Mainstreaming Environment and Poverty Reduction into National Development Process in Kosovo

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• Mainstreaming Environment and Poverty Reduction
  into National Development Process in Kosovo

UNDP UNEP POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENT
INITIATIVEInception Workshop9-10 November 2008
in Bratislava, Slovakia
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Kosovo
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Kosovo at glance

• Total Population
• Rural population
• Urban population
• Population density
• Age distribution, total
• 0-14 years
• 15-64 years
• 65 and older
• Total Kosovo Surface

2 126 708 55 45 195 p/km² 33 61 6
10.908 km²
Source Statistical Office of Kosovo
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Human Development Index (HDI) 2007

• HDI 0.745 at the bottom of Medium HDI Countries
• Bottom South Eastern Europe Countries
• 99th HDI Ranking
• Main HD issues income and health

Source Kosovo HDR 2007
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Economy

• The economic growth in the aftermath of the
  conflict was fairly favourable however
  post-conflict growth was not sustainable
• Between 2002-2007, the average real GDP growth
  was 1.5 per year
• In 2007 GDP grew at 3.5
• The GDP per capita in 2007 around 1250

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Environment

• Agricultural land 53
• 52 arable
• 31 pastures
• Forests 39
• No sewage water treatment facilities
• No dumping site meeting minimal EU standards
• Pollution from thermoelectric plants

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Environment Issues and Concerns

• Quantity and quality of water
• Waste management
• Air pollution
• Land pollution
• Loss of biodiversity and deforestation
• Loss of agricultural land
• Poor spatial planning

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Poverty Outlook

• 45 poor (15 extreme poverty)
• 42 unemployment
• Low health and educational outcomes
• Caused by inability of economy to generate new
  jobs and low levels of economic growth
• More than 35,000 families, around 240,000 people
  receiving social assistance from the government
  budget

Source World Bank, Poverty Assessment, 2007
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Poverty Outlook

• Poverty in Kosovo is high but shallow
• On average larger households are poorer
• Households with female heads have higher poverty
  incidence
• The majority of poor people are living in rural
  areas
• The poverty risk is higher for the unemployed and
  low skilled

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Poverty and Unemployment

• In 2006 unemployment rate estimated at 42
  (around 4 times higher than EU average)
• Youth, women and less educated are
  disproportionably effected from unemployment
• Additional challenges low participation rate,
  high entrance to labour market (30,000 new
  entrants/year)
• The current predicted growth is not expected to
  lead to a significant decrease in unemployment

Source Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare
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(No Transcript)
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Environment and Poverty

• 26 of households lack tap water supply from
  public systems
• 39 are not connected to the public
  sewage/sanitation system
• 6 have central heating
• 99 have access electricity
• In 2003, 70 of water samples from rural areas
  and only 8 of urban areas were found to have
  bacteriological contamination

Source Kosovo Mosaic 2006
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Environment and Poverty

• Life expectancy is lowest in the region - 68
  years
• The TB incidence rate per 100.000 in 2005 - 52
  cases highest in Europe
• Highest level of infant mortality in Europe, with
  35 cases in 1.000
• Maternal mortality in 2003 was estimated at 23
  per thousand - one of the highest in Europe

Source Second MDG Report 2006
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Challenges for Environment and Poverty

• Limited Budget
• Implementation and enforcement of law
• Capacity building in this area experts
• Lack of data on environmental parameters
• Lack of environmental monitoring programs
• Not eligible to GEF or Clean Development Mechanism

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Mainstreaming Environment and Poverty

• Preparation of Kosovo Social Exclusion Agenda
  (Kosovo Parliament and UNDP)
• Drafting White Paper on social policies (Ministry
  Finance and Economy )
• Identify and address the main issues
• Better targeting of social assistance scheme
• Resolution on MDGs annual reporting on
  achievements
• Three environmental laws have been declared and
  approved
• Four Administrative Guidance notes about
  environment have been signed and approved

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Future steps

• Continuation of fulfillment of Kosovo Action Plan
  in Environment 2006-2010
• Network for air quality control
• Improve standards in mining and energy generation
• Promotion of reforestation
• Beautiful Kosovo
• Dragash Project

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Kosovo in a Transition Period

• New Constitution
• New Institutions
• New Opportunities!