GEF FOCAL AREA: Biodiversity

GEF ELIGIBILITY: GEF Instrument paragraph (9)b

Ratification September 6, 1994

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS: US$ 132,500

GEF FINANCING: US$ 118,500

GOVERNMENT COUNTERPART

FINANCING OF GEF COMPONENT: In kind

COFINANCING/PARALLEL

FINANCING: UNDP US$ 14,000, National Country Programme, KAZ/95/013/A01/99

ASSOCIATED PROJECT: not applicable

GEF OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT: Mr. Kasymzhomart Tokayev

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, signatory of Notification of Participation

GEF IMPLEMENTING AGENCY: UNDP

EXECUTING AGENCY: Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources

LOCAL COUNTERPART AGENCY: To be determined

ESTIMATED APPROVAL DATE: May 1996

PROJECT DURATION: One year

GEF PREPARATION COSTS: None

KAZAKHSTAN: ASSISTANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF KAZAKHSTAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL STRATEGY AND AN ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON KAZAKHSTAN:

1. Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia (2.7 million km²) with a population of over 17 million. While it has considerable natural resources (oil, gas, forest, wildlife), its national economy is currently in transition and very fragile. The ecological degradation of Kazakhstan is well-known; the country is now seeking to identify measures to mitigate that damage and to incorporate sound ecological principles into its future economic development plans.

2. Kazakhstan contains a wide range of landscapes, from dry sub-tropic and desert areas to high altitude, mountainous tundra and glaciers, which house an exceptionally rich biota. Kazakhstan borders on and contains some of the world's largest inland seas and lakes, such as the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash (among some 48,000 other lakes). Its flora is comprised of more than 6,000 species, 800 of which are endemic and 10 which belong to monotypic genera. More than 500 species of its plants are now under threat. The fauna of Kazakhstan includes more than 500 species of birds (with nearly 800 subspecies and 14 globally-threatened ones, including the well-known Saker Falco and Houbara), 52 species of reptiles and amphibians, and about 150 species of fish. At least 236 of the vertebrate species are included in the Red Data Book of the IUCN. Kazakhstan is part of the migratory cycle of many species of birds that move between the Central Asian countries. Assisting Kazakhstan to conserve its biota is therefore of global interest.

3. The Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources is the primary institution responsible for the management of biological diversity in Kazakhstan. The main scientific institutions involved with biodiversity in the country are the Institute of Botany, the Kazakh Academy of Sciences, the Kazakh Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, and the Institute of Zoology (of the Kazakh Academy of Sciences). Several well-established NGOs (such as the Kazakhstan Central Asian Zoological Society) are involved in biodiversity-related initiatives.

4. In August 1994, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution in support of the Convention on Biological Diversity which enabled Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources to create a Commission (now established). The National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Technologies, the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources and the Kazakh Academy of Agricultural Sciences are now preparing a "National Programme of Scientific Research on the Conservation and Sustainable Uses of Biological Diversity," which includes monitoring the state of the environment. In the same Resolution, it was also agreed that the Republic of Kazakhstan will consider the creation of a network of national parks.

5. The Republic of Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, on September 6, 1994. In September 20-21, 1994, IUCN organized a regional workshop in Almaty on biodiversity conservation in the Central Asian Republics. Twenty recommendations were adopted by the participants, including the recommendation "to develop national biodiversity strategies on sound utilization and rehabilitation of biological resources" (see pages 9-10). In addition, the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources participated in the negotiations of the Convention to Combat Desertification which is directly related to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

6. In April 1995, a UNDP mission, at the invitation of the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources, briefed relevant stakeholders in Kazakhstan on the restructured GEF and its new modalities. This briefing was followed by a very detailed letter by the Ministry which requested that UNDP apply for GEF funding in order to support their efforts to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

7. The global environment objective of the project is to support the Government of Kazakhstan in its analyses of the major issues affecting biological diversity within the context of its future economic development, to define actions to be taken to protect and maintain the ecological processes and systems of the country, thereby ensuring that biological diversity is conserved and managed sustainably. The specific project objectives are to produce:

(a) a National Strategy on Conservation and the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity to address the provisions of the Convention; and

(b) an Action Plan.

