Publication Name

mitment to the GEF Blue Forests programme. GRID-Aren-

dal is also positioning itself, through the appointment of

highly qualified experts, to engage with UNEP’s TEEB (The

Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) programme.

Within the context of the Nomadic Herders Project, the

Polar and Cryosphere programme implemented the pre-

paratory phase of a large-scale GEF project, which should

lead to concrete impacts on the biodiversity of Mongolian

and Russian pasturelands, contributing to fulfilment of

the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Our Cryosphere work, anchored in the Himalayan Climate

Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP), has achieved

significant synergies with the Center for International Cli-

mate Research – Oslo (CICERO) and the International

Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

The partnership with ICIMOD, a regional intergovernmen-

tal learning and knowledge-sharing centre that serves the

whole region of the Hindu-Kush Himalayas, has proved

especially rewarding.

Our long-standing work within the African Environment

Information Network (AfricaEIN) has been revived in or-

der to tap into other information networks, including the

Global Network of Networks and UNEPLive. The Afri-

caEIN is a network of information and data centres, insti-

tutions and experts across Africa, which aims to avail in-

formation and data for environmental assessments such

as the Africa Environment Outlook. A funding proposal

has been submitted to the GEF for a medium-sized pro-

ject. Plans for the future AfricaEIN are set out in a booklet

entitled

Strengthening the Africa Environment Information

Network: A Framework to Increase Access to Environmental

Information and to Support Africa’s Development Planning

Processes

In the past biennium, GRID-Arendal started the Chemi-

cal Safety Programme. In its framework it has conducted

3 projects, including the project on ‘Toxic Metals in Chil-

dren’s Products’ in cooperation with the International

POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). 569 different chil-

dren’s products, mainly toys, available on the market in

2012 in 6 countries of the EECCA region (Armenia, Be-

larus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine) have

been analyzed. Measurements focused on 6 heavy met-

als - lead, mercury, arsenic, antimony, cadmium and chro-

mium. Approximately 27% of the products were found to

contain at least one toxic metal above maximum permis-

sible level and 13% contained two or more toxic metals,

increasing their potential for harm. A media campaign,

designed to attract public attention and initiate discus-

sions with concerned audiences has generated more than

300 publications in European media and contributed to

policy changes.

The project ‘Improvement of the environmental policy of

Tajikistan in order to reduce mercury pollution and im-

prove human health’ in partnership with IPEN and local

NGO The Foundation for the Support of Civil Initiatives,

undertook a laboratory evaluation of the sources of mer-

cury emissions in the mining industry in the Sogd prov-

ince of Tajikistan, provided technical assistance to 5 hos-

pitals and capacity building for 130 staff in the cities of

Dushanbe and Vahdat. It also set up collection points for

mercury waste from households, organized the exchange

of conventional mercury lamps for energy saving ones,

and instructed 250 people on the collection of the hazard-

ous waste. The project has received a considerable atten-

tion of national media and praise from the Chairman of

the Environmental Commission of the Parliament of Tajik-

istan Mr. Makhmadsharaf Khakdodov. He acknowledged

its contribution to forming the position of Tajikistan to-

wards the Minamata Convention.

On the request of the Chemicals Branch of the UNEP Di-

vision of Technology, Industry and Economics, a medium-

size GEF project proposal titled: ‘Development of mercu-

ry inventory and national mercury management approach

in Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.’ has been prepared

with the national beneficiaries, endorsed by governments

of project countries and submitted by UNEP to the GEF

Secretariat. Partners have conducted a feasibility study of

the sources of mercury contamination in the three coun-

tries.

Another Project Identification Form (PIF) has been devel-

oped by the Interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention

with the participation of GRID-Arendal for a GEF project

titled: ‘Advancement of pollution control and reduction in

the Caspian Sea through enhanced regional governance

and knowledge of the Caspian Sea’. The project will focus

on three catalytic areas: regional governance; environmen-

tal monitoring; and capacity building and strengthening

of the scientific community in understanding the Caspian

ecosystem.