The European Union for Environment (EU4Environment) is a €20 million initiative funded by the European Union, with the World Bank as one of its implementing partners. The program aims to assist Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—collectively known as the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries—in preserving natural resources, enhancing environmental well-being, and promoting sustainable growth. Other organizations involved in implementation include OECD, UNIDO, UNECE, and UNEP.
The World Bank has been allocated €6 million under this program to focus on biodiversity conservation and forest preservation while improving livelihoods and creating rural jobs. This builds on previous programs like the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) program and the Emerald Network.
The World Bank's activities under EU4Environment are concentrated in four areas:
1. A shared network of protected areas: The program supports developing new Emerald Network sites and managing existing ones. It aims to improve partner countries' capacity for effective site management while promoting awareness and regional cooperation.
2. Community action on ecosystem services: The program seeks to assess barriers to sustainable forest management across more than 20 communities within EaP countries. It includes developing guidelines to enhance local community engagement in natural resource management.
3. Preventing illegal logging: The program assesses the impact of EU deforestation regulation on partner countries while strengthening systems for monitoring timber trade.
4. Effective strategies for funding conservation: The program identifies investment opportunities for natural capital conservation by sharing experiences on financing schemes related to forest management sectors.
By fostering regional knowledge sharing and collaboration, the World Bank supports EaP governments in expanding protected sites as part of the Emerald Network while promoting sustainable forestry practices. These efforts aim to create green jobs in eco-tourism and natural resource management that provide sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
EU4Environment operates at both regional and national levels, focusing primarily on government authorities but also collaborating with civil society, academia, and private sector stakeholders. This broad engagement helps ensure sustainable results from its activities.
The World Bank leverages expertise gained through EU4Environment in enhancing sustainable development within the EaP region by attracting additional funding from donors such as those supporting projects like Armenia Resilient Landscapes Project (RESILAND) or Moldova Restoring Ecosystems for Marine Pollution Prevention Project (RE-MAP).
For further information about these initiatives or ongoing projects under EU4Environment’s umbrella visit their website.