The Rio Conventions Project has been identified as a priority for Bulgaria as a result of the Bulgarian National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Improved Global Environmental Management Project implemented by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and conducted in the period 1 December 2002 – 31 December 2004 for furthering Bulgaria’s commitments under the UNCBD, UNFCCC, and UNCCD (referred to as the Rio Conventions). The NCSA has specifically identified the need to develop national capacity for mainstreaming global environmental objectives into the regional development process, through the integration of these objectives in the formulation and implementation of regional development policies and plans at the national, regional, district and municipal levels

 

In addition, a need for better coordination among the key ministries at the national/central and local/regional levels has been stated as a key to due implementation of the conventions. Two main interconnected areas of support have been identified in this regard:

i) support to institutions in the area of cross-sectoral planning, decision-making and information systems; and

ii) support for decentralized integrated environmental planning and action-oriented approaches.

The main challenge has been to identify the exact linkages between the Conventions in each of the sectors and match those with the desired economic priorities identified by the Government. National and regional development policies should accommodate such principles in order to reverse the current practice of treating global environmental issues as a stand-alone agenda of limited concern to national or local development priorities.