Environment and Human Settlements Division  
 

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment:

Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

 
   

WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

At the fourth “Environment for Europe” Conference, held in 1998 in Aarhus (Denmark), Environment Ministers recognized that mechanisms for coordinated monitoring, data collection, processing and management in the pan-European region were often inadequate. The difficulties were particularly acute in countries in transition, including the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA). For the Ministers, improving these mechanisms and state-of-the-environment information was a top priority.

To meet this goal, the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy set up an Ad Hoc Working Group on Environmental Monitoring in late 2000. The Working Group contributed to the Kiev Assessment report, prepared by the European Environment Agency (EEA) for the fifth “Environment for Europe” Conference held in 2003 in Kiev (Ukraine). The Working Group developed Recommendations on Strengthening National Environmental Monitoring and Information Systems in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and Guidelines for the Preparation of Governmental Reports on the State and Protection of the Environment. Ministers endorsed both at the Fifth “Environment for Europe” Conference, held in May 2003 in Kiev, Ukraine. (These two documents are available on this CD-ROM.)

In Kiev, Ministers supported the Working Group in its activities, particularly on strengthening environmental information and observation capacity in the EECCA countries. They also approved an Environment Strategy for these countries which set specific goals for strengthening environmental monitoring and information management.

In October 2003, the Committee on Environmental Policy updated the terms of reference for the renamed Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (the terms of reference are provided below). One of the main tasks of the Working Group is to serve as facilitator to achieve the objectives on environmental monitoring and information management of the Environment Strategy adopted in Kiev. This will strengthen national environmental monitoring and assessment systems and, at the same time, help to improve the comparability of environmental information, facilitate the preparation of the next pan-European assessment report and assist in the implementation of provisions of the Aarhus Convention regarding the collection and dissemination of environmental information.

Capacity-building for EECCA countries

Capacity-building has been a central theme in the Working Group’s work for which the Government of Denmark and the European Commission provided financial resources in 2001-2003. It focused on six main areas.

I. Environmental networking and information systems

The Task Force on Tools and Guidelines, under the Working Group’s work, organized three workshops to discuss the current situation with environmental networking in EECCA countries and to identify major gaps and obstacles to reliable networking as well as good practices to fill gaps and overcome obstacles. The Russian Federation has acted as lead country for the Task Force.

Based on an action plan and on Guidelines on the Development of Environmental Networks and Information Systems, both developed by the Task Force, designated EECCA country officials are:

  • Creating reference centres on environmental monitoring and environmental information producers responsible for environmental data flows on priority areas;
  • Developing electronic environmental databases using the Catalogue of Data Sources, the Multilingual Thesaurus and other software developed by EEA;
  • Uploading environmental metadata, environmental reports and databases compiled for the Kiev Assessment on the Internet using national environmental portals, where available, and the UNECE environmental portal.
EECCA countries are receiving training and computer equipment for this work. (The Guidelines are available on this CD-ROM.)

II. Air pollution monitoring and emission inventories

This activity assesses needs and develops recommendations for rationalizing and strengthening air pollution monitoring in the EECCA countries, building their capacity to comply with data collection and reporting obligations under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. A detailed case study of Kazakhstan was prepared and discussed at a series of national and international workshops organized in Almaty by Kazhydromet, lead organization of the project component, with the active involvement of EMEP centres and EEA. The case study and workshops were used to develop recommendations for EECCA countries that are new Parties to the Convention. (Both the case study of Kazakhstan and the recommendations are found in this CD-ROM).

III. Monitoring of inland surface waters

An in-depth study of inland surface water monitoring in EECCA has been launched under the leadership of the EEA European Topic Centre on Water (ETC/Water). Activities include: an assessment of existing networks of inland surface water monitoring (EECCA national inventories validated by ETC/Water); a compilation of a full EECCA database on inland surface water monitoring; proposals for a basic EUROWATERNET network for each EECCA country; and recommendations for achieving a fully representative network of EUROWATERNET stations for EECCA. To carry out this work, a consortium of EECCA national experts was established. Management and coordination of these national experts and ensuring the delivery of project outputs on schedule are the responsibility of three EECCA expert coordinators (Belarus, the Russian Federation and the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia). Missions by the project management team and coordinators to each EECCA Ministry of the Environment were organized.

IV. Waste classifications and inventories

Two international workshops, organized in Tbilisi by the Georgian Ministry for Environment with the active participation of EEA, discussed the situation regarding waste classifications and inventories in the Caucasian and Central Asian countries. The workshops identified gaps in data collection for the most important waste streams, weaknesses in regulatory and institutional frameworks, and needs for building national capacities. The participants were informed about approaches used in EEA member countries to improve waste classification systems, data collection and the use of indicators. A background paper and recommendations to EECCA countries were prepared for improving national waste classification systems and inventory systems. (Both documents are available on this CD-ROM).

