Belarus experience in transboundary water management and prospects in international ecological cooperation within in Baltic Sea Region

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1 Belarus experience in transboundary water management and prospects in international ecological cooperation within in Baltic Sea Region Aliaksandr Pakhomau Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Minsk, Belarus

2 Catchment area upstream states (Central and Eastern Europe Region): Belarus: km 2 Ukraine: km 2 Czech Rep.: km 2 Slovakia: km 2 GIWA 2004 Regional assessment 17 Transboundary basins in Belarus Western Dvina Neman Western Bug River

3 Transboundary basins in Belarus Baltic sea basin Бассейн Черного моря Black sea basin Припять

4 Main characteristics of water resources and water use in the Baltic sea basin (Belarus) River basin Square, sq. кm 2 Av. annual river flow, km 3 Western Bug Neman Western Dvina Structure of water use Structure of water discharge into surface water objects Agricultural water supply 11.34% Fish farms industry 10.08% -13% from fish farming - 7% from heat -power engineering objects irrigation 0.52% Domestic needs 43.52% Industrial needs 34.54% -25% from industry -55% from population

5 Western river basin In the Western Dvina basin the water-ecological conditions have following features: - Pollution of the river on an input in republic owing to anthropogenous influence on a watershed within the Russian Federation; - Necessity of the account of interests of the Latvian Republic according to international and to bilateral agreements; - Considerable water pollution by storm wastewaters; - The essential contribution of other non-point sources to pollution of waters of the river and its tributaries (from 30 to 80 % on various components); - Allocation of sources of pollution around Novopolotsk; - Necessity of the iron removal of the underground waters used for domestic-drinking water supply.

6 Western river basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Surazh W.Dvina River )

7 Western river basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Dryja W.Dvina River ) Средние значения за годы

8 Western river basin Assessment of riverine loads from territory of Belarus for basin

9 Neman river basin Water-ecological features of Neman River Basin: - Absence of treatment facilities in some cities and the majority of settlements of city type; -A contamination and sedimentation(muddying) of fishery ponds; -- Prevailing influence of the non-point sources of pollution (from 40 to 90 %) on quality of waters of the river and its tributaries; - Significant export outflow for Viljja basin into the Dnepr river basin by the Vilejsko-Minsk water system; - Disorder manure removal, assignments and clearings of drains of cattle-breeding complexes; - Necessity of protection of unique water objects (Narochansky lake group);

10 Neman river basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Privalka Neman River )

11 Neman river basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Bystritsa Viliya River )

12 Neman river basin Assessment of riverine loads from territory of Belarus for basin

13 Western Bug River Basin In the Western Bug basin the water-ecological conditions have following features: - Transboundary pollution by contaminants by channel of the river arriving on a boundary alignment between Ukraine (above on a current), Belarus (the right bank) and Poland (the left bank); further pollution over amplifies at the expense of receipt of polluting substances on a boundary site of the river between Belarus and Poland from intermediate watersheds of these countries; - Prevailing influence of the non-point sources of pollution (from 60 to 90 %) on quality of waters of the river and its tributaries; - Pollution of the rivers the Western Bug and Muhavets owing to transportation of cargoes by river transport (the Dnepro-Bug channel is an element large transboundary water transport system in a direction Ukraine-Belarus-Poland);

14 Western Bug River Basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Tomashevka W.Bug River ) Средние значения за годы

15 Western Bug River Basin Riverine loads (transboundary post Novoselki W.Bug River ) Средние значения за годы

16 Western Bug River Basin Riverine loads from territory of Belarus for basin Средние значения за годы

17 National policy documents and state programmes in sphere of protection and use of water resources in Belarus National Plan of Actions on rational use of natural resources and environment protection in the Republic of Belarus for years Water Strategy until 2020 National Sustainable Development Strategy for the period up to 2020 Main environmental policies of the Republic of Belarus for the period up to 2025 State Programme for water supply and sanitation Clear water State Programme for Development National Monitoring System of Environment in the Republic of Belarus for years

18 Agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements name / title Western Dvina-Daugava The Agreement between the Government of the Republic Belarus and the Government of Latvia about cooperation in environmental (signed in ) The Agreement between the Government of Republic Belarus and the Government of the Russian Federation about cooperation in environmental (signed in ) Project of the three lateral Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus, Russian Federation, Latvian Republic about cooperation in the field of water resources use and protection of the Western Dvina-Daugava River basin. (on a stage of procedure national coordination in countries).

19 Agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements name / title Neman basin The Agreement between Republic of Belarus and Lithuania about cooperation in the field of environmental protection ( ) Project of the three lateral Agreement between the Governments of the Republic of Belarus, Lithuanian Republic and Russian Federation about cooperation in the field of water resources use and protection of the Neman River basin (on a stage of procedure national coordination in countries). Protocol of bilateral working group meeting of the experts from Belarus and Lithuania on preparation of the coordinated common approach in field of water quality assessment in Neman River Basin Technical protocol between Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and Ministry of Environment of Lithuanian Republic about cooperation in the field of monitoring and data exchange about state of transboundary water resources (2008)

20 Agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements Bilateral and multilateral agreements name / title Western Bug The project of Agreement between Government of the Republic of Belarus and Republic of Poland about cooperation in the field of water resources use and protection of transboundary water objects under preparation and interstate procedure of approval. Belarus has prepared last version of Agreement and send to Poland in June 2005.

21 Cooperation with intergovernmental organizations within Baltic Sea Region HELCOM (Baltic Marine Protection Commission) The Government of Republic Belarus has been an observer to HELCOM since Priority area for cooperation : transboundary pollution and data exchange, Joint implementation of Baltic Sea Action Plan Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) Observer status since 1 July 2009 Priority area for cooperation :implementation of the projects on the construction of treatment facilities, natural management, small hydro energy NDEP (Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership) Belarus join NDEP as observer in Nov 2009 Priority area for cooperation : implementation of the projects on the construction of treatment facilities as well reconstruction WWTP

22 Lists of international projects implemented in water sector (Baltic Sea catchment area in Belarus ) Информация по проекту TACIS «Снижение сельскохозяйственного и промышленного загрязнения Name of the project рек: Улучшение качества Sponsoring поверхностных Project вод в бассейне реки Неман, Гродненская область, Беларусь» organization deadline Management of water resources in the Western Dvina Dvina Tacis April 2002 river basin Reduction/elimination of ecological threat from the silt Danish EPA 2002 accumulation Основной целью at the wastewater проекта было treatment улучшение facilities качества of the city поверхностных of вод в Brest бассейне реки Неман посредством совершенствования практики контроля за Development качеством водных of transboundary ресурсов co-operation в Гродненской on water области quality Беларуси. Tacis December monitoring and assessment in the Bug river between Belarus 2002 and Poland Для реализации основной цели проекта были предложены следующие Reducing Agricultural and Industrial River Pollution: Improving Tacis September Surface конкретные Water Quality этапы in направленные the Neman River на Basin долгосрочное совершенствование 2003 системы контроля за качеством вод в Гродненской области, расширение возможностей Support to implementation of environment policies and NEAPs Tacis June 2004 in для the NIS трансграничного сотрудничества для решения трансграничных проблем и выполнения международных обязательств в бассейне реки Неман, применение Water legislation in the Republic of Belarus and WFD OECD October на общенациональном уровне изменения в практике контроля за качеством 2003 вод. Development of the common approaches in assessment of the OECD November transboundary water quality for Belarus and EU countries Information management system and infrastructures for the transboundary Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins Transnational River Basin Districts on the Eastern Side of the Baltic Sea Network TRABANT Swedish EPA INTERREG IIIB TACIS December 2007 July 2008

23 Summary Evaluating the practice of implementation of international projects in the field of transboundary waters, it can be concluded that the most significant barrier to the establishment of cooperation on transboundary waters between the countries neighboring the Republic of Belarus are as follows: Lack of budget financing of transboundary cooperation programs Different water management systems The absence of a full exchange of information on the state of the environment and the plans for the use and protection of water resources in the national parts of the basin

24 Possible future actions in water sector Development of the complex monitoring systems (elaboration systems of hydrobiological and hydromorphological monitoring) in the Belarus Improvement monitoring and ecological status assessment of the transboundary rivers (Western Dvina, Neman, Viliya and Western Bug) under EU Water Framework Directive approaches Development system of data processing and exchange Development of the mechanisms for the river basins management by clear system for issuing permits for special water use Using the EU countries experience for implementation basin principle of water resources management in the Belarus

