InterEcoCentre's Achievements

           InterEcoCentre has a track of many implemented projects financed by the GEF, UNEP, Council of Europe/EU, MENR and other donors. InterEcoCentre has been implementing MENR’s projects for 14 years. Among them are two GEF/World Bank’s Biodiversity enabling activities projects (Phase I and Phase II).

 

            InterEcoCentre has experience of successful cooperation with the UNEP, GEF, World Bank, Council of Europe, European Commission, Wetlands International, Ukrainian Government, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine, international firms and organizations, public sector, industry, unions, individuals, local governments and communities, and other entities to achieve its aims.

            InterEcoCentre’s experience covers all aspects of project identification, development, management, implementation, ranging from technical issues of financial management to coaching of the project staff and outputs.

            The projects, implemented by the organization were focused on biodiversity conservation, management, capacity building, infrastructure development, institutional strengthening, local communities and rural development, legislation improvement and other related issues at the international, national, regional and community levels.

The GEF/World Bank’s and other projects implemented by InterEcoCentre resulted in establishment of new protected areas and ecological networks, enhanced trans-boundary cooperation, capacity building and institutional development of the Ukrainian Government, staff and administration of protected areas, local communities and NGOs, replication of best practices and lessons learned, etc.

 

        InterEcoCentre’s achievements are significant. Among them, InterEcoCentre:

• prepared documents for designation of the National Nature Park (NNP) “Meotyda”,  Pryazovskyi NNP and NNP “Buzkyi Hard” and for

• extension of areas of the Danube Biosphere Reserve, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and Chornomorsky Biosphere Reserve. The work resulted in issuing 6 decrees of the President of Ukraine for official designation of protected areas;

• developed the design and managed designation of the Regional Landscape Park “Cheremoshskyi”;

• facilitated establishment of the Nyzhnyo-Dnistrovskyi National Nature Park and Tilihulsky Regional Landscape Park;

• promoted establishment of the first in Ukraine two trans-boundary biosphere reserves (Biosphere Reserve “Eastern Carpathians” (1999, Ukraine, Poland, Slovak Republic) and bilateral Romanian-Ukrainian Biosphere Reserve “Danube Delta” (1998));

• contrived creation and approval by the local and regional governments of the first in Ukraine two trans-boundary ecological corridors with Poland and Romania in the Carpathians;

• facilitated designation of  9 new Ramsar Sites in Ukraine;

• identified and prepared the database and maps for 151 Emerald Sites in Ukraine;

• prepared the first and second National report on Biodiversity of Ukraine;

• carried out a feasibility study on production of briquettes from reed for fuel as support of local communities within and around PAs;

• developed the first management plan in Ukraine for a protected area in 1998 for the Danube Biosphere Reserve (with a participatory approach). The management plans for Regional Landscape Park “Hranitno-Stepove Pobuzhia” and for the Molochnyi Liman of the NNP “Pryazovskyi” were developed in 2005 with broad participation of stakeholders;

• held workshops, trainings and study tours for PAs administration, wardens, scientists, government staff, local authorities, landowners and land users within Ukraine and abroad;

• implemented two small grant programmes in Ukraine for NGOs, individuals and local authorities;

• managed to construct a new headquarters, garage for cars and piers for boats, small bridge, 3 warden houses with infrastructure, bird watching house, special internal radio communication network for the staff in the Danube Biosphere Reserve;

• managed to renovate headquarters of national park “Meotyda”,  NGO office in Melitopol University and a visit centre as well as to construct a new fence in the Chornomorskyi Biospere Reserve;

• managed to develop designs for construction of new headquarters of a regional landscape park “Hranitno-Stepove Pobuzhia”, new warden houses in the Chornomorskyi Biospere Reserve.

• procured and delivered to six MEP departments in oblasts cars and equipment for strengthening biodiversity management. Twelve National Parks, Regional Landscape Parks and Biosphere Reserves were equipped with vehicles, boats, outboard engines, computers and GIS, scientific, monitoring,  field  and other equipment and goods for over USD 1 200 000.

InterEcoCentre has been collaborating with the Wetlands International since 1998, administering projects and maintaining the Wetlands International Black Sea office in Ukraine.

The short list of ongoing and completed projects includes the following projects:

 

• “Assessment of a state of art and perspectives of accomplishment of the Ramsar Convention by Ukraine” Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) of Ukraine (2011);

• “Identification of Areas of Special Conservation Interest within and outside of Nature-Protection Fund of Ukraine according to the Bern Convention”. The MENR of Ukraine (2011);

•  “Realising trans-boundary ecological connectivity in the Ukrainian Carpathians”, (2008-2010) Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality;

• “A Programme of identification of the potential Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) of the Emerald Network in Ukraine”, (2009-2011)  Council of Europe, European Commission (Euro 170 000); (151 Emerald Sites (equivalent of Natura 2000 sites for the non EU Countries) were identified and respective data were prepared)

• Sustainable Use and Management of Wetlands’ Nature Resources, (2008-2009)  Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

•  “Training and Exchange of Experience for Management of Protected Areas of National Importance (2008)”, The Netherlands Embassy in Kyiv;

• Establishment of Ramsar Sites in the Danube-Carpathian region of Ukraine, (2008-2010) Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality;

• Preparation and updating passports of Ramsar sites. State Agency on Protected Areas (SAPA) of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine (MEP). The passports (descriptions) of 33 Ramsar Sites in Ukraine were updated based on new information.

• Development of recommendations on improvement of the system of nature reserves and national nature parks as structural elements of the National Ecological Network. SAPA of MEP of Ukraine. The report was prepared with recommendations (legal, financial, institutional, necessary activities, planning, etc) for implementation by the MEP

• Training and Exchange of Experience for Management of Protected Areas of National Importance, MEP and the Ministry of International Affairs of the Netherlands.

• Enhancing public participation on reduction of environmental pollution, Embassy of the Netherlands (MATRA)   

• Gap analysis in the National Ecological Network (Econet)- review of legislation and regulations, MEP of Ukraine, MATRA

• Analysis of current economic instruments for use and restoration of bioresources and development of recommendations and guidelines. MEP of Ukraine, MATRA

• Preparation of Biodiversity Phase II Enabling Activity (USD 320 000), GEF/World Bank. Assessment of implementation and capacity-building needs, identification of priorities, preparation of: Second National Report of Ukraine on Conservation of Biodiversity, proposals to draft National Action Plan on Biodiversity, identification of priorities to meeting Ukraine’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity etc, (2002-2004).

•  “Danube Delta Biodiversity Project” GEF/World Bank (USD 1 574 000) – Establishment of the Danube Biosphere Reserve and the Romanian/Ukrainian Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. Capacity building of the Danube Biosphere Reserve Authority, etc. 

• Transcarpathian Biodiversity Protection Project, GEF/World Bank (USD 570 000) Preparation of decree of the President of Ukraine on extension of territory of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (1997), training on GIS, reserve planning, conservation biology, and management.

• Enabling Activity Project “Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan and National Report of Ukraine”, GEF/World Bank (1996-1998). Preparation of the Strategy of Conservation of Ukraine’s Biological Diversity (approved by the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers’ decree); the first National Report of Ukraine on Conservation of Biological Diversity(in a frame of convention (CBD).   GEF/World Bank.

•  “TACIS Support for the Implementation of the Black Sea Wetlands Conservation Action Plan”, inventory studies of the  Ukrainian Black Sea wetlands, public participation on wetlands protection, recommendations to local  and national governments,  strengthening NGOs. EC Tacis.

 

            Wetlands International’s projects

· Dnipro River corridor in Ukraine (06.2006)

· Towards integrating wetland biodiversity conservation with water and agricultural management in Ukraine. A pilot in the South Bug River Basin (Euro 190 221)

· Support the establishment of the Integrated Management Approach for the Sivash (Euro 134 425) (09.2004)

· Black Sea coastal wetlands, Central European Peatland Project (Second phase) (04.2004)

· Towards Improved water management in Ukraine (09.2003)

· Development of a National Wetlands Strategy and Action Plan for Ukraine (04.2000)

· Small rivers of Ukraine: public participation in conservation use (part 2) (04.2003),

· Enhancing the recognition of the socio-economic values of wetlands: Development of cases in the Black Sea region of Eastern Europe (12.2002)

· Public participation in conservation and sustainable use of small rivers in Ukraine: support for the River Network in Ukraine (12.2002)

· Natural values of the Buh river valley: state-threats-conservation (06.1999)

· Central European Peatland Projects (02.2000)

· Small rivers of Ukraine: public participation in conservation use (04.2000)

· Support for the conservation of wetlands and wetlands species in the Azov-Black Sea region of Ukraine (07.1999)