Assessment of Assessments Victor Cotru ta Executiv e Director REC Moldova Meeting of the WGEMA

1. Assessment of Assessments Victor Cotruta Executive Director REC Moldova Meeting of the WGEMA Geneva, 07.11.13

2. Structure • Analysed themes and structure of the report • Institutions involved in the assessments production • Data sources • Thematic issues & recommendations • General recommendations • Conclusions

3. Analyzed Domains • Biodiversity • Climate Change • Air Pollution • Waste

4. Analyzed Domains • 7 merged assessments • 4 Biodiversity assessments • 6 Climate Change assessments • 5 Air Pollution assessments • 3 Waste assessments

5. Structure of the report Chapter 1is a general chapter, describing the overall setting for the assessment of assessments, including the landscape of environmental assessments and their context. Chapter 2 focuses onbiodiversity Chapter 3 focuses on climate change Chapter 4 focuses on air pollution Chapter 5 focuses on waste Chapter 6 is a set of recommendations

6. National Institutions • Ministry of Environment (MoE) • State Ecological Inspection (SEI) • Environmental Information Centre • State Hydro Meteorological Service (SHS) • Environmental Quality Monitoring Department • Institute of Ecology and Geography • Agency ‘’ApeleMoldovei’’

7. National Institutions – thematic offices • Biodiversity Office (http://bsapm.moldnet.md); • POPs Office (http://www.moldovapops.md); • Ozone Office (http://www.ozon.md); • Biosecurity Office (http://www.biosafety.md); • Climate Change Office (http://www.clima.md); • Carbon Finance Office (http://www.cfu.md); • Pollution Prevention Office (http://www.eppo.md).

8. International Organizations • The European Union (EU); • United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); • The European Environment Agency (EEA); • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); • United States Agency for International Development (USAID); • United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP); • Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA); • German International Development Agency (GIZ); • Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) • Projects funded by international donors

9. Type of reports The national assessments produced by the State institutions are usually the result of a regular process. The frequency of reports varies: e.g. the Environmental Protection Report published by the SEI is produced annually; the SoER is published by the MoE with support from the Institute of Ecology and Geography every four years.

10. Availability The reports are made available as freely downloadable pdf files, and are also accessible to the general public as HTML pages. Hardcopy versions, in recent years, are produced in smaller editions – for example the SoER (2007-2010) is available as pdf and as a hardcopy in limited numbers.

11. Sources of Data

12. Thematic Issues: Biodiversity • Issues • Limited number of reports dedicated to biodiversity issues; • Well developed legislation to conserve nature and stop degradation, which is not enforced. • Recommendations • Good Agriculture Practices should be promoted; • The National Ecological Network should be implemented in the forest sector; • The use of donor funds and coordination between different projects should be improved by MoE.

13. Thematic Issues: Climate Change • Issues • Limited number of climate change related reports; • Little information about observed effects of climatic changes on forests, and insufficient data; • Assessments rich in statistical data, but of limited use in relation to policymaking and decision taking; • Recommendations • An enhanced process should support integrated assessments; • Role of International Organizations should be increased in providing guidance for the development and implementation of climate change scenarios; • Awareness should be raised and information should be provided to the direct target groups: consumers, farmers, businesses and great industries.

14. Thematic Issues: Air Pollution • Issues • Monitoring network for air quality considered insufficient by SHS and MoH; • Four laboratories, but only one accredited to ISO requirements; • Limited data available, as only limited number of parameters monitored in priority areas; • No inter-sectorial cooperation for combating air pollution. • Recommendations • A comprehensive, integrated network for air monitoring should be developed; • Legal frameworks should be improved; • Paper databases should be turned into electronic ones; • Technical equipment should be provided and installed.

15. Thematic Issues: Waste • Issues • No waste monitoring network existent; • Old standards utilized with regards to collection and processing of information related to the types and amounts of waste; • Legal framework for waste management underdeveloped; • Financing for waste management, both at state and private level, insufficient. • Recommendations • New standards and reporting forms should be developed; • The current statistical system of waste management, which only partially reflects the situation of waste management by households, should be improved.

16. General Recommendations • A clear scheme for cooperation and coordination of data collection and management between relevant state institutions should be developed; • Approximation of a national legal framework to EU acquis communautaire should be ensured (especially for air protection and waste management); • Integrated environmental authorizations/permits should be introduced; • Electronic databases based on a common platform principle should be established; • Modern technologies such as Geographical Information Systems, ARC VIEW, etc. should be applied; • An E-Governance Centre should be integrated.

17. Conclusions • Major drawbacks of the analyzed assessments arise from • Lack of data; • Old, soviet-style standards; • Inefficient use of donor funds and • Lack of coordination between relevant stakeholders. • Priority action steps: • Cooperation between state actors and the international organizations involved in funding, monitoring and guiding national stakeholders should be increased; • Methodologies for setting-up statistical and environmental indicators and procedures for relevant data collection, sharing, processing and storing should be developed and improved; • A Shared Environmental Information System should be developed.

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