Executive Summary
BRASOV MULTISTAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS
24-25 November 2003
Brasov, Romania
Background
The WWF-Danube Carpathian Programme, together with partners World Bank and co-sponsors UNEP
and Lafarge, hosted a two-day workshop in Brasov, Romania, in the Southern Carpathians. The
Carpathian Mountains and the Lower Danube River Basin are each recognized as two of the world’s 238
Global 200 Ecoregions, chosen by WWF because they represent some of the Earth's most biologically
outstanding terrestrial and freshwater habitats.
The workshop for implementation of the Carpathian Convention was held consecutively with the Lower
Danube Green Corridor (LDGC) workshop as the two ecoregions not only share ecological features and
systems - 90% of the waters flowing out of the Carpathians enter the Danube and its tributaries – but many
stakeholders in common. Indeed 40 participants of the round 100 who participated attended both
workshops, as their interests related to projects and issues in both ecoregions, either geographically and/or
thematically.
However, the style and approach of the workshops was different. For the Carpathians, with seven
governments having signed the Carpathian Convention drafted in Kiev in May 2003 (the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Ukraine and now Poland), the workshop was an
opportunity to discuss practical implementation of the Carpathian Convention on a regional scale for the
first time. For the Lower Danube, the overarching goals of the workshop were increasing support for the
Lower Danube Green Corridor based on the agreement signed in June 2000 by Bulgaria, Romania,
Ukraine and Moldova, and initiating a process toward the establishment of an international coordinating
mechanism for the Lower Danube Green Corridor.
Both workshops used well-developed summary portfolios (included on this CD together with the full
versions of the projects), each consisting of 30 ‘project concepts’ used to define gaps and priority areas for
conservation and sustainable development in the respective regions, and to raise government and donor
awareness of the countries’ commitments to these landmark agreements. In the case of the Carpathian
Convention, the countries committed to the protection and sustainable development of an area covering
more than 200,000 square kilometres. With the Lower Danube Green Corridor, the countries committed
to establishing an ecological corridor of 900,000 ha of protected and restored wetlands and floodplain
habitats along the Lower Danube.
The workshop was organised in cooperation with the Carpathian and Lower Danube governments and was
attended by government, non-governmental stakeholders, research institutions, forestry, freshwater and
other environmental specialists, and representatives of international organisations and donor agencies,
including UNEP, UNDP, World Bank and Lafarge. The complete participants’ list is included on this CD.
The Workshops: Two days in Brasov
A view of the town of Brasov during the workshops in autumn. M. Nesterenko
Carpathian Convention Workshop
The Carpathians workshop opened with a series of presentations by sponsors (World Bank, WWF-DCP,
UNEP) and potential donors: international aid organizations and private donors. These presentations,
together with those from a Romanian academic and governmental authority and a representative of the EC
delegation in Romania, helped clarify the natural, cultural and socio-economic value of the Carpathian
region, highlighted priority funding needs, defined progress since the signing of the Convention, and
described the urgency of the need to start funding and implementing projects.
The presentations set the backdrop for the core ‘workshop’ element of the conference, which consisted of
the presentation of individual ‘project concepts’ through a poster session, where the authors of over 20
different projects discussed with potential donors and other stakeholders the backgrounds, strengths,
weaknesses and funding needs of their projects. The project concepts were presented as posters based on
criteria laid out in the WWF/CEI Priorities for Implementation of the Carpathian Convention, which calls
for a concrete work-plan for implementation of the Convention by May 2005.
Finally, facilitators responsible for fielding questions and summarizing important insights and
developments according to five ‘project themes’ relevant to the WWF/CEI priorities for implementation
of the Convention (Protected Areas, Forest Management, Public Participation/Capacity-Building,
Sustainable Development and Species/Biodiversity) generated feedback from the poster session and
stimulated a question and answer session by the audience which was concluded by final comments from
donors, lessons learned and next steps.
Lower Danube Green Corridor Workshop
The workshop opened with a presentation from the Danube Delta Institute on the values of the Danube
River basin, including its importance as the world’s largest continuous reedbed, and its numerous
hydrological, ecological and socio-economic values. The session then continued with presentations by the
governments on status of implementation by country. The governments highlighted their major
achievements and progress on the LDGC, emphasized the high priority given by their countries to the
LDGC implementation, as well as the importance of cooperation with national stakeholders and
international partners for its success. The countries confirmed their commitment to continue practical
implementation, but pointed to the considerable support needed to this end.
