The first pilot Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) has been created in Kazakhstan on the basis of the statistical reporting by enterprises of Eastern Kazakhstan region in the electronic format.

The project “Strengthening public participation through promotion of the PRTR Protocol and creation of a pilot Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in Ust-Kamenagorsk” began in August 2009 with financial support from OSCE Centre in Astana as well as assistance from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan.  The project partners were European ECO Forum, Analytical Ecological Agency “Greenwomen”, industrial enterprises, a number of the state structures of Eastern Kazakhstan region, experts and non-governmental organizations.

This was the first time when such work was carried out in Kazakhstan. A pilot PRTR was developed at the sub-national level on the basis of the statistical reporting by enterprises of the Eastern Kazakhstan region where pollution of environment is very high. During the project, the proponents analysed the legislative and institutional possibilities of Republic of Kazakhstan, studied existing reporting by enterprises and tested the PRTR system with the aim to:

• reveal basic problems which enterprises can encounter when preparing the register
• conduct the functional test of the possibilities for creation of national PRTR on the basis of PRTR Protocol
• propose mechanisms for data presentation by main enterprises- pollutants.

To create the pilot PRTR, DEMO PRTR, the software application developed by the European ECO Forum, was employed.  This programme was offered to interested nongovernmental organizations of the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia region which are part of the European ECO Forum, including to the Analytical Ecological Agency “Greenwomen” from Kazakhstan.

On 16–17 November, a seminar took place in Ust-Kamenogorsk where pilot PRTR was presented along with the training on how to prepare such a register. Seminar participants discussed possible approaches to the creation of the national PRTR taking into account the pilot PRTR of Eastern Kazakhstan regions as well as existing experience of other countries.

The results of project and of the seminar were presented at the Roundtable in Astana on 25 November 2009. The Roundtable was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan, international and nongovernmental organizations and media. Participants also learned about the progress of the PRTR Protocol in Kazakhstan, UNECE region and the European Union. Participants of the Roundtable noted the importance of the work accomplished, the need for promotion and sharing of practical experience related to creation of the pilot PRTR(s) in other regions of the country.

Pilot Pollutant Release and Transfer Register on the basis of the statistical data from the industrial enterprises of Eastern Kazakhstan region is placed on the site http://kz-prtr.org/

This site is intended to provide further information about pollutants in the electronic format but also will be used to exchange information and share experiences in strengthening public participation in the Aarhus process.

For additional information, please contact:

Mara Silina, Chairperson of the Coordination Board of the European ECO Forum and Programme coordinator of the European Environmental Bureau: mara.silina@eeb.org;

Elena Vasilyeva, expert of the European ECO Forum: valyon@bk.ru and

Lydia Astanina, Analytical Ecological Agency “Greenwomen”: lidia.astanina@gmail.com.

[Source Green Women and European ECO Forum]