Third Meeting of Eurosai Working Group on Environmental Auditing and Biodiversity Seminar
Third Meeting of the Working Group
Sofia, Bulgaria
2-5 November 2004
THIRD MEETING OF EUROSAI WORKING GROUP ON ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING AND BIODIVERSITY AND NATURE PROTECTION SEMINAR,
3 NOVEMBER 2004, SOFIA, BOYANA RESIDENCE
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES OF BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT
IN THE FIELD OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATON
Mrs. Dolores Arssenova, Minister of Environment and Water
Dear participants,
Dear guests,
The long-term strategic goal of the country in the field of environment is “to improve the quality of life of the population in the country promoting friendly environment and protecting the rich nature on the basis of sustainable management of the environment.” One of the main priorities of the environmental policy of the Government is conservation and restoration of biodiversity and sustainable use of biological resources.
Although Bulgaria has a small territory (111000 kilometres square), the rich diversity of flora and fauna species is typical for the country. There are many examples of almost all the basic types of habitats known in Europe. Our country is at the third place in Europe with its rich biodiversity. This circumstance is not only a reason for pride, but it requires our high responsibility to protect this national natural wealth. In this regard, a National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy was developed in Bulgaria in 1995. It defines the strategic goals in this field:
· Development of new legislation and transposition of the European directives in Nature Protection Sector;
· Development of national protected areas network and protection of rare flora and fauna species;
· Improvement of the management and capacity building;
· Establishment of conditions for development of ecotourism;
· Providing sustainable funding for activities concerning protected areas and species protection.
In the process of implementation of these strategic goals significant results were achieved in the last 5 years:
Protected Areas Act was adopted in 1998. It defines a new modern model of categorization and purpose of Bulgarian protected areas in compliance with the criteria of IUCN (The World Conservation Union); regime of protection; protected areas management plans; management bodies; coordination and security.
A new Medicinal Plants Act was adopted in the year 2000. It regulates the protection and sustainable use of more than 600 flora species with medicinal characteristics. Biodiversity Act was adopted in 2002. It introduces the requirements of the whole European legislation in Nature Protection Sector.
The implementation of the Project: Bulgarian National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Improved Global Environmental Management has continued in 2004. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Water and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The NCSA consists of series of researches, analyses and consultations involving a wide range of stakeholders, experts and state bodies representatives. It includes 3 thematic fields and the relation between them in the context of sustainable development, the national process of environmental protection and accession of Bulgaria to the European Union:
· Climate change – (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change);
· Biological diversity – (Convention on Biological Diversity);
· Combat desertification – (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification).
As a result of the project realization it was possible to assess the needs of strengthening and building the administrative capacity in order to ensure better participation of the country in the management of the anthropogenic impact on the global environment and to submit measures in this field.
Biodiversity conservation at territorial principle by establishing protected areas network is one of the most important tasks of the Ministry of Environment and Water. At the end of 2003 this network consisted of totally 866 protected areas: 3 national parks; 11 natural parks; 90 reserves; 402 protected sites and 352 natural monuments. The total area of the protected areas is 550000 hectares or about 5% of Bulgarian territory.
Our most valuable forestry and high mountain habitats, wetlands, unique rocks and caves, habitats of rare, endemic plant and animal species are under regime of protection in this network. Some of these protected areas, especially the national and natural parks, are also important places for the development of ecotourism as an alternative form of economic benefits for the local population.
As a contribution for the European NATURA 2000 Network Bulgaria has to ensure the protection of the most preserved sites which include more than 100 types of habitats under the EU Directive on habitats. A part of them is already under protection in our protected areas network.
Protected areas are obliged by law to develop management plans. In the short time of Protected Areas Act implementation 100% of the national parks and 50% of other protected areas are covered by the approved plans or plans under preparation. The development of plans for the other 5 natural parks and some reserves is included as a main task under forthcoming international projects.
Every year park and reserve administrations plan and implement different activities in protected areas aimed at: monitoring; supporting and recovering measures for habitats and species; construction of tourist infrastructure; establishment of visitor centers; organization of training programs for visitors, local population and students.