V. Environmental indicators and reporting

Environmental Monitoring and Reporting: Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia was published in English and Russian, summarizing the challenges for environmental monitoring and information systems in the EECCA countries, describing areas of progress, current gaps and needs, and major themes for development.

A review of environmental indicators in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia was prepared. The Workshop on Environmental Indicators for EECCA, held near St.Petersburg, Russian Federation, discussed environmental indicators that were used in EEA and its member countries and selected a core set of 118 indicators for use in EECCA countries: these can help improve reporting at the national level and facilitate international comparison. A trial compendium was prepared, using data from participating EECCA countries. (The indicators review, core set and Compendium are available on this CD-ROM).

With the assistance of the Working Group and the participation of UNEP, a state-of-the-environment report of Armenia was prepared in accordance with the Guidelines for the Preparation of Governmental Reports on the State and Protection of the Environment, which were endorsed in Kiev. (This CD-ROM also contains the Armenian report).

VI. Remote sensing

The Task Force on Remote Sensing, led by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) and with participation of EECCA countries, EEA, UNEP and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, held two Workshops to review the potential of remote-sensing for environmental assessments at the national, subregional and regional levels, as well as current country requirements and capabilities in this field. A project proposal for environmental assessments of the Eurasian region using a key set of indicators derived from remote-sensing data was prepared. (Further notes on remote-sensing indicators are provided on this CD-ROM).


 

Terms of Reference of the Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
as adopted by the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy in October 2003

  1. Pursuant to the decisions of the Fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” (Kiev, 2003), the Committee on Environmental Policy renames the Ad Hoc Working Group on Environmental Monitoring as the Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. The Working Group should serve as an instrument for UNECE member States to provide recommendations, to propose action plans and to improve coordination of international initiatives within the region in the areas of harmonized and cost-effective environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting, with a view to supporting decision-making processes and contributing to streamlining international reporting in the UNECE region.
     
  2. The Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment will promote the coordination of efforts in the above areas, and in particular towards preparations for the Ministerial Conferences “Environment for Europe”. It should contribute:
     
    1. To the development of assessment reports on the state of the environment by the European Environment Agency (EEA);
       
    2. To an appraisal of monitoring and assessment requirements within the framework of the “Environment for Europe” process as well as national and international monitoring and assessment requirements, including obligations under the relevant multilateral environmental agreements.

     
  3. The Working Group should use relevant results of the work of and cooperate with other international networks and forums, such as EEA, UNEP, the Global Biodiversity Information Forum and regional environmental centres, and give priority to the following specific areas:
     
    1. Strengthening environmental information and observation capacity, including monitoring networks, in countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, serving as facilitator to achieve the environmental monitoring and information management objectives of the Environment Strategy for these countries;
       
    2. Improvement of data collection, transfer and use;
       
    3. Enhancement of international comparability of environmental information;
       
    4. Promotion of the use of indicator-based mechanisms for periodic environmental assessments and evaluation of the effectiveness of environmental policies and decision-making;
       
    5. Improvement of coordination and optimization of environmental assessments, including strategic environmental assessments and outlooks, and reporting;
       
    6. Outlining compatible standards and formats for environmental monitoring, assessment and reporting;
       
    7. Cooperation on a harmonized environmental database on sources of data and data sets, institutes, reports and other information products using modern information technologies, as well as linking of relevant web sites.
       
      In addition, the scope for application of satellite and other remote-sensing technologies to complement ground-based environmental monitoring systems and networks should be considered.
       
  4. Pursuant to a decision by the Ministers in Kiev, donors will be invited to provide support for the Working Group’s activities and the preparation of assessment reports on the state of the environment by EEA.
     
  5. The Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment will be open to all UNECE member States and include EEA. Participation of international organizations and NGOs active in the UNECE region should be guided by normal UNECE procedures.
     
  6. The work of the Working Group should be conducted within a spirit of such full and open access to environmental data as is compatible with the legislation of the participating member States, and in cooperation with major groups including environmental NGOs and the private sector.
     
  7. The UNECE secretariat will provide secretariat assistance and conference facilities to the Working Group at the United Nations Office at Geneva, in accordance with UNECE rules and practices.
     
  8. The Committee on Environmental Policy will review the present terms of reference after the Sixth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe”.
     

  9.  
    For further information on the Working Group on Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, please visit the web site: http://www.unece.org/env/europe/monitoring/