Toward Integrated Water Management in Romania: Recent Developments and Future Plans

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1 Toward Integrated Water Management in Romania: Recent Developments and Future Plans Glen D. Anderson, International Resources Group, Washington DC Daene C. McKinney, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, Texas Marie-Jeanne Adler, USAID/Chemonics International, Bucharest, Romania Robert Bouvier, Development Alternatives, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland March 2004 Introduction EU accession is an important goal of the Government of Romania (GOR), which anticipates being invited to join the EU in As part of the accession process the GOR must harmonize its national legislation to EU law and specific directives, including those related to water. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) mandates integrated river basin planning and management for EU Member States and Candidate Countries from the date of their accession to the EU. The GOR is now in the process of designing and implementing an integrated water management system. Apart from the requirement of the WFD, development of the capacity for integrated water management is viewed by Romania as an important step in managing water resources more effectively. Historically, Romania has experienced significant economic losses from floods, accidental spills, and droughts costs that could be substantially reduced through improved capacity in monitoring, use of effective decision support system tools in managing water allocation and quality, and implementation of a comprehensive communication network to ensure timely response by water users and the public to forecasts and warnings. Romania has already implemented a major investment to upgrade meteorological monitoring and forecasting (SIMIN) institutional capacity and infrastructure, and has recently made a second investment (DESWAT) in automated hydrological monitoring that will provide real time data for improved forecasting of floods and accidental spills. This paper describes the next steps in Romania s plans to implement a system of integrated water management, with particular attention focused on the tasks that will be undertaken to develop and demonstrate DSS tools in the WATMAN component of a project, started in Water Framework Directive Provisions The centerpiece of EU water legislation is the Water Framework Directive. The WFD moves countries from more traditional supply-side water management to integrated water resources management, requiring joint consideration of social problems, economic development and protection of the environment at the river basin level. The WFD 1 WATMAN is short for Water Management and is one of three components in a project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Chemonics International titled Support to Enhance Privatization, Investment, and Competitiveness in the Water Sector of the Romanian Economy (SEPIC).

2 establishes a Framework, providing a common approach, and common objectives, principles, definitions and basic measures for water management. However, the specific actions required to achieve the mandated good status in river basins are the responsibility of competent authorities in the Member States. The WFD requires countries to implement the necessary measures to prevent deterioration of the status of all surface and groundwater bodies, and to achieve good surface and ground water status within 15 years from the date of entry into force of the Directive. This process requires the fulfillment of several key and supplementary tasks, including: (1) setting up River Basin Districts (RBDs); (2) identifying and agreeing on key water management issues; (3) establishing and maintaining monitoring networks; and (4) developing River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) and Programs of Measures (PMs). In the sections below, Romania s progress and plans for completing these four tasks are presented. The next section describes the current approach to river basin management and the challenges for Romania in complying with the WFD model. The subsequent section provides an overview of the concept of integrated management envisioned for Romania and the final section describes planned work to develop DSS tools to support integrated water management. River Basin Management Following the basin approach, Article 3 of the WFD requires that by the end of the second year after accession to the EU (see Figure 1), Romania must have established a framework for implementing the WFD. This includes adapting Romania s legal framework to provisions of the WFD and identifying River Basin Districts (RBDs) and competent authorities for each RDB. Implement Monitoring Characterize RBDs Define Objectives Establish RBDs EU Accession Develop PMs & RBMPs Update RBMPs & PMs Implement PMs Good Status! Figure 1. Timeline for EU Water Framework Directive implementation in Romania. Romania has been managing water according to the river basin concept for over 20 years. After the most recent reorganization in 2002, the competent water management authority is the National Administration Apele Romane subordinated to the Ministry of 2

