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LOOKING BACK ON 2016

The year in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Story by UNDP Eurasia December 29th, 2016

collaborating on shared HERITAGE BRINGs COMMUNITIES TOGETHER

Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica

Kosovo* has a rich and diverse cultural and religious heritage (above), but that diversity is threatened by a lack of institutional support for preservation, protection, and promotion. Limited awareness of cultural and religious heritage also puts it at risk.

An EU-funded initiative is now changing that. We are bringing communities of Kosovo together to work on renovation, beautification, and rehabilitation of their shared heritage.

Meanwhile, in Cyprus (below), a major landmark of the island - the Apostolos Andreas Monastery - has gotten a much needed upgrade. The monastery has been a place of pilgrimage for Cypriots as well as tourists traveling to the region for centuries. Now, thanks to a bi-communal restoration project, it is set to become a symbol of peace and co-operation between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Cyprus.

Credit: UNDP PFF / Kerim Belet
Credit: UNDP PFF / Kerim Belet
Credit: UNDP PFF / Kerim Belet
Credit: UNDP PFF / Kerim Belet

New JOBS, more opportunity

Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Georgia / Vova Valishvili
Credit: UNDP / Karen Cirillo
Credit: UNDP Moldova / Victor Piktor

In most of the region, low employment is a major driver of poverty and social exclusion for Roma, youth, and women. We're fighting back with small-scale entrepreneurship programmes to support employment, labour market participation, and income generation.

In Georgia, we're promoting agricultural development in the Ajara Autonomous Republic. The efforts have helped establish 77 farmer cooperatives, while the income of small farmers who joined cooperatives has increased by 60-100 percent.

In Moldova, on the other hand, 30 young people from both banks of the Nistru River received EU grants via a UNDP programme, creating 160 new jobs in a range of sectors from dental services to auto repair and testing. New merchandise has also appeared on the market: jewelry, ethnic-style wedding dresses, woolen blankets, and pastry products.

Kosovo had a 35% unemployment rate in 2014. That's changing with our self-employment programme: Meet a few of our 43 new entrepreneurs who are growing their own start-ups and shaping the future of their communities.

PRESERVING OUR LAND AND WATER

Credit: UNDP Albania
Credit: UNDP Albania
Credit: UNDP Albania
Credit: Natalia Sudets for UNDP Steppe Project and Garya Garyaev, Gennady Uysin and Vladimir Badmaev for UNDP Russia.
Credit: Natalia Sudets for UNDP Steppe Project and Garya Garyaev, Gennady Uysin and Vladimir Badmaev for UNDP Russia.

As climate change continues to be a major threat to our planet, we are working in a number of contexts not only on climate change mitigation but adapatation as well.

In Albania, some areas were severely threatened by illegal fishing activities, coastal development and tourism, threatening the unique biodiversity of the region. With UNDP assistance, protected areas has gone up from 5.2% in 2005 to 17% in 2016.

The saiga in Kazakhstan is facing a dire situation. We've been working since 2010 to ensure their protection.

Credit: UNDP MK / Ljubo Stefanov
Credit: UNDP Turkmenistan / Julie Pudlowski and Claire Ladavicius
Credit: UNDP Turkmenistan / Julie Pudlowski and Claire Ladavicius
Credit: UNDP Turkmenistan / Julie Pudlowski and Claire Ladavicius
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We always assume tackling climate change involves big steps, but sometimes it's the small things.

In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, we're working to reduce flood risks in the Strumica River Basin. The area is home to 125,000 people in 6 municipalities. After cleaning all the major drainage canals in the Basin, the initiative is now working to put in measures that manages local dams and reservoirs better in order to protect homes and businesses from flood damage.

In Turkmenistan, reduced rains and increased air temperatures have reduced the availability of drinking and irrigation water. The lack of a water reservoir in the Konegummez village of the Ahal region meant that residents had to find alternative sources for irrigation. Now a rehabilitated 100-year-old reservoir is breathing new life into the community.

In Kazakhstan, the shrinkage of Aral Sea has brought severe unemployment and economic hardship for the locals, not to mention health issues sourcing from fertilisers and chemicals drying up in the air. In 2016, 20 years after UNDP first intervened, the Small Aral has been filled 1.5 times faster than planned (within 4 years instead of 7).

