic
production.
• Waste water treatment in the coastal resorts,
improvement of the ecological state at the seafront
locally
• Awareness raising, various communication techniques,
education, Black Sea Day focus

7. www.bseanetwork.org
Georgia - NGO involvement
• Priority areas – coastal issues, biodiversity (sturgeon), waste,
pesticide reduction, eco-camps, Black Sea Day, communications,
policy issues, environmental education. Black Sea Eco Academy
• CENN- regional NGO for the Caucasus
• BSERP SGP 1 – involvement only in BSNN regional project
• 7 projects funded under BSERP 2nd
SGP – 1 demonstration project
on elimination of risks from obsolete pesticides, 5 projects on public
awareness raising with establishment of youth network, professional
journalists’ network, local coastal communities involvement and
publications; one environmental education project with focus on
nutrients and toxic substances.
• Training BS NGOs and media – 18 representatives, project cycle
management and fundraising techniques and opportunities
• BSAD 2006 and 2007 – traditional BS week with conferences, eco
classes, info bus campaign, film show, rock concert, media
involvement .

8. www.bseanetwork.org
Romanian NGO activities
• NGOs focus on environmental education, coastal zone management,
advocacy campaigns, beach clean-ups and protection of the Black Sea
dolphin, Black Sea Day celebrations, policy and civil society issues, Natura
2000 sites
• 4 projects under BSERP SGP 1 – online education, environmental
education, awareness raising on coastal water pollution issues and
promotion of organic production
• 5 project under way from BSERP SGP2 – stakeholder involvement and
Natura 2000 in rural areas; 2 stakeholder involvement projects; a pilot
project for eutrophication control in the Nuntasi lake basin with capacity
building for farmers, teachers, local community and action plan to reduce
eutrophication; 1 film for the consequences of eutrophication for the Black
Sea basin.
• BSAD is celebrated on the BS coast, in Constanta and other coastal
communities with public outreach events and colorful displays. Many young
activists and students are involved traditionally.
• NGO training in Braila – for 37 representatives of NGOs, media,
administrations focusing on cooperation in the BS region, TBDA, new
financial instruments for regional initiative.

9. www.bseanetwork.org
Russian NGOs
• Typical areas – environmental education, awareness raising, stakeholder
involvement, capacity building, conservation, management of protected
areas, etc.
• Big environmental problems (large scale construction and big projects - oil
ports, terminals, intensive agriculture, big coastal development dominating
the environment) and lower political interest in BS problems.
• 3 projects have been financed by BSERP SGP 1 – SORGO, Environmental Centre of
Sochi, Sailing Academy Taganrog involving wetland restoration, environmental
education, awareness raising and involving the public in watch-dog activities.
• Projects funded by BSERP 2nd
SGP – six with various focus and target
groups: 1 public awareness project establishes BS information service, very
active and useful after the Taman disaster; 1 local stakeholder
involvement/awareness raising project in the villages for improvement of
water bodies and riversides; two environmental education and training
project ;wetlands protection project; Documentary film production ‘Utrish
Threatened by Ecological Disaster’.
• BSAD traditionally turned into a national coastal celebration with
involvement of authorities. Sochi Olympics is a focus of public concern.

10. www.bseanetwork.org
Turkey – NGO involvement
• Environmental platforms for the coastal area of the Black Sea and the Marmara
Sea, also individual NGOs.Activity areas – awareness raising for environmental
protection including BS issues, conservation, environmental education, organic
farming, biodiversity protection
• BSERP 1st
SGP supported 2 projects – TEWPS and BS Environmentalists –
environmental awareness for students and adults, advocacy, NGO networking.
• BSERP 2nd
SGP supported projects from Istanbul, Trabzon, Zonguldag, Samsun
and Kocaeli, primarily public awareness and environmental education. 2 projects
encourage the use of manure and organic production; 1 focuses on good
agricultural practice; 1 aims at reducing the use of detergents and reduction of
nutrients in ubran waste waters, 1 environmental education project with youth
and amateur theatricals
• BSAD activities - attracting the attention of the public focusing on BSC
activities, political highlighting of BS issues, media involvement, awareness
raising along the coast.
• 25 participants and 5 trainers - capacity building training focusing on BSC, river
pollution and the BS - Bartin river,‘The Sea that nearly Died’, EfE ministerial
conference, presentation of the BSERP BS education study pack, BS
biodiversity problems in regional perspective, assessment of BSAD 2006 and
assessement of the dialogue between the media and the BS NGOs.

11. www.bseanetwork.org
NGO activities in Ukraine
• Major activities - youth education, conservation, biodiversity protection,
research in coastal areas, ecotourism, awareness raising, protected
areas management. Many activities are related to estuaries, small
rivers, wetlands, and the Danube Delta.
• 3 projects supported by BSERP SGP 1 – ww treatment, wetlands
restoration, public outreach – INECO , RNBSPO, Odessa SEU
• Ukrainian BSERP 2nd SGP projects, total of 8, cover a variety of topics
and regions. They include 1stakeholder involvement project for a public
basin council, 1 project for creation of public forum of BS NGOs
strengthening NGO cooperation; 1 educational project for children and
youth , 1 information dissemination project of Our Nature magazine, 4
projects for protected areas – the Tiligul Estuary, Kinburnsky Spit,
Tarkhanhut Peninsula and marine protected area Philophora Fileds.
• BSAD – public outreach, educational and media events, 600 study
packs, events in Sevastopol, Nikolaev, Tatarbunar, Odessa, 5000 info
papers published – YEC Vernadsky, RNBSPO,Secamp2000,Zeleny
Svit, Vydrodzhenia – Tatarbunar, Ecoclub-Vilcovo, YEC Dobra Volyua-
Izmail.

12. www.bseanetwork.org
BS NGOs - prospects
• In summary, it can be seen that BS NGOs are successfully
supporting stakeholder involvement, working at all levels, from local
to national to regional. They address a broad range of issues from
pollution reduction and coastal protection to agriculture and
conservation. Most have been involved in communication activities
and awareness raising, especially on BS Day, though education,
publications, some public opinion surveys and media relations.
Some NGOs have also been involved in scientific research and
reporting. Capacity building is seen as a standing task in the third
sector.
• Challenges of the future – development of societies, regional
projects, development and impact on the BS environment, stability
in the BS region including impacts of climate change, funding
opportunities, relations with authorities and businesses etc.