Agenda 21 for sustainable development of pilot mountain communities in connection with holding of the XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympics Games in Sochi in 2014 (стр. 2 )

Existence of territories intended for regulated economic activities within national parks allows to lease land sites and objects by citizens of the settlements (individually and on cooperative basis) and perform agricultural, touristic or other activities allowed by the Russian legislation. Representative of a protected area may be an initiator of this activity while local administrations and big industrial enterprises may support such initiative on sustainable development of a territory. In 2001 in the Katun reserve five micro-credits were issued for the sum of 140 000 rubles for the development of production and packing of natural environmentally clean honey. Borrowers legalized their status and unified in an informal association of producers of honey. The funds were returned in time and in the full amount.

The general conclusion of the UNDP/GEF project was the common belief that specially protected areas may increase their role in the organization of sustainable development of local settlements and finding suitable forms for implementing micro-credit programmes.

Chapter 1. Review of the existing international experience and approaches

In order to develop an effective Local Agenda 21 for the pilot communities the project team considered, generalized and analyzed the rich international experience of developing and implementing various international initiatives for local communities including implementation of big sport events.

It might be useful to get acquainted with the list of these sources covering a big variety of countries and their practices.

The List of Sources

1.  Agenda 21, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), UN, 1992, 2.  Local Agenda 21, Chapter 28 of the Agenda 21, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), UN, 1992, 3.  UNEP Sport and the Environment Initiative, 4.  Olympic Movement’s Agenda 2, Sport for Sustainable Development, IOC, 5.  Planning for Sustainability, the Starter guide, The Natural Step, 2009, Canada, 6.  Integrated Community Sustainability Planning, A Guide, The Natural Step, Canada, 2009, 7.  Conservation and Sustainable Development in Mountain Areas, Mountain initiative Task Force, IUCN, 2004, 8.  The International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions, FAO, 2011, 9.  Living the Dream, 2010 Winter Games Post-Games Report, The Resort Municipality of Whistler, Canada, 2010, 10.  Delivering the Dream, 2010 Winter Games Strategic Framework Summary, The Resort Municipality of Whistler, Canada, 2010, 11.  Independent Environmental Assessment, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, UNEP, 2009, 12.  Sochi 2014, Report of the UNEP 2nd Expert mission, 28-30 January 2010, 13.  Sustainable Sport Management, UNEP, 2001, 14.  The Sport and Environment Commission, IOC, 15.  Green Goal in South Africa, UNEP, FIFA, 2010, 16.  Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Major Sporting Events, The UNEP/GEF Project, 2010, 17.  Sustainable development in mountain regions: the path ahead, FAO, 18.  From Rio 1992 to 2012 and beyond: 20 years of sustainable mountain development in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Draft Regional Report, Lucerne World Mountain Conference, 11-12 October, 2011, UNEP-Vienna Office, 2011, 19.  Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in the Mountains Initiative, International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions, 2005, 20.  Sustainable Livelihood Initiative, International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions, 2004, 21.  Green Economy and Sustainable Mountain Development: Kathmandu Declaration, ICIMOD, 2011, 22.  Manual on Sport and the Environment, IOC, Lausanne, Switzerland, 2005, 23.  Possibilities for the Development of Small Businesses in Rural Areas, Swiss Agency of the Development and Cooperation (Swisscontact), 2010.

Of certain importance for the development of a Local Agenda 21 for mountain settlements of the Caucasus was the experience of work at the local level in the course of holding of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and the experience of municipalities of Canada in the course of preparation for and holding of the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010. Thus, in order to take into account the environmental aspect of holding the Olympic Games in Beijing a special target project had been developed and implemented in advance. Its first phase was completed by September 2004 – four years before the Olympic that time local authorities of Beijing created “green belts” around the city with total length of 937 km and the territories of total area ofhectares covered by forests. The second phase of the project aimed at the construction of a highway Beijing-Chengdu was completed in 2007. It allowed increasing total length of the “green belts” by another 61 km and the area covered by forest by 347 ha.

1.1 Greening Programme

FIFA Green Goal 2010 Programme declared for the Football Championship 2010 may serve as a good example of useful international experience in the field of interaction of sport and the environment.

It builds on the success of Germany's 2006 model and the UNEP/GEF Project “Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Major Sporting Events”. The given Programme based on the result of a partnership between the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).

Three major greening projects were implemented:

Renewable energy interventions in the six World Cup host cities An awareness-raising drive on green tourism A UNEP programme to offset the carbon emissions of eleven World Cup teams

1.2 Mountain areas and watersheds

Watersheds are important elements of landscape and main sources of clean fresh water. In the global context more than half of the population directly depends on mountain watersheds in terms of drinking water, food production, electric power and other everyday needs. Quite often, people leaving in mountain watersheds are among the poorest and most vulnerable parts of population. Isolation, limited access to land resources and other resources as well, forced unsustainable use of natural resources, i. e. excessive pasturing, logging, ploughing up of slopes result in deterioration of life conditions and create additional difficulties for people in mountain areas.

During recent decades the risks for watersheds located in mountain areas seriously increased. Apart from the above considerations it is connected with extraction of minerals, climate change, development of tourism, etc. This result in serious problems related to provision of clean drinking water, deterioration of its quality, soil erosion, landslides, loss of biodiversity, floods, decrease of agricultural land fertility, as well as other serious environmental consequences.

Adequately designed and wisely implemented programmes of integrated watershed management are able to improve living conditions of local population and protect the environment on which they depend. Both the above problem and the proposed approach to addressing it are topical for the mountain communities of the Caucasus considered within the framework of the given study. Consideration of its aspects and formulated proposals might become one of the components of the Agenda 21 for mountain communities of the Caucasus in connection with Olympic and Paralympic games in Sochi.

1.3 IUCN Initiative on interconnection of water resources and biodiversity

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) initiated this programme in the field of improving water resources management in cooperation with more than 80 organisations around the world. It became a direct response to a call raised at the 2-nd World Water Forum in the Hague in 2002 where IUCN Strategy in the field of water and nature was also approved. This initiative demonstrated ecosystem approach to addressing the issue of water resources management through local projects around the world. Projects on the development and application of special tools in the field of authorities, management, financing and education were also implemented in support of this initiative. Within the framework of this initiative a range of practical decisions was developed and proposed in order to improve the state of polluted waterways, irrigation of dried rivers and streams, disturbed wetlands. The proposed measures demonstrated that ecosystem approach to management and participation of all the stakeholders might ensure addressing the issues connected with the lack of water resources and the need for improving their quality, as well as to significantly improve living standards of population, including mountain areas.

The experience of activities in the field of forestry and management of protected areas at the national level of some countries demonstrated the necessity of a regional approach for ensuring benefits and rendering services that mountain areas provide for local population, as well as to users living in other areas. Moreover, it demonstrated tremendous importance of biodiversity conservation at local, regional and global levels.

1.4 Access from the outside: positive and negative aspects

Development of road network, systems of telecommunications opened mountain areas for external influence. For local communities such influence might be both positive and negative. For example, development and improvement of transport network simplifies delivery of their goods to markets, simultaneously decreasing the prices for imported goods that they buy, thus increasing their accessibility.

At the same time, easy access to mountain areas increases the risk of more rapacious exploitation of local natural resource by external users and companies. An important factor of protection of interests of local population in mountain areas is the provision of a situation when local citizens dispose of their natural resources; regulate access to them and distribution of benefits from their use.

Lower life standards of population in the mountain areas in comparison with population of other parts of a country can to a considerable degree be explained by unsustainable use of natural resources. The international experience shows that this issue might be addressed by resolving various types of conflicts, improving safety and quality of water supply and food, infrastructure development, etc.

1.5 Initiatives on local development

As it is demonstrated by international experience, the effectiveness of environmental protection to a considerable degree is determined by the level of local development. Population needs to be provided with steady types of activities that might replace for them unsustainable use of natural resources. Productive activity of citizens of local communities might be reorganized, for example, by facilitation of rural development committees, establishment of cooperatives, as well as provision of micro-credits. Such types of activities might also ensure resolution of conflicts and problems, such as water resources intake, development and restoration of tourism, as well as fair distribution of revenues.

Formation of public opinion on the necessity of preventing unsustainable use of natural resources and conservation of natural areas is only possible when the public recognizes the importance of biodiversity conservation and natural objects. In this regard, organization of environmental education and enlightenment in rural schools becomes a very important condition. Moreover, international experience shows that it is expedient to establish commissions on settling local disputes and conflicts.

1.6 The experience of work of municipalities of Canada on the development of local Agenda 21

Of evident interest and benefit for the purpose of the study is the experience of the Canadian initiative Wistler 2020, aimed at maximum use of the potential of local communities, increasing economic viability of municipalities, strengthening environmental activities for sustainable development. The given initiative was developed in order to ensure conservation of natural heritage, improve the system of local planning at municipal level by holding consultations with local population and application of available experience and was adopted in 2005.

The work consisted of four carefully planned phases. At the first phase “success factors” were identified and formulated. Then, at the second stage five possible scenarios of development of local communities were developed and assessed. During the third stage a preferable vision of the future of a municipality was formulated along with the development of a draft strategic action plan with participation of working groups representing sixteen pilot municipalities. At the fourth stage of actions a preferable vision of the future was transformed into a strategic vision of the Programme up to the year 2020 and the development of sixteen strategic plans was supplemented by programme components of current activities with the involvement of a wide range of organizations and stakeholders.

An important moment of this initiative is connected with the fact that all plans and strategies were developed by municipalities themselves in order to ensure their actual effectiveness and support from population. The approach called “The Natural Step” became a methodological basis for the development of plans.

Strategic plan for the town of Saskatoon can serve as a positive example of the given initiative.

As a component of its aspiration to ensuring sustainable development the municipality of Saskatoon identified the need for the development of the decision-making culture that includes principles of sustainability and takes into consideration both short-term and long-term objectives and tasks. In 2008 the municipality of Saskatoon addressed the experts in the field of “The Natural Step” with a request to assess an existing system of decision-making and management practices and to compare them with best practices of leading municipalities in Canada and abroad in order to develop necessary recommendations on their improving.

On the basis of this assessment the experts of the Natural Step prepared a report that contained a summary of best practices and specific examples. Part of recommendations and conclusions, contained in the given Report, might be quite useful for the purposes of the given study on the mountain settlements of the Caucasus.

1.7 Obstacles on the way to sustainable development of municipalities

The international experience shows that there is a whole range of general obstacles to sustainable development of municipalities that seek to integrate sustainability in the decision making process and their management systems.

For example, availability of a skeptical attitude to sustainability, especially by senior management, can be in itself a certain obstacle for the development. In order to avoid such situation it is necessary to conduct a significant number of discussions for clarifying the reasons for concerns of population and addressing certain issues.

Lack of understanding of a more complex issue of sustainability can also be an important obstacle. This requires organization of education, professional training and public awareness raising.

An interesting aspect of the experience is connected with the understanding of the need for ensuring sustainability that include recognition by the population of things that “they need to do themselves” and not municipality a as structure. This underlines the importance of commitments of the leaders and integration of sustainability in methods and ways of activity as incentives for ensuring sustainability.

In spite of the fact that mountain areas are rich in natural resources many inhabitants of those areas live in poverty. Appearance of new types of activity that bring revenues and increase the potential for traditional and alternative occupation of population will help to preserve natural environment in the mountain areas and improve living standards of their inhabitants.

Among the main recommendations and strategies developed are: development of a system of “lessons learnt” in the field of best practices of sustainable life support; promotion of alternative ways for getting revenues and products; diversification of production in order to preserve natural resources; widening of the markets of organic farming products; integration of products in local production schemes; development of sustainable tourism in mountain areas and ecotourism; increasing market prices of products produced in mountain settlements.

In this regard, a project on promoting products produced in mountain areas is a key type of activity.