The second session focused on implementation needs and opportunities for the LDGC and the reasons for
the LDGC were reiterated: the Lower Danube and Danube Delta ecoregion is of global biodiversity
importance which requires immediate attention. The LDGC proposals were used to highlight the main
areas of implementation: effective protection of floodplain habitats, restoration of habitats and ecological
corridors, projects involving local communities, projects addressing key threats, and projects used to
increase transboundary coordination and cooperation.
In the case of the LDGC workshop, the projects were also used to underscore the need for an international
coordination mechanism, for example in the form of a Secretariat. The Romanian National Delta Institute
and the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and the Environment made a proposal for the
establishment of a LDGC Secretariat at the town of Tulcea, Romania. The purpose of the Secretariat
would be to coordinate the coherent planning and implementation of the LDGC in the Lower Danube
countries, to assist the LDGC partners in obtaining financial and technical support for implementation
activities, and to communicate on a wider scale the LDGC goals, acting as a linkage with donors, as well
as with other relevant international agreements and processes.
Impacts and Conclusions
The workshops were a success and a great learning experience in several aspects:
Carpathians Workshop
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First organized effort to promote practical implementation of the Carpathian Convention on a
regional basis
International and donor interest and cooperation were generated for several of the projects,
particularly within the areas of Forest Management, Protected Areas and Species/Biodiversity
Funding needs were clarified according to project theme areas
Interest from private companies in learning about forest management tools and concepts
Valuating results: RAPPAM and other protected area management tools introduced to Slovkia and
Serbia for the first time
Projects that extended to Bulgaria and Moldova in forest conservation were discussed
Creation of a Carpathian ‘bigger picture’ approach to FSC, large carnivore conservation and rural
development projects
Main conclusions
The participation of ALL Carpathian governments is necessary in order to make implementation of
the Convention go forward, the poster session worked more effectively for certain themes than for
others, and the need to keep all people informed on the process were most highly stressed.
LDGC workshop
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The participants agreed on a step-by-step approach, facilitated by WWF, towards an international
coordination mechanism for the Lower Danube Green Corridor
The countries congratulated Romania on the initiative to strengthen transboundary cooperation
through the proposal for the creation of the LDGC Secretariat at Tulcea, Romania
The Lower Danube governments agreed to consult internally on the paper and provide feedback
on whether a Secretariat is needs and what its remit should be by 1 February 2004
In necessery, WWF will consolidate a proposal about the Secretariat in light of feedback, after
further discussion
Greater effort must be dedicated toward the socio-economic components of LDGC
implementation, considering that the Danube region is often the poorest part of the participating
countries
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Raising awareness about the LDGC, particular in the upper Danube countries, and the need to
maximize its demonstration potential, e.g. through a ‘Danube Day’ event,. Nevertheless
The national representatives emphasized that it is now time to start practical implementation on
the ground, even if on a small scale, in order not to lose the policy successes, the momentum and
the networks established with local stakeholders. Financial support is needed urgently to make this
possible.
Main conclusions
A concern was raised that the main issue was not just the lack of an international Secretariat, but also
the need for better coordination within each country, through the appointment of a responsible
individual for the LDGC in every country. A general recommendation that came out of the discussion
was to avoid a centralized and bureaucratic structure for the future international coordination
mechanism.
Lessons learned from both Carpathian Convention and LDGC Wokshops
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Donors need to see concrete projects that will achieve impact and contribute toward a wider goal,
within a more comprehensive socio-economic context
The projects should also be such as to change people’s behaviour – make them part of the
solution, not just of the problem
Project results must be sustainable financially, politically and socio-economically, beyond the
project end
Donors should be seen as long-term partners helping to fund solutions, and this vision should be
communicated to them
The need to develop dialogue with ministries of finance in relevant countries in order to attract
funding
WWF will continue to facilitate links between donors and partners for the identification of
funding sources, in particular the development of the projects identified in the present portfolio
and beyond.
In sum, there was innovative discussion, excellent
participation, with a majority of the invited
international donor agencies and private companies
attending the workshop (many of those who did not
will also receive this CD). Important dialogue was
held, both within the context of the actual
workshop, and during side events during coffee
breaks and particularly during the social dinner
event on Monday. Attendees from both workshops
came and discussions were held against the
backdrop
of
local
colorful
Carpathian
entertainment, which underscored we are all
interested and committed to the preservation of this
unique region.
Traditional costumes and dance from the Carpathians
region. E. Schneider