Project "Improvement of the environment and living standards is the basis for modern rural development

Lead Partner:    Autonomous non-profit organization “Energy Efficiency Centre”

Budget: 289 500 EUR, grant from CBC ENPI Karelia -  260 500  EUR.

Project Partners:

• Finnterrus Oy, FIN
• Northern Water Problems Institute of KarRC of RAS
• Federal state educational institution for secondary vocational training, Petrozavodsk Municipal Utility College

Associates           

• State Committee of the Republic of Karelia on Reforming Municipal Utilities
• Administration of Kalevala national municipal district
• State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for the Development of Local Self-government
• Administration of Pryazha National Municipal District

Brief description of the Action 

1. Collection of information and studying the current situation in the area of water supply and wastewater treatment in Pryazha and Kalevala districts.
2. Studying foreign (Finnish) experience of solving similar issues in small settlements (including seminars, working meetings, investigations, consultations etc.)
3. Development of technical solutions and recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of water supply and wastewater treatment (local networks) for different categories of clients (social utilities, private sector, farms, tourist areas, small businesses, clusters of houses etc). 
4. Investigation of assumed impact on social and economic situation in a settlement (opinions of local authorities and people).
5. Search for the optimal solution for the issue for different categories of clients (e.g. for remote villages, clusters of houses, farms, social utilities (schools, hospitals etc.), tourist centers, isolated houses etc.) with the account for local resources, potential for local development and reduction of the negative environmental impact.
6. Selection of several pilot sites and implementation of demonstration projects there.
7. Training of specialists who would be able to do the follow-up of the project, i.e. assistance to entrepreneurship and economic activities based on the introduction of the water supply and waste water treatment technology developed together with the Finnish partner.
8. Development of a training course for the municipal utility college, which trains specialists for the water supply and waste water treatment sector for Karelian provinces.
9. Development and dissemination of an information booklet with the description of the issue, modern technologies for solving it and selection of this or that technology for each specific case and with recommendations on where to address for solving those issues. 

Description of the target groups and final beneficiaries:

1. Local authorities of Pryazha district and Kalevala national district. Local authorities of the villages (82 in Pryazha district and 9 in Kalevala district) of the districts. 
2. The final project beneficiaries are the citizens of villages (20300 - in Pryazha district, 11500 - in Kalevala district), owners and inhabitants of farms, owners and guests of tourist facilities and other small businesses. 

Overall objective: Enhancement of the quality of life and solving health issues (pure drinking water, nice and clean environment) of the people in Pryazha and Kalevala national districts of the Republic of Karelia. 

Specific objective: Development and introduction of new low-cost technologies in the field of water supply and waste water treatment in the preliminary selected settlements.

Main activities:

1. Studying the existing problems and challenges in this area as for today, search for solutions for them and possibilities of their utilization
2. Studying Finnish experience and knowledge in the area of decentralized low-cost systems of water supply and waste water treatment in small settlements.
3. Development of the model for local decentralized water supply and waste water treatment systems
4. Elaboration of recommendations and technical solutions (design drawing) for the development of such systems on the basis of the knowledge and experience got from the Finnish partners. 
5. Implementation of demonstration projects, implementation of small investment projects on local water supply and waste water treatment, with the aim to demonstrate actual advantages of modern environmental technologies. 
6. Increasing awareness and dissemination of the information on the newest technologies in the area of water supply and waste water treatment systems.
7. Elaboration of legal documents and business plan for joint enterprise (Finnish Russian) 
8. Assistance to the development of entrepreneurship activities in the area of creating technical solutions, manufacturing and installing local decentralized environmentally-friendly water supply and waste water treatment systems.
9. Development and introduction of a training course for the municipal utility college (in Petrozavodsk), for specialists in the field of water supply and waste water treatment in the districts of the RK.
10. Carrying out the final conference aimed at increasing awareness and dissemination of the information about the project achievements.
     

Main outputs:

• Enhancement of the wellbeing of the population due to the increase of the quality of life and solving health issues (pure drinking water, nice and clean environment)
• Increasing the attractiveness of the area with comfortable living conditions and possibilities for businesses cooperation.
• Actual model of water supply and waste water treatment in villages with the account for the current problems.
• Creation of a new environmentally-friendly model for local decentralized water supply and waste water treatment in small settlements. 
• Installation of pilot demonstration local water supply and waste water treatment objects.
• Training of specialists (representatives of local authorities, municipal unitary enterprises, management companies and small businesses) that will develop and implement specific project on water supply and waste water treatment systems on the basis of the knowledge obtained. 
• Development of a training course for the municipal utility college, which trains specialists for water supply and waste water treatment for the districts of the RK.
• Establishment of business contacts with Finnish enterprises dealing with the development and production of technologies and manufacturing new products for decentralized water supply and waste water treatment systems and assistance to Finnish and European partners in entering Karelian market. 
• Increasing public awareness of new environmental low-cost technologies and equipment in the area of water supply and waste water treatment