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EXPLANATORY NOTE TO THE REVISED UNIFORM FORMAT
FOR REPORTING UNDER THE TEHRAN CONVENTION
AND ITS PROTOCOLS
National reports, prepared in the framework of the Tehran Convention (the decision of the third session of the Conference of the Parties, Aktau, Kazakhstan, 2011), are the basis for the informational support of the activities under the Tehran Convention for decision makers and the public, and are the informational mechanism for improving the Caspian Sea marine and coastal environment management.
The first countries national reports on the Tehran Conventionimplementation, submitted in accordance with the Uniform Reporting Format (URF) of 2011, presented the characteristics of the Contracting Parties relevant activities since the Convention entry into force, i.e. since August 2006.
URF-2011 paid quite a lot of attentionto the general information and characteristics of the Caspian Sea as an object of a research, and the permanent character of information on a number of topics submitted in the chronological order was its peculiarity.
URF-2011 was developed during the initial period of activities under the Tehran Convention (2010-2011), its protocols were then under the development. At that stage it was necessary to carry out the collection, inventory and systematization of the information on the Caspian Sea marine and coastal environment status to identify the priority environmental problems in the Caspian littoral countries, including thoserelated to the Caspian Sea marine environmentprotection.
At that time the approach towards systematization of information for the national reporting under the Tehran Convention was justified because it was necessary to identify peculiarities of the Caspian littoral countriesenvironmental activity, including the Caspian Sea marine environmentprotection.
Although URF-2011 took into accountpeculiaritiesof the Caspian littoral countries environmental legislation, institutional and economic mechanisms, at the same time it did notensure the sufficient basis for the comparability of the information submitted by the countries under the Tehran convention.
In compliance with URF-2017, a gradual transition from the inventory character of the information, included into the countries national reports at the first phase, to a topical/problem character, which is associated with the provision of information for the development of the national capacity for the implementation of the Tehran Convention, should be characteristic.
The Convention Program of Work envisages preparation of a Report on the Caspian Sea environment status. Such a consolidated document, characterizing the Caspian Sea marine environment current status, tendencies and processes that define this status, should be formed on the basis of the systematized information of the Caspian Sea littoral countries national reports.
Thought should be given to continue to base SOE reporting on the Driving Forces-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) methodology or some similar type of approach.
It should be understood that national reports, although crucial, provide only one part of and input to SOE reporting and CEIC.The information will have to be linked to information onthe physical state of and trends in the marine environment of the Sea, and thus to inputs from the WG on Monitoring and Assessment, Science, and companies, institutions and civil society active in and around the Sea.
There should also be a clear understandingthat periodicreporting should on the one hand focus on maximizing adverse-impact- prevention and on the other onaddressing results of and trends determined bymonitoring.(Proposals F. Schlingemann).
In accordance with the Tehran Conventiongoals, the major emphasis in the URF-2017 is made on the prevention, reduction and control of the Caspian Sea pollution and biodiversity-related topics, including the rational use of the Caspian Sea bioresources which is an indicator of the marine environment status, special attention being paid to the rare and endangered species, as well as tothe protection, conservation and rational use of bioresources.
In the Tehran convention the coastal zone management is, at present, actual for the Caspian region, so the information to be submitted in compliance with the URF-2017 new version should be focused on the integrated approach at the coastal areas development planning.
According to URF-2017, the information and assessments contained in the relevant national reports should have the official status, i.e. to be provided by the corresponding state authorities, and thus serve as the official informational basis for cooperation on the Tehran Convention implementation and as the relevant basis for decision-making under the Convention.
In accordance with URF-2017, information provided by the countries, should take into account the peculiarities of the Caspian littoral countries environmental management systems and ensure comparability of data and information.
In this regard, the formulation of proposals and recommendations for the content of the new version of the structure of URFunder the Tehran Convention should facilitate constructive relationships and information exchange among the Caspian littoral countries, as well as the establishment of information database on the implementation of the Convention obligations.