8. These objectives will be reached through a process which will include the following elements:

(a) empowerment of all relevant stakeholders to ensure that sound biodiversity conversation principles are an integral part of defining national priorities;

(b) increased national capacity to deal with issues related to the protection and management of biological diversity; and

(c) improved planning and coordination of the project's activities with other national, regional, and international activities impacting upon the protection of biological diversity.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

9. The methodology for the implementation of the project will be based on the WRI/UNEP/IUCN Guidelines: National Biodiversity Planning (1995)⁷

(see pages 11-12).

(a) Development of a National Strategy on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity.

(i) The process leading to the formulation of a national strategy and action plan should take about a year. It will be prepared using a multidisciplinary, participatory approach, utilizing consensus on the criteria to be used for setting priorities and identifying actions. To this end, the national strategy will assess and analyse existing data and information and also identify gaps between current reality and national aspirations. The following themes will be addressed by ad hoc working groups:

a. Agriculture/grazing land and biological diversity;

b. Tourism and biological diversity;

c. Protected areas and biological diversity;

d. Forestry and biological diversity; and

e. Aquatic resources and biological diversity.

(ii) International technical expertise will be requested when needed. It is anticipated that a strategy specialist, an institutional strengthening specialist with sociocultural expertise, and possibly a wildlife and protected areas expert might be needed.

(b) Action Plan.

(i) The strategy should include an Action Plan which will describe the steps and assign responsibilities for the implementation of the selected actions.

(ii) Outputs 1 and 2 will be produced taking into account the following three crucial elements:

a. Involvement of national institutions:

i. National capacity-building will be identified as part of the activities supported through the project under the leadership of the Ministry of the Ecology and Biological Resources. It is essential that the national institutions and the experts working on the development of regional strategy not only participate in this project but build a foundation among themselves for long-term consultation and collaboration of efforts.

ii. Involvement of other stakeholders:

iii. A methodology of encouraging stakeholder participation will be proposed and carried out to achieve community involvement in the formulation, and acceptance of, the National Strategy and the Action Plan. They will first take place through the involvement of civil society representatives at local/regional and national workshop/seminars and through the circulation of the draft for review.

c. Coordination of relevant national initiatives:

i. Specific measures on conservation of genetic resources and restoration of indigenous breeds of domesticated animals are being developed;

ii. A project called "Preparatory activities to combat against desertification" was launched in June 1994 which is the first activity undertaken by the Government of Kazakhstan as part of its National Programme of Action to combat desertification;

iii. Measures to prevent the introduction of potentially harmful flora and fauna are in preparation;

iv. A draft bill on protected areas has been prepared. It will provide economic incentives for efficient, ecological management, and outline guidelines for economic activities in the zones surrounding protected areas; and

v. An interim procedure for environmental impact assessment was introduced to prevent the approval of development projects (or at least to minimize their consequences) which may have a negative impact on biological diversity.

d. Coordination of the main biodiversity-related international projects and initiatives, including:

i. The Aral Sea Basin Programme is a regional, integrated environment programme addressing the water management issue of the Aral Sea and its watersheds and wetlands. The Aral Sea Basin Programme serves as an umbrella for 9 programmes and 21 projects with substantive biodiversity components;

ii. The Caspian Sea Environment Programme is a regional, integrated water project in the formulation phase by the five riparian countries. Inter alia, this programme is addressing the biodiversity issues of the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea and the watershed area; and

iii. Land degradation: UNDP/UNSO is developing a partnership with UNEP to strengthen the efforts to implement the Convention to Combat Desertification, specifically, national initiatives such as the National Forestry Programme currently under preparation. In addition, UNDP is starting a Capacity Building Programme for the Aral Sea Basin, a component of which targets land rehabilitation in the dried area of the Aral Sea.

10. All of these programmes include biodiversity linkages which will benefit from the project's comprehensive strategy integration. Such integration will stimulate the necessary and critical dialogue among the various partners while identifying priorities for Kazakhstan. The team working on the national strategy will consult with national and international institutions involved in those on-going or planned initiatives with biodiversity components, so that they and the strategy for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity are consistent and mutually-reinforcing.

RATIONALE FOR GEF FINANCING:

GEF Instrument:

11. The proposed project satisfies the criteria outlined in paragraph 9 of the Instrument for the Establishment of the Restructured GEF.

COP Guidance:

12. "4. The programme priorities are as follows: ... (b) Development of integrated national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of its components in accordance with article 6 of the Convention" (UNEP/CBD/COP/1/L.6).

GEF Operational Strategy:

13. This project is consistent with the "Guidance for GEF Programming Resources in 1995" (cf November Council November 1-3,1994), under the item Enabling Activities for Biodiversity.

Regional context:

14. Finally, it is important to note that the on-going regional programmes described above under point (c) involve the five Republics of Central Asia. This highlights the importance of trans-boundary cooperation in this region. Kazakhstan, which was the first nation in Central Asia to ratify the Convention, can potentially provide invaluable leadership on regional biodiversity conservation. It is hoped that this project will provide an inspirational model for the other countries in Central Asia.

SUSTAINABILITY AND PARTICIPATION:

15. In November 1994, Kazakhstan was represented at the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nassau. On this occasion, Kazakhstan was elected to the SBSTTA (Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice). It is clear that the Government of Kazakhstan fully supports the objective of this project as a very high priority.

16. As already mentioned under 2(b), particular attention will be paid to the dissemination of, and public access to, the relevant information as one of the steps involved in encouraging a fully participatory approach. NGOs such as CASDIN (Central Asia Sustainable Development Information Network) and Green Salvation will be involved.

17. GEF funding is urgently needed in order to proceed with the work of the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources, as well as that of all the national institutions involved in this process; a process currently crippled by extremely limited national funding. Additional funding will allow Kazakhstan to coordinate all the national initiatives and create a coherent, powerful, multisectoral vision.

LESSONS LEARNED AND TECHNICAL REVIEW:

18. In accordance with the comments made by the independent STAP reviewer, particular attention will be paid to the timely consultation of all stakeholders in order to enhance local participation and ownership of the National Strategy and Action Plan. In addition, major efforts will be made to strengthen the coordination among the working groups and the institutions involved in order to facilitate the process of synthesizing and prioritizing the multitude of biodiversity issues so as to delineate national priorities for action.

PROJECT FINANCING AND BUDGET:

19. 1 Nationally recruited Project Leader (12 m/m) $ 7,500

Sub-contract to five national experts (US$ 3000 x 5): 15,000

Workshops/seminars: 40,000

National travel: 8,000

3 international experts for 25 days: (US$ 500 x 25 x 3) 37,500

International Travel: ($ 2,500 x 3) 7,500

Communication, report, translations 10,000

Monitoring and evaluation 7,000

Total US$ 132,500

INCREMENTAL COSTS:

20. These enabling activities are regarded as entirely incremental. The Government of Kazakhstan and UNDP have agreed to allocate US$14,000 from its national IPF in support of this project. US$ 118,500 is requested from the GEF.

ISSUES, ACTIONS AND RISKS:

21. One of the most crucial elements of this project will be the close collaboration between the various institutions and other stakeholders. However, the characteristics of importance for effective biodiversity planning and implementation identified by the WRI/UNEP/IUCN National Biodiversity Planning Book for Countries with Economies in Transition, already exist in Kazakhstan:

(a) Highly-qualified personnel who are underemployed in their professional fields;

(b) Established institutions that are in transition, resulting in rapid shifts in resource management and landownership policies, with unclear mandates, and limited authority for work on biodiversity;

(c) Well-established facilities: universities, laboratories, research stations; and

(d) Limited internal public or private financial resources.

22. The scientific work for this project will be performed mainly by national scientists. A steering committee will be created in order to resolve potential stumbling blocks to collaboration and implementation. In addition, external/international agencies will also be involved but, as recommended in these guidelines (Box 9: Ten Guiding Principles for Biodiversity Planning), they will "on tap" and not "on top" of the process. International agencies will be invited to contribute guidance, to facilitate the process, and support the work of the well-established national scientific community (upon request of the Ministry of Ecology) of Kazakhstan. Such a strategy is also in conformity with the decisions of the First Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/COP/1/L.6, Annex 1, III 3).

