Activity of the BIOTICA Ecological Society

BIOTICA is an organization very active in the field of biodiversity conservation. Recently it is working on development of National Ecological Network of Moldova that represents a key issue for its activity. BIOTICA elaborated the draft instructions on creation of ecological networks of different levels that now are waiting for approval in the Ministry of Environment. Also it participated actively in the elaboration of the National program on the creation of National Ecological Network of Moldova.

BIOTICA has experience in developing management plans for protected areas, such as Ramsar site Lower Dniester and Unguri-Holosnita. Another field of interest is the development of ecological and rural tourism as basis for sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity.

"As the hosting organization of the Biodiversity Issue Group of the European ECO-Forum we have implemented a project “Identification of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland: support to non-EU accession countries” covering NIS, in partnership with UNEP RoE. HNV farmland concept was fitted to informational, environmental and other conditions of states in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Cetral Asia. Project results are successfully reported at plenary of the Belgrade-07 Ministerial Conference.

"Being supported by the Frankfurt Zoological Society, BIOTICA had prepared (2004) management plan for local steppe ecosystems in the Lower Dniester Ramsar Site with recommendations on restoration of steppe grasslands firstly developed in Moldova and provided conservational studies in zone of calcareous canyons of the Middle Dniester (2006).

Among other, BIOTICA implemented a project “Biodiversity Conservation in the Lower Dniester delta ecosystem” aiming at creation of a national park, first in the country. GEF and WB provided granting for this medium size project in amount of $ 0.975 million. Project was been implementing since April 2002 till April 2005 when the WB stopped it because Parliament of Moldova failed to advance the creative decision in defiance of own five programmatic decisions of 2001-2004, as the result of conflict of interests probably, and Government did not deliver official response to two messages of the WB. Nevertheless international experts confirmed high quality of produced documents. Academy of Sciences of Moldova approved basic set of documents for creation of the park. Besides, establishing and testing the public financial incentive system to encourage private investments in rural areas that are environmentally friendly were done and also community mobilization, as evidenced by letters and campaigns. This experience and documents may be used for other conservational initiatives.

BIOTICA has organized expeditions and field studies on the conservation of endangered species and habitats along the Dniester river, proposed to local authorities the program of revitalization of the State Reserve «Iagorlic» after the civil war of 1991-1992 (supported by ISAR / USAID, the World Nature Association, USA, Audubon Naturalist Society, USA, Cottonwood Foundation, USA, and local energetic enterprises). BIOTICA successfully drafted and lobbied the Parliamentary Decree «On Measures for Conservation of Dniester River Ecosystems and Biodiversity»; adopted July 10, 1997. In 1998-1999 BIOTICA have realized the project «Protecting Dniester River Biodiversity» with the support of John and Catherine McArthur Foundation (USA). The project included the study of the state of biodiversity components and ecosystems, lobbying of the conservation issues. In frame of this project we organized two ( November 1998 and October 1999) representative International Conference on the protection of the Dniester River biodiversity and published the proceedings. As a result of our field studies and help of colleagues, we collected the modern data on the biodiversity status of the Middle and Lower Dniester River ecosystems, which became a basis for the proposal to GEF/World Bank Medium Sized Project «Biodiversity Conservation in the Lower Dniester Delta Ecosystem» . With support of the National Environmental Fund BIOTICA has developed the Concept of Ecological Network in Moldova.

In 1994-1996 BIOTICA refined the draft of the Law «On Citizens' Associations» with support from the Eurasia Foundation / USAID and presented it to the Parliament. The draft law was passed in the Parliament of Moldova on May 17, 1996 and officially published January 23, 1997. In 1995 BIOTICA prepared the large report «Legal and Financial Environment of NGOs in Moldova» to establish the local office of «New-REC» in Moldova (support of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe). BIOTICA publishes the book «For What Purposes and How Citizens’ Associations are being Created», Kishinev, 1997, 116 pp., in two linguistic versions - in Romanian and in Russian. This book became the best seller in Moldova, which only this publication describes current public opinion about non-profit sector, legal and financial framework and comments, recommendations for people which want to create NGO, and model documents for registration. BIOTICA was active in drafting of the law «On Foundations» (adopted in 1999). In 1998 the BIOTICA team organised training in computer and communication techniques for 23 representatives of scientific and NGO communities. Together with several other Moldovan environmental NGOs, BIOTICA is trying to introduce high ethic standards of activity and cooperation in the Moldovan «third sector» and initiated the agreement in this field. BIOTICA actively participated with other NGOs in the implementation of «New-RECs» project in Moldova. We implemented the project directed to the development of the environmental NGOs in Transndiestria, the Eastern part of Moldova, which was supported by REC-Moldova and Know How Fund. Second stage - creation of five resource centers for NGO development in Transdniestria, is implemented now with supported of National Endowment for Democracy (USA).

BIOTICA proposed numerous amendments to Moldovan environmental drafts: «On Protective Zones of Rivers and Water Bodies», «On Wildlife», «On Environmental Impact Assessment Law», «On Drinking Water», etc. For example, a procedure for public participation in environmental decision making (EIA Law) was introduced in national environmental legislation; 32 taxons of invertebrates were additionally protected by the law «On Wildlife». BIOTICA is the author of the draft of the law «On Access to Environmental Information» (supported by Eurasia Foundation / USAID), whose content closely connected with ECE Directive 313/90 and Sofia'95 Declaration. This draft was presented to the Environmental Committee of the Interparliamentary Assembly (IPA) of CIS countries in St.Petersburg as a model law for the countries of the community and already passed in IPA December 6, 1997. BIOTICA firstly in Moldova published the collection of international treaties, ratified by the country (1998, 285 pp.). Also BIOTICA published the book «Environmental Legislation of Moldova» (1996-1998) in two lignuistic versions - Moldavian/Romanian and Russian (1999, 260 pp. each), as well as Aarhus Convention in three languages, including official one (1999). BIOTICA was the main initiator and promoter of the ratification of this convention by the Parliament of Moldova in April 7, 1999 when Moldova became the leader of this process. BIOTICA was the national participant of international NGO team which analysed current situation with public participation in Europe (Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe project), the results in form of REC publication were distributed among participants of the Aarhus pan-European Ministerial Conference «Environment for Europe», 1998. During London (1999) pan-European Ministerial Conference «Health and Environment for Europe» in official documents distributed to participants was included the national report for Moldova on the issue of legal issues of access to information and public participation in environmental and health matters, drafted by BIOTICA. In 1998-1999 BIOTICA has realised together with German NGO «Independent Institute for Environmental Concerns» - UfU (Berlin) TACIS-Democracy project «Democracy through Participation» which had the aim to enforce partnership between ECOs, MPs and governmental decision makers to develop participation in decision making. In frames of this project there were strongly developed capacities of national NGOs in public participation and enforced the national legislation in this field. Two books were published and widely distributed in the CIS area: «Democracy through Participation» and Aarhus Convention (first official edition in national language in Europe).