CENN – OCTOBER 19, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. EIA Report on the Improving of the Bakuriani Landfill, Borjomi
Regioin
2. Georgia is to Participate in World Tourism Exhibition in London in
November
3. Memorandum for Rehabilitation of Lake Gili Signed
4. Armavir Provinces to Raise $23 million from Land Sale
5. Armenia Selected One of Nine Pilot Countries for UNIDO-WTO Enhanced
Cooperation
6. Global Healing Sets its Sights on Gyumri
7. Online Course – Environmental Statistics
8. Call for Sessions: 6th Open Meeting of the HDGEC Research Community
1. EIA REPORT ON THE IMPROVING OF THE BAKURIANI LANDFILL, BORJOMI REGION
On October 19, 2004 at the conference hall of the Ministry of
Environment of Georgia was held public hearing of the EIA report on the
first category activity Improving of the Bakuriani landfill, Borjomi
Region submitted by the governance of Borjomi Region.
Representatives of NGOs, mass media attended the meeting.
The process of submitting suggestions concerning the EIA report on
Improving of the Bakuriani landfill, Borjomi Region is still on.
Interested stakeholders can analyze the document and present their
comments and considerations to the Ministry of Environment of Georgia.
The representatives of the Ministry, Department of Environmental Permits
and State Ecological Expertise encouraged audience to submit their
proposals.
EIA reports are available at the press-center of the Ministry of
Environment (68, Kostava Str., VI floor) and at the Department of
Environmental Permits and State Ecological Expertise (87, Paliashvili
Str., Tel: 25 02 19).
Prepared by CENN
Nino Tevzadze
2. GEORGIA IS TO PARTICIPATE IN WORLD TOURISM EXHIBITION IN LONDON IN
NOVEMBER
Source: Sarke, October 19, 2004
For the first time Georgia will introduce a stand at the World Tourism
Exhibition to be held in London on November 8-11, Saba Kiknadze,
chairman of the Tourism Department, has told Sarke. Five Georgian
companies will also participate in the exhibition.
3. MEMORANDUM FOR REHABILITATION OF LAKE GILI SIGNED
Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004
on October 15, 2004 the Minister of Nature Protection of Armenian, the
governor of Gegharkunik province and the UNDP Resident Representative in
Armenia signed a memorandum for rehabilitation of Lake Gili. The
rehabilitation project, worth $1 million, is to be implemented by UNDP
and Global Ecological Fund (GEF).
The main objective of the project is protection of rare and endemic
biodiversity already present in Lake Gili as part of the Lake Sevan
basin, and the provision of a first-best habitat for threatened wetland
biodiversity in Armenia (currently found in second-best habitats).
Nature protection minister Vartan Aivazian said some 560 hectares of
land belonging to residents of a nearby village of Norakert will be
covered by water. He said the residents would get new land plots from
state-owned reserve fund.
UDDP Resident Representative Lise Grande said the UNDO and GEF will help
the Norakert community to avoid the negative consequences of the project
by assisting it to solve its social issues and improve water supplies.
4. ARMAVIR PROVINCES TO RAISE $23 MILLION FROM LAND SALE
Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004
State subsidies to the province of Armavir rose from 29 million
Armenians drams in 1998 to 142 million drams in 2004, which, according
to the province’s governor, Albert Heroyan, is an apt illustration of
real economic growth. Another indication of the robust economic growth,
according to the governor, is a significant increase in teachers’ wages
that have risen to 30,000 drams (approximately $60).
Mr. Heroyan said the sale of some 14,000 hectares of formerly state
reserve lands in the province will bring some $23 million to the
provincial budget. He said more than 1,000 hectares of that land was
already auctioned and the raised proceeds, according to the law, will go
for improvement of local infrastructure facilities, health and education
sectors.
The governor also said many families that had chosen to leave the
provinces are now coming back. “We are planning to build three blocks of
apartments for them,” he said.
