World Bank Approves $6.39 Million Grant to Reduce Pollution in the Black Sea

WASHINGTON, September 12, 2024-Today, the World Bank approved a $6.39 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for the Blueing the Black Sea (BBSEA) GEF Regional Project. This grant will support the governments and the private sector in Georgia, Moldova, Türkiye, and Ukraine to reduce pollution in the Black Sea. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the recipient and implementing entity of the Project.

In the past few decades, the Black Sea has become one of Europe's most polluted bodies of water. Eutrophication (excessive nutrients deposited from agriculture activities), chemical pollution, invasive species, ineffective wastewater treatment, industrial hot spots, and atmospheric deposition are among the main threats to the marine environment in the Black Sea. Pressures from pollution threaten its marine and coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods of those who call the Black Sea region home.

The BBSEA GEF Regional Project will finance and promote eco-innovations to address the eutrophication in the Black Sea enabling public sector institutions, development partners, and potential investors to identify, verify, and invest in innovative pollution prevention and reduction solutions. Additionally, the Project will: (i) examine the countries' current regulatory frameworks and their alignment with international instruments on pollution related to water management, agriculture, aquaculture; and (ii) develop national investment recommendations and knowledge exchange on pollution reduction and management.

The Project's focus on addressing water pollution from nutrients and objective to strengthen regional capacity to reduce Black Sea pollution is aligned with the GEF 7 International Waters (IW) Focal Area and with the regional Black Sea Strategic Action Plan, and will support the implementation of key principles from the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea and the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.

The BBSEA GEF Project is a building block of the broader BBSEA Program to create a shared regional framework for sustainable management of the Black Sea and support the Black Sea countries in their efforts to enhance and protect environmental quality of the Black Sea as a public good. The program aims reduce marine pollution, catalyze investments in the Blue Economy, and facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation among the Black Sea littoral countries: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Türkiye, and Ukraine as well as Moldova, whose rivers flow into the Black Sea. In addition to strengthening the regional dialogue, the BBSEA Program also aims to contribute to enhanced national dialogue to integrate marine pollution reduction measures in the countries' strategies for climate adaptation and mitigation.

"Climate change is intensifying the impacts of pollution in the Black Sea, leading to rising temperatures and heightened risks of waterborne diseases, threatening both ecosystems and communities. The project will support strengthening preparedness of governments and the private sector in participating countries to take actions to reduce pollution in the Black Sea," noted Carolina Sanchez-Paramo, Director of Strategy and Operations for the Europe and Central Asia region at the World Bank.