Transfer of Environmentally-sound Technology (TEST) to Reduce Transboundary Pollution in the Danube River Basin
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General Information:
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Project
Type
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Medium Sized Project
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Project
Status
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Completed
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Start Date
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2000/10/01
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End Date
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2005/04/30
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GEF characteristic:
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Focal Area
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International Waters
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GEF Project Stage
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Project Completion
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GEF Allocation to project
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0.99M
US$ |
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Total Cost of the project:
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2.40M
US$ |
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Partners:
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Countries:
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Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania
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Lead Implementing
Agency
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United Nations Development Programme
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Executing
Agencies
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United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
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Project
Description:
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The Danube River Protection Convention (DRPC), which came into force in 1998, commits countries in the basin to taking action to reduce transboundary pollution in the Danube River and Black Sea. The Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) for the Danube River Basin (1999) identifies the major sources of transboundary pollution, being agriculture, human settlements and industry whereas the Pollution Reduction Programme (PRP) has recommended priority projects and measures to address these hot spots of pollution. The TDA identified a total of 130 major industrial polluters in 11 countries. Given the difficult transition that industry is undergoing in the region as well as the general lack of knowledge of the potential uses of cleaner technologies in the respective industrial sectors, many industries are not convinced that it is possible to reduce pollution and still remain financially viable. The project's objective is to build capacity in existing cleaner production institutions to apply the UNIDO Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology (TEST) procedure to 20 pilot enterprises in five countries that are contributing to transboundary pollution, primarily nutrients. The project will enhance the skills of the institutions by training, advice and hands on experience with the pilot program of priority actions and studies in support of a new Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin (EPDRB). The countries also agreed to form a Task Force to oversee the EPDRB. The Commission of the European Communities (CEC), in its role as G-24 Coordinator, agreed to provide support and coordination for the Task Force. The main objective of the EPDRB has been to strengthen the operational basis for environmental management in the Danube River Basin. To secure the legal basis for protecting the water resources, the Danube River Basin countries and the European Union signed the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River (DRPC) in Sofia, on 29th of June 1994. The main objective of the Convention is that all parties cooperate by taking all appropriate legal, administrative and technical measures to maintain and improve the current environmental and water quality conditions of the Danube river and of the waters in its catchment area. This includes among others the improvement and rational use of surface and ground water, pollution reduction from point and non-point sources and loads to the Black Sea, as well as accidental prevention and response measures. The Convention entered into force on 22 of October 1998. Thus far it has been ratified by eleven parties: ten Daubing countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldavia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and the European Union.
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