Sofia:
Environmental management of Sofia suburban zone - ECOZONE Sofia-East
Sofia:
| |
| Country: | a) CEE and Baltic States | ,b) Bulgaria |
| Language: | |
| Type: | Project, Policy, 1 |
| Area: | District/Quarter, Outskirts, > 1 million |
| Actors: | Local government, National government, NGO |
| Funding: | Local government, National government, European Union |
| Topics: | Energy |
| Housing (and new settlements) | |
| Information and public participation | |
| Land use and -planning | |
| Noise | |
| Sewage and waste water | |
| Solid waste | |
| Urban renewal / Urban rehabilitation | |
| Water | |
| Objectives: | Improve access to information |
| Improve environmental efficiency | |
| Improve intersectoral cooperation | |
| Improve national / international cooperation | |
| Increase bio-diversity | |
| Increase green areas | |
| Increase public awareness | |
| Increase use of clean technology | |
| Reduce energy consumption | |
| Reduce noise impacts | |
| Reduce resource consumption | |
| Waste avoidance | |
| Waste recycling | |
| Instruments: | Demonstration and pilot project |
| Integrated planning approach | |
| New environmental institutions / Institutional reorganisation | |
| New environmental policies and regulations | |
| Public participation |
The Pilot Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for "Sofia East" Ecological Zone has been prepared for an area situated to the east of Sofia. It proposes a model for the sustainable development of the area, defines a number a pilot projects and a structure for their implementation. The EMP, with its political and financial support, will be a model for Euro-integration in support of governmental policy. It will provide rehabilitation and preventative measures, establish a new model for urban sustainable development, and implement the requirements of Plan 2000 of the European Commission (EC). The EMP includes large business and investment projects which can be developed by share holdings or joint stock companies created with the participation of the Sofia Municipality.
The project will be implemented by an Agency for Sustainable Development and Euro- integration - "Ecozone Sofia" and a special Fund - "Ecozone Sofia" - will be created.
The Agency will implement the Plan in close co-operation with the Ministry of Environment and Waters and the Sofia Municipality. It will co-ordinate and control progress with the different pilot projects as well as monitoring sustainable development indicators and environmental conditions.
The Ministry of Environment and Waters together with Sofia Municipality are engaged in the presentation of two reports to the EC's Phare Programme. The first is a proposal for financial targets and methodological support for the Pilot EMP of Ecological Zone "Sofia-East", and the second is the Local Model for Sustainable Development and Euro-integration.
The reasons for including this project as a case study are threefold:
The pilot EMP for "Sofia East" Ecological Zone has been prepared for an urban and suburban / rural area of 135 sq. km. situated to the east of Sofia. Land use in the area is varied and includes high rise housing blocks, small satellite villages, industry and warehousing, highways and transport networks, agriculture and forestry, quarries and landfill sites. The area includes Sofia airport, Vrana Botanical Park, Sofia heat-power station and part of the Iskar river.
The administrative structure is also complex having three levels of authority:
The Sofia East Ecological Zone was proposed by a group of specialists in a report to the International Eco-Forum held in Sofia in 1989. In 1990, a preliminary proposal was made for environmental improvement for a part of the area and the urbanised banks of the River Iskar, but was not developed further.
The Contract for the pilot EMP for an Outlying Area of Sofia, hereafter referred to as the Pilot EMP for Sofia Ecozone, was awarded on 12 August 1996 to an international team made of two companies from Ireland and from Bulgaria.
Immediate objectives
The immediate objectives of this project are:
Medium-term objectives
The project has the following medium-term objectives:
Long-term Objectives
The long-term objectives of the project:
The project started in August 1996. A Structural Scheme for Functional Zoning (Urban Elements Establishment) of the project area was officially approved by the Sofia municipality in December 1997. It includes 14 sub-projects, six having priority in terms of funding from the Phare programme, each with terms of reference and tender documentation.
An Initiative Committee, with the Mayor of Sofia as president, was created and an Agency for Sustainable Development and Euro-integration - Ecozone "Sofia" (a not-for-profit organisation) was established.
In October 1997, an open memorandum of integrated activities for the implementation of the EMP, and the Local Model for Sustainable Development of Ecological Zone Sofia-Iztok (East), was signed in Sofia by the Ministry of Environment and Waters, Sofia Municipality and the regional authorities, Academic Institutes and NGOs.
One of the strategic approaches of the project is that all the potential partners (i.e. the central state institutions, the Greater Sofia Municipality, the local authorities of districts in the project area, NGOs, private firms) are involved in the project from its beginning. Their support is critical for the success of the project and they are treated as equal partners to help them to understand that this is their own project. They all are invited to participate in the discussions, to help in the definition of project goals, to help with lobbying in support of the project, and when necessary to provide information to assist the administrative and executive steps.