In the context of the URF-2017 new version, the preparation of national reports should improve the quality of the provided information, should make the information, contained in the national reports, more coherent andshould facilitate the comparability of the data provided in the national reports. Such formatwill allow the Caspian littoral countries to use the materialat eliminating problems of the Caspian Sea marine and coastal environment protection in the framework of the Tehran Convention.
The URF-2017 optimization was carried out through the generalization of the countries information on a number of the Tehran Convention and its protocols articles. The content information on some articles is ordered relative to each other with account of their thematic material, and thematic duplications are excluded, whenever possible.
In according the decision (8) the providing national reports on a three year basis starting from 2014.
It will be important to agree on the new format in the understandingthat the periodicity and timing of the national reports should be synchronized, that once periodic reporting is common, the reporting can be limited to updating and addressing new developments, and that the national focal points for the reporting should be made responsible for updating the relevant information in CEIC, as well as for integrating the information in SOE reporting. (Proposals F. Schlingemann).
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Hereinafter brief explanationsto the relevant sections and subsections of the draft URF-2017 are presented, as compared to URF-2011, for national reporting to the Tehran Convention and its protocols.
1.1 Pollution from land-based sources.
The number of items is reduced and combined on a semantic basis, and the content of several items isreformulated.
Items related to the cooperation on pollution from land-based sources are addressed in a separate section (4.3 Cooperation among the Contracting parties).
1.2 Pollution from activities on the seabed.
The emphasis is made on the countries legislation related to the implementation of international maritime agreements (MARPOL, etc.).
1.3 Pollution from vessels.
The number of items is reduced, duplicate items are eliminated.
The emphasis is made on the countries submission informationabout port waste management plans, shipping and shipping routes associated with polluting from vessels.
1.4 Pollution caused by dumping.
Section 1.4 is similar to section 1.3 in items concerning the country informationsubmission.
1.5 Pollution caused by oil.
This section was not represented in URF-2011 where information on oil pollution was set out in different sections and subsections and was presented in accordance with the sequence of the Tehran Convention and its protocolsarticles.
Such presentation of information makes it difficult to submit material in a unified manner, andin the national reports a number of thematic replicas appear.
In section 1.5 (Pollution by oil) of the URF-2017 the information on "oil pollution" isconsolidated in one section in accordance with the Tehran Convention and its protocolsarticles in order to reach the summarized, consistently presented information on the Caspian Sea marine environment protection from pollution and its biodiversitypreservation, including biological resources.
This section, in compliance with the Tehran Convention and its protocolsarticles, compiles information related to oil companies activities onthe prevention, control and reductionof the oil pollution level in the Caspian Sea, as well as information on effects of oil pollution on biodiversity and bioresources.
The emphasis is made on submission of the countries information about the legislation regulating the oil companiesactivities.
Information on measures to ensure environmental safety of activity on the development and exploitation of hydrocarbons on the Caspian seabed (pipe laying, dismantling of various installations, constructing and operatingartificial islands, etc.) ispresentedintheURF-2017section 1.2.
1.6 Pollution from other human activities.
The information provided by the countries in this section is related mainly to the influence of agricultural activities and land reclamation on pollution of the Caspian Sea coastal and marine areas.
1.7 Prevention of the invasive speciesintroduction, their monitoring
and control.
In the Tehran Convention this topic is referred to the theme of prevention, reduction and control of pollution. Thesubject is disclosed in details in the relevant Ashgabat Protocolarticles.
The items of this section (in comparison with URF-2011) are shortened,a number of items are combined, and the emphasis is made on the legislative and institutional measures to prevent the invasive speciesintroduction. Also, in this section the countries are invited to submit their views on the need to develop aregional Caspian action plan for invasive species.
1.8 Environmental Emergencies
Information proposed for submission by the countries is related to the implementation of the Aktau Protocol, which entered into force in 2016.
Information to be submitted in this format, as compared to URF-2011, should be correlated with the activities under the Regional Contingency Plan for Combating Oil Pollution of the Caspian Sea.
