Search

WSSP: Risk management in the water, sanitation, and microplastics sector in the Balkan region

To improve water, sanitation and waste management in Romania, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the risk management tool “Water and Sanitation Safety Planning” (WSSP) is introduced and thematically extended through various interactive educational measures in schools – including the topics of menstruation and (micro-)plastics. The educational materials are published in Compendia as well as in the online educational platform “Water Classroom” in the respective national languages and are freely accessible. Educational materials at the academic level are developed in cooperation with universities for study programmes relevant to the topic. To improve gender equality, situation analyses on menstrual poverty and gender equality in WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) facilities and professions are prepared. Recommendations for action will then be developed. This will be accompanied by campaigns for the free provision of menstrual products in public buildings and schools as well as against fiscal discrimination in menstrual products. The aim is to establish a gender-equitable WASH situation in the project countries on a long-term and sustainable basis.

For Environmental Ambassadors this is a continuation of the project successfully finalized with the very important active participation of the Eco-schools network in Serbia.

Kick-off meeting, Sarajevo May 18 and 19, 2023 – Project WSSP

 

________________________

and more about project…..

In the project countries Romania, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a lack of sustainable water, sanitation, wastewater, and waste management in rural areas, which can have serious consequences for the environment and health of the population. The aim of WECF and the local partner organizations is to further develop or introduce the “Water and Sanitation Safety Planning” (WSSP) instrument in the target countries. WSSP shows methods for risk management for water and sanitation and explains measures to minimize risks and improve the water and sanitation situation.

The online educational portals “Water Classroom” developed in the previous project, on which interactive educational materials on the topics of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and WSSP are already freely available in Romanian and Macedonian, will be translated into Albanian and Serbian and made freely accessible online. In various educational measures, WECF’s WSSP compendium is introduced to Bosnian-Herzegovinian, Serbian and Albanian teachers, pupils and various stakeholders from administration, politics and institutions. In North Macedonia, children with disabilities are included in the educational activities, for which the teaching materials are adapted. In collaboration with North Macedonian and Albanian universities, educational material on an academic level will be developed. Interactive and playful educational materials on microplastics will be developed and used in additional educational activities. Some of the materials will be digitized and included in the “water classrooms”. Menstrual Health Management (MHM) will be a broad focus of the educational activities. In addition, the project partners will prepare a cost-benefit analysis of menstrual products and conduct a survey on menstrual poverty. Subsequently, a campaign will call for the provision of free menstrual products in schools and public buildings. The North Macedonian partners work with gender organizations against gender-specific tax discrimination, e.g. in menstrual products. To analyse gender equality in the WASH sector, data collection takes place in various project countries, on the basis of which recommendations for action are subsequently developed.

Environmental Ambassadors will continue to work with the Eco-schools network in Serbia to raise teachers capacities to deal with the topics Water+Sanitation+Hygiene, in order to be more strengthen to focus the attention of decision-makers, at the local and national levels, on these topics, especially in rural areas.

Gender and Chemicals

In 2020 IPEN decided to create a few an online course on IPEN’s learning platform on a specific topic agreed, within IPEN Gender and Chemicals Project. Based on expertise, EASD is chosen to develop and prepare webinar course “Fostering female leadership: training women to address chemicals and waste in the public setting”.

Course will be hosted on the IPEN website.

New EASD online course in English and Serbian – FOSTERING FEMALE LEADERSHIP: TRAINING WOMEN TO ADDRESS CHEMICALS AND WASTE IN THE PUBLIC SETTING

 

Women2030 (preparation of Shadow report to the National Voluntary Review 2019)

The Women 2030 Programme is being implemented in 50 countries across different regions of the world. It is constituted by a coalition of four women and gender network organisations cooperating to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a gender-equitable and climate-just manner. The coalition has a 5-year framework partnership agreement with the European Commission  (contract CSO-LA/2016/374-340).

On March 18, 2016, a coalition of four global and regional women and gender networks signed a 5-year partnership agreement with the European Commission to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the global Agenda-2030. This coalition, known as #Women2030, supports the implementation of the Agenda 2030.

IN SERBIA, Women 2030 partner is EASD, since 2018. Under this project, EASD prepared “shadow report” to the Voluntary National Review that Serbia reported in 2019. The “shadow report” was presented during the HLPF held in New York on July, 2019.

Overview of the community-based data collected within the Women2030 Gender Assessment in Serbia

 

ENVIRONMENT TO EUROPE – EnE

This project/process present different phases towards European values, as well as globally values promoted through Multilateral Environmental Agreements.  Started to raise awareness of the importance of  the UNECE  Ministerial “Environment for Europe”  Belgrade 2007 Conference,  and further continuously is mobilizing interesting parties in Serbia and Region to catalyze environmental and sustainable development.

Within “Environment to Europe” Process, EASD actively participate and organize different supporting activities in different related thematic areas, like sustainable consumption and production, efficient resource use, chemicals, eco-consumers protection, participation at global, EC, regional and with papers at different conferences, etc. Regional cohesion projects supported Environment to Europe process.

__________________________________________________

EEB 2022 ANNUAL CONFERENCE – “Boosting the Deal for a Greener Europe in Turbulent Times” 

Study visit to Grenoble – the Green Capital of Europe

EnE22, June 2022 – UNEP@50 and World Environment Day

December 2021 – Climate Pact for Serbia: Snapshot targeted rehearsal of country’s obligations in climate action….

June 2021 – WED EnE21 Event

Virtual tour on the experience from Italian practices in circular economy

June 5,2020 – EnE20 Conference “Citizen science: Focus on Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals”

Recap the moments from  EnE19/ENV.net Conference

Round table AIR QUALITY IN SERBIA AND REGION, YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW – CLEAN AIR – HEALTHY FUTURE: draft agenda available

WEBINAR – Regional Forum of Sustainable Development (RFSD) for the UNECE Region : we participate

We participate at UN Environment SEE Ministerial Conference “Innovative Solutions to Pollution in South East and Southern Europe”

For your attention: Ministerial Conference “Innovative Solutions to Pollution in South East and Southern Europe” , Belgrade, December 4-5

EASD  full member in European Environmental Bureau – honor and challenge

The ESDN Conference 2018 – we participate  ;  We participate – ESDN Conference 2018, “Stakeholder-Policy Cooperation in the Age of the SDGs: What new approaches are required to be successful?”, Vienna (Austria), 1-2 October, 2018

Join us for June 5th: Conference Agenda is available

6th UN regional meeting on SAICM, Poland, February 2018: we participate

February 2018: Call for participation for EnE18: Nature protection – Nature-Responsive Development

February 2018: ENV.net 3 Kick-off Meeting in Tirana

November 2017: EASD participate: Summit to Plan the End of Amalgam in Europe 2017– November 20-21, Berlin 

September 2017: “Make Mercury History” – EASD participated at Minamata COP1 in Geneva

July 2017: Civil Society Forum  in Trieste, 11-12 July 2017 – we (EASD) participate  ;  Good signal: Serbia gets (again) separate Ministry of environmental protection 

June 2017: Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development 

May 2017: Draft Agenda for Environment to Europe EnE17 Conference (Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development), June 5, 2017, Belgrade

April 2017:  Call: The Thirteenth Regional Conference ”Environment to Europe – EnE17″, June 5th 2017, Belgrade

February 2017:  “EnE17 – The 13th Regional Conference Environment to Europe” announcement: Climate Change Education

June 2016:    Agenda , EnE16-ENV.net Zbornik radova/Proceedings of papers ; WED Messages from Serbia: 12th Regional Conference “Environment to Europe” , REPORT FROM EnE16-ENV.net, BELGRADE, SERBIA

January 2016 – Save the date and participate: June 6, 2016 – Environment to Europe Conference  

June 5, 2015 –  2015 Conference, Information,  Proc. of papers

We participate at European Green Week

December 2014  – Thematic Publication “Environment to Europe” ( Tematski zbornik radova “Životna sredina ka Evropi”)

June 5, 2014 – ENV.net multi-stakeholder Conference on Chapter 27: about 200 participants , 2014 Conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agenda for EnE14/ENV.net Conference “Environment to Europe”, June 5, 2014 in SCC – opening at 10:00

Invitation for EnE14-ENV.net Conference, June 5 – 2014 in Belgrade

EnE14 / ENV.net Conference will be held on June 5, 2014 in Belgrade (it will 10th regional conference!). Thematic focus: Chapter 27.  Reserve the date!  More information soon. Follow the updated information related to event.

__________________________________________________

EnE13 – Environment to Europe Conference  on June 10, 2013 is focused on local environment.  The main messages from this participatory ENV.net event are: environmental sector activities should be knowledge based, and education for environment and sustainable development should be priority. Capacities and continuity is very important for inclusion environment in other sectoral policies. Conference is institutionally supported by Ministry of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection and Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning, as well as National Commission for UNESCO.  This Conference is UNEP WED event.

2013 EnE13 ENV.net Roundtable Focus: Local Environment Agenda, Zbornik radova EnE13 – Zivotna sredina ka Evropi – Papers Proceedings; Minutes; More than 120 participants at EnE13 conference/ENV.net Roundtable: 10 June, 2013 in Belgrade
 _________________________________________

Snapshots from the previous EnE “Environment to Europe” Conferences:

Thematic focus Published materials
2005 EnE05 Thematic focus : The importance of Environmental Sector in EU Integration process Detailed Agenda published.CD Proceedings of Papers published. Book “Sustainable Development and Environment towards Europe in 95+ steps”, by A.Mihajlov, published in Serbian
2006 EnE06 European/developed countries values in environmental and related issues; lessons learned. At the same time, the Civil Society Forum EfE07 Meeting towards UN Pan-European Ministerial Conference Belgrade 2007 “Environment for Europe” held. Detailed Agenda published.CD Proceedings of Papers published. Book “Sustainable Sustainable Development and Environment Towards Europe in 95+ Steps”, by A.Mihajlov, published in English
2007 EnE07 Dedicated to contribute to upcoming UNECE “Environment for Europe” (2007, Belgrade) Pan-European Ministerial Conference ; NGO Declaration on Environmental Cohesion of Western Balkan agreed Detailed Agenda published.CD Proceedings of Papers published.
2008 EnE08 Youth and Vulnerable Groups in Environmental EU Accession Detailed Agenda published. EnE08 Zbornik radova 4. regionalne Konferencije „Zivotna sredina ka Evropi“-sadrzaj published.
2009 EnE09 Climate Change and Sustainable Tourism Conference Detailed Agenda published (agenda EnE09) ; CD Proceedings of Papers published.
2010 EnE10 Green Education and Green Economy Detailed Agenda published ( Agenda EnE10 Konferencije ); CD Proceedings of Papers published.
2011 EnE11 Rural and Mountain Sustainable Development Detailed Agenda published (agenda_ene11) CD Proceedings of Papers published. Publication with selected paper published.
2012 EnE12 Learning event for Rio=20 preparation – Green Economy and Governance for Sustainable Development Detailed Agenda published ( Agenda EnE12 )

CD Proceedings of Papers published. UNDP/UNEP Green Economy Study published http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/984serbia.pdf

 

 

Participation at UNEP Global Major Groups and Stakeholder Forum, Global Ministerial Environment Forum and High-Level Gender Forum

Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development  participated at the “Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF-14)”, and “The First Universal Session of the Governing Council/ Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC-27/GMEF),” Nairobi, 16-22 February 2013.  Ministers meeting for the first time under universal membership of 193 member states- again as a result of the decisions taken and adopted last year at Rio+20 and the UN General Assembly later in the year- adopted a welter of other decisions relating to the way UNEP will operate and work as the global platform for environmental policy-making and action over the coming years and decades.  Governments called for  the transformation of the existing Governing Council into a UN  Environment Assembly of UNEP and to build stronger links between UNEP’s science-based Global Environment Outlook process and its ministerial meetings – further implementing the call  by member states at Rio + 20to strengthen the science-policy interface. 

Among the wealth of other decisions taken at the first Universal Membership of the UNEP Governing Council were: 1.  A UNEP-led consortium will host and coordinate the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) which will be the implementing arm of the Technology Mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 2. The CTCN will work on leap-frogging the technical and financial hurdles to the even greater take-up of clean and renewable energies to low carbon tranportation and energy efficient buildings, 3. Full operationalization of a decade-long initiative to decouple economic growth from unsustainable use of natural resources and pollution generation-the 10 Year Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP for SCP), 4. The UNEP-hosted initiative will assist countries in areas from sustainable public procurement, lifestyles and education to sustainable buildings and construction and sustainable tourism, including ecotourism – again bringing from outcome to implementation other key aspects of the Rio+20 Future We Want, 5. Governments also decided to convene in October this year an intergovernmental diplomatic conference to formally adopt the Minamata Convention on Mercury that was agreed  in January in Geneva under a UNEP-facilitated negotiation-again a further implementation of the Rio+20 outcome document.

Over 1300 participants from 147 countries, including 80 ministers, representatives of UN agencies, international organizations, academia, NGOs, business and industry, and women and youth organizations attended the first Universal Session of the GC following the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to strengthen and upgrade UNEP, as called for in the Rio+20 outcome document. Delegates adopted 13 decisions, on inter alia:

–       the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES);

–       coordination across the UN system, including the Environment Management Group (EMG);

–       oceans;

–       sustainable consumption and production;

–       the green economy in the context of sustainable development;

–       advancing justice, governance and law;

–       state of the environment; and

–       chemicals and wastes.

The GC adopted a decision on institutional arrangements that, inter alia, invites the UN General Assembly to rename UNEP’s governing body “UN Environment Assembly,” and provides that the body “will ensure” the active participation of all relevant stakeholders and explore new mechanisms to promote transparency and effective engagement of civil society in its work and that of its subsidiary bodiesinter alia, by: developing by 2014 a process for stakeholder accreditation and participation that builds on the existing rules of procedure and takes into account the inclusive modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and other relevant UN bodies.

The day before the Governing Council got underway, the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment (NWMLE) and UNEP hosted the second High-Level Gender Forum. Prof Andjelka Mihajlov participates, by invitation to “Gender Forum” as a member of the “Network of Environmental Women Ministers and Leaders”, as the former Minister for Protection of Natural Resources and Environment.  The forum participants called upon ministers and environmental leaders to have dedicated officials for coordination of related gender and environment programmes and agreed to send a consolidated proposal on gender actions to be forwarded for consideration by UN Secretary General’s High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 Development Agenda. The women ministers also requested nations to support the ratification of the Minamata convention on Mercury, which opens for signing in October.

More about meetings at  www.unep.org .  Moments from EASD participation are in Galleries of pictures. These activities are foreseen as the important international cooperation activities.

Prior to this, organisation participate at Rio+20 Conference.