Measures for conservation and restoration of natural heritage in Bourgas and Enez

Project code:CB005.1.12.115
Project call:CB005.1
Priority axis / Specific objective:1.2. Improving the capacity for nature protection, sustainable use and management of common natural resources through cooperation initiatives in the cross-border area
Type of project:Investment
Project duration in months:24
Project final contract amount:393830.42 €
Project EU co-financing rate:85.00 %
Project start date:21.03.2017
Project end date:20.03.2019
Project intervention field:085 Protection and enhancement of biodiversity, nature protection and green infrastructure
Project summary:

The project aims at increasing the technical capacity for measuring the water quality in Gala Lake (Turkey) through purchasing specialized equipment and physically improving the environmental conditions in Vaya Lake (Bulgaria) through investment activities.

The project envisages improvement of the overall capacity for nature protection and sustainable management of natural resources and biodiversity in both lakes through conducting parallel structured studies of the ecological status of the waters, measuring pollutants, making recommendations and developing joint model for ecosystem services. During the project duration it will be implemented specialized training on environmental protection and preservation of biodiversity in Burgas and Enez and awareness-raising campaign. For the purposes of the project it will be delivered a vertical system for monitoring the waters of Gala Lake in Enez and the channel "Vaya Lake - Black Sea" in Burgas will be cleaned.

The implementation of the project will improve the capacity of the project partners in the area of nature protection will be improved, including their potential for collaboration in developing and executing joint initiatives targeting at sustainable using of natural resources and protection of the biodiversity. In addition, the investment activities carried out will lead to direct mprovement of the ecological conditions in Vaya Lake and Gala Lake.

Project status: Finished

The project partners have implemented the activities according to the schedule.

The project aims to physically improve the environmental conditions in Lake Vaya (Bulgaria) by carrying out investment activities (for cleaning of the channel Vaya – Black sea) as well as increasing the technical capacity to track the quality of the waters of Lake Gala (Turkey) by purchasing specialized equipment.

As a result of the project, the overall capacity for environmental protection and biodiversity in the two lakes was improved by conducting parallel structured analyses studies of the ecological conditions of water and pollutants, formulation of recommendations and development of a joint ecosystem services assessment model. In the same time were performed many soft activities:

In October 2017, the District governorship Burgas hosted two such events. At the beginning of the month, a workshop with experts from Bulgaria and Turkey was held in Burgas with the participation of Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water Protection - Burgas, Department of Water Protection at University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov".

A few days later was organized a joint training for environmental protection and conservation of habitats and biodiversity - Lake "Vaya" Burgas, Bulgaria and Lake "Gala" Enez, Turkey. From October 17 to 19, 2018, a three-day training was held in Enez, Turkey, during which were presented the results of the water quality survey in both lakes. There was also discussed a methodology for assessing ecosystem services and a concept for a joint ecosystem service model in Vaya and Gala. According to experts, the forecasts for improving the water status of Lake Vaya after cleaning the Vaya channel are optimistic.

Cleaning has already been beneficial in terms of normalizing the hydrological regime of the lake and improving the state of biodiversity.

The benefits from the project are explained by the large environmental, cultural, and recreational potential and importance of the two target zones. Lake Vaya is part of Via Pontica (the second biggest bird migration route in Europe) and lake Gala is a nature reserve (part of the Meriç Delta IBA site). Many of the species inhabiting/migrating in the two zones are extremely rare and/or under threat of extinction.

Project website:

http://morecare-bgtr.eu  

Social Media Presence

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/morecareainos/

Project materials:

Project promotional materials are available HERE.

Project products:

The project information brochure is available HERE.

The brochure "MoreCare" is available HERE.

The research "Joint Model and an Assessment Methodology for ecosystem services in Vaya (Burgas) and Gala (Enez) lakes" is available HERE.

The Study on the ecological status of the waters of lakes Vaya and Gala is available HERE.

The Presentations from Training on environmental protection, conservation of habitats and biodiversity, Modul 1, held on 07-08 October 2017 in Burgas are available HERE.

The Presentations from Training on environmental protection, conservation of habitats and biodiversity, Modul 2, held on 09-11 October 2017 in Enez are available HERE.

 

Partners

Leading partner
District Governorship Burgas
PP2
District Governorship Enez