Water management plans in Estonia and impact of agriculture. Mariina Hiiob Environmental Board Environmental Department

Transcription

1 Water management plans in Estonia and impact of agriculture Mariina Hiiob Environmental Board Environmental Department

2 Environmental Board Environmental Board was formed in 2009 Falls within the area of governance of Ministry of the Environment Task to implement: the state s policies on the use of the environment (mining, forest, hunting, water, air, waste, radiation) nature conservation environmental education

3 Environmental Board Structure: 6 regions all together 19 water specialists 4 groundwater specialists 3 coordinators of water management 1 coordinator

4 Developments in water management The first water legislation in 1930-s During the the soviet water legislation 1960-s implementation of the river basin management principle 1992 Collapse of the soviet union 1994 new Estonian water legislation Implementation of end-of-pipe principles mainly 4

5 Developments in water management 2000 revision of Estonian water legislation, once again principles of river basin management introduced 2001 new start for water management to prepare river basin management plans and to upgrade water infrastructures 5

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7 Competent authorities for river basin management Ministry of the Environment Water Department Environmental Board Environment Information Centre Environmental Board Cooperation with other ministries, public consultations, local authorities, stakeholders, Etc 3 river basin management plans Measure program action plan and public involvement plan

8 Implementing the water management plan Approved water management plan WORKING-GROUP 1. Members: representatives form Environmental Board, Ministry of Environment and all relevant parties (local authorities, Agricultural Board, NGO, water companies etc.) 2. Working-group meets at least 1times in year 3. Gives recommendations how to improve the plan and the implementation process.

9 Regulation of the ministry of the environment How to determine the water bodies and the list of water bodies, which status should be assigned, the status of water bodies and the quality elements for the estimation of the status and the rules of procedure for the estimation of the status 1. General (the purpose of the regulation, definitions etc) 2. The general methodology how to determine the water bodies 3. Typology 4. How to estimate ecological and chemical status (quality elements and parameters) (rivers, lakes, coastal waters), the rules of procedure 5. How to deal with heavily modified and artificial water bodies Annexes (rivers, lakes, coastal water, concrete quality elements)

10 surface water body 2009 very good/ good 2011 very good/ good 2009 moderate/ bad 2011 moderate/ bad Ida-Eesti 68% 69% 32% 31% Lääne-Eesti 75% 77% 25% 23% Koiva 75% 79% 25% 21% SUM 73% 75% 27% 25% The status hasn t been worse and the surface water body status trend is positive.

11 Sewage and effluents In total 1122wastewater treatment plants Treatment plants must complywith treatment requirements Possibility to set stricter requirements EU money (investments) Main problem: havenot enough regular maintenance

12 Quality of drinking water ~85% of people connected with water supply systems Poor quality of drinking water is mainly caused by: natural bad characteristics of groundwater (iron, manganese, fluorine, radon)

13 Water impoundments and hydroenergy The total potential for hydro-energy is 1% of the energy used today; Production of hydro-energy has an impact on: ecological status; destroys natural habitats and decreases the number of species; decreases the fish resources;

14 Agriculture and diffuse pollution ~ 60% of the pollution (P and N) comes from diffuse sources (agriculture) The reasons for that are: Manure storages (still); Fertilizers(EU subsidy); Using old technology in agriculture;

15 Nitrate vulnerable zone-total 3259 km 2 Agrenterprises and farm types: 45% plant production 21% dairy farming 31% mixed production (plant production and livestock farming)

16 Nitrate vulnerable zone Pandivereupland Largest groundwater accumulation area in Estonia. Overall watersheds of rivers, originated from Pandivere area, cover 32% of territory of Estonia. Groundwater depth is between 4-5 and 20 meters usually. There are 714 karst areas and 135 springs.

17 Problems are caused by: Unprotected groundwater and large karst areas Manure management poor level, unbalanced use of fertilizers Direct leakage of liquid manure and silage effluent to ground-and surface waters because of obsolete storage Insufficient development of deeper wells and water networks in rural areas

18 Basic measure (1) Provide capacity of manure storages: The requirements for manure storage facilities according Estonian Water Act: more farm animals than 10 LU are kept in a livestock building, the farm should have a manure or liquid manure storage facility, of which the storage capacity must be the stocks of at least eight months. in cowsheds where animals are kept on deep litter, there is no need for a manure and liquid manure storage facility. The measure is obligatory for all farmers.

19 According to the inventory ( ; farms larger than 10 LU) in Pandivere and Adavere-Põltsamaa NVZ: 67% of all LU are in large farms (>300 animal units) all 53 large farms have manure storages, but 1 liquid manure storages and 2 solid manure storages were smaller than 8 months capacity

20 21% of LU are kept in medium farms ( animal units) all 58 medium farms have manure storages, but 4 liquid manure storages and 7 solid manure storages were smaller than 8 months capacity. 12% of LU are kept in small farms ( animal units), from 125 small farms only 5 farms uses liquid manure technology. All these 5 farms have manure storages, 1 storage is smaller than 8 months capacity.

21 Basic measure (2) Organic and mineral fertilisers may not be spread from 1 December to 31 March and in any other period when the ground is covered with snow or is frozen.

22 Basic measure (3) Application techniques of manure - promotion of the usage of best available technology for manure application According Estonian Water Act manure (both dry as well as liquid manure) has to be incorporated into the soil during 48 hours. Good Agricultural Practice advises to do it as quickly as possible after spreading. Training of farmers to explain the necessity to incorporate the manure into the soil as quickly as possible (in case of solid manure) and to show the advantages of direct injection of manure into the soil (in case of liquid manure).

23 Basic measure (4) A person keeping livestock of more than 300 LU and using liquid manure technology in a livestock facility or a person who spreads, based on a contract, liquid manure of livestock the quantity of which corresponds to 300 LU has to prepare a liquid manure spreading plan before spreading the liquid manure. The plan has to include the amount of liquid manure, the area of application, technology used, groundwater protection degree, surface water bodies and water intakes in the spreading area. The liquid manure spreading plan has to be approved by Environmental Board. The plan is approved for 3 years.

24 Basic measure (5) In areas surrounding springs and sinkholes and in a range of 10 m from the boundary of the water or from the edge of a sinkhole, it is prohibited to use fertilisers and plant protection products and to keep manure in a manure stack.

25 Basic measure (6) Plant cover in winter According Estonian Water Act in a NVZ from 1 November until 31 March, at least 30 % of the land under cