Saving the Black Sea Issue 8, June 2005 Credits && Acknowledgements Select your language: EN BG GE RO RU TR UA Official Publication of the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution and the GEF Ecosystems Recovery Project

Results of EuropeAid Project 2002 – 2004 in Russian Federation

EuropeAid project 111897/C/S/WW titled “Technical Assistance to the Black Sea Environmental Programme in Russia, Georgia, Ukraine” is finalized (Contractor - ARCADIS Euroconsult). In Russia the Project provided support to Regional Activity Center on Development of Common Methodologies for Integrated Coastal Zones Management (ICZM RAC).

With the support of the project, ICZM RAC developed the Draft of the Regional Black Sea Strategy for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (Art. 68 of the Strategic Action Plan) and presented the document to the 11th Regular Meeting of the Black Sea Commission. Project outputs also included the publication of the documents “Guidelines for the Preparation of National Codes of Conduct for Coastal Zones of Black Sea States”, based on European Coastal Code of Conduct, as well as “ICZM Best Practices. Tools and Techniques”, “English-Russian Glossary of Legal Terms on Integrated Coastal Zone Management”. Analysis of ICZM related legislation for the Russian Federation and Ukraine was carried out and a course on ICZM was introduced within the framework of the newly opened study curriculum 013400 – Nature Resources Management, at the Geographic Faculty of the Kuban State University. The book “Vegetation of the Black Sea Coast of Russia - Mediterranean enclave” was published. Required information in support of the upcoming preparation of the Report on the State of the Black Sea Coast was gathered.

Evolving practices in developed countries for coastal management indicate that the application of ICZM tools, such as, spatial planning based on functional zoning is the most rational way of implementing the principles of sustainable development in a coastal zone.

The EuropeAid project developed a “Methodology for Spatial Planning within Integrated Coastal Zone Management”. A Demonstration Project on implementation of ICZM Principles in Gelendzhik Resort was successfully completed. The outcome of the project was the elaboration of a spatial plan based on preliminary functional zoning for the resort town of Gelendzhik. For the development of this territorial plan, original techniques for assessment the effects on the environment were used.

Spatial planning aims improving the use of natural resources. Here, the need for change of the current status and possible consequences for the environment and economy, have to be taken into account. This can be achieved by the following:

• Evaluation of resources availability adjusted for the present and future needs with the consideration of the current situation.

• Identification and evaluation of the resolution ways for conflicts between competing types of nature management, between the needs of individuals and societies, and between the demands of the contemporary and future generations.

• Identification of the optimum development alternatives and selection of the most acceptable.

• Planning orientation for the realization of the desired and coordinated changes.

• Continuous experience analysis, its adjustment to the current situation.

The decision-making support system includes the information base containing the data on the natural resources condition, on natural restrictions caused by the dangerous phenomena (erosion, flooding, mud-flows, etc.), on administrative restrictions (water protection zones of water objects, sanitary protection zones in resorts), on the ecological load on the territory, on natural features of the territory, etc.

Project implementation assumes the following steps:

1. Collecting common data relating to the identification of the optimum nature management alternative (geographical description of the area, social and demographic situation, economic characteristic, status of the environment).

2. Collecting information on the state of components of the environment, a global assessment of the importance and sensitivity the environment.

3. Collecting information on this territory’s limiting factors to environmental management caused by natural factors or conditions of NC quality preservation or individual nature sanctuaries.

4. Identification of zones category for the subsequent functional zoning using the primary information.

5. Collecting information on actual land use, identification of activity sectors.

6. Evaluation of activity sectors development prospect, their mutual influence when used on the same territory, the impact degree on the natural environment.

7. Identification of functional (sectoral) zoning alternatives of use of the territory in view of one natural component.

8. Identification of functional (sectoral) zoning alternatives of use of the territory in view of constraints to environmental management.

9. Producing base map of functional (sectoral) zoning of the territory covering all elements of the environment, identification of inter-sectoral conflicts.

10. Producing resulting map of conflicts. Searching ways of the conflicts resolution on the basis of economic and ecological assessment and in situ inspections of the territory.

11. Formation of spatial plan taking into account possibilities for conflict resolution.

All information is presented in GIS format based on MapInfo software. The results of land remote sensing (LRS) were used as the basis for cartographic imaging.

“The Methodology for Spatial Planning for the Coastal Zone” can be applied and serve as a basis for all countries of the Black Sea region. Its practical application for the resort town Gelendzhik can serve as a pilot demonstration for the Black Sea coastal territories.

Ekaterina Antonidze

Director ICZM Centre,
Russian Federation

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