A strategic component of the project is EU- integration in that it is supposed to facilitate harmonisation between the Bulgarian and the EU environmental standards and legal framework.
The project's implementation will materialise gradually as it comprises many pilot projects. Some are large business and investment projects which can be developed by share holdings or joint stock companies created in conjunction with Sofia Municipality. Others will be submitted to EU funding institutions or programmes which provide grants.
In respect of the environment, the project proposes measures for its improvement, preventative measures and models for making a prognosis.
The project started with the establishment of working contacts among state organisations and the collection of general information about the zone. The preparation of the following ensued: a detailed plan and tasks to be undertaken by the expert team, preparation of a preliminary report, estimation and analysis of data collected, mapping of environmental problems, meetings and co-ordination with national institutions, discussions about the interim report, preparation of a pilot project for Environmental management -EcoZone Sofia - Iztok.
At this stage, the following pilot projects have been identified:
The Final Report will provide sufficient project preparation documentation for most of the projects to be recommended to different funding sources. The following six priority projects can be realised as they are relevant to the finalised short-terms planning goals of the Municipality of Sofia or other local authorities:
In general, the pilot projects included in the Final Report are oriented towards:
EMP implementation also includes large business and investment projects. Additional to the ordinary requirements, they have:
For this purpose, the Agency for Sustainable Development and Euro-integration - "Ecozone Sofia" will create a special Fund - "Ecozone Sofia". For an example, there is a share holding created for the enlargement of the airport. Other possibilities are creation of: a large market space in the periphery of Sofia, a complex for international trade, warehouse and offices, a new Eco-village, and a new railway station near Kazitchane. These projects will be developed at the technical level once the proposals have found potential investors or partners.
The major project partners who are involved are as follows:
The first phase of the EMP is funded from the EU Phare 1993 Enironment Sector Programme.
The funding provided is as follows:
Among the first results were the development of the different sub-projects and their preliminary analytical studies. A further result was the endorsement of the structural scheme indicating positively the Municipality's readiness to support the project further. At the next stage - it should be easier to find funding for well prepared projects which are comprehensively co-ordinated and orientated to a common goal.
The local authorities are weak and not fully independent as they lack their own financial means to realise their initiatives.
There is insufficient skill and knowledge of environmental management and urban planning among specialists and administrators. The general public lacks awareness about sustainable patterns of living and consumption.
The project, innovative in its concept, can be broadly applied in other Bulgarian cities and in other CEE countries - broad involvement of local partners and gradual preparation of smaller project proposals (sub-projects), which could be submitted to different funding institutions. In the Bulgarian and in the CEE financial situation, where the State cannot provide much funding to subsidise the realisation of similar environmental projects the only way is to adopt a step by step approach to urban improvements by preparing many smaller, but well co-ordinated and comprehensively planned, projects leading to a common goal.
The approach, which can be replicated for similar projects in restricted financial situations typical of CEE countries, was that funding for the core part of the project analysis and feasibility was initially granted by the EU, Phare programme, but additional funding will have to be sought from other resources, including local means.
The project itself is planned to be self-sustainable in a way that it includes business plans for the sub- projects which provide means for its own realisation onto the next stages.
The integrated approach of the whole project, which takes into consideration and incorporates in its sub-projects the long-term goals of the Ministry of the Environment, the Municipality of Sofia and other local authorities around it, is extremely important.
It would be more beneficial if EU programmes, such as Phare, can to be directed towards target cities and regions where a comprehensive approach to all problems - environmental, social and economic, can be applied rather than to focus on isolated issues only - like air, water, legal framework, etc., as it is the current situation.
Pilot project: Environmental Management of Sofia Suburban Zone - ECOZONE, Project reports from 1996 and 1997
| Name | : | Milenov |
| Firstname | : | Kristian |
| Telefon | : | Tel/fax +3592 9818216 |
| Telefax | : | |
| Address | : | Dipl. Arch. Kristian Milenov |
| 61, Tzar Assen Street | ||
| Sofia | ||
| BULGARIA | ||
City population of Sofia - 1.2 millions. Area - 1.300 sq. km. Sofia Municipality has 24 administrative districts each with their own mayors.
The city has a variety of pre-war, medium density housing areas which encircle the central commercial and administrative area. A second circle of greenery and lower density housing is followed by large pre- fabricated housing estates and industrial areas based on a land use plan and carefully adapted to the landscape.
Sofia is the capital city, industrial, cultural and educational centre of the country.
The process of economic liberalisation in Sofia was accompanied by a breakdown of industries, a considerable loss of industrial and administrative employment, and a high budget deficit. The private sector is only now beginning to plan for investments in centrally located, attractive areas, but most of the city continues to suffer from a prolonged period of no investment which has affected all urban infrastructure and spheres of life.
Project was added at 18.06.1998
Project was changed at 24.06.1998