The Caspian Environment Program (CEP)

      Category:  Price-Based Instruments; Environmental Outreach & Education
      Policy Type:  Subsidies, Grants & Incentive Payments; Public Awareness
      Sector:  Mixed
      Region:  Middle East; Asia
      Country:  Azerbaijan; Iran; Kazakhstan; Turkmenistan; Russia
      Description: The Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) is a regional umbrella program developed for and by the five Caspian Littoral States aiming to halt the deterioration of environmental conditions of the Caspian Sea and to promote sustainable development in the area. The CEP is funded by the Caspian littoral governments; the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank; the European Union; and the growing participation of the private sector. It awards grants in the framework of the Matched Small Grants Programme (MSGP) and Micro Environmental Grants (MEG). The MSGP is aimed at advancing small-scale investment or pilot projects to address urgent environmental problems in the Caspian region which can be implemented quickly. Matched Small Grants are from USD $5,000 to $50,000. The total project budget ranges from USD $20,000 to USD $100,000 or more. The MEG is designed to raise public awareness, knowledge and understanding of the environmental problems facing the Caspian Sea. The MEG helps finance the small-scale projects with a real impact to address urgent environmental problems through awareness campaigns. The MEG awards from a minimum scale of USD $500 to maximum USD $3,000.
      Outcome:  The Caspian Environmental Program provides incentives for participating countries to mitigate nutrient pollution, reduce threats to biodiversity, limit the unsustainable use of bio-resources, and raise public awarness of environmental problems of Caspian Sea.

      Reference:  The Caspian Environment Program (Caspian Littoral States)

      The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program

      Category:  Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
      Policy Type:  Monitoring
      Sector:  Mixed
      Region:  North America
      Country:  United States
      Description: The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, which began in 1984, is a Bay-wide cooperative effort involving Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia, several federal agencies, 10 institutions and over 30 scientists. Nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediment are monitored through a tidal and non-tidal network of monitoring stations.
      Outcome:  The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring program detects changes and reveals trends that can provide vital information for evaluating the progress of management and restoration actions.

      Reference:  The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program

      The Chesapeake Bay Program

      Category:  Institutions & Capacity
      Policy Type:  Bridging Institutions
      Sector:  Mixed
      Region:  North America
      Country:  United States
      Description: The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and participating citizen advisory groups. Each Bay Program partner uses its own resources to implement Bay restoration and protection activities. Partners work together through the Bay Program's goal teams, workgroups and committees to collaborate, share information and set goals.
      Outcome:  The Chesapeake Bay Program's partnership model shows that a cooperative approach is an effective way to achieve environmental results. It has become a regional, national, and international leader in ecosystem science, modeling, and restoration partnerships.

      Reference:  The Chesapeake Bay Program (US)

      The Chilika Lake Ecosystem Health Report Card

      Category:  Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
      Policy Type:  Evaluation
      Sector:  Mixed
      Region:  Asia
      Country:  India
      Description: The Chilika Lake Ecosystem Health Report Card focuses on understanding the bio-geochemical process and fluxes of nutrients in Chilika Lake and estimating the overall water quality, biodiversity, and fisheries status of the lake along with the coastal water quality in the adjacent Bay of Bengal.
      Outcome:  The Ecosystem Health Report Card approach helps understand the role of lake basin and freshwater nutrient input and associated nutrient fluxes to Chilika Lake. It also determines the transport of nutrient from the major/minor rivers into the lake.

      Reference:  Ecosystem Health Report Card (India)

      The Clean Water Act (CWA)

      Category:  Regulatory Approaches
      Policy Type:  Regulatory Framework
      Sector:  Mixed
      Region:  North America
      Country:  United States
      Description: The Clean Water Act (CWA) in the United States establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. Under the CWA, the Environmental Protection Agency has implemented pollution control programs such as setting wastewater standards for industry and setting water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters. In addition, The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained.
      Outcome:  The Clean Water Act aims to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of U.S. waters by preventing point and nonpoint pollution, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.

      Reference:  Clean Water Act (US)