ECOPORTIL – Launching Event Sofia NIMH-BAS, 30 March 2018

Launching event of the NIMH – BAS for efficient implementation of environmental legislation  in coastal zone

The kick-off conference-event launching the implementation of the ECOPORTIL- Environmental Protection of Areas Surrounding Ports with Innovative Learning Tools for Legislation  project within the “Interreg Balkan- Mediterranean 2014-2020” Transnational Cooperation Programme took place on 30th March 2018 from 14 h in the Hall ROME of the Metropolitan Hotel in Sofia. The conference was organized by National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology at the Bulgarian Academy of  Sciences and attended by representatives of governmental, educational and research institutions and stakeholders  from Sofia and the country interested in the project subject.

The opening welcome speech was delivered by the scientific secretary of institute Prof. Tanya Marinova on behalf of Prof. Hristomir Branzov- Director of NIMH-BAS. She emphasised the ECOPORTIL project importance for the environmental improvement of the big Bulgarian seaports areas and also for the activity of the institute.

The agenda of the conference envisaged 6 presentations on topics related to the environmental issues of ports and their neighbouring territories.

Prof. Nicolay Kozarev from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy reported the first on general problems of Monitoring and Management of the Environmental Qualiity. He accentuated the role of the monitoring and models as a first task of effective implementation of environmental legislation.

An information concerning the Air Pollution and Specific Meteorological Conditions at the Adjacent Areas of Sea Ports, based on model assessments, performed in implementation of the projects preceding ECOPORTIL, was presented by Prof.  Ekaterina Bachvarova from NIMH .

Assessment of Water Quality in Surrounding Areas of Burgas Port was the topic of the presentation of Magdalena Korsachka, Assistant Professor from NIMH. Reported and analyzed were data obtained by measurements at 23 different observation points in the area of the Burgas Bay and port waters.

The next presentation was dedicated to the Application of Advanced Mathematical Models for Predicting of Dangerous Phenomena in the Adjacent Areas of Seaports for More Efficient Management of Processes of Environmental Protection, delivered by Assoc. Prof. Anna Korcheva from NIMH.

Ample information  covering the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Its Transposition into Bulgarian Legislation was introduced by Tania Trenkova, Assistant Professor from the National Institute of Geophysics, Geography and Geodesy – BAS.

Finally the project manager on the part of NIMH Prof. Jordan Marinski presented the project  ECOPRTIL objectives and tasks. He cited data witnessing the extreme danger of the current state of the Black sea pollution for the nature and the society and the necessity of introduction of efficient system of environment legislation implementation for  protection of coastal zone, based on the permanent monitoring and the actual science. He said the project is expected to contribute to achieving sustainable management of ports and surrounding areas in line with the European and national legislation and in compliance with the EU’s strategy for the Balkans.

Before closing the event, the presentations were followed by public discussions. The most important of them was the proposal made by  Assoc. Prof. Ventzi Karamfilov, from the  Laboratory of Marine Ecology in Sozopol of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research (IBER– BAS) for establishment of collaboration between NIMH and the IBER in implementation of the projects ECOPORTIL and RECONNECT. The last project, also funded in line of INTERREG program,  aims to evaluate the quality of marine ecosystems and to promote the sustainable conservation of those vulnerable and fragile habitats through joint initiatives. The proposal was accepted.

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