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION:

23. This project will be executed by the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources. The Ministry will appoint a Project Coordinator who will manage a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of a Steering Committee. The execution of the project will be subject to tripartite review in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

24. When a detailed draft workplan has been formulated, it will be reviewed by an external team. The purpose of this review will be to identify at a very early stage in the project those gaps, overlaps, and other risks which could endanger its successful implementation as well as to illuminate potential partners and sources of information which might otherwise be omitted to the detriment of the long-term sustainability of the project.

25. The Project Steering Committee together with the Executing Agency will be responsible for monitoring the project on a continual basis. The Project Manager, with the help of research team leaders, will prepare regular progress reports. Additionally, an external midterm tripartite review will be carried out after six months. The purpose of this evaluation is to review the overall success of the project implementation and the work remaining to be done. It is essential that the recommendations formulated by this evaluation be disseminated immediately, so that appropriate action can be taken without delay. In support of this, a joint meeting of the evaluators together with the Project Steering Committee is included in the budget.

RECOMMENDATIONS

WORKSHOP ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS

The workshop recommended the following:

(a) to develop national biodiversity strategies on sound utilization and rehabilitation of biological resources;

(b) to review in all the CAR the legal framework on the environmental protection keeping in compliance with the changes to market economy;

(c) to involve research groups, teams and organizations active in the international programmes of biodiversity;

(d) to ensure the mechanism for enactment of the biodiversity strategies and to take into account wildlife utilization, protected areas and nature conservation;

(e) to take note of the importance of the mechanism of management of wildlife and also a comprehensive attitude to the problems related to biodiversity;

(f) to license biological products with compliance of appropriate regulations of the process of land exploitation and enable control on the enactment of rules, regulations and technologies;

(g) to ensure that each source of biodiversity has the owners responsibility for its state of conservation;

(h) to promote monitoring for safe control of biodiversity and network of national parks, nature reserves, specialized zoological and botanical protected lands and zoos;

(i) to take adequate measures to conserve domestic animals and agricultural plants specially those as a result of natural local selections;

(j) to set up an inventory of all flora and fauna of CAR in particular on rare and threatened species and sub-species;

(k) to draw up legislation and legal frameworks to control customs regulation that would prevent illegal exports of valuable and rare species of flora and fauna;

(l) to start cultivating some of the special species to meet the needs of the market;

(m) to pay special attention to encourage research on working flora and fauna with special emphasis on the groups of animals and plants in ecosystems;

(n) to develop harmonized approaches to ecology and economy;

(o) to pay special emphasis to ecological problems by dissemination of information among population and activities of NGOs and attracting them to the problems of protection of ecology as an important source of information and form of control of ecological conditions;

(p) to preserve national biodiversity in the region and form data banks on gene pools on flora and fauna of the region;

(q) to set up national banks of data on germ plasm and special programmes to promote the dissemination of biological information and publish the text of the Convention on biodiversity in different national languages of the states of the Republic;

(r) to sign the Convention on biodiversity by all countries of the region;

(s) to encourage all Republics to join IUCN membership; and

(t) to request IUCN to assist to continue holding technical workshops in the region for its conservation and sustainable development of biodiversity.

BASIC STEPS IN AN ILLUSTRATIVE BIODIVERSITY PLANNING PROCESS

GETTING ORGANIZED:

1. Establish the institutional framework, designate leadership; create the participatory approach; form the interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral team; assign the budget.

ASSESSMENT:

2. Gather and evaluate information on the status and trends of the nation's biodiversity and biological resources, laws, policies and organizations, programs, budgets, and human capacity; create a preliminary statement of goals and objectives; identify gaps and do a preliminary review of ways to close gaps; make a rough estimate of costs and benefits and unmet needs.

DEVELOPING A STRATEGY:

3. Determine goals and operational objectives; analyze and select specific measures that will close the gaps identified in the assessment; further consult and modify until consensus is reached on acceptable targets and mechanisms; characterize stakeholders and what they can do; write a statement of the strategy, consisting of the actions and investments called for to meet the goals and objectives; at this stage consult closely with other conservation and development plans and sectors, including conducting a national dialogue with all interested stakeholders.

