BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As a result of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (M&A) Program initiated, under the auspices of the United Nations Compensation (UNCC), in the Kingdom of Jordan, State of Kuwait, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the "Claimant Countries") to assess the environmental impacts of the war and the appropriate approaches and technologies that would be required for remediation, it became clear that the environmental damages exceeded the national geographic borders. Studies also confirmed that the ecosystems of the regions, both marine as well terrestrial are ecologically interlinked. Thus, remediation of the environment in one country may not necessarily mean reestablishment of the functionality of the ecosystem regionally.
This is especially true for the marine environment, fisheries, and the reestablishment of the desert natural vegetation. It was also noted that remediation of the regional environmental damage is a large scale operation and could only be achieved by efforts on a regional level through joint cooperation. Thus, it would be more cost effective to design environmental rehabilitation projects in a manner that promotes synergy in terms of restoration of the ecosystems, as well as facilitate the exchange of information, experience and expertise between the Claimant Countries and Iraq.
In order to integrate Iraq within the above objectives, Iraq must embark upon the design and implementation of a national M&A program that benefits from the information and experience gained from the completed established M&A programs of the Claimant Countries.
After the recommendation of the UNCC for remediation claims pursuant to UNCC Governing Council Decision Nos.
212, 234,
235, 248 and
258), Claimant Countries, Iraq, and UNCC (attending as observer) participated in several meetings and agreed to establish the Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Program (RERP) that runs in parallel to the F4 Awards UNCC environmental rehabilitation projects, and is expected to continue beyond that.
RERP aims at strengthening regional cooperation in addressing the (1) regional environmental damages, (2) assisting Iraq in developing its M&A Program (3) integrating individual experience and expertise into the regional effort, and (4) developing and maintaining a Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Database (RERD).
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGIONAL ADVISORY GROUP
The National Focal Points (NFPs) of the Claimant Countries and the National Focal Point of Iraq (hereinafter referred to as Member States) agreed to form a Regional Environmental Rehabilitation Advisory Group (RERAG) to develop, implement and execute the RERP.
By forming RERAG from the existing NFPs already nominated for F4 Award Follow up Programme (as stipulated in the Guidelines annexed to Decision 258 of the UNCC GC), including the NFP of Iraq, it is expected that this structure will provide synergy, enhance coordination, optimize exchange of information and provide the experience and expertise required to ensure success of RERAG.
Kuwait
NFP will host RERAG meetings in the State of Kuwait the host country. RERAG will meet on quarterly basis, or as stipulated when the working program for RERAG is developed.
ROLE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGIONAL ADVISORY GROUP
Review of the M&A programs of claimant countries in order to flag information of relevance to the RERP;
Development of a regional work plan that is based upon a thorough analysis of the war related environmental damages including those damages not covered by the F4 Award projects and having regional impacts together with their requirements and priorities. Special emphasis will be given to Iraq with a view of assisting Iraq to develop a national M&A Program and a plan of action for remediation.
Exchange of experience, expertise and information gained through the M&A projects, with emphasis on supporting Iraq in addressing the war related environmental damages.
Development of a regional capacity building program in the various relevant disciplines, with emphasis to include the needs identified by Iraq in its monitoring and assessment reports.
Enhancement of the environmental databases available, which include baseline environmental data, results and conclusions of the M&A studies (carried out by the claimant countries), environmental remediation technologies, lists of expertise available in the region and other relevant information.
Development of RERD. The role of RERAG in relation to RERD will be to review the existing information and data available on RERD, and other available baseline data to identify data and information that may be relevant to the rehabilitation of the major regional environmental damages identified by the Program. RERAG Secretariat will also be responsible for preparing a document to include (a) RERD system specification requirements, (b) the terms of reference for any systems work that will be outsourced, and (c) the budget for RERD.
STRUCTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGIONAL ADVISORY GROUP
RERAG Secretariat
RERAG Secretariat will be established within the Kuwait NFP Secretariat. It shall include one environmental specialist, one senior environmental database manager, and one administrative assistant. Experts may be assigned on ad hoc basis, if required.
All administrative and logistical support to RERAG Secretariat will be provided by Kuwait NFP Secretariat (PAAC). A flowchart of the RERAG structure is presented in Figure 1.
Technical Support
RERAG will be assisted by a highly qualified (1) Technical Follow-up Committee (TFC) and (2) Database Expert Committee (DEC). NFP’s will nominate their representatives to the TFC and DEC as follows:
(1) TFC Nomination - for the various projects being implemented, e.g. soil remediation, marine and coastal areas rehabilitation, restoration of fisheries, health, revegetation of damaged terrestrial ecosystems. The TFC may decide to form working groups, one for each discipline. Member States may participate in one or more of the TFC working groups. The working groups will always meet simultaneously under the auspices of the TFC. TFC may decide to work as a group or as smaller working groups, one for each discipline. Member States may decide to participate in one or more of working groups of the TFC. The TFC may have to meet on quarterly basis in order to develop the work program, review the state of the environment reports and the remediation technologies and propose a mechanism for follow up of the remediation projects.
The main role of the TFC will be to:
-Discuss achievements and progress of the environmental remediation projects awarded by UNCC;
-Identify and classify technologies applied for the various environmental damages;
-Select and prepare reports identifying the most appropriate methodologies to be applied to rehabilitate the various regional environmental damages;
-Establish guidelines for environmental rehabilitation standards recommended for application to the various environmental damages;
-Report performance indicators and criteria required to achieve environmental standards;
-Prepare a plans and recommendations to investigate environmental damages in Iraq;
-Prepare technical and financial proposals to address environmental damages within Iraq;
-Establish a strong technical coordination and cooperation progam with environmental scientists in Iraq.
(2) DEC Nomination - Database experts who will be familiar with the UNEP and national environmental databanks, and have the expertise to coordinate the databank information sharing and archiving, and maintenance on behalf of their Member State with the State of Kuwait (host for RERD).
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Kuwait NPF will host RERAG meetings. Each Member State will be responsible for covering the travel and accommodation expenses of its nominees attending meetings. Member States will be responsible for all expenses which will be required to support RERAG activities within any Member State.
RERAG may explore and recommend funding mechanism(s) for the proposed project activities within any of its Member States if necessary. Financial investigation and enquiries may cover international financial institutions including the World Bank, Islamic Bank, other regional and national funding agencies, banks and donor countries. NGOs may also be invited to contribute.
The State of Kuwait has pledged US$ 10 million to assist Iraq in initiating its M&A Program Structure. RERAG needs similar formal commitment from other Member States, and other sources, including regional/international funding agencies.