Different measures have been undertaken for the protection of biodiversity species: 567 plant and 421 animal species are under strict protection on the territory of the whole country. Most of them are under the protection of EU Directives and international conventions. The use of more than 80 plants and animals is under a special regulation in order not to allow deterioration of their population in the country. Bulgaria has taken the engagement to ensure the protection of the most important habitats of 100 plant and 226 animal species for the purposes of the European NATURA 2000 Network and according to the Biodiversity Act.
During the two years of implementation of the Biodiversity Act a Sturgeon Conservation Action Plan has been prepared and approved. 9 plans concerning priority bird species and 8 plant and 4 animal species plans have been developed.
The new legislation clearly determines the functions and responsibilities of the institutions concerning protected areas and biodiversity conservation – mainly Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. It is clearly outlined the need of human resources at all levels in the institutions. At the central level of the MOEW in 1999 there were 7 people working in the field of nature protection. At present they are 18 people – well trained and equipped. 13 specialized administrations for national and natural parks management were established at regional level. The personnel of the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water increased, concerning management and protection of reserves and biodiversity conservation control. There are already 350 specialists and rangers working in these structures at regional level, while in 1998 they were only 60 people. During the last years training seminars were regularly held for the personnel in the relevant fields of their responsibilities.
Public participation in decision making has been ensured through the introduced practice of organizing public hearings, adoption of Protected Areas Management Plans as well as involving representatives of nongovernmental organizations in collective bodies of the Ministry of Environment and Water: the High Expert Ecological Council, the National Biodiversity and Medicinal Plants Councils; the National Hunting Council, etc. The conditions on public access to information regarding protected areas and biodiversity are constantly improving.
Till the adoption of the new legislation in Nature Protection Sector funding of activities on protected areas and biodiversity conservation was implemented without mechanisms for durable providing of financial resources.
The above mentioned as well as the new responsibilities caused the need to provide sources and durably increase the annually invested resources. In this regard, we should mention that the funding has increased annually by national and international programs. In 2000 it was BGN 1mln. and till now it reached more than BGN 5mln. in 2004 from national sources as well as from international programs.
New international projects for the coming years are being developed. In this regard we have the reason to think that the funding of activities in the field of biodiversity and protected areas conservation will continue increasing permanently in future.
We estimate our achievements in the field of biodiversity conservation in the last years as significant since they concern entirely new and recently adopted legislation in this sector. Although we are proud of our achievements we realize that they are not sufficient and it was proved by the conclusions and recommendations made in the report of the National Audit Office in 2004. Taking in mind the above mentioned as well as the forthcoming accession to the European Union the following priority tasks and objectives are to be solved in a middle-term plan:
1. Adoption and implementation of Genetically Modified Act and implementation of secondary legislation;
2. Establishment of National Ecological Network which includes:
· Protected areas covering at least 15 % of the territory of the country;
· NATURA 2000 sites covering at least 20 % of the types of the spread in the country habitats of flora and fauna species included in the EU Directives;
· Establishment of buffer zones around all reserves, supported reserves and wetlands.
3. Development and implementation of management plans for the rest of the parks and reserves as well as the most valuable wetlands and other protected territories;
4. Development and implementation of action plans for the conservation of the most endangered flora and fauna species;
5. Raise of the staff of the Ministry of Environment and Water and the National Forrest Administration with 20 % at least;
6. Realization of training programs on implementation of legislation, including for municipal administration;
7. Development and/or implementation of strategies and plans, including on ecotourism, for conservation and sustainable use of forest, fish and game resources.
In conclusion I would like to say that the audit in the field of biodiversity held by the National Audit Office of the Republic of Bulgaria in 2004 is one of the several audits of environmental policies during the recent years. We acknowledge the practice of the National Audit Office to perform audits for evaluation of the quality of the strategies and plans, the degree of accomplishment of the tasks, set up in them and the efficiency of the envisaged mechanisms. As an independent institution the National Audit Office gives us valuable advice, which is exclusively helpful in our work. We hope that these independent evaluations and good cooperation will continue in the future in order to raise the efficiency of our work and to realize our long-term goals.
I wish successful and beneficial work to the forum.
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