DEVELOPING A PLAN OF ACTION:

4. Determine which organizations (public and private) will take charge of implementing which activities denoted in the strategy, geographically in what location or region, by what means, and with what resources (people, institutions, facilities, and funds); distinguish time phases for action.

IMPLEMENTATION:

5. Launch activities and policies in practical terms; have partners take charge of particular elements of the plan; have biodiversity planners become "biodiversity implementors" in the key ministries, nongovernmental organizations, communities, indigenous groups, business, and industry, acting out of self, group, or business interest and commitments.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

6. Establish indicators of success, determining which organizations(s) will monitor which factors and the methods that will be employed, track the status and trends of biodiversity (species, genes, and habitats and landscapes): implement policies and laws; implement specific strategic action and investment; and develop capacity (people, institutions, facilities, and funding mechanisms).

REPORTING:

7. Determine who will prepare which type of report, who will receive each, and what format, content, elements, and timetable makes sense. Types of reports includes:

(a) annual status reports to the national chief executive parliament and the people;

(b) country study;

(c) national strategy;

(d) action plan;

(e) five-year status report on biodiversity and biological resources;

(f) periodic report to the Convention, the UN Sustainable Development Commission, and other international forums.

ANNEX 1

Page: 15

CALCULATION OF INCREMENTAL COSTS

These enabling activities are regarded as entirely incremental. The Government of Kazakhstan and UNDP have agreed to allocate US$14,000 from its national IPF in support of this project. $118,500 is requested from the GEF.

LETTER OF COUNTRY ENDORSEMENT

BY DESIGNATED OPERATIONAL FOCAL POINT

Focal Point not officially designated yet.

Translation: Mr. Rafael Asenjo GEF Executive Coordinator UNDP New York

Dear Mr. Asenjo,

As you may know, on 6 September 1994, the Republic of Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, signed at the UN World Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kazakhstan, 19 August 1994, N918 "On the approval by the Republic of Kazakhstan of the Convention on Biological Diversity and implementation of the commitments envisaged by it".

Substantial work has been done within the framework of these commitments. In particular:

- The Ministry of Ecology and bio-resources adopted the Provision on Interministerial Commission, on the issues of meeting the commitments by the Republic of Kazakhstan, as provided for by the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the personal structure of the Commission was determined;

- A draft bill on the prohibited territories was prepared, in which a system of economic incentives was established, thus ensuring ecological and efficient management and practices of economic activities in the regions adjoining the preserved territories.

- A procedure on the conduct of national ecological expertise for submitted projects was introduced, to prevent approval of, or at least minimize the consequences of any such projects which may have an unfavourable impact on biological diversity.

- The National Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Science and New Technologies, the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources, the Kazakh Academy of Agricultural Sciencesare preparing the National Program of scientific research on securing conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, including monitoring its components in the framework of the global natural resources monitoring of the state of the environment.

- Complex measures on conservation of the genetic fund and restoration of the indigenous breeds of domesticated animals are being developed.

- Measures are being taken to prevent the introduction of species which are unusual or alien to the wild fauna and flora of Kazakhstan, the acclimatization of which will afflict damage on the water and land ecosystems.

- A programme of international scientific/technical cooperation was developed in the area of conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Kazakhstan scientists, with the assistance of interested scientists from other countries, developed and submitted proposals for obtaining financial grants, similar to those of the GEF projects "Conservation of biodiversity of the Caspian Sea and its coastal zone" and "Conservation of biodiversity of the birds of Central Asia".

- In September 1994, a seminar was held, together with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, on the problems of biodiversity conservation in the Central Asian region.

- A delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan took part in the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on biological diversity, at which our country was elected to the bureau of the Auxiliary body on scientific, technical and technological consultations.

- Although the Republic of Kazakhstan is currently not a Party to the Ramsar or Bonn Conventions, it tries to make its contribution by ensuring its activities are within the framework of these Conventions. The Ministry of Ecology of the Convention to combat desertification, the realization of whose provisions is one of the directions towards the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

- The Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources applied to the UNDP Office in Kazakhstan with a request for assistance in the development of the Conception of Sustainable Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and is ready to take an active role in this work. We have also developed and submitted to the Government "The Conception of Ecological Safety of the Republic of Kazakhstan".

