This book brings together the findings of key sector- and media-specific analyses of the environment in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) area and puts forward a set of indicators to provide a one-stop, concise and up-to-date assessment that is accessible also to a non-specialist audience. It systematically looks at environmental legislation, policies, and institutions; pollution prevention and control; natural resources management; environmental policy integration; financial resources for the environment; environmental information and public awareness; and co-operation on transboundary issues.

It finds that the problems are serious, but they vary across countries.  A significant burden of environmental disease persists – one out of 1 000 children born in Tajikistan dies before the age of five due to diarrhoeal diseases closely associated to lack of safe water.  Despite low income levels, natural resources are under heavy pressure – nine out of twelve countries forming the region are water-stressed. To confront those problems, institutional development and policy responses would need to be stepped up.  This assessment finds that current policies are often ineffective in stimulating significant improvements, scarce resources are spent without clear programmatic frameworks, and policy integration is very limited.