http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2536-2123
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ABSTRACT
The paper explores the impact and sustainability of environmental assistance coming to Russia from EU-based public and private foundations, and its implications for environmental governance. Geographically, the study ’encompassed all the assistance projects awarded in 1991–2016 involving beneficiaries from Pskovskaya Oblast’. This region is potentially an important target for EU investments in environmental infrastructure, due to its location by the EU border and high value of natural capital. The study demonstrates how the assumptions offered by the international aid literature (mostly derived from the global South) apply to Russia. We found major limitations to the assumption that co-financing provided by recipients ensures project effectiveness (demonstrating the acceptance of the donor's agenda) or sustainability (providing interest to the maintenance of outputs). Tangible assets are normally co-financed only if the investment was in agenda anyway (and therefore the donor gets only time gains, although this can be a valid purpose too); soft outputs (plans, surveys, policies, etc.) are usually co-financed in-kind, and therefore cannot secure any additional commitment. Likewise, physical infrastructure often ends up mismanaged due to low or no maintenance budgets available, while maintenance of soft outputs is too much dependent on contextual factors beyond the co-finance paradigm.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Anton Shkaruba is a researcher and lecturer at Central European University, teaching courses on adaptive co-management and governance of socio-ecological systems, forestry policies, and carbon sequestration. His research interests encompass climate, biodiversity and forest governance in the EU and international contexts. Anton is active with consultancy projects in biodiversity and climate policies in the EU, Russia, and Eastern Partnership countries. He is the Director of Erda RTE, co-organiser (with European Environment Agency, EEAcademy) of summer schools on the precautionary principle and its integration in EU policies, and a lead author of the regional assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Olga Likhacheva is an Associated Professor at the Department of Botany and Plant Ecology of Pskov State University, teaching courses in Life and Environmental Sciences. She is a Vice-Dean for Research at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Medical and Psychological Education at Pskov State University. Her major research interests are Lichen Ecology, Spatial Planning in Urban Peripheries, Biodiversity Preservation and Conservation both in Pskov Region and in the bordering regions of the EU. She is the author of numerous papers in peer-reviewed journals, and an editor of a book on case-study methods.
Viktar Kireyeu is a climate change researcher and educational consultant with a particular interest in the vulnerability of forest social-ecological systems, emerging EU dimension of the multilevel environmental governance in Central and Eastern Europe, and urban green infrastructure; his another area of interest is ICT tools for informing various stakeholder groups. He is an Associate Professor at Siberian Federal University Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, a Project Director at EKAPRAEKT, and a Visiting Lecturer at Central European University.
Tatiana Vasileva is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography of Pskov State University, teaching courses on Environmental Monitoring, The Baltic Sea Environment, Ecological Sustainability, Landscape Science, and Water Governance. She has served as a Vice-Dean for Research of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Pskov State University. Tatiana has contributed to various international educational and research projects as an expert, an administrator, and a coordinator. Her research interests include Forest Geography, Transboundary Water Governance, and Ethnic Minorities in Pskov Region.
ORCID
Anton Shkaruba http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2536-2123
Olga Likhacheva http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1274-3368
Viktar Kireyeu http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1895-7762