All the above efforts have attracted the attention of international organizations.

Mrs. E. Dowdeswell, UNEP Executive Director, and Mr. James G. Speth, UNDP Administrator, will be visiting Kazakhstan in the near future. The issue of biodiversity conservation in Kazakhstan will be of great importance at the meetings held with them.

In order to understand the importance of this problem it is necessary to stress that being situated in the centre of Eurasia which occupies one eighth of the Earth's territory, Kazakhstan possesses almost all types of landscape found on the Globe - from dry sub-tropics and hot deserts to high-altitude mountainous tundras and glaciers. This diversity of landscapes, and also the presence of the largest intercontinental seas and lakes, such as the Caspian, the Aral, the Balkhash and others, determine the rich diversity of the biota of Kazakhstan. Its flora contains more than 6,000 types of the highest species, of which 800 are endemic and 10 monotype species. The fauna of Kazakhstan includes 37 types of vertebrates, out of which there are 500 species of bird, 52 types of reptiles and 150 types of fish. Many of these are included in the Red Sea Data Book of the IUCN.

Sustainability of the biosphere directly depends on the richness and diversity of its components. Thus conservation of the biota of Kazakhstan is of great importance for the ecological stability not only of Eurasia, but for the biosphere on the whole. However, over the precious decades the biodiversity of Kazakhstan suffered great anthropogenic impact. With the development of 30 million hectares of the virgin land, a whole landscape zone ceased to exist - the steppes turned into an agrolandscape. Over 25 million hectares of land were used for a military firing ground. On the Republic's territory over 18 billion tons of industrial waste has accumulated, including 760 million tons of radioactive waste. These are only the most critical areas, which have resulted in a decrease in species number and a narrowing of their habitat, which keeps them from being active components of biocenose and of the biosphere as well.

However, it is not enough to understand the threat stemming from the perspectives of a loss of biodiversity components. It is vital that a solution to the problem is found as soon as possible. The lack of a theoretical basis may nullify all the efforts being made towards biodiversity conservation. In this situation, the barest necessity for the Republic of Kazakhstan is the development of the State Strategy on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, which will establish top priorities for future activities. All organizations and institutions involved in the efforts of biodiversity conservation are aware of the importance of this Strategy.

For these reasons the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan requests the financial assistance of the GEF for the development of the National Strategy on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which will enable the preparation of comprehensive targeted projects of the GEF, in accordance with the general strategy within the framework of implementation of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In the process of the strategy preparation for the time period May-August 1995, two or three workshops are planned to attract the interest of foreign experts, should this be necessary. At the interim stage of the strategy development, the content will be subject to an external expertise assessment. The budget of the proposed work will be coordinated with the UNDP Office in Kazakhstan. By the end of July the project will be forwarded to the October GEF Council for consideration. During this time the Republic of Kazakhstan will

take efforts to join the GEF Assembly. Representatives from Kazakhstan will take part in the seminar on practical implementation on the Convention on Biological Diversity in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which the UNEP plans to conduct in June 25-27, 1995 in Lessidrel, Bulgaria. At this seminar the main elements of the strategy will be presented so that specific comments made can be incorporated to improve the project.

We hope that the efforts in designing this strategy will further Kazakhstan along the road towards forming the National conception of sustainable development.

In conclusion, the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources takes this opportunity to note the highly constructive role of the UNDP Office in Kazakhstan in respect to the efforts on environment protection and sustainable development in our country, and notably the assistance of the UN Resident Representative, Mr. N. Ringrose and the Sustainable Development Senior Advisor, Mr. Z. Takenov. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the representatives of the UNDP-GEF, Ms. A. Roncerel, and Mr. E. Fuentes, for the highly efficient work they carried out in Almaty recently.

I look forward to strengthened and improved relations between the Government of Kazakhstan and the UNDP, to further the noble task of attaining sustainable development for the benefit of the future generations of the Earth.

