Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
(CENN)
Weekly Digest
September 21, 2005
NEWS FROM GEORGIA
Action On Struggle Against Poverty
Source: PrimeNews Agency, September 10, 2005
Activists of the movement “Future without Poverty” will hold an action in
Tbilisi on Saturday within the frameworks of the international day “White
belt”. <;
more
US SIGNS $295.3M COMPACT WITH GEORGIA AS PART OF MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE
Source: “Sarke”, September 13, 2005
A compact on disbursing $295.3 million to Georgia as part of the Millennium
Challenge program was signed yesterday as
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GEORGIA HOPES TO RECEIVE $600M FROM INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Source: Information Agency “Sarke”, September 14, 2005
Apart from $295.3 million, the US has disbursed to Georgia under the
Millennium Challenge program the Georgian government hopes to receive up to
$600 million in loan from international financial institutions.
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Officials Laud Millennium Challenge Aid Agreement
Source: The Messenger, September 14, 2005
The signing of the Millennium Challenge agreement for USD 295.3 million in
aid to Georgia underlines the continuing and strengthening relationship
between Georgia and the United States, officials from both countries said
Monday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony for the new aid agreement, U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice said the agreement, the largest so far from the
new U.S. aid program, “represents America’s long-term commitment to
Georgia’s future success.”
“Our partnership will only continue to grow stronger
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NEWS FROM Azerbaijan
HEALTH MINISTRY OF AZERBAIJAN: “THERE WAS NEVER BACTERIOLOGICAL WEAPON IN
AZERBAIJAN”
Source: “Azertag”, September 7, 2005
Health Ministry of the Azerbaijan Republic is rather surprised upon the
information disseminated in mass media on allegedly presentation by
Azerbaijan to the United States of the samples of bacteriological weapon,
the Ministry’s spokesman told AzerTAc.
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AZERBAIJAN TO CELEBRATE WORLD TOURISM DAY
Source: “Azertag”, September 13, 2005
Within the frameworks of the World Tourism Day, an exhibition dealing with
domestic tourism will be held in Baku October 1. Over 50 travel agencies and
hotel owners will take part in the exhibition to be held at the Baku
Business Center
<; more
news from Armenia
SEVAN THREATENING THE TREES
Source: A1plus, September 7, 2005
Today the session of the RA Forests Repair and Development Fund Trustee
Council took place which was presided over by the President of the Council,
RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
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GERMANY ALLOCATES 2.2 Million EUR TO ARMENIA FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT
“BIO-DIVERSITY AND NATURE PROTECTION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION”
Source: ARMINFO, September 9, 2005
German Government has approved 2.2 million EUR to Armenia for implementation
of a program “Bio-diversity in the South-West of Armenia” and “Protection of
bio-diversity in Javakheti through transboundary cooperation.”
A relevant agreement was signed today by Ministry of Nature Protection of
Armenia Vardan Ayvazyan and Representative of German KfW bank in Armenia
Karapet Gevorgyan.
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ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE
Source: Armenian News Agency “A1plus”, September 14, 2005
Today in New York UN General Assembly 60th session high-level meeting
started. Heads of Governments of more than 170 countries participate in the
summit, including the RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan.
On September 13 Andranik Margaryan met the <Millennium Challenges
Corporation> (MCC) heads temporary executive director
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International News
UN agencies team up to promote eco-friendly, development-oriented tourism
Source: UN Dispatch, September 7, 2005
With massive growth in tourism predicted in the coming years, two United
Nations agencies have teamed up to produce a set of guidelines to help
governments around the world to promote a sustainable tourism that spreads
prosperity while avoiding harm to the environment and local communities.
For the first time, the UN World Tourism Organization (
<; WTO) and the UN Environment Programme (
<; UNEP) have
<;
combined their efforts
< ly_digest_21_9_05_en.html> more
The environment matters
Source: WWF News, By Claude Martin, September 9, 2005
Many of us in the conservation world are concerned that the natural
environment – as the fundamental provider of life on this planet – seems to
have dropped off the international community’s radar screen in the lead up
to the UN-hosted World Summit.
