Energy, Environment and Resources Center

Jack Barkenbus EERC Executive Director

FROM THE DIRECTOR………

Fulbright Program Advances Environmental Protection in the Aegean

I recently returned from three months abroad—the first six weeks in Greece and the following six in Turkey—under the auspices of a Fulbright program called the Aegean Initiative. The Aegean region is steeped in glorious history yet struggles to integrate environmental protection with an effective economic-development strategy. My primary task was to bring Greek and Turkish scientists and scholars together in a seminar setting to discuss common interests and possible new collaborative initiatives rooted in sustainability.

While many capable individuals are working on behalf of sustainable development in that part of the world, there are relatively few organizations, either governmental or nongovernmental, devoted to that principle. In many ways, these societies are still struggling with first-generation environmental issues, such as wastewater treatment capacity, integrated municipal waste management, and air quality. They are being pushed as well as assisted in these tasks by the European Union (EU).

As a member of the EU since 1981, Greece must comply with all directives, regulations, and decisions emanating from Brussels (the home of the EU). The EU allocates millions of euros to Greece to assist that nation in meeting these requirements. Turkey is not yet a member of the EU but aspires to be, and accession talks are scheduled to begin in October. These talks or negotiations are expected to take at least a decade, and the costs of Turkey’s fulfillment of EU environmental mandates are estimated to be no less than 60 billion euros (74 billion US dollars). The EU will, as in Greece, provide some financial assistance for meeting these mandates, but it is not certain how much.

Though still small in number, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are forming in Greece and Turkey to promote environmental improvement. These NGOs work not only on behalf of the environment but also advance the cause of civil society in general throughout these countries. I was fortunate to make contact with two comparable NGOs: the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) and the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA).

TBoth organizations receive financial support from private resources, and both have strong youth-based programs targeting children ages five-13. The programs involve classroom instruction focused on the protection of the marine environment as well as outside-of-the-classroom activities such as beach cleanup and other educational initiatives. In fact, HELMEPA and TURMEPA participants joined forces last September to clean up beaches, first on a Greek island and later on a Turkish seashore. These activities have improved environmental conditions while nurturing interpersonal relationships.

A clean coastal environment is essential to both nations for environmental as well as commercial reasons. Ninety percent of tourists arriving in Greece visit coastal destinations. Tourists visiting Turkey may not rival those traveling to Greece, but coastal areas are still a primary attraction for the bulk of tourists coming from Europe, the United States, and Russia.

Under the auspices of the Aegean Initiative, I convened a one-day seminar for leaders from both of these organizations along with representatives from the academic community. Through the seminar, held on May 17 in Istanbul, participants identified other activities HELMEPA and TURMEPA might undertake that are consistent with their youth-education missions. In particular, the group discussed and evaluated water-quality monitoring projects, hands-on ecological education, and the possibility of assisting groups in other countries in creating their own “MEPA” programs—particularly in the Black Sea area. I’ve produced a short summary of the meeting, and it can be found, with attached PowerPoint presentations from the seminar, at http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/Barkenbus-Fulbright2005-Report.pdf

It is particularly heartening to discover organizations such as HELMEPA and TURMEPA, which are not waiting around for their governments to act on environmental protection. By taking the initiative, they have proven themselves to be leaders, not followers.