Development of environmental cooperation and networking in the South Caucasus Region

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1 COUNTRY: GEORGIA Collection of innovative and good practice approaches in the use of electronic tools to implement the Aarhus convention Development of environmental cooperation and networking in the South Caucasus Region 1. Summary CENN (Caucasus Environmental NGO Network) electronic network was set up in The initiative aimed at development of cooperation and networking, strengthening of NGO capacity, joint activities and regional projects, encouraging easy access to information, as well as raising of environmental awareness. CENN web page as well as its news issues (weekly digest and bulletin) plays the role of information and news portal for the Caucasus region, as they enclose a vast amount of information regarding environment and related issues. - CENN web-page Weekly Digest - Monthly Bulletin Announcements Hot News 2. Relationship to the Aarhus Convention Article 3, paragraph 7 Article 4, paragraph 1b Article 5, paragraph 1b; 1c; 2a; 3a/4; 3b; 3c and 5 a/b; 6; 7a; 7b; 7c.; 9a; Article 6, paragraph 2.; 3 ; 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7 ; 9; Article 7 Article 8, paragraph (a); (b); (c) 3. Technical Profile of the Application/Tool/Medium The following equipment is used to disseminate and exchange information. Software: - Windows 2003 server, - Mail server, - MySQL Server, - Apache , - PHP Server at cenn.ge.

2 Hardware: - computer (Dell Power Edge 800 Server), - Internet connection (Leased Line SHDSL) These sources ensure the working of CENN mailing list: General Environmental information circulated worldwide 7595 Georgian Environmental information circulated within Georgia 2256 Armenian Environmental information circulated within Armenia 502 Azerbaijan Environmental information circulated within Azerbaijan 505 Russian Environmental information circulated within Russia 164 Former Soviet Union Environmental information circulated within former Soviet Union countries English Bulletin Monthly bulletin in English language Russian Bulletin Monthly bulletin in Russian language CENN Advertisements Information regarding tenders, vacancies, announcements, trainings, etc also give the opportunity to CENN mailing list subscribers to subscribe/unsubscribe. The users need to have a computer and access to internet to view this information or communicate. 4. Environmental Information Provided CENN distributes every day information regarding environmental issues taking place in Georgia and Caucasus region (prepared by CENN, as well as delivered by other organizations). Currently, 111 issues of the monthly bilingual (English, Russian) electronic bulletin Caucasus Environmental News are published The weekly bilingual (English, Russian) digests, are issuing on a regular basis These publications feature a wide range of information including transport, health, etc. 5. Participation Options Provided The CENN network is popular with various institutional sectors; among its subscribers there is a wide range of non-governmental or governmental organizations, scientific circles, private sector entities; all of them often contact the CENN with the request to disseminate urgent information. The Ministries of Environmental Protection and Nature Resources in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan use the CENN network to disseminate information on various state policies and strategies (i.e. National Environmental Action Plans (NEAP), announcements of various tenders). Armenian and Azerbaijan NGOs use it for dissemination information on regional festivals, seminars/ workshops, etc. The CENN electronic network also supports the Aarhus Centers in the Caucasus countries in realization of the first pillar of the Aarhus Convention public access to information.

3 A number of private companies (oil company Frontera Easter Georgia, bp, Heidelberg, etc.) regularly use CENN electronic network for dissemination of information on public discussions of its EIA reports. Universities and private institutions, like, European School of Management (ESM) -Tbilisi, Chavchavadze University, GIPA, etc. use the electronic network for dissemination of calls for various trainings. Armenian, Azeri and Georgian NGOs use it for dissemination of the information on regional environmental and youth festivals, seminars/ workshops; announcements on environmental actions and news. Various international organizations regularly apply to CENN service for dissemination of information on trainings, seminars, vacancies, contests, grant competitions (e.g. World Bank, IFC, EBRD, MATRA, IUCN, WWF Caucasus Office, British Council, Eurasia Foundation, UNDP, etc.). 6. Target Group CENN is a unique regional (Caucasus region) network that gives opportunity to various nongovernmental and governmental organizations (decision-makers), representatives of private sector as well as scientists and interested persons to exchange information and various ideas, communicate with each other, to inform each other on their activities, regional and international meetings/seminars, to find the field of interest and initiate new activities. 7. Impacts, Results At present CENN electronic network has about subscribers in Georgia, Caucasus region and worldwide. CENN provides its subscribers with not only up-to-date and urgent information but also does it in time. Existence of electronic network gives opportunity to post information directly to our customer in 15 minutes. Subscribers are informed about every important regional or national level action, meeting and other event by CENN electronic network. CENN news releases enclose not only purely ecological (specifically green) articles but also various issues that are linked with environment and nature resources, such as social aspect, poverty issue, economical aspects, tourism, energy issues, etc. That determines multiplicity of its audience/subscribers. CENN electronic network ensures easy access to information as well as raising of environmental awareness

4 8. Costs, Benefits Costs Capital assets: Windows 2003 server USD Dell Power Ege 800 Server USD$ Annual costs: Internet connection (Leased Line SHDSL) 1440 USD Mail server USD Domain cenn.ge - 20 USD Free: MySQL Server Apache , PHP Server For sustainability of the electronic networking, CENN already in September of 2006 changed its strategy and charged dissemination of some types of announcements. Particularly, CENN charges for the receipt of all announcements disseminated separately from the CENN Weekly Digest, which include the following: - Vacancy announcements; - Tenders; Trainings; - All types of announcements with no connection to environmental issues; - PR announcements of business sector All other types of announcements (on seminars, workshops, any comments on tangible environmental issues, call on submission of information and so on) are free of charge. Details on the terms and conditions are available at: The consumers of CENN electronic network have opportunity to be informed in time about urgent information taking place in the Caucasus region and worldwide daily news, weekly digest, monthly bulletin. Subscribers are informed about every important regional or national level action, meeting and other event by CENN electronic network. They also have opportunity to send us their information which will be disseminated through our network. 8. Obstacles and Challenges CENN considers that entire self-sustainability of electronic network is impossible. However we have started working on partial self sustainability of the network and charged certain types of announcement. 9. Non-Electronic Alternative Every three months CENN is publishing regional magazine Caucasus Environment. The magazine is prepared through the combined efforts of Georgian, Armenian and Azeri partners. At present, 22 issues of the magazine were published with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). All publications of the magazine are uploaded to the magazine web-site:

5 10. User Contact Information Name: Eka Kakabadze Address: Vaja-Pshavela Ave. 41, 6th floor; Tbilisi 0177; Georgia Tel: (995 32) /71 Fax: (995 32) Website: