A PowerPoint presentation by Christina Nikolova Project coordination unit Local officer “Kalimok-Brushlen” Protected site delivered during Black Sea – Danube Regional Conference on Nutrient Pollution Control in Chisinau, Moldova last October 2006. Topics highlighted in the presentation are : (1)Project Overview, (2) Main Project Objectives, (3) Pilot Activities, (4)Project Progress by Components, (5) Expenditures by Sources of Funds

1. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Christina Nikolova
Project coordination unit
Local officer
“Kalimok-Brushlen” Protected site

2. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Brief:
Total project cost: USD mil 13,228
GEF Grant: USD mil 7,50
Funding: GEF, EU-PHARE
BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT,
AUSTRIAN
GOVERNMENT, LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
Implementation agency: MOEW / PCU
Implementation period: 5 years

3. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Main project objectives:
1: To demonstrate and provide for replication of
reduction of transboundary nutrient loads and other
agricultural pollution flowing into the Danube River
and the Black Sea basins
2: To ensure the protection of key target
threatened species in the protected areas through
wetlands restoration and protected areas
management programs
3: To provide support to the local stakeholders in
adopting environmentally friendly economic
activities in the two project areas

4. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Pilot Activities:
Restoration of ~ 3000 ha former floodplains
– Kalimok marsh and Persina marshes and
use of their capacity for nutrient reduction
Involvement of local stakeholders in
decision making - management of Kalimok-
Brushlen protected site by non-
governmental association of local
stakeholders
Support to sustainable environmentally
friendly use of natural resources around

5. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Olteniţa/ROMANIA
●
Kalimok-Brushlen Protected site – 6 000
ha
Kalimok marsh (after restoration) ~ 1
850 ha
Kalimok and Brushlen
former marshes ~ 35 000 ha
Tutraka
n●

6. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Persina Nature Park – 22 000 ha
Persina marsh (after restoration) ~ 1100 ha
Turnu Magurele
ROMANIA
●
Belene
●

7. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006:
Satisfactory
Significant progress has been made in
respect of :
Achievement of local stakeholders’ positive attitude
towards project implementation – a key tool for successful
project completion
Wetlands restoration model studies and design
Implementation of two grant schemes – SGP and FTSF;
Protected sites management planning
Raising capacity of the units responsible for protected sites
management, project implementation, local stakeholders
Delay in implementation of planed restoration

8. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: By
components
Component 1 - Wetlands Restoration:
Restoration of critical priority wetlands in the
Danube River basin and demonstration of their
nutrient removal capacity
Baseline surveys conducted
Feasibility studies for restoration works completed
Detailed wetlands restoration design for Persina marsh
completed and approved by local authorities, permit for
construction issued, construction works started in Aug-06;
Detailed wetlands restoration design for Kalimok marsh
completed, the process of approval by local authorities is
on-going - expected final approval date - Dec-06, permit for

9. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: By
components
Component 2 - Protected Areas Management:
Support towards sustainable resource management
in Persina NP and Kalimok-Brushlen PS
GEF funding
Two grant schemes implemented – 65 projects
funded, Farmer’s Transition Support Fund and
Biodiversity Conservation Small Grants Program
Renovation of offices and basic office equipment
and vehicles supplied to park administrations
Construction of Administrative building with visitor

10. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: By
components
Component 2 - Protected Areas Management:
Support towards sustainable resource management
in Persina NP and Kalimok-Brushlen PS
PHARE support
Protected areas management planning completed
Guidelines for establishing environmentally
sustainable developed
A comprehensive environmental monitoring program
developed
Protected areas management bodies fully supplied

11. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: By
components
Component 2 - Protected Areas Management:
Support towards sustainable resource management
in Persina NP and Kalimok-Brushlen PS
Austrian Government funding
Support for eco-business development provided by
Rousse Business Center to the agricultural
producers and small and medium enterprises from
Kalimok-Brushlen area – funded 4 projects

12. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: By
components
Component 3 – Project management,
coordination and monitoring
GEF funding
Project monitoring and evaluation system developed
First impact evaluation study conducted in 2005

13. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Expenditures by Sources of Funds
GEF Grant - USD 2,226,518
GoB Budget - USD 1,614,299
PHARE - USD 2,009,778
Austrian Gvt - USD 244,479
Local Authorities - USD 19,359
TOTAL (Sep-2006) USD

14. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: Difficulties
To gain public attention on wetlands restoration as
nutrient reduction tool
Delay in completion of detailed design for wetlands
restoration → delay in construction works
Delay in management planning of Belene and
Kalimok marshes
Changes in national legislation during the period of
project implementation
Unforeseen land use issues in the restoration area
of Kalimok-Brushlen protected site – wetland
borders very populated area

15. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: Difficulties
Slow running detailed design approval procedure
Management and maintenance of restored wetlands
and associated protected areas - Since
construction will be completed by March 2008, the
project will not be able to provide support during
the first years of operation of the facilities
Nutrient reduction strategy guidelines development
has not been carried out because of delays with
restoration works
Budget and time constraints

16. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006:
Recommendations:
The Ministry for Environment and Waters must
secure basic funding for park administrations (core
management staff)
New international donor support is needed to
secure the follow up of this project after 2007)in
terms of intensive area monitoring
To strengthen the Project PR campaign at national
and local level - to distribute widely good practices
from project activities

17. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006:
Recommendations:
To come to better coordination between interested
institutions
The management plans should address in a better
way “Restoration monitoring of nutrients, biomass,
morphology (sedimentation) and hydrology” and
“Management of nutrients and biomass”
It is extremely important to continue to apply the
participatory approach in order to support the
sense of ownership of the ideas

18. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: Lessons
learnt
Consensus building among stakeholders required
more time than originally anticipated
Participatory approach – a main tool for successful
project implementation
In order to speed up the designing process it was
most appropriate to contract the design to local
company - the detailed design was prepared by the
British consultants following British standards
which differ from the Bulgarian
The design approval procedure exceeded time

19. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: Lessons
learnt
The design approval procedure exceeded time
limits set with the Project Implementation Plan
There is need for further promotion of the detailed
wetlands restoration design in both sites
To consider land use and land ownership issues in
project areas
Wetland restoration needs National legislation
support

20. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
Project progress / Sep-2006: Lessons
learnt
ALL three functions 1)Biodiversity protection, 2)
Flood protection, 3) Nutrient retention can only be
partly restored
Any restoration variant is an innovation of wetland
use, and is beyond imagination (experience, trust)
for both local and national stakeholders and
responsible authorities
This pilot project will result in practical experience
over the years (e.g. of nutrient uptake and
ecosystem response)

21. Bulgaria Wetlands
Restoration and Pollution
Reduction Project
More about the Project:More about the Project:
www.worldbank.bgwww.worldbank.bg/wetlands/wetlands
www.kalimok.orgwww.kalimok.org;; www.persina.orgwww.persina.org