Western Balkans Environment Programe

Regional Ministerial Conferences

Study Tour “Financial Mechanisms for Remediation of Environmental Hot Spots”

In frame of the Western Balkan Environmental Programme for 2010 the RPMU organized a study tour to Poland from 24^th- 27^th May. The subject of the study tour was “Financial Mechanisms for remediation of environmental hot spots” related to relevant financial mechanisms that can be established and used for remediation of priority environmental hot spots. The study tour meetings and field visits were selected to be a ‘show case’ on how the application of best practice has changed a site from being an environmental problem to an asset, and provide transferable approaches, contacts and resources that each project will then be able to take back and apply. Participants at the study tour were representatives of the line Ministries, Eco-Funds and Environment Protection Agency from the participating countries/territories. The study tour provided an opportunity for the different participants to exchange information, experiences and ideas on the situation related to environmental funding in their countries/territories.

Learning from Slovak experience in environmental management and remediation of priority mine sites

UNDP Montenegro organized in frame of the Western Balkan Environmental Programme for 2009 a study tour to Slovak Republic from 25^th- 31^st October. The subject of the study tour was “Learning from Slovak experience in environmental management and remediation of priority mine sites”. Participants on the study tour were mining experts from six countries/ territory: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, UNATSCR1244 Kosovo and Serbia. The host organization in Slovakia was the Comenius University in Bratislava, with Mr. Peter Sottnik and Mrs. Bronislava Lalinska acting as project manager and project assistant from their side.

Remediation of Mining Sites

The last of the three study tours for 2008 developed by the Regional Programme Management Unit (RPMU) in the frame of the Western Balkans Environmental Programme was organized from 20th- 24th October in Prague area, Czech Republic. The topic of the study tour was visiting mining sites, subjects to remediation activities. The remediation activities are conducted in order to mitigate/eliminate existing negative impacts of the mining sites to the environment, and preparing the remediated sites for future public usage as recreational areas.

Participants on the study tour were representatives of relevant institutions from Albania, Macedonia FYR and UNMIK Kosovo. The purpose of the study tour was to familiarize the participants with good show cases, learn and see how heavily impacted sites due to mining can be remediated and reclaimed, and get relevant information on how similar/same activities can be organized and conducted in their respective countries. The host organization in Prague was the Environmental Damage Department, Ministry of Environment of Czech Republic, with Mr Jaromir Manhart acting as focal point from their side.

Potentials for Tourism Development on Rehabilitated Mine Sites

The study tour "Potentials for Tourism Development on Rehabilitated Mine Sites" was organized in Slovenia, from 6th to 10th October 2008. Participants at the study tour were: representative of Mojkovac Municipality, Director of the Tourist Organization of Mojkovac, geologist from the Geological Institute of Montenegro and the UNDP Montenegro representatives.

Purpose of the visit was to explore the options for further viable use of the existing abandoned mining site as tourist destinations and consequently possibilities for providing economic benefits for local populations.

Two rehabilitated mining sites in Slovenia were visited, Podzemlje Pece and Idrija. Participants had a chance to meet:

representatives of management authorities of the mines and museums,
mayors of the municipalities where the mines were operating, as well as
representatives of tourism sector in visited municipalities.

Cleaner Production in Industry

In the last week of September 2008, the Western Balkan Environmental Programme, UNDP Montenegro has organized a study tour to Vienna for the two countries participating in the Programme,Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study tour theme was cleaner production in industry and in that context participants from Serbia and Bosnia visited companies in the food industry, and waste water treatment plants and solid waste incinerators in Vienna area. The host organization in Vienna was Umweltbundesamt, Vienna with Mr Fritz Kroiss acting as focal point from their side.