This is an alarming realization as natural resources and the environment are
being degraded and destroyed at record pace.
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Flood-Water Sampling Chemical Data Available
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 11, 2005
The Environmental Protection Agency in coordination with the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality today posted data from New Orleans flood
water chemical samples collected
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Europe’s environmental future demands more action in key sectors
Source: European Environmental Agency, 11 September, 2005
Policy makers must better integrate environmental issues across EU policies
Existing policies alone will not be enough to save Europe’s environment from
extensive environmental change in the long term, according to a new report
released today by the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen.
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EU bio-fuel target ‘incompatible with biodiversity targets’
Source: Eco-portal news, 12 September, 2005
Delegates at last week’s European Conference on Climate Change and
Biodiversity, organized in Oxford shire by English Nature, were told that
the EU’s target of 5.75% bio-fuels for transport
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New funding to sustain rivers and wetlands
Source: Environmental News Agency, September 12, 2005
The Environment Agency published (on September 9) proposals to increase the
cost of licenses to abstract water from rivers and groundwater in England
and Wales. The increase would create a fund to enable the Agency to revoke
historical rights to water which need to be revoked or limited to prevent
damage to the environment and compensate abstractors whose rights are
revoked. It will also meet the costs of new responsibilities assumed by the
Environment Agency under the Water Act 2003.
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US Agency Approves Private Nuclear-Waste Facility
Source: Planet Ark, September 12, 2005
Washington – US regulators Friday approved a private firm’s plan to store
tens of thousands of tons nuclear waste above the ground on an American
Indian reservation in Utah.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted the license to Private Fuel
Storage to store the radioactive waste on the reservation of the Skull
Valley Band of Goshute Indians, about 50 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
<; more
Canada Doesn’t see Breakthrough at Post-Kyoto Meet
Source: Planet Ark, September 13, 2005
Ottawa – A major Montreal meeting charged with starting to draft a successor
to the Kyoto climate change accord is unlikely to produce a breakthrough, a
senior Canadian official said on Monday.
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Clean Air agreement with nation’s largest hazardous waste operator
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 13, 2005
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today
announced a settlement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services that is
expected to enhance calculating and reporting on benzene emissions from
North America’s largest operator of hazardous waste treatment and disposal
facilities. This settlement involves ten facilities in eight states. It
confirms the proper industry standard for compliance
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Environment: Why Is the Ozone Hole Growing?
Source: Inter Press Service News Agency, September 13, 2005
A huge ozone hole has developed over Antarctica for the second year running,
exposing southern Argentina and Chile to high levels of damaging ultraviolet
radiation from the Sun.
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Black Sea turns cleaner
Source: Bulgarians News Network, September 13, 2005
Sofia – The Black Sea has gradually become cleaner in the past few years,
according to observations of the Oceanology Institute of the Bulgarian
Science Academy, state TV informed Tuesday.
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Environmental effect on diseases could be underestimated
Source: European Environmental Agency, 13 September, 2005
The current way of analyzing connections between environment and health
attributes only 2-5% of European mortality and morbidity to environmental
factors. However, this so-called “burden of disease” approach is likely to
be flawed, according to EEA executive director Professor Jacqueline McGlade
who spoke today at the 2005 conference of the UK Health Protection Agency at
Warwick University.
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Two for the price of one: save water, serve people
Source: WWF News, 13 September, 2005
Gland, Switzerland – As Heads of State meet in New York for the World
Summit, a new report from WWF shows a strong link between environmental
improvement and economic development that can no longer be ignored.
The report – Freshwater and poverty reduction: Serving people, saving nature
– analyses projects in Brazil, Colombia, China, and South Africa,
demonstrating dramatic improvements in the livelihoods of poor local
communities where WWF-supported conservation projects are in place. The
projects show that
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World’s Largest Hippo Population Almost Gone – WWF
Source: Planet Ark, September 13, 2005
Johannesburg – An aerial survey shows what was once the world’s largest
hippo population in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being poached to
extinction, conservationist group WWF International said on Monday.
