1. Executive Summary

The goals of the Workshop were:

to enable and promote an open discussion among environmental authorities, NGOs, international development banks and agencies concerning their information needs;

to elaborate optimal approaches to the establishment of a GRID-compatible centre in Ukraine in the frame of the ENRIN programme;

to exchange experience among ENRIN focal points from Ukraine and Georgia and potential collaborators from Belarus and Moldova;

The number of the registered participants was 29. Additionally, several more people attended some of the sessions.

2. Keynote presentations

The Workshop was opened by the Deputy Minister of the Environment Yaroslav Movchan who presented his vision of the current state in environmental information area and the prospectives for co-operation with UNEP and other international organisations. He emphasized the high potential of Ukrainian scientific and academic institutions as providers and users of environmental information.

GRID-Arendal (Otto Simonett) gave general presentation of its activities and principles in co-operation with the national authorities and international organisations. The second presentation of the GA was devoted to UNEP/ENRIN programme, its goals, objectives and current status. The questions to the rappoteur from the audience concerned the juridical status of GRID-Centres, information management standards, proof-check of data, etc.

The author of the Ukrainian Assessment Report (Andrey Semichaevsky) described the main findings of that document. The rapporteur also presented his vision of the short-term tasks for the newly established Centre, namely:

1) to prepare and put on Internet Ukrainian SoE report;

2) to set up a meta-database of existing environmental information sources, databases, including spatial ones, in Ukraine;

The World Bank (Olexiy Slinzak) delivered his vision on the need of the WB in environmental data. The World Bank activities in Ukraine currently comprise:

two conservation projects in the frame of GEF (Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and Danube Delta Reserve projects);

regional projects in South-Eastern Ukraine aimed at determining the most acute environmental problems. In Odessa and Lviv projects concern water supply and sewerage system. There are also planned projects on environmental management in Donetsk region.

development projects in Donbass, Zaporozhie and Mariupol;

Moreover, several others are under preparation: the Black Sea project, projects regarding environmental issues, social conditions and municipal economy for Lviv, Odessa and other regions of Ukraine.

The need in environmental information stems from the Bank requirements for environmental impact assessment (individual projects, regional and sectoral EIA).

Environmental projects include research components that are the main sources of environmental information. The rapporteur suggested two groups of information-related issues important for the WB:

1) legislation, mechanisms of its application and enforcement, availability of the information related to change of property rights, EIA, etc.;

2) environmental data by themselves;

The questions were devoted to the role of the WB in funding environmental information networks and the regional projects of the WB

UNDP (Aleksander Usenko): introduced the UNDP Internet Project in Ukraine.

The project is aimed at helping scientific, research and governmental institutions to get access to global telecommunication networks. Primarily, it was planned only as an Internet hub, but since many organisations can not maintain their own Internet nodes, a UUCP access system - Freenet - was established. Besides this, in the frame of CIESIN project national information, including environmental one is being put on-line. Under "Sustainable Development Network" project UNDP closely co-operates with UNEP.

Malkhaz Kurtsidze from Georgian ENRIN focal point asked about sustainabilty of the Freenet project.

Aleksander Usenko answered that the main part of investment has already been made. Given the obvious acute need in the development of telecommunications in Ukraine, UNDP Internet project plays an active role in development of the national information infrastructure.

Andriy Demydenko (USAID and Glasnet-Ukraine) noticed that some governmental institutions are interested in restricting access to international networks.

Yuriy Anisimov described his wide area network - ENVINET - dealing with popularisation of international environmental information sources among Ukrainian NGOs and individuals.

Andriy Demydenko (the president of Glasnet-Ukraine) told the participants about the capacities of this computer network and its possible application for dissemination of environmental data and free exchange of ideas. The rapporteur pointed out that no laws guaranteeing access to information will be effective, if there are no interested groups, businesses and public associations in the society.

Therefore, in his opinion, it is important to provide a certain degree of independence of the GRID-Centre from state institutions, like the Ministries and State Committees.

10 January

3. Need in information on the state of the environment

Valeriy Semichaevsky presented the results of the research conducted jointly by the Socis-Gallup Institute in Kyiv and the National EcoCentre in the frame of the "New RECs" project of the REC-Budapest.

There are about 300 environmental NGOs in Ukraine falling into 5 main categories:

1 - Mass organisations of wide profile (Green World, Nature Protection Society);

2 - Problem-oriented mass organisations (Committee for Salvation of Dnieper, Chernobyl Salvation Union);

3 - NGOs of professional ecologists (National Ecological Centre, Ukrainian Ecological Academy);

4 - Information agencies, centres (UNICORN, Echo-Vostok, Dovkillia);

5 - Other NGOs, political groups, organisations engaged in environmental education (Green Party);

The main areas of activity of Ukrainian environmental NGOs are as follows:

1. Collection and dissemination of environmental information (at least 1/2 of all organisations);

2. Conducting environmentalist actions;

3. Development and implementation of educational projects;

Up-to-date information technology for information exchange is used to quite a small extent. The main ways of informing are presently mass-media, public meeting, seminars and reports at sessions of local Radas. Need for information: scientific projects, participation in preparation of draft legislative acts, public environmental review (one of the EIA procedures foreseen by the Ukrainian law).

Anatol Shmurak from Ukrainian MEPNS took over and proposed topics to be discussed in workgroups. He stressed the need to set balanced relationships among focal points of INFOTERRA, GRID, UNEPCOM and other UNEP structures.

Otto Simonett explained the similarities and differences of INFOTERRA and GRID and the prospect for their cooperation.

Volodymir Morozov gave a brief overview of the activities of UkrNTEK (Inst. of Tech. Ecology), Donetsk in the area of development and systematising environmental standards and regulations. There is a lot of FSU standards still in force, but, in parallel, new Ukrainian ones are being developed. Besides working in the Institute, Volodymir Morozov is heading an Information Centre in Donetsk, funded through Open Society Foundation (Soros).

Valeriy Mikhailov described activities of UkrNCEM, Odessa in the field of obtaining oceanographic data, including some international monitoring programmes, especially GEF-funded, and about activities related to spatial data.

Semen Kublanov, described monitoring networks of Ukrainian Hydromet and pointed at financial problems concerning their maintenance and information management. The equipment and software used is obsolete, for instance Hydromet still uses the DBMS software of 1979 to produce environmental quality annual books. However, some renovation of the Hydromet system is going on. Starting 1996, annual books on the quality of air and water will be available in digital form.

Consequent discussion among Ukrainian participants was centered at the types of information which should be dealt with in the GRID-Kyiv (primary data or aggregated information). The common consent was reached that the Centre should deal with official and aggregated data, analysing their spatial distributions and temporal trends.

Vladimir Karpenko told the participants about the decision-making support system being elaborated in Crimea. He also proposed to create a permanent group to exchange ideas on the future of GRID-Centre and to use some teleconferences for open public discussion on this topic. The result of this discussion may be draft Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on establishment of the Environmental Information Centre. Then he exerted attention to the necessity to have a clear definition of what the environmental information is. Then the rapporteur presented his concept of environmental information systems at both sub-national and national levels. The role of the Ministry is envisaged as a co-ordinator both at the national and subnational levels, since existing systems for collection of environmental information (like Ministry of Statistics) are quite awkward and also can sometimes produce too aggregated data, which are not suitable for decision-making.

Lyubov Tilman told the audience about the activities of Lviv Agency for environmental safety regarding collection, processing and publicising environmental information. According to her, it is very important to foresee sanctions for improper enforcement of law and regulations regarding provision of the Agency with necessary data. The Agency publishes annually Bulletins on the state of the Environment in Lviv oblast (about 1000 copies), which are then used by academic institutions, schools, libraries, etc.

Grigoriy Kovalenko described activities of the UkrNCOV (Scientific Centre for Water Protection). He stressed the point that acquisition of primary environmental information is rather expensive, hence, it is not possible for the institutes funded through the state budget to provide all the information free of charge, and some data have to be inevitably marketed.

Olga Kryzhanivska introduced the UNEPCOM-Ukraine, which exists since 1994 and has 12 subnational branches in oblasts. She hopes that UNEPCOM will play an active role in dissemination of information on the activities of UNEP.

4. Experience of other ENRIN focal points

Mamuka Gvilava and Malkhaz Khurtsidze (EGIS, Georgian ENRIN focal point) briefly presented Georgian Assessment Report on environmental information systems. Since Georgia has published only one SoE report so far, the assessment report is considered by many as the most up-to-date source of information on environmental protection in this country. Then they informed the participants about the status of ENRIN programme in Georgia and its prospectives.

Piotr Kokyrtsa told the participants about Moldovian Institute of Ecology, its structure and co-operation with the Moldovian Department on Nature Protection. The Institute has elaborated the "Program of strategic actions on environmental protection in Moldova up to the year 1998". One of the parts of this programme addresses enhancement of environmental monitoring network in the country. The institute also developed a project of new observation networks in Moldova, and submitted for governmental approval the project of new monitoring system. There are 13 ministries in Moldova, 5 of which are concerned with environmental information issues. The Institute of ecology incorporates environmental monitoring centre, which could be a basis for future GRID-compatible Centre.

Aleksander Yurgenson described environmental monitoring systems in Belarus. Environmental issues in Belarus are presenlty responsibilities of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Emergency Situation Management, which now comprises Hydromet (air, surface water), CNIIKIVR (groundwater), Giprozem Institute (soils), and the Ministry of Forestry. There are some activities going on to develop a national monitoring system and a system of cadasters. There were also several inter-ministerial coordinating councils established. The State Programme of Informatization foresees development of environmental information networks (a pilot-project has been conducted in 1 oblast). The Ministry publishes annual Bulletins, National SoE Reports and directories of environmental laws and regulations.

11 January

5. Discussion of documents

The participants discussed 5 documents of the Workshop, namely:

Proposal on the status of GRID-Kyiv

Proposal on the main activities of GRID-Kyiv

Proposal on technical standards to be used in GRID-Kyiv

Proposal on cooperarion with Ukrainian and global information networks

The final Document

and adopted them.

The UNEP guideline "Main criteria for designation as a national GRID-compatible Centre" was also discussed and commented by the participants.

6. Wrapping up

Deputy Minister Vasyl Vasylchenko expressed his hope that ENRIN implementation in Ukraine will be successful, and that establishing of an operational GRID-Centre in Kyiv is the matter of near future.

Deputy Minister Yaroslav Movchan in his conclusive speech informed the participants about the expected visit of Mr. Alders, Director of the UNEP RoE, to Kyiv.

Otto Simonett thanked the participants and expressed his high appreciation of the course of the Workshop and its outcomes.

1. Dr. Otto Simonett
Program Manager,
Eastern Europe and Developing Countries
UNEP/GRID-Arendal
P.O.Box 1602 Myrene
N-4801 Arendal, Norway
Phone: +47-370-35650
Fax: +47-370-35050
simonett@grida.no

2. Mr. Ole Lindeman
Second Secretary of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Ukraine
tel: (38-044) 2240066
fax: (38-044) 2240655

3. Mr. Vasyl Vasylchenko
Deputy Minister,
Ministry for Environmental Protection
and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 2262577
fax. (38-044) 2288181

4. Dr. Yaroslav Movchan
Deputy Minister,
Ministry for Environmental Protection
and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine
tel.(38-044) 2262430
fax:(38-044) 2282922

5. Mr. Malkhaz Khurtsidze
Georgian Scientific Information Center
22 Napareuli Str.
3800128 Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
tel.:+ 995 8832222014
+ 995 8832983425
fax: +995 8832 983425
e-mail: irisi@gmep.kheta.ge

6. Mr. Mamuka Gvilava
Georgian Scientific Information Center
22 Napareuli Str.
3800128 Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
tel.:+ 995 8832222014
+ 995 8832983425
fax: +995 8832 983425
e-mail: irisi@gmep.kheta.ge

7. Dr. Alexander Yurgenson,
Ministry of Natural Resources,
Minsk, Belarus
Tel: (0172) 207620,
Fax: (0172) 205583

8. Dr. Petru Cocirta
National Institute for Ecology,
Chishinau, Moldova
tel/fax: (8-0422) 761964

9. Mr. Andrey Semichaevsky
Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Policy,
Central European University,
9 Nador u., Budapest,
H-1051, Hungary,
tel. (361) 3273091
fax. (361) 3273031
semichae@sirius.ceu.hu

10. Mr. Anatol Shmurak
Head of Information Technology Group
Ministry for Environmental Protection
and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 2287343
fax. (38-044) 2298050
shmurak@mep.freenet.kiev.ua

11. Mr. Valeriy Malyarenko
Ministry for Environmental Protection
and Nuclear Safety
tel. (38-044) 2287343
fax (38-044) 2298050
e-mail malaren@mep.freenet.kiev.ua

12. Ms. Valentina Tkachenko
Ministry for Environmental Protection
and Nuclear Safety
tel. (38-044) 2287343
fax (38-044) 2298050
e-mail grid@mep.freenet.kiev.ua

13. Mr. Semen Kublanov
Deputy Head of State Observation Network Department,
State Hydrometeorological Committee of Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 2243006

14. Mr. Valeriy Mikhailov
UkrNCEM, Odessa
89, Frantzusky Boul., Odessa, 270009, Ukraine
Tel. (380-482) 636741
Fax. (380-482) 637200
e-mail: root@accem.odessa.ua
tel./fax in Kiev: (38-044) 2298050

15. Mr. Vladimir Karpenko
Head of Monitoring Department,
Crimean Agency for Environmental Safety
tel.(380-652) 254463
additional 245442

16. Mr. Vladimir Morozov
Ukrainian Centre of Technical Ecology (UkrNTEK), Donetsk
25, Shevchenko ave. Donetsk 340017,
tel. (380-622) 952615,
fax (380-622) 963156,
e-mail: ONTI@ukrntec.donetsk.ua

17. Mr. Georgiy Kovalenko
Deputy Director, Ukrainian Centre for Protection of Waters (UkrNCOV), Kharkiv
6, Bakulina str., 310888, Kharkiv,
tel (380-572) 453188
fax (380-572) 455047
usc@uscpw.kharkov.ua

18. Mr. Aleksandr Usenko,
Manager of UNDP INTERNET project in Ukraine
tel (38-044) 228-63-93
fax. (38-044) 293-26-07
artifact@un.kiev.ua

19. Ms. Olga Kryzhanovskaya
UNEPCOM - Ukraine
tel.(38-044) 226-24-30
fax: (38-044) 228-29-22

20. Dr. Valeriy Semichaevsky
tel: (38-044) 245-15-02,
dream@envinet.kiev.ua

21. Ms. Lyubov Tilman
International Relations and Monitoring Department of
Lviv oblast Agency on Environmental Safety
tel. (38-0422) 729481
fax (38-0422) 721920
root@envir.lviv.ua

22. Mr. Oleksey Slinzak
The World Bank Unit, Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 293-40-45
(38-044) 293-11-10
fax. (38-044) 293-42-36

23. Mr. Juriy Anisimov
ENVINET computer network
tel. (38-044) 446-56-30
root@envinet.kiev.ua

24. Dr. Andriy Demydenko
USAID Environment and Technology Project,
President of GLASNET - Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 220-02-42
root@gluk.apc.org

25. Dr. Valentina Minarchenko
Kholodny Intitute of Botany,
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
tel. (38-044) 2245157

26. Dr. Sergey Sherbak,
Independent Environmental Protection Service, NGO
tel. (38-044) 4408864
schec@envinet.kiev.ua

27. Ms. Irina Patoka
Manager of Information and Analytical Service,
Ekoprognoz Center for Environmental Studies,
P.O. Box 102, Kiev 254050, Ukraine
tel. (380-44) 2115590,
fax. (380-44) 5614847
email: ira@nelka.icyb.kiev.ua

28. Mr. Sergiy Melnichenko
Pridneprovie Clean Production Centre
Dnipropetrovsk,
tel. 416538 or 416590
fax 416590
andrey@ecofond.dp.ua

Agenda of the National Workshop on Environmental Information Systems, Kyiv, Ukraine, January 9-11, 1996

14.00-18.00

Greetings

Deputy Minister Dr. Yaroslav Movchan

1. Presentation on UNEP/ENRIN/GRID

Dr. Otto Simonett

2. The need in environmental information for decision-making

Mediator: Mr. Anatol Shmurak

Mr. Andrey Semichaevsky, Assessment Report "Environmental Information Systems in Ukraine"

Coffee-Break

Mr. Olexiy Slinzak, "The World Bank projects in Ukraine and its need in environmental information"

3. Environmental information networks

Mediator: Mr. Anatol Shmurak

Mr. Aleksander Usenko "UNDP Freenet and its role in dissemination of environmental information"

Mr. Yuriy Anisimov, "ENVINET - NGO telecommunication network"

Dr. Andriy Demydenko "Glasnet-Ukraine"

10 January, 1996

9.00-13.00

Dr. Valeriy Semichaevsky, "Role of information in Ukrainian environmental NGOs"

4. Sources of environmental information

Mediator: Anatol Shmurak

Dr. Valeriy Mihailov, "Marine environmental information sources"

Mr. Vladimir Karpenko, "Information sources at regional (oblast) level"

Ms. Lyubov Tilman, "On the activities of the Agency in information field"

Dr. Grigoriy Kovalenko, "Sources of information on the state of inland water bodies"

Coffee-Break

Mr. Semen Kublanov, "The network of observation of the State Committee on Hydrometeorology"

Mr. Vladimir Morozov, UkrNTEK, Donetsk "Brief review of environmental standards, regulations and instructions"

Ms. Olga Kryzhanivska, UNEPCOM-Ukraine

5. Experience of other ENRIN - focal points and information centres

Mediator: Dr. Otto Simonett

Mr. Malhaz Kurtsidze, Mr. Mamuka Gvilava, "ENRIN programme in Georgia"

Dr. Piotr Kokyrtsa, "Environmental information networks in Moldova"

Mr. Aleksander Yurgenson, "Environmental information networks in Belarus"

Lunch

14.00-16.00

6. Work in groups

Group I. Users of environmental information and their needs.

Mediator: Anatol Shmurak

Group II.Technical standards for an environmental information centre. Mediator: Andrey Semichaevsky

Group III. Sources of information on the state of the environment.

Mediator: Semen Kublanov

11 January, 1996

7. Discussion on the workshop proposals elaborated by the workgroups

8. Summing up

Mr. Vasyl Vasylchenko

Dr. Yaroslav Movchan

Dr. Otto Simonett

Last updated 16 September, 1996 by Lorant Czaran /