1.8 Possibilities for the development of small businesses in rural areas

In the conclusion to the given study it is expedient to consider the initiative of the Swiss Agency of the Development and Cooperation (Swisscontact), aimed at studying and possible improvement of the situation for the development of small business in some countries, including the Russian Federation. According to the estimation by the World Bank of , the Russian federation occupies only 79th place in terms of favorability for the development of small business.

Within the framework of this study it is recognized that the Russian society is developing and changing. This necessitates the need for changing the role of the state and business. Unfortunately, institutional environment that does not correspond to the small business development needs has negative impact on business development. From the point of view of the authors of the given project, there are several obstacles that prevent from successful development of small business in Russia. They include, in particular:

- absence of mechanisms for a dialogue with the government authorities;

- weak potential of public and private sectors;

- inadequacy of supporting functions, such as research, information and communication.

Studies implemented in Russia show that in the dynamic business environment obtaining of information should be an uninterrupted process having support and capacity building on the ground for successful implementation of reforms.

According to the opinion of Swiss experts, the most important moment in the small business for Russia is ensuring ownership, as well as rendering support for creation of adequate business environment.

1.9 Proposals and recommendations on the development of mountain settlements on the basis of international experience

The rich international experience shows that wide-scale sport events might serve as an incentive for propaganda of sustainable development and addressing specific issues in such fields as decreasing production of wastes and their disposal.

On the basis of the above examples of international experience of the development of local communities it is possible to make several proposals that provide for maximum use of the potential of the Games and, at the same time, allow to rich positive changes in the life of local communities of the region of Sochi.

1.  As mentioned above, an important aspect of municipal development is connected with competently planned and rationally used programmes of integrated watershed management. They may allow to raise the living standards of local population and to protect the environment it depends upon. At the same time, such an approach requires agreed and coordinated actions of the authorities of numerous municipalities, local business and the public. Taking into account that the problem of water supply is important for all municipalities under consideration it is proposed to study possibilities for establishing inter-municipal commissions or some similar structures that might be involved in addressing issues related to the development of watershed management and joint consideration of relevant problems.

2.  An interesting aspect, proposed in the UN Guidelines on planning, is consideration of possibilities for partners on the development of Local Agenda 21 to select two types of people who should work on it: (1) ordinary citizens, that did not have any “position” in their old system of management and that can get certain “position” in a new management system, and (2) local leaders in the field of politics, business, mass media, religion, education, etc., eager to make changes in their relevant fields of activity.

3.  As the experience of previous Olympic Games shows, natural objects and even their specific components and areas might be within personal supervision of citizens that take care of them. Apart from the opportunity to preserve such natural objects and resources this may allow to create additional jobs, raise the interest of local population to local potential and cultural heritage, attract volunteers, pupils of local schools and students.. This can also give a push for the development of ecotourism.

4.  Preparation for the Games and aspiration to fulfill relevant obligations may provide opportunities for municipal authorities to initiate and implement the whole range of projects on increasing efficiency of work of municipal services and systems, for example, systems of water supply and sanitation. In this regard, it seems expedient to include in the Local Agenda under development the above issues with due account of the rich international experience, for example, experience of OECD on organization of work on water supply and sanitation in rural areas of EECCA countries. Recommendations prepared by OECD experts in the relevant field are directly aimed at addressing issues of rural water supply and sanitation and may provide a basis for future (post – Olympic) actions in the given field.

5.  The experience of organization and holding of the last Football Word Cup in South Africa testifies the significant potential in the field of municipal development. In particular, as shown above, it is necessary to pay special attention to such issues as: awareness raising in the field of ecosystem approach to natural resource management, involvement of population into sustainable management of water resources, etc. It is proposed to consider possibilities for applying ecosystem approach to management and participation of all the stakeholders that may provide for addressing issues connected with the lack of water resources and the need for improving their quality, as well as to improve quality of life of population, including population of pilot communities of the region of Sochi. In this regard it might be necessary to consider the issue of involvement of local population in sustainable management of water and other resources, increasing the level of knowledge of local authorities for making adequate decisions.
Of special importance is provision of new jobs for local population in light of the concept of sustainable development and green growth.