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Two Decades of Protecting the Ozone Layer to be Marked
Source: UNEP’s press release, September 13, 2005
International Ozone Day to mark the signing of Montreal Protocol on 16
September
Vienna Convention to Celebrate Two Decades of Protecting the Ozone Layer on
21 September
“An extraordinary success story – but saving ozone layer an unfinished
business,” says UNEP.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and governments around the
world are preparing to celebrate two key milestones
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Oil Leasing Proposed for Remote Chukchi Sea
Source: Planet Ark, September 15, 2005
Anchorage – New expressions of industry interest have prompted the US
government to propose oil and gas leasing in the Chukchi Sea, a remote but
potentially energy-rich area between northwestern Alaska and northeastern
Siberia, officials said Tuesday.
The Minerals Management Service, an agency of the Interior Department, said
it will start planning for a Chukchi lease sale to be held in late 2007 or
early 2008. It would be the first lease sale in the region since 1991.
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REGIONAL FORUM ON COMBATING ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME FORMED
Source: Planet Ark, September 15, 2005
Experts from a range of international agencies, meeting in Bangkok, have
agreed to set up a Regional Forum to be facilitated by UNEP ROAP to help
curb the trade of environmentally hazardous chemicals as well as natural
resources and endangered species in the region. The Forum allows access to
information
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NGO News
NGOS MARK GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST WASTE AND INCINERATION
Source: IISD Reporting Services, September 9, 2005
A group of NGOs has organized a week of awareness-raising activities on
waste issues. The network challenges governments to adopt and implement
policies that will prevent waste
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NGOs Oppose Veterinary Department Chief
Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005
Some Georgian environmentalists are concerned over the shutdown of state-run
veterinary services across Georgia. They blame Jambul Maghlakelidze,
Chairman of the Veterinary Department of Georgia, of withholding information
about the process. Maghlakelidze, who signed the order to liquidate the
services on July 1, 2005, dismisses these charges as `groundless’.
According to a protest letter from the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network
(CENN), the order to shut down state-owned veterinary bodies
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Legal News
Environmental laws fall by the wayside
Source: the Daily Star: By Raed El Rafei September 14, 2005
Many companies ignore the need for EIA studies or pay lip service to their
implementation.
One need only take a look at the over-urbanized slopes crunched by quarries
or take a dip in the sea where water and waste co-exist to realize
protecting the environment is not a priority in the land of the cedars. The
continuous proliferation of projects that do not respect environmental
standards makes one wonder why laws drafted for the protection of the
environment in 2002 have not yet been implemented.
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New Publication
European Environment Outlook – EEA Report No 4/2005
Source: European Environmental Agency, 11 September, 2005
Protecting our environment is a key element in ensuring sustainable
livelihoods for today’s and future generations. Indeed, the most recent Euro
barometer surveys show
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Fundraising Opportunity
The CEE Fundraising Achievement Award 2005
The Civil Society Development Foundation Hungary (CSDF Hungary) and
Fundraising Competence Group GmbH introduce a new award for celebrating
fundraising success stories of the recent years and promoting best practices
of the emerging nonprofit sectors in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Announcement
TACIS FUNDED PROJECT intends to recruit 2 experts to assist the EU
Source: “24 Saati” (“24 Hours”), September 15, 2005
“Legal Advice in Support of Reform of the Social Protection and Health Care
Sectors”
The recruited experts will be responsible for preparing analysis according
to the defined project objectives and criteria. (in years)
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Tender Announcement – Invitation for Bids
Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005
Specific Procurement Notice
Georgia
Municipal Development and Decentralization Project II
Improvement of Gori Water Supply System
Loan/Credit No. 3701-GE Contract/ Bid No. GOR/201
This invitation for bids follows the general procurement notice for this
project that appeared in Development Business No. 657 of June 30, 2005.
Georgia has received a credit from the International Development Association
(IDA) toward the cost of the Municipal Development and Decentralization
Project II, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this credit
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ANNOUNCEMENT – Partner to finance a Project
Source: The Georgian Times, September 19, 2005
LTD ‘IKATO’ seeks a partner to finance a project (G-689 Natural
Biopreparation from Georgian Plants). The project has been subject to
expertise at the ISTC.
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