5. ARMENIA SELECTED ONE OF NINE PILOT COUNTRIES FOR UNIDO-WTO ENHANCED
COOPERATION
Source: ArmenPress, October 14, 2004
The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UN Development
Program (UNDP), World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Ministry of Trade
and Economic Development of Armenia held a joint seminar today to begin
implementation of the Doha Development Agenda. Seminar participants
included senior officials from the Government, donor community,
international organizations, business associations, as well as experts.
A press release from UNDP said the main aims of the Doha Development
Agenda, which was agreed in December 2001 by WTO members, are to ensure
that trade and industrial development enhance economic development and
to assist the integration of the developing countries and transition
economies into the global economy and the multilateral trading system.
In order to facilitate implementation of the Doha Agenda, UNIDO and WTO
will implement pilot activities in an initial group of nine countries,
including Armenia. The initial group also includes Bolivia, Cambodia,
Cuba, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya and Mauritania. The aim of these pilot
activities is to identify priority sectors and products with high and
strategic export potential; address trade capacity weaknesses including
supply-side constraints, lack of conformity to market requirements and
standards; and support the implementation of multilateral trade
agreements.
Mr. Alexander Avanessov, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, noted:
“The fact that Armenia has become a member of the WTO indicates the
great progress made by the country since independence. The pilot
activities that are being launched by UNIDO and WTO at this seminar, in
combination with initiatives from UNDP and other donors, will assist
countries like Armenia to integrate further into the global economy and
multilateral trading systems.”
Armenia officially became the 145th member of the WTO on February 5,
2003. The country’s main trading partners include the European Union
(EU), Russia, USA, Iran and Georgia. A recent survey within the business
community on external trade and which was presented at the seminar
indicates that certification and standardization have had a serious
impact on external trade. Local companies involved in the survey
identified a number of obstacles to trade, including: corruption in
customs and taxes; complicated and fragmented tax and customs
legislation; and lack of cooperation between the customs and tax
administration bodies. Sixty-three percent of the respondents said that
they had lost export orders due to technical barriers to trade.
6. GLOBAL HEALING SETS ITS SIGHTS ON GYUMRI
Source:
GYUMRI–Cindy Basso Eaton is a long way from the manicured lawns of her
childhood town of Stockton as she surveys the “houses” that stretch
along the streets of Gyumri, the second largest city in Armenia. She
shakes her head in disbelief, shocked that nearly two decades after one
of the world’s most devastating earthquakes rocked this region to the
ground, nearly 15,000 residents still call makeshift metal “sea
container” like shelters home.
As the president of Global Healing, this scene only serves to give her
more incentive to pursue the California-based, non-profit organization’s
latest endeavor.
This year, Global Healing will embark on its 6th healthcare project
(Global Healing has four completed medical projects in Tbilisi, Georgia
and a current medical project in Roatan, Honduras). With the blessings
of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, Global Healing will construct and
oversee until self-sufficiency, Armenia’s first-ever blood banking
facility operating at international standards.
“Global Healing is a lifeline to those communities whose petitions for
help have fallen through the cracks of poverty, civil unrest or
environmental upheaval,” Basso Eaton explained. “We zero in on a need,
and supply the fix.
You won’t find us sitting in a boardroomwe have none? Our offices are
our computers, phones, cars, kitchens,” she explained.” We are a small
group of hardworking volunteers dedicated to bringing modern healthcare
to developing countries. We never say never.” The Armenia project is an
example of that attitude.
Although “blood stations” exist in Armenia, Basso Eaton explained these
centers lack national or international guidelines for operation and
safety. A large portion of the blood transfused in the regions of
Armenia is untested or not tested properly and risks contamination with
infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis. In
addition, there is no system in place for transporting blood products
throughout the region. This was a scenario Global Healing could not
ignore. “When completed, the Gyumri facility will have the technology
and functioning equipment to test all donor blood for infectious disease
as well as accurately type, process, store and cross match blood prior
to transfusion,” she explained. “We feel the people in the Shirak region
deserve no less than this,” she continued. The Gyumri blood bank will be
modeled after Global Healing’s Tbilisi, Georgia blood bank facility and
will include extensive training of Armenian staff by foreign medical and
administrative teams.
