• Home • About the Fund  • Partners • Contacts • Our Programs

Amur Initiative delivers first results to citizens.

The program “Organization of the public monitoring system and improving drinking water quality in the settlements along Amur river in Khabarovsk Krai (Amur Initiative)” started in the middle of 2007 under the financial support of USAID implemented by the Fund for Sustainable Development in cooperation with Khabarovskiy Krai Government and “Zelyonyi Dom” Khabarovskiy Krai Charity Organization delivers its first practical results bringing clean water to thousands of citizens living in small settlements along Amur river heavily polluted by various toxicants.

The new well was drilled in Kalma national settlement of Ulchsky raion. It will provide clean water for the local school, kindergarten and local businesses.

Amur Initiative – the special targeted grant program designed by the Fund for Sustainable Development (FSD) under USAID financial support as a response to the request of the Khabarovskiy Krai Government was launched in the Middle of 2007. Its main aims are to develop a system of effective and instant monitoring of Amur river water quality by the partnership alliance including the Khabarovskiy Krai government, Institute for Water and Environmental Problems of the RAS and local citizens represented by NGO’s and to diversify drinking water sources for the settlements along Amur river that suffer severely from the water pollution coming mainly from China.
Initially it was expected that $ 125 000 will be provided from FSD to support practical projects that would help to improve drinking water quality. But taking into account an extreme urgency of the issue, numerous requests from the riverside communities and regional authorities along with the high level of co-funding from the local sources ($ 97 000) FSD recommended and USAID agreed to increase the awarded sum. Five projects were launched in July 2007 within this program with the total funding from USAID of almost $150 000. As of November 2007 all five projects are in the middle stage of implementation and already demonstrate clear benefits to citizens inhabiting settlements along Amur river.

In Sikachi-Alan Nanai national village (Khabarovskiy raion, about 45 miles away from Khabarovsk) a new well is planned for drilling using USAID funds. It is required to remove the community dependence on the delivery of drinking water by trucks from the next village located six miles away. Currently the location of the well is defined and approved by all competent authorities and an agreement with the drilling company is prepared.

Water pumping station in Osinovaya Rechka settlement near Khabarovsk received new UV disinfection equipment.

In Kalma national settlement (Ulchsky raion) the well is already drilled to provide local school and kindergarten with sufficient water resources. Here there is a significant co-funding from the local businesses (Kalm Ltd., Dekal Ltd. And the others) that are also extremely interested in new sources of drinking water for local business development based on Amur fish processed by local minorities: udegee’s, nanai’s, nivkh’s and others. Thus the project does not only solve regular problems of public health but also stimulates local economic development and supports marginalized minorities.

Khabarovskiy Krai Emergency Monitoring Center was equipped with the modern facilities to detect the widest range of toxicants.

Osinovaya Rechka settlement located near Khabarovsk received a new UV water purification system. The equipment is already purchased and delivered. Similar equipment is also purchased by Ussuri Resort located in Bychikha settlement using Amur Initiative funds. It is expected to arrive by the end of November. Before New Year thousands of citizens inhabiting Osinovaya Rechka and Bychikha settlements and many people who take their after-surgery or general rehabilitation in the resort will get access to the much more healthy water. Using UV disinfection system will remove excessive water chlorination what will also have a clear positive environmental effect.
The Krai Monitoring Center for Emergency Situations in Khabarovsk also successfully started the project implementation. The new building for the monitoring laboratories was constructed and purchased several sophisticated analytical devises (chromatographs and mass spectrometers) using co-funding money. Planned smaller analytical equipment will be purchased using USAID funds in the next quarter to form a complete set of necessary facilities for organizing instant water quality control and monitoring for the widest possible range of pollutants. The Center now has the unique range of equipment and experts that makes it one of the most advanced throughout Russia.

Mr. Vladimir Eshenko, Khabarovskiy Krai Government official(on the right) and Andrey Zaytsev, FSD projects manager at the brief coordination meeting devoted to Amur Initiative.

Mr. Vladimir Eshenko, Head of the Division for Territories Economy of Municipal Development Department, Krai Ministry for Economic Development and External affairs who is one of the key coordinators of the Amur Initiative from Khabarovskiy Krai Government said that this Program was very timely and widely appreciated. It had already triggered a wave of similar activities in other settlements in the region funded exclusively from the local or regional sources. He stressed Initiative’s extreme importance and suggested to design its follow-up in the next year. Khabarovskiy Krai government is ready to review a possibility to co-fund the Initiative in future.

Khabarovsk-Moscow, November 21, 2007