7 Neman environment
Copyright (c) 2005

I, Nina Palutskaya, a professional journalist, and ichthyologist in my earlier carrier, am glad to welcome you on this website. Three main reasons below may perhaps explain why I have launched it.

Firstly, I have accumulated a substantial body of environmental information about the river Neman basin. I believe that information becomes meaningful only when it is shared.

Secondly, I wish to promote open discussion and exchange of ideas about joint projects to protect water environment in the region.

Thirdly, for most people of my profession in today’s Belarus the Internet is perhaps the only way to speak out of what they think.

Currently there is not much on this page apart from the picture of me and my CV, the page is still under development. As a journalist I wish to make it more user-friendly and more informative with regular updates reaching beyond environmental issues.

Welcome again!

The purpose of this web site is to promote an exchange of information about the river Neman (Nemunas) environment, one of the largest rivers draining into the Baltic Sea.

The river Neman is a trans-boundary watercourse, its basin shared by four countries Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and the Russian Federation, with the main portion of the basin shared equally between Belarus and Lithuania. The Neman basin is not only an important natural resource, but also an important part in the region’s historical and cultural heritage. Coordinated efforts of the people living the Neman countries are required to protect the environment and to develop sustainable ways of using natural resources within the basin.

As a professional journalist I researched into and published about the environmental problems in the Neman basin. As an environmentalist (I have got a university degree in Ichthyology) I have been involved in a number of recent projects concerned with the Neman environment. In 2001 I led ISAR sponsored public campaign against the building of hydroelectric dams on the river Neman and organised a public hearing of the Environmental Impact Assessment reports and experts opinions. During 2001-2003 I enjoyed working a public relations and media expert in EU Tacis Project Reducing Agricultural and Industrial River Pollution: Improving Surface Water Quality in the Neman River Basin. I think that information which has been generated so far may be of interest to everyone concerned with environmental problems in the Baltic Sea basin.

Trust this website will provide a useful link to members of the general public, NGOs and environmental professionals in the region interested in networking and cooperation.

Nina Palutskaya

CURRICULUM VITAE

1. Family name: PALUTSKAYA
2. First name: NINA
3. Date of birth: 12 July 1953
4. Nationality: Citizen of Belarus
5. Education:
Institution:The Institute of Fishing Industry, Kaliningrad, USSR
Date: from - to 09/1970-06/1975, full time five year complete course
Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtainedFull Degree in Ichthyology and Fish
Farming
Institution:Belarus State University, Belarus, Minsk
Date: from - to 08/1987-06/1992, part time six year complete course
Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained Journalist

6. Language skills: (5- high; 1- low)
LanguageReadingSpeakingWriting
English 4 3 3
Russian 5 5 5
Belarus 5 4 4
Polish 4 3 2


7. Membership of professional bodies: Belarus Journalist Association, Belarus
PEN-Center.

8. Other skills: Experienced PC user, environmental photographer.

9. Present position: Freelance environmental journalist, media and public
relations advisor

10. Professional Experience Record (selected):

Date: from-to1989-1992
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyGrodno StateTV
PositionAuthor, Producer and Presenter of the TV-program "ECOS"
DescriptionThe program was focused on environmental problems in Grodno
region including impacts of industrial sand/gravel extraction from Neman
river bed on water environment


Date: from-to1993 -1996
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyIndependent radio "Radio NBK" in Grodno
PositionFounder and Broadcaster (the radio was closed down by the
authorities before the national referendum in 1996)
Description1994 and 1995 - The first prize in the journalist MFC
competition on the small businesses issues, Belarus; 1999- the winner the
radio nomination in the EU Tacis International TV and Radio program, Kiev,
Ukraine


Date: from-to1997 - 1999
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyGrodno Regional Weekly Newspaper “Infobirzha”
Position Editor in Chief.


Date: from-to1999 - 2000
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyNGO Center of Information Support for Societal Initiatives "Third
Sector"
Position Trainer in eco-journalism.
Description Young Journalist School project


Date: from-to2001
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyCenter of Information Support for Societal Initiatives "Third
Sector" (NGO)
PositionCoordinator of the ISAR/USAID project.
DescriptionEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the Neman river dam project.
Public campaign "We are against the building of dams on the Neman river".
Public hearing and series of publications on the issue in Belarus mass
media. Report production.


Date: from-to1999-2003
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyBelarus Business Newspaper (BDG)
PositionRegional Correspondent
DescriptionRegular publications on political, economic, social and
environmental issues


Date: from-toFrom 2002
LocationMinsk, Belarus
CompanyPublic Advisory Group (Obschestvennyi Sovet), Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environmental Protection
Position Member


Date: from-to2001-2003
LocationGrodno, Belarus
CompanyHalcrow/BCEOM Consortium: EU Tacis Project Reducing Agricultural
and Industrial River Pollution: Improving Surface Water Quality in the
Neman River Basin, SCR-E/111229/C/SV/WW
PositionLocal Expert – Media and Public Relations
DescriptionOrganizer of the International Workshop to promote NGO and
scientists collaboration within the River Neman Basin, Grodno, July 2002.
Strategy for public participation in the integrated water basin
management. Production of promotional materials including Neman booklet


Date: from-to2004 - 2005
LocationGrodno Region Belarus and Kaunas Lithuania
CompanyCCB funded Joint Lithuanian-Belarus-Russian project
PositionBelarus Coordinator
DescriptionField trips, local liaison, data collection and review,
production and dissemination of the river Neman basin poster