CENN – March 18, 2005 Daily Digest
Table of Contents:
1.. Oil and Gas Projects Prospects Being Considered in Tbilisi
2.. Plans to Sell Trunk Gas Pipelines Stir Controversy
3.. G8 Ministers Urged to Take Action on Poverty By Conserving
Biodiversity and Ecosystems
4.. Caucasus Contemporary Music Festival (CCMF)
5.. II International Seminar on Mountain Tourism Mountain Huts –
Challenges for Tourists and Nature?
1. OIL AND GAS PROJECTS PROSPECTS BEING CONSIDERED IN TBILISI
Source: Sarke, March 17, 2005
Around 150 delegates are taking part in a 2-day Georgian International
Oil, Gas, Energy and Infrastructure Conference – GIOCIE 2005, run by
British ITE Group, Exhibition Company, and its exclusive partner in the
Caucasus Iteca Caspian Ltd.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said how important
the conference was for Georgia to be crossed by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline and the South Caucasian gas pipeline.
2. Plans to Sell Trunk Gas Pipelines Stir Controversy
Source: Civil Georgia, March 18, 2005
Negotiations between the Georgian leadership and the Russian energy
giant Gazprom over the potential sale of Georgia’s main gas pipeline
network are currently underway. Meanwhile, the United States is calling
on Georgia to exercise caution when making a final decision in this
matter.
News about the government’s decision to privatize Georgia’s gas pipeline
system broke after President Saakashvili told the Italian newspaper La
Stampa on February 20 that Georgia is in fact negotiating with Gazprom
over this issue.
3. G8 MINISTERS URGED TO TAKE ACTION ON POVERTY BY CONSERVING
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS
Source: IUCN, March 17, 2005
G8 Environment and Development Ministers, meeting today and tomorrow in
Derby, UK, can reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of the world’s
poorest people by halting the loss of biodiversity and improving the
protection of ecosystems. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) welcomes
this first ever G8 Environment and Development Ministers’ Meeting. It
reinforces the growing recognition around the world that social and
economic development is directly related to, and dependent on, a healthy
environment. Healthy ecosystems support human well-being by providing
food, energy and genetic resources; by regulating water, air, climate,
soil and natural hazards; and through spiritual, religious, aesthetic
and recreational factors. The degradation of natural environments hurts
poor people the most. Biodiversity loss and deteriorating ecosystems
contribute to worsening human health, food shortages, vulnerability to
natural disasters, and security.
4. CAUCASUS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL (CCMF)
“Music on the Silk Road”, Conservatoire Grand Hall
This special concert introducing the Yo Yo Ma Silk Road Project and
welcoming Vache Sharafyan -official composer and musician Gevorg
Dabaghyan, one of the world’s duduk vituoso, will be held on Sunday 20th
March at the Conservatoire at 20:00. (Information is attached)
Tickets: 4, 6, 8 & 10 GEL from Conservatoire Box Office 93 46 24
Information: 899 233 086 & 379 270
5. II International Seminar on Mountain Tourism Mountain Huts –
Challenges for Tourists and Nature?
II International Seminar on Mountain Tourism
Mountain Huts – Challenges for Tourists and Nature?
Szklarska Porêba (Sudeten Mts. , Poland) 14 – 17 April 2005
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to inform you that the deadline for registration has been
extended until 29th of March.
Up till now, we have registered participants from Albania, Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, The
Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Viet-Nam but there is still
capacity for a few more people.
So, we invite you again to take part in our Seminar!
We are including the First Announcement in case you did not received
them before. For completing the registration form, please contact us
directly.
All information in English as well in German, you can find also on
Please, do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further
information.
With best regards,
Dr Piotr Dabrowski
Chairman of the Cracow Academic Section of PTTK
E-mail: [email protected]
First Announcement and Call for Papers
II International Seminar on Mountain Tourism
MOUNTAIN HUTS – CHALLENGES FOR TOURISTS AND NATURE?
Organized by:
International Friends of Nature
Institute of Tourism and Recreation of Cracow Academy of Physical
Education
Polish Tourist Country Lovers’ Society (PTTK) – Cracow
Academic Section
to be held in
Szklarska Poreba (Poland)
14 – 17 April 2005
Mountain huts play a pivotal role in access to the World’s high places.
They allow climbers to commence their ascents early in the morning,
backpackers can create adventurous high- level treks, but they should
not be viewed simply as facilities; properly managed mountain huts evoke
a powerful atmosphere of fellowship, helpfulness and responsibility
which has an educational impact, especially on younger tourists. Some
mountain huts are very old, possessing rich historical and architectural
values, and should be protected as cultural monuments in their own
right. On the other hand mountain huts are a form of enterprise, which
have to be economically viable. Finally, mountain huts are invariably
sited within a very fragile natural environment, intruding upon the
landscape and impacting upon local biodiversity. Technical and economic
developments together with the growing and increasingly sophisticated
demands of people are changing the nature and extent of mountain
tourism. Mountain huts are not immune to these pressures. Larger, more
accessible, and increasingly comfortable huts inevitably results in
increased impacts on local resources. This is why the organisers have
decided to invite people involved in the various aspects of this complex
issue to jointly discuss the present and the future of mountain huts.
The objectives of the Seminar are to exchange information, experience
and ideas on topics which include:
a.. mountain huts as historical monuments and witnesses to the past ;
b.. huts in the mountain landscape ( disfigurement or additional
value?);
c.. environmental impact of mountain huts and how to limit it;
d.. mountain huts as a place of interpretation and education;
e.. creating the right social atmosphere in mountain huts;
f.. nature – friendly mountain huts;
g.. mountain huts and protected areas – conflict or cooperation?
In addition the Seminar will provide participants with an opportunity to
visit the Giant (Karkonosze) Mountains National Park – an area of
exceptional bio-cultural diversity and with more than two hundred years
history of mountain tourism. Visits to other national parks in the
Sudety Mountains will be possible during the post-seminar excursions.
Participants/Audience:
The organisers invite participation from all people with an involvement
or interest in mountain tourism – natural as well as cultural –
including managers of mountain huts, mountain guides, tour leaders,
interpreters, rangers, park managers responsible for environmental
education, scientists, writers and journalists interested in mountain
issues from all over the world.
Call for papers:
Participants are kindly invited to submit papers, posters or any other
kind of presentation related to the theme of the Seminar. Papers,
accepted by the Editorial Committee, will be published in the
post-conference issue of Folia Turistica – the scientific journal edited
by the Institute of Tourism and Recreation in Cracow.
The working languages of the Seminar will be English and German.
Simultaneous translation will be provided.
The cost of the participation is: 150 – 195 Euros per person (dependent
on standard of accommodation) – detailed information to be provided
later. Price includes: accommodation in twin room, full board,
participation in sessions, field excursion. Accompanying persons pay 120
– 165? Venue: detailed information to be provided later.
All colleagues wishing to participate or to be informed about
Further details are requested to send an e-mail or fax to:
Michael Prochazka – [email protected]
Fax: ++43 1 8129789
Or Piotr Dabrowski – [email protected]
Fax: ++48 12 4231697
Indicating: name, surname, e-mail address and represented
institution/society/protected area/company/media organisation. The
organisers will forward full details and a registration form.
We look forward to seeing you in Szklarska Poreba!
Michael Prochazka – Secretary General IFN
Piotr Dabrowski – Chairman of the Cracow Academic Section of PTTK
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CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)
Tel: ++995 32 75 19 03/04
Fax: ++995 32 75 19 05
E-mail: [email protected]
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