6.  Of special importance for the development of municipalities and local communities is the problem of poverty reduction. For example, the experience of implementation of the IUCN programme showed that poverty reduction and addressing institutional issues in combination with adequate management approaches might significantly reduce the load on natural ecosystems and stop depletion of natural resources. This, in its turn, may allow to use local natural resources more sustainably and to develop a strategy of integrated resources management, including land resources, water and living resources that provides for their conservation and sustainable use.

Among promising types of activities related to poverty reduction are:

·  product certification,

·  development of markets for local resources and products,

·  creation of new jobs, etc.

According to recommendations of the Swiss experts, an important pre-requisite for improving the business environment is the necessity to focus on small businesses that will allow to develop a dialogue between local and regional authorities and business community and to make it more open and efficient.

7.  Basing on the experience of some countries, in particular, municipalities of Canada, it is proposed to consider possibility for the development of Integrated plans for the sustainable development of communities (IPSDC) in order to speed up the transition to more long-term agreed and integrated management planning and decision-making at the local level. IPSDC, that is a strategic business-plan of a municipality will allow identifying short-, medium - and long-term measures, control of their implementation and regular correction. Moreover, the approach applied within the framework of the given study, based not only on questioning of local authorities but on the results of questioning of a wide range of local citizens, gives an objective picture and coverage of existing problems, that allow for the elaboration of a comprehensive plan for the development of settlements. As an important element of this approach it is proposed to identify potential leaders and responsible persons both from administration and from the public. Leadership of such people is crucial for the success of the initiative.

8.  As the experience of implementing the whole range of local environmental action plans, including the experience in the Russian Federation, it is expedient to concentrate efforts within the framework of the Local Agenda 21 on a limited number of priority measures for addressing major issues that face pilot municipalities. This provides for better use of limited material and financial resources and step-by-step addressing of these issues when they appear. For this purpose it is proposed to:
- Actively include the need for ensuring sustainability of development in plans and strategic documents of municipalities;

- Follow and ensure principles of ethics and transparency;

- Recognize municipality as a partner in planning and holding of the Games;

- Ensure limiting financial risks for municipality;

- Respect traditions of a community;

- Create conditions when heritage of the Games might be useful for the population, business-community and municipality itself;

- Ensure open and timely transfer of information.

9.  As it was mentioned in the course of consideration of Canadian experience, the Games of 2014 should not be considered as the final goal of development of the municipalities but rather be a catalyst for reaching the identified objectives and ensuring management succession. In particular, it is necessary to strive for:

- Raising the potential of a municipality and accumulation of relevant experience;

- Ensuring adequate environmental protection of municipality;

- Ensuring economic viability.
In this regard the main efforts should be aimed at:

- creation of conditions and favorable investment climate, as well as development of entrepreneurship;

- establishment of institutions and systems of private sector;

- creation of an effective infrastructure;

- access to markets for local goods and services;

- development of local organizations, groups and associations;

- active involvement of population in the development process and participation of all stakeholders;

- constant education on positive and negative examples.

Chapter 2. General characteristic of the development of the Big Sochi in the context of Local Agenda 21 and selection of pilot municipalities

Local Agenda 21 contains the following requirements to the objectives and directions of sustainable development of settlements.

“Overall objective of the development of settlements consists in the improvement of socio-economic and environmental conditions in settlements and living standards and working conditions of all people, including urban and rural poor.

This should be based on the activity in the field of technical cooperation, joint actions of public and private sectors and communities, as well as participation in the process of decision-making of community groups and such specific stakeholders as women, indigenous people, elderly people and disabled persons.

These approaches should form a basis for principles of developing national strategies related to settlements. In the course of the development of such strategies countries need to identify the order of priority of eight programme areas … fully recognizing their social and cultural possibilities”.

