PROJECT „IDENTIFICATION AND MONITORING OF CONTAMINATED SOILS USING INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY“ – MCSoil

Ref. №: CB006.2.11.021

LEAD BENEFICIARY: RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES CLUSTER

PARTNER ORGANIZATION: CENTER FOR MEDICAL HERBS AND BERRIES AMBROZIJA

DURATION: 15 months (July 2019 – October 2020)

FUNDING ORGANIZATION:   Interreg-IPA Cross-Border Programme  2014-2020, CCI No 2014TC16I5CB006

PRIORITY AXIS 1: Environment

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 1.1: Environmental protection and sustainable use of the common natural resources of the CBC area

TOTAL BUDGET: 113 861.00 EUR

TARGET GROUPS:

• Private and other researchers of the CB region, including consultants, teachers, scientists, professors, students etc.
• Local authorities of the CB region, i.e. municipalities, regional authorities, etc.
• NGOs active in the field of environmental protection;
• State institutions responsible for regional development and environmental protection.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:

The project is aimed at assessing the specific needs of the region about the mapping of existing and potential soil contamination and at increasing of the awareness about the state of the soil resources in the partner countries, and impact on improving of the resource management efficiency with regard to soils. The specific objective of the project is the implementation of environmental screening and monitoring of soils using innovative methodology as a pilot tool.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

• Project management and coordination activities.
• Communication and dissemination activities.
• Pilot concept for choosing the exact areas, setting up the test sites and planning the network for soil screening, according to the specific needs of the region.
• Capacity building and pilot tool implementation for environmental screening and monitoring of soils by an innovative methodology.
• Validation of the methodology for soil pollution screening, consisting of independent chemical analyses of selected samples from the study area, preparation of thematic maps, geostatistical and spatial analysis of the data.
• Final Conference for dissemination of project results in Macedonia.

PROJECT RESULTS:

• Implemented a detailed assessment of the specific needs of the region about the mapping of existing and potential soil contamination.
• Improved resource management efficiency with regard to soil and increased capabilities for flexible and evidence-based environmental monitoring in the Programme area, based on the proposed innovative approach for environmental screening and monitoring of soils.
• Close institutional cooperation between NGO’s, academic organisations and public authorities (local, regional and national) in the cross-border region of Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia as a common platform for spreading know‐how and enhancing capacities and skills of the institutions dealing with environmental screening and monitoring.
• Increased awareness about the state of the soil resources in the partner countries achieved through the assessment of the specific needs of the region with regard to soil pollution and detailed study of two “sensitive’’ areas of the common cross-border region – two polluted industrial regions (thermal plant “Bobov dol” and the region of Probistip- Zletovo) and two nature protected zones (peat bog “Choklyovo blato” and  Ploce – Litotelme locality.