Securing safety, justice, and human rights

Credit: UNDP Armenia
Credit: UNDP Ukraine / Kateryna Zhemchuzhnikova
Credit: UNDP / Mehmet Erdoğan
Credit: UNDP Tajikistan

A newly opened crossing point between Armenia and Georgia is not only improving security - it's also improving the lives of citizens through modernised procedures, reduced waiting times, and modern infrastructure and equipment.

In Ukraine (lower left), 1,000,000 people have been internally displaced due to the conflict. By January 2016, we had assisted 200,000 to find jobs and obtain psychological counseling.

In Turkey (lower middle), language remains the biggest barrier in the lives of Syrian communities struggling to adapt to their new surroundings. UNDP and the EU are delivering trainings to prepare Syrians and locals for the workforce.

Free legal aid centres have been operating across Tajikistan (lower right) since 2013. There are currently 26 legal aid centres, serving over 1,000 clients per month. More than 17,000 citizens have received services in 2016 alone. About 70% of clients are women.

WORKING TOWARDS A MORE EQUAL WORLD BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Credit: UNDP in Armenia / Jodi Hilton
Credit: UNDP in Armenia / Jodi Hilton
Credit: UNDP in Armenia / Jodi Hilton

Equal representation in governance continues to remain a challenge in the region.

In Armenia, we have worked with more than 3,000 women to advance their leadership, provide pre- and post-election support.

685 women ran for most recent elections from all ten regions, and 517 women were elected as head of community or local councillor.

In comparison to the previous cycle of local elections of 2012, the number of women candidates have increased by 28%, and number of elected women is up by 18% in 2016 elections.

Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica
Credit: UNDP Kosovo / Arben Llapashtica

With many entrenched traditional gender roles and severe under-representation of women in the labour market, socioeconomic empowerment of women is of utmost importance.

In Kosovo, we helped more than 200 women develop new skills, become more productive, and bring home more income for their families. Meet some of the women following their passion.

A recent survey in Kyrgyzstan showed that 38% of Kyrgyz women married through a local practice called bride kidnapping. This averages 32 bride kidnappings a day, with many including rape.

UNDP's work on the ground to change that is starting to pay off. A recently adopted law by the Kyrgyz Parliament now considers marriage with a minor as a criminal offense. Above, check out the short film produced by UNDP in Kyrgyzstan on early marriage, which won international attention and was awarded the silver medal at the RED Jolbors Festival.

CROWDFUNDING FOR SOCIAL GOOD

Credit: UNDP Moldova / Otilia Vlasov
Credit: UNDP Moldova / Otilia Vlasov
Credit: UNDP Moldova / Otilia Vlasov
Credit: UNDP / Mehmet Erdoğan
Credit: UNDP / Mehmet Erdoğan
Credit: UNDP / Mehmet Erdoğan

From installing solar panels in a school without electricity in Tajikistan, to exploring fun ways of getting children to eat more fruits & vegetables in Moldova, our crowdfunding academy worked like busy bees all year.

More than 3,500 children from the Republic of Moldova received freshly sliced and packaged apple snacks twice a week as result of a campaign that raised funds from more than 120 international donors during 2 months.

In Tajikistan, where there are an estimated 24,000 households living off-grid with no access to an adequate energy supply, students tended to drop out of school during harsh winters. That changed with the first crowdfunding campaign of Tajikistan to install solar panels in Guzgef School, which hit its campaign goal in just 20 days. Now the attendance rate is 100%, and kids are back to learning in a warm environment.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

Credit: UNDP Ukraine
Credit: UNDP / Jodi Hilton
Credit: UNDP Ukraine

In recent years, systemic corruption and inefficient procurement practices have resulted in a shortage of many life-sustaining medicines in Ukraine. Consequently, some 500,000 Ukrainians died in 2014.

At the request of the Government of Ukraine, UNDP is now helping the Ministry to reform Ukraine’s medicine procurement system.

In February this year, UNDP signed agreements with seven companies for the procurement of 18 anti-tuberculosis medicines, worth 6.7 million dollars.

Having helped save at least 1 million US dollars-worth of procurement costs, UNDP will enable an additional 28,000 patients in Ukraine get treated for tuberculosis in 2016.

Even as HIV infection are falling globally, every month 100 Belarusians are diagnosed with HIV.

We are working on campaigns in Belarus that aims to debunk the preconceptions that AIDS means death. Other goals include educating people about HIV and fighting against the isolation of all HIV-infected people.

Evgeny and Ilona have stuck together through thick and thin, showing us that a positive life is possible. Watch their story above.

Footnote: *References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)