The Agenda 21 identifies the following eight programme areas:

1) provision of adequate accommodation for all;

2) improvement of management of settlements;

3) facilitation of planning and management for sustainable development;

4) promotion of creation of an integrated infrastructure of environmental protection: water supply and sanitation, processing and utilization of solid wastes;

5) facilitation of establishing secure energy and transport systems in settlements;

6) assistance in planning and management of settlements in regions subject to natural disasters;

7) facilitation of sustainable functioning of construction sector;

8) promoting the development of human resources and building capacity for the development of settlements.

According to the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of 29.12.2007 № 000 the development of Sochi as a mountain-climatic resort is envisaged. The Master Plan of the municipal district of Sochi, adopted by the Municipal Council on 14 July 2009, proposes extended target arrangements.

According to the Master Plan the main objective of the development of the town-resort of Sochi is to transform it into a modern efficient sanatorium-resort, business, sport and touristic centre of global importance;

The objectives of the development of the town-resort of Sochi are the following:

·  Creation of conditions for sustainable development of the area; improvement of quality of life of the population; ensuring a favorable environment for life and recreation;

·  |Integrated solution of environmental problems, implementation of a complex of environment protection measures, minimizing negative impact of construction activities on the environment.

In order to reach the declared objectives it is necessary to address the following issues:

- To adjust transport, sport and touristic infrastructure in accordance with international standards;
- To perform construction of sport facilities, necessary for training of Russian sportsmen and holding of national and international competitions in winter kinds of sport, as well as Olympic objects;
- To improve housing and social well-being of the population of the town.

According to the project proposal of the Master Plan it is envisaged to increase the area of settlements by 1.5 percent and corresponding decrease of agricultural lands by 1.4%. In fact, the share of specially protected areas and objects will remain unchanged – 80.5%. It is proposed to make changes in the land fund in the direction of increasing the area of lands of settlements with due account of transformation of agricultural lands in the amount of about 5000 ha. It is also envisaged to increase the overall area of the town by 4 555 ha.

It is expected that before the year 2032 there will be no significant increase of the number of inhabitants and the total number of citizens will not exceed 454,0 thousand people. Population size of outlining districts will increase by 79 thousand people and population size of the Central district will decrease by 15 thousand people.

Average housing will change from 18 square meters at present to 38 square meters by 2030.
Town planning and development of Sochi is limited by a significant extension along the sea shore, limited area suitable for housing, mountain passes.

In general, objectives and tasks, formulated in strategic documents on the development of Sochi, correspond to the principles of the Agenda 21. “Creation of conditions for sustainable development of the area” is presented as one of the objectives of development of the town-resort of Sochi. In fact, all three components of sustainable development: economic, social development and environmental protection are represented in the objectives and tasks of the municipality. Special attention, paid to infrastructural objects, is justified and forms the focus of the General plan. At the same time, from the point of view of local citizens, the infrastructural factor that includes transport network, water supply and sanitation, central heating and energy supply, electric power is the most important condition of their life support and sustainable development.

Necessary large-scale transformations in each of the above areas of infrastructure already take place in the anticipation of the Olympic Games of 2014 in Sochi. Their expediency can hardly be neglected. However, large-scale construction projects should be accompanied by significant investments in the development of “human capital” in order to give local citizens an opportunity to adapt to current changes and to prepare for future life.

2.1 Criteria of selection of pilot settlements

In order to select pilot settlements the following criteria were formed:

·  Availability of socially active population that keeps its cultural traditions (historical and natural monuments, ethno-cultural specificity). Value of surrounding area in terms of preservation of natural and cultural heritage.

·  Rather high number of inhabitants (no less than 500 people, but no more than 4 000 people), potentially capable of ensuring significant growth of incremental products with favorable structure of able-bodied population (no less than 30 % of total number of inhabitants). Existence of other factors favorable for economic development (steady demand for goods and services, well-developed infrastructure).

·  Sufficient number of children and teenagers (from 50 persons in the age of up to 18) and relevant favorable infrastructure for their comprehensive development (school, Internet points, sport facilities, etc. (or accessible transport in order to reach the above objects)).