25 Perspective proposals for cooperation (projects) Development basin management plan for transboundary rivers (Western Dvina, Neman, Western Bug) Implementation modern technologies for the communal waste water treatment Utilization sludge's on the communal waste water treatment stations Implementation demonstration projects in agriculture sector for introduction agricultural Best Environmental Practice (BEP) and Best Available Technology (BAT) in Belarus Elaboration and heading automated information system for accident pollution on the Western Dvina and Neman rivers

26 Future Cooperation within EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) The European Commission (EC) adopted a Communication on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) on 10 June Addressing the environmental decline of the Baltic Sea is a high priority of the Strategy. The Action Plan of the Strategy comprises 15 priority areas which will be implemented through detailed actions and flagship projects, i.e., projects with high significance for the priority area. Finland together with Poland coordinates Priority area 1 To reduce nutrient inputs to the sea to acceptable levels. Finland has also the leadership of one of the flagship projects within the priority area regarding cooperation with Russia and Belarus on regional pollution risk assessment. EUSBSR sets out to develop cooperation with Belarus in the context of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) to improve the ecological state of the Baltic Sea.

27 Flagship Project under Priority 1 «To reduce nutrient inputs to the sea to acceptable levels» ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL NUTRIENT POLLUTION LOAD AND IDENTIFICATION OF PRIORITY PROJECTS TO REDUCE NUTRIENT INPUTS FROM BELARUS TO THE BALTIC SEA The overall objectives of the assessment is (i) reduction of nutrient inputs to the Baltic Sea by implementing investments in the context of the Northern Dimension, with particular consideration given to such key sector areas as agriculture, municipal wastewaters, industry, e.g., production and use of detergents containing phosphorus; (ii) building of local capacity in project preparation and mobilisation of financing; (iii) building of local capacity in the assessment of nutrient pollution sources, their monitoring, reporting and Belarusian participation in the HELCOM work, and information support for HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan; (iv) intensification of cooperation in the catchment area and with EU, taking into account the work under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.

28 Projects under implementation in BSR (environmental sector) Project «Development of water supply systems and sanitation» funded by IBRD In the catchment area of the Baltic Sea in Belarus are located are 11 objects. The total amount of funding is million USD The location of objects included in the project "Development of water supply systems and sanitation", funded by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)

29 Baltic Sea Region Programme PURE Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication Project implements the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan s Eutrophication Segment and its Recommendation 28E/5 on more stringent requirements for phosphorus removal from municipal WWTPs. Project demonstrates potentials of joint implementation and joint investments in the BSR in combating the eutrophication in a cost-effective way. Brest WWTP pilot project PRESTO - Project on Reduction of the Eutrophication of the Baltic Sea Today) PRESTO project improves quality of local waters and the Baltic Sea by reducing nutrient load through transnational investments, education and awareness rising. PRESTO aims at significant nutrient load reduction: app. 500 tons reduction of phosphorus load to the Baltic Sea. This can be achieved with joint investments that are realised in Belarusian municipal wastewater treatment plants. Reducing transboundary nutrient load from Belarus improves also water quality of European rivers and in the end actions are improving the state of the Baltic Sea.

30 Baltic Sea Region Programme An advanced weather radar network for the Baltic Sea Region (BALTRAD) The purpose is to develop technical arrangements and methods intended to improve dissemination and use of radar data in the Baltic Sea Region countries. Among the project partners, or parties otherwise associated with BALTRAD, are also various end-user organizations that utilize radar data Project Comprehensive Policy Actions and Investments in the Sustainable Solutions in Agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region (Baltic COMPASS) Baltic Compass is a Pan Baltic, transnational project aiming to reinforce the connection between agriculture and environment and thus lead to a more sustainable rural economy and healthier ecosystems in the Baltic Sea region

31 Inventory of industrial large animal farms in Belarus (Baltic Sea catchment)

32 Main information about large animal farms in Belarus (Baltic Sea catchment) Animal production units Number of large industrial farms Pigs complexes Cattle breeding farms Heads, thousand Heads per farm (average) 18,640 3,630 Heads per farm (maximum) 91,900 8,300 Heads per farm (minimum) 1,900 1,100 *Based on data 2009

33 Inventory Stage 1. Preparation a questionnaire 2. Dissemination of questionnaire to farms by post, with support of regional environmental authorities 3. Collection information from large industrial farms 4. Organizing field visit to farms 5. Final Report preparation with investment proposals based on response from farms

34 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION Aliaksandr Pakhomau Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources Minsk, Belarus