An objective of the CCE Cahul project is to increase the awareness among stakeholders on the importance of establishing a Biosphere Reservation in the Lower Prut region and supporting intervention measures of local public authorities to this end. Environmental education classes organized in the schools of the Lower Prut region will allow the young generation to obtain knowledge, skills, motivation, values and the commitment to efficiently use local natural resources and to take responsibility for maintaining the quality of the global environment.
Education, raising awareness, involvement and collaboration of the general public in local decision making are the key components of the efficient operation of any state protected natural area. Thus, it is possible to obtain support from the general public and promote sustainable development of natural resources from this region by increasing the degree of understanding, knowledge and involvement in environmental related issues both among local population and local public authorities.
Replication of project activities
Information on project objectives, activities and outcomes, and the funder will be shared through 2 newspaper articles.
At national level, the goal, objectives, activities and outcomes of the project will be communicated through the National Cooperation and Communication Platform, the working meetings of the advisory group, and the round table.
At local level, these will be communicated through local information seminars and environment awareness raising classes.
The activities of the project ?Strengthening Stakeholder Capacity ? Key Element for the Environmental Governance of the Lower Prut Region? can be easily replicated and successfully implemented by other protected areas from Republic of Moldova, which aim at extending and developing themselves.
Gender Focus
The involvement of women, men and children in all project activities will contribute to achieving objectives and subsequently, the expected results of the projects. And their involvement in the national platform, working meetings of the advisory group, round table, local information seminars and environment awareness raising classes will contribute to strengthening their capacity to participate in the analysis of local policies and dialogue processes, awareness raising on the importance of establishing a Biosphere Reservation in the Lower Prut region, which will lead to the protection and sustainability of natural resources from the target region.
Capacity - Building Component
The primary objective of this project is building the capacity of stakeholders interested to participate in the analysis and review of local policies and dialogue processes related to the establishment of a Biosphere Reservation in the Lower Prut region
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The project will contribute the significant participation of indigenious peoples thus The National Cooperation and Communication Platform will ensure the involvement of various social groups such as tier I and II of public authorities, ministries, state authorities, experts, civil society, mass media, etc. At the same time, organizing information seminars will ensure the involvement of the following groups: civil society, private sector, local population where seminars shall be conducted. Environment awareness raising classes will ensure the involvement of pupils in the activities of the project.
Project sustainability
The sustainability of the project will be ensured by the successful implementation of project activities. Stakeholders will have strengthened capacities to participate in the analysis of local policies and dialogue processes for the establishment of the Biosphere Reservation in the Lower Prut region, which will lead to the adequate and sustainable management of the environment, protection and rational use of natural resources, and building a positive attitude towards the environment.
Project Results
The project had as primary objective: contribution to the effectiveness of the extension and development of natural areas protected by state and biodiversity conservation.
This was achieved through two specific objectives:
1) Strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to participate in local policy analysis and dialogue processes on creating Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region;
2) Sensitization of stakeholders on the importance of creating Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region and intervention measures to support Local Authorities in this direction.
The results of the capacity building project that has been achieved were as follows: improved conditions of cooperation and collaboration of stakeholders through an international round table and 2 stakeholder?s workshops organised by the ECC Cahul within the project; 10 informative seminars for local awareness; 10 lessons of ecological awareness of the younger generation; 5000 of informative brochures on Biosphere Reserve disseminated in Lower Prut Region; 2 press articles about the project.
The project ?Building Stakeholder Capacity ? Key Element for the Environmental Governance in the Lower Prut Region? approached the topic of extension and development of natural areas protected by state. The project topic coincided with the national priority no. 5 of Strategic Development Program, developed by the Ministry of Environment for 2012-2014, namely ?Ensuring of extension and development of state-protected natural areas, biodiversity protection and conservation.?
In this direction, in the spring of 2014 in Moldova it has started to implement the trilateral project RO-MD-UA ?Strengthening of natural areas to protect biodiversity and sustainable development in the region of the Danube Delta and Lower Prut - Nature PAN?. The project implemented by Moldsilva Agency together with other partners from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, provided for a new management plan for protected natural areas in the region, intended to contribute to the improvement of the environment, extension of the protected areas, and to promote initiatives provided in EU Strategy for the Danube river area. Specific component of the project is to create a Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region, which is a premiere for Moldova.
Unfortunately, the project mentioned above did not include activities related to sensitizing stakeholders and their direct involvement in the processes of dialogue and analysis of local policies on creating Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region.
In this context ECC Cahul, by examining international practices on creating biosphere reserves, considered that a pivotal role in the establishment, management and successful development of a biosphere reserve it is being played by local communities and organizations.
Organisation of 2 workshops with stakeholders in the creation of the first biosphere reserve in the country.
The meetings were attended by representatives of 10 local public authorities from the Lower Prut region, Cahul District Council, Natural Reserve Administration ?Lower Prut?, Moldsilva Agency and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova. The purpose of the first workshop with stakeholders was to establish a consultative group. The role of the consultative group in the first workshop was to identify and establish key factors, problems, solutions, measures, Moldavian legislation in order to create biosphere reserve in the region. In the second workshop of the consultative group there were discussed organizational issues related to the upcoming Round Table that regarding the assignment of responsibilities.
Organization of an International Round Table of stakeholders with the topic: ?Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region - Methods and Approaches?.
During the roundtable it was presented the experience of neighbouring countries on the development of protected areas and creation of biosphere reserves, there were presented various methods and approaches to the issue of creating a biosphere reserve for its effective management in the future.
Within the roundtable discussions there were held with stakeholders on various aspects of the creation and establishment of the Biosphere Reserve of the Lower Prut region. It was analysed national and local policies, threats and opportunities related to the creation of the biosphere reserve, it was presented and analysed the relevant legislation.
Informative seminars
Within this activity there were organized 10 informative seminars in 10 villages that will be part of the future biosphere reserve to be created in the region of Lower Prut. These seminars were conducted by the expert in biological sciences hired within the project for 271 participants, of which 105 were women and 166 were men. The aim of these seminars was to present information on creating future Biosphere Reserve in the Lower Prut region. Population was sensitized on the importance of creating a biosphere reserve in the region, measures and steps in its creation, benefits for nature and human analysis it were identified local problems and solutions. It was presented local policies and legislation.
Ecological lessons
Within this activity there were organized 10 ecological lessons in educational institutions from villages to be part of the biosphere reserve. Lessons were attended in gymnasiums and high school, a total of 30-35 participants for each lesson. These lessons were conducted by the expert in biological sciences hired within the project for 411 participants, of which 253 were girls and 158 were boys.
The aim of ecological lessons was to aware younger generation on natural resources in the area, the region's importance in which the biosphere reserve will be created at national and international level, protective measures and best practices of environmental management. Also it was presented the role, importance and involvement in environmental protection of the younger generation as future users of natural resources of the earth.
Promotion actions on necessity of creating Biosphere Reserve in the country
This activity implies creation and publication of an informative brochure; it contains information on necessity of creation a biosphere reserve, the description of reservation, environmental and socio-economic aspects, the structure and information about the project. There were disseminated 5000 brochures within local public authorities, educational institutions and public libraries in the target region.
Another promotion action was publication of 2 press articles.