3 Agriculture, Forests, Waters, and Environmental Protection. The National Administration include central offices in Bucharest, eleven river basin (regional) offices, forty-two county-level offices and 57 hydrological offices. River Basin Committees (RBCs) have been established for Romania s 11 river basins (MAFWEP Decision No. 114/2001). Their main functions are approval of (1) water rationing during drought periods; (2) plans to prevent and fight against accidental pollution; and (3) integrated watershed management plans. These Committees include representatives from the Ministry of Water and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Health and Family, County Administration, Municipal and Local Mayors, River Basin Authority and Water Management Systems, Environmental Protection Inspectorate, water users from industry and agriculture, environmental non-governmental organizations or similar associations. 2 In the case of river basins shared by two or more Member States, the WFD requires that International RBDs be established. If a river basin extends beyond Community territory (as in the case of Danube River), the relevant Member State(s) must seek to establish appropriate coordination with the non-member State(s) concerned. A Romanian interministerial Water Council has been formed by the representatives of the ministries and central authorities and Apele Romane for the implementation of the WFD. The president of this council is Romania s representative on the International Commission for the Danube River Protection. Water management functions in Romania are organized on a river basin model, with an umbrella decision making role reserved for the National Authorities in the cases of large floods with transboundary or inter-basin implications (e.g., if water needs to be diverted to other basins through the network of canals) or periods of serious drought. There are three other important functions carried out by national authorities. Financing of monitoring and infrastructure investments related to floods is provided by the State Budget, owing to the public good nature of flooding problems. In addition, the meteorological and hydrological networks are the responsibility of the Institute of Meteorology and Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, respectively. Finally, although water tariffs are collected and used by the river basin authorities, the National authorities play a role in transferring some of these revenues from revenue-rich to revenue-poor basins, if there are unmet financing priorities. 3 The National Water Authority recognizes the differences between its current approach to river basin management and the WFD model. Under the USAID-funded SEPIC project, these issues will be addressed in a report to be prepared for the National Water Authority. In addition, two EU-funded projects will assist Romania in developing a water quality monitoring system at the river basin level (Arges River Basin) and the preparation of a river basin management plan (Somes River Basin). Integrated Water Management in Romania The concept for integrated water management in Romania has taken shape over the last few years. SIMIN the National Integrated Meteorological System has involved a $55 2 Lificiu, P., (2003) "Progress in water management at the level of river basins over the world," Third World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan. 3 Currently, water prices are set at the national level and are differentiated by user but not basin. Water pricing at the basin level will present a challenge for some basins in Romania, as prices may have to be increased substantially in order to support full cost recovery. 3

4 million investment in meteorological monitoring and forecasting systems and is nearly completed. The second step in developing the integrated water management system in Romania has focused on improved management of the problems of floods and accidental spills. This initiative is generally referred to as DESWAT (Destructive Waters). Romania has experienced chronic problems with flooding for centuries. The mountainous terrain, steep narrow valleys, and frequency of torrential and sustained rains have combined to produce catastrophic floods in Romania. As illustrated in Figure 2, flood damages are widespread. The National Water Authority has estimated that 500,000 people and 1.3 million hectares of land are at risk of floods every year in Romania. Figure 2. Distribution of Flood Damages in Romania A recent analysis by the Romanian National Water Authority indicates that about 600 accidental pollution releases have been recorded in Romania during the period, Figure 3 summarizes information on spills by year and type of spill (e.g., oil, livestock wastes, chemical, and other). However, the cyanide spill in January 2000 has probably served as the primary catalyst for improvements in accidental spill detection and warning capabilities in Romania. On January 30, 2000, over 100,000 cubic meters of wastewater contaminated with cyanide and heavy metals were accidentally spilled from a tailings holding pond swollen with water from heavy rains and melting snow in the northern Romania city of Baia Mare. The holding pond was designed to store cyanide-laden wastewater to be recycled and re-used in the gold extraction process. When the earthen dam was breached, the wastewaters traveled through ditches to the Lapus River, a tributary of the Somes River, into the Somes River, then across the Hungarian border into the Tisza River. Ultimately, cyanide was detected in the Danube Delta several weeks after the spill occurred. 4

5 One issue resulting from the spill concerned deficiencies in the accidental spill reporting system. The spill occurred at approximately 10 pm on the 30 th of January, but it was not until the next afternoon that authorities in Hungary or in Bucharest were notified of the spill. A second issue raised by the spill was the lack of capacity to understand the behavior of cyanide in waters at low temperature and apply predictive models to improve the quality of information disseminated about the spill s movement and likely rate of dilution Num ber of accidental spills Total Oil Livestock Chemicals Others Figure 3. Inventory of Accidental Spills in Romania ( ) DESWAT was initiated in 2001, included two preliminary studies and culminated in a $46 million investment in automated hydrological monitoring stations and related data management and processing infrastructure. The investment was approved by the government in 2002 and implementation commenced in The first of the two studies to support the investment was the DESWAT feasibility study 4, which provided recommendations on institutional strengthening and infrastructure requirements for the automated hydrologic monitoring network to support flood forecasting and detection of accidental spills. This study also developed an investment strategy and implementation plan. The second study 5 evaluated alternative models for flood forecasting and provided recommendations for flash flood and regional flood forecasting models to be used in the integrated water management system. In the next few years, other components of the integrated water management system will be added to the SIMIN and DESWAT components. Most of these will be based on the analysis and pilot studies that are being conducted under the WATMAN component of 4 The DESWAT feasibility study was funded by USAID and implemented by Development Alternatives, Inc. 5 This study was funded by the US Trade and Development Agency and implemented by Burgess & Niple, Limited. 5

6 the SEPIC project. The vision of the integrated water management system, when completed is illustrated in Figure 4. DESWAT hydrologic -time Data Analysis/ Display Rea -time Reservoir Rea - time Radar, ASOS and other SIMIN Products Quality Assurance Programs Soci - economic database National Meteorological Database GIS Database National Hydrologic Database Data Management Interface Dispatch Server Applicati on Server Hydrologic Forecasting Consumptive Use Modeling Historical and non rea -time Data Central Databases Irrigation Management Water Quality Assessment Reservoir and River Simulation/ Optimization DSS Implementation Figure 4. Romanian Integrated Water Management System The Ministry of Waters and Environmental Protection has elaborated a national strategy for water resource related disaster mitigation and management, and action plan for harmonizing Romania s water management activities with the WFD. Both of these activities require the development of an adequate Decisional Support System (DSS) whose architecture includes the coordination of Emergency Warning and the actions of the Rapid Response Center of each basin. The DSS must be able to solve different levels of conflicting water management criteria, and seek management or development that is economically attractive, ecologically sound, socially acceptable and technically feasible (see Figure 5). The main objective of an effective integrated water management at the basin level is to satisfy the demand of all stakeholders, given the possibilities and limitations of water supply (see Figure 6). This balance between supply and demand should be implemented through appropriate institutions and policies taking into consideration both water quantity and quality, as well as the social and economic development in the basin and protection of the environment. To support the DSS, a package of forecasting models for the water resource system has to be added, as well as a monitoring and control system (SIMIN and DESWAT) and of the hydro-technical systems (WATMAN task) Figures 6 and 7. The integration of the hydrological informational system together with data from different hydro-technical systems will feed procedures (simulation, optimization, expert system, etc.) for DSS in each Romanian basin. The main task of WATMAN is to design the architecture of the DSS and the linkage with other systems. The DSS will benefit from the meteorological forecast models (e.g., Aladin, MM5, etc.) and hydrological forecast models (e.g., NWS 6

7 package of models, Toplets coupled with MM5, and other EU models), pollutant dispersion models, and optimum water supply models. Within WATMAN, a decision support system (DSS) for integrated water management is being designed and implemented to assist in developing RBMPs and PMs, including: International survey of DSS for integrated water management, describing individual models and their respective applications, data requirements (including topographical and cadastral information), use of GIS platforms in data management, analysis or presentation Current applications of DSS in Romania, describing the current computer-assisted applications of DSS for water management in Romania, including data requirements, software tools and outputs, and indicate whether the models are used to support real time decision making or to support research and analytical studies on water management issues. Elaboration of DSS for integrated water management in Romania developing and adapting international models and DSS to Romanian water management problems. The gaps in Romanian water management must be identified and measures for filling these gaps proposed. DSS SOLUTION Irrigation Recreation Water Supply Groundwater Water Quality Hydroelectric Power Fish And Wildlife Flood Control Recreation Aesthetics Fish Habitat Riparian Land Erosion Control Flora Fauna Endangered Species Figure 5. Composite Decision Tree 7

8 Benefits & Environmental Impacts Water uses: Irrigation Municipal Industrial Recreation E t Agronomy & Irrigation science Health and environment Eco-Hydrology Supply management Demand management Infrastructure development Policy and market development Hydrology, hydraulics eco-biology Economics Institutions Figure 6. Water resources management system in a basin In addition, several pilot activities to implement the DSS for integrated water management and a feasibility study for the full-scale implantation of the DSS in Romanian river basins will be carried out, including: Delineation of pilot areas and scope of activities for each area, propose pilot activities in the Arges-Dambovita River Basin (see Figure 7) related to the DSS demonstration designed to demonstrate software and DSS applications recommended for Romania. Including the development of the database needed for model calibration, establishment of the interface between the SIMIN/DESWAT database and the pilot, and demonstration of the model(s). Development of institutional and infrastructure recommendations for integrated water management drawn from the lessons learned from the three piloting activities. Elaboration of investment costs for WATMAN in two steps: (1) investment costs will be analyzed for the Arges-Dambovita basin, drawing from the lessons learned in piloting activities; and (2) extend to the national level, encompassing all eleven Romanian river basins. Economic analysis of benefits and costs of the WATMAN investments. O&M costs will be calculated and the investment costs annualize to facilitate comparison of annual costs with benefits. Benefits and costs will be compared using alternative assumptions for potential benefits of implementing the WATMAN investment and alternative specifications of the benefit-cost criteria. One of the requirements of the EU WFD is the use of economic justification of decisions at each step; one of the steps is the creation of the water management infrastructure for river basins. Preparation of WATMAN implementation recommendations to complement the WATMAN investment plan. Recommendations will be developed to help the government consider different options for prioritizing the investment. Alternative 8

9 prioritization criteria will be identified and implementation schedules developed that are consistent with these criteria. Priorities will be suggested in terms of regions and river basins, types of DSS systems, and infrastructure. Figure 7. Arges-Dambovita Basins Conclusion In Romania, the concern with water resources, increasing environmental awareness and a series of natural resources crises such as the drought of summer 2003 have coalesced to reinforce a trend toward comprehensive management and interdisciplinary planning. The overall thrust of such efforts in water planning and management underscore among many other goals: The internalization of a wider range of costs and benefits of water management decisions; Increased emphasis on anticipatory planning and an enlargement time horizon; 9

10 Commitment to participatory planning through the empowerment of many additional parties-at-interest; Contingency planning and richer menu of planning and management options; use of risk assessment in order define the range of acceptable and assumable risk in decision making; A discernable trend toward comprehensive or unified management along with special efforts to involve all levels of government and to attain support of the individual citizens; Integrated ground- and surface-water management and the use of the basin as a management area; Preference for non-structural solutions and for conservation measures that recognize that neither availability nor requirements should be treated as unalterable; The emerging coordination of water with other natural resources, especially land-use control and planning. The end result of resolving such tasks will be a contingency preparedness for change, the ability to cope pragmatically with the challenges of transboundary interdependencies, the appreciation of long-term planning, and the capacity to manage peacefully and in a pro-active manner, long-standing conflicts about shared water resources between different users, communities and states. 10