Yours sincerely
Madi A. Kireev
Deputy Minister of
Ecology and
Biological Resources
Republic of Kazakhstan

28.04.95

RELEVANCE TO THE GEF

1. Without question, this project is relevant to the GEF. Kazakhstan has important flora and fauna that should be protected and preserved, and its rich and varied natural resource base has been damaged by years of misuse. Biodiversity reasons alone are enough to commend the project to GEF. But other problems of the country, especially the drying-up of the Aral Sea and the management of the Caspian Sea and the surrounding lands, are important and need attention.

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

2. The Objective of the project - to support Kazakhstan in analyzing major issues and problems relating to biodiversity, to develop a national strategy on Conservation and the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity and, consequently, developing an Action Plan to carry it out - are worthy and attainable. The proposed elements of developing the National Strategy and Action Plan - empowerment of relevant stakeholders, building increased national capacity and improved planning and coordination with other relevant organizations and activities - are desirable and practicable.

APPROACH

3. The project will use local scientific, technical and managerial capacity augmented by international advise, with the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources as the responsible body for biodiversity efforts. Kazakhstan appears to have considerable scientific and technical skills in its institutes and the Kazak Academy of Sciences. Also, the project proposes to work closely with on-going effort in, e.g., desertification, land degradation, the Aral Sea basin Programme, and the Caspian Sea Environment Programme.

4. Ad hoc

working groups are proposed to look at biodiversity in different ecologies or industries as a way of obtaining information, gaining consensus and developing plans and priorities in different sectors of the economy and its natural resource base. Stakeholder involvement is envisioned using community-level representatives; this may not be easy considering the past lack of involvement of individuals in centrally-planned economies in such matters, but is worth trying as a way to involve local individuals in democratic planning, advocacy, and decision-making.

5. Overall, the approach appears to be rational and workable. Capacity building at all levels will be important, not just on an individual basis, but also at institutional and governmental levels.

FUNDING LEVEL

6. The funding level represented for the planning phase is modest and appears very reasonable, although the international travel for the international experts may be low. In-country costs are modest, but knowing what I do of costs of operation in former USSR republics, are probably very reasonable.

INNOVATION:

(Not applicable in this project)

STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES

7. The strengths of this project are the rich biodiversity endowment of Kazakhstan which should provide impetus to the project, the potential for using existing national institutions and capabilities for developing the National Strategy and Action Plan, and the existence of several other activities involving natural resource management, regional cooperation (e.g. the Caspian Sea Environment Programme). If the Ministry of Ecology and Biological Resources can provide necessary leadership and coordination and effective community participation can be achieved, a reasonable National Strategy should emerge. Stakeholder involvement is important and could be a strength or a weakness, depending on how successful the Ministry and its major collaborators are in enlisting honest, straightforward ideas and support from individual scientists and community representatives. If it happens, local participation, and consequently, ownership of the National Strategy and Action Plan, should be enhanced.

8. The major weaknesses I see are those involving effective participation of individuals and scientific and technical organizations in identifying problems and opportunities in what amounts to national assessments and priority setting and the development of action plans. It will not be easy for such individuals and organizations to step forward forcefully to analyze a situation, identify alternatives, and make recommendations. Many will not be accustomed to doing this, and may draw back from full and open participation. In addition, the potential array of problems and opportunities may be so wide that it may be difficult to arrive at a set of priorities for action. Here the complexity of Kazakstan's natural resource endowment - drylands, mountains, lakes, inland seas, etc. - could become a real stumbling block in deciding on the most important thing to do first. The number and breadth of the five ad hoc working groups - agriculture/grazing land and biological diversity (BD), Tourism and BD, protected areas and BD, forestry and BD, and aquatic resources and BD - illustrate this last point very well. Any one of these could present many possibilities for needed initiatives and efforts; choosing among and between them will not be easy.

OTHER COMMENTS

9. This could be an exiting and interesting project. I support its approval and look forward to learning more about it as Kazakhstan moves ahead to develop its national Strategy and Action Plan.

WORK PROGRAM PROPOSED FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL

GEF/C.7

GEF Council Meetings

Return to GEF Home Page Menu