Basso Eaton’s pleas for help have been successful. “With just $7,000 in
donations we have done amazing things to realize the launch of this
important project,” she said.
In June, The United Armenian Fund in Los Angeles helped send a container
of equipment and supplies to the proposed site in Gyumri. The equipment
and supplies were donated by Baxter, Northern California. In addition,
Helmer Laboratories donated two vital temperature controlled blood bank
refrigeration units as well as a platelet incubator and agitator. Global
Healing received confirmation that Doctors Without Borders will supply
the blood bank with infectious disease kits and the Armenia Aids Program
will supply equipment for testing HIV as well as HIV test kits through
the Global Fund project. In addition, Becton Dickinson has donated over
one years worth of blood bank supplies. Major monetary donors to date
have been Alice Runge, Frank and Irene Garavano, Andy and Nora Armenian,
Stan Shore and two anonymous donors.
“Now we are looking for the angel, that special person or corporation
who can step in and give us the financial power to complete this promise
in Armenia,” Basso Eaton explained.
To fully begin and complete the blood bank, Global Healing needs to
raise $150,000. $30,000 will be used in the renovation of the existing
site. $60,000 will be used to procure the necessary equipment and
supplies not donated.
$60,000 will be used to cover the expense of sending foreign medical and
educator teams to Armenia to train locals. It will also be used to
implement a media campaign in Armenia to educate the public on the
merits of a “voluntary” blood donation system as opposed to the existing
“paid” programs. 100-percent of contributions will be used for the
Armenia Project. Global Healing is a US non-profit 501 (c) (3) and soon
to be a UK registered charity. Please send contributions to Global
Healing, PO Box 2166 Orinda, CA 94563.
Please visit the website at
7. ONLINE COURSE – ENVIRONMENTAL STATISTICS
Dr. Bryan Manly, author of `Statistics for Environmental Science and
Management,’ will be giving an online version of his `Environmental
Statistics’ short course Nov. 5 – Dec. 3 at statistics.com. The course
will cover standard and specialized statistical procedures, all from an
environmental perspective. Topics include regression, ANOVA, control
charts, bioequivalence, time series, risk assessment and more. There
will be four weekly sessions, focusing on (1) Sampling, (2)
Environmental Data Analysis, (3) Monitoring and Impact Assessment, and
(4) Spatial & Censored Data, and Risk Assessment.
Considerable material is covered; this course is ideal for someone who
has some background in statistics and needs more in-depth knowledge of
some of the techniques presented. Participants and the instructor
interact via a private discussion board; there are no set hours when you
must be online.
Exercises are provided. Details and registration at:
Peter Bruce
statistics.com
[email protected]
8. CALL FOR SESSIONS: 6TH OPEN MEETING OF THE HDGEC RESEARCH COMMUNITY
6th Open Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
Research Community
Global Environmental Change, Globalization and International Security:
New Challenges for the 21st Century
University of Bonn, Germany, 9-13 October 2005
Timeline and deadlines for applications:
Session submissions: September 15th – November 15th, 2004
Paper abstract submissions: February 1st, 2005 – March 15th, 2005
Poster submissions: February 1st, 2005 – March 15th, 2005
Pre-Open Meeting capacity-building training seminars: November 15th,
2005 – February 15th, 2005
More details, including information, application forms, timelines and
deadlines, are now available at the Open Meeting website,
This site is also accessible by going
to the IHDP website at and clicking on the 2005 Open
Meeting link.
Please understand that because of the large amount of interested
participants, we are only able to process applications, including
session and paper abstract submissions, through the Open Meeting
website.
Thank you, on behalf of the International Scientific Planning Committee.
Lis Mullin
Open Meeting Coordinator
I H D P
International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change
Walter-Flex-Strasse 3
D-53113 Bonn
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 228 739053
Fax.:+49 (0) 228 739054
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
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Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
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