The country is invited to provide information about emergency measures to combat oil pollution of the Caspian Sea, including maps of vulnerable resources and sensitive areas, and measures to minimize damage to protected areas (there was no such information in URF-2011).
2.1 Protection, conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biological resources.
In this section the emphasis is made on information of a changing, as the reporting period,character and which isrelatedto the status of biological resources, including commercial species and species-indicators, as well as on information about measures to improve the status of biological resources, conservation of certain species and their habitats, including legal and administrative measures.
The number of items in the section, as compared toURF-2011, is reduced. Besides,there are identified and updated the main items, in which the provisions of articles of the Tehran Convention, the Ashgabat and Moscow protocolsare thematically combined.
2.2 Biodiversity conservation and protection, conservation and restoration of endemic, rare and endangered species.
In this section the Caspian littoral countriesare invited to submit information related to the current CBD implementation. The CBD is the basis of the Ashgabat Protocol, as reflected in its preamble.
The items of this URF-2017 section, in comparison with URF-2011, are updated, shortened, made actual and set out by topics in accordance with the Ashgabat Protocolarticles content.
3. Management of land affected by proximity to the Sea.
The items of this URF-2017 section are structured, the emphasis being made on the submission of information about the countries policies, plans and programs for socio-economic development, which include the integrated management of land, for the purpose of the natural resources rational use and biodiversity conservation.
Since the Caspian Sea level issuesshould be taken into account atelaborating the national strategies and plans for socio-economic development of the coastal and marine areas, this URF-2017section includes the theme of the Caspian Sea level fluctuations (Article 16 of the Tehran Convention).
4.1 Procedures for assessing impacts on the marine environment of the Caspian Sea.
This section of URF-2017 is based on the provisions of the Tehran Convention and draft Protocol on the EIArelevant articles. Also, this issue is reflected in the article of the Moscow and Ashgabat protocols.
The emphasis is made on submission of the countries information about the legislative and administrative instruments for the implementation of EIA procedures.
4.2 Monitoring.
Information to be submitted by the countries for this section is based on the corresponding articles of the Tehran Convention, Moscow and Ashgabat protocols. The provisionsof the draft Protocol on monitoring, assessment and exchange of information, which is being under elaboration at present,are nottaken into account in URF-2017.
Emphasis is placed on the countries legislative changes in the CaspianSea marine environment monitoring system, as of the reporting period, and methods of the marine environment quality assessment.
Also,itemsrelated to programs for biodiversity monitoring, monitoring of endangered species and invasive species monitoring are included into this section of URF-2017.
4.3 Cooperation among the Contracting Parties.
The topic of this section corresponds to articles of the Tehran Convention, Ashgabat and Moscow protocols, and section 4.2 of the Strategic Action Program of the Convention (2008-2018).
The items in this section are thematically combined, the emphasis beingmade on the development of the countryproposals to enhance technical and scientific cooperation, including transboundary cooperationon the Caspian Seamarine environment conservation.
The countries information about the development of cooperation with international organizations, as of the reporting period, seems to be important in this section.
Emphasis is placed on providing information about the development of transboundary cooperation as well as scientific and technical cooperation on the elaboration and harmonization of rules, standards and procedures to reduce and control pollution of theCaspian Sea marine and coastal environment.
5. Participation of public, other stakeholders in the implementation of the Tehran Convention and the exchange of information.
This section was not included into URF-2011.
At the current stage of the Tehran Convention activities this topic is relevant in the context of the annual "Caspian Sea Day" which is held by the countries with active public participation.
The corresponding articles of the Tehran Convention, Ashgabat and Moscow protocols envisage the topic of public participation in the Caspian Sea marine environment conservation.
In this section,the itemsrelated to the countries system of exchange, including among public organizations,of information about the Caspian Sea marine and coastal environment status, as well as on the availability of educational and public awareness programs in the field of biological diversity conservation and sustainable and rational use of biological resources, are important.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
In this section it is proposed to provide the countries information on the general assessment of the Tehran Convention implementation and proposals for improving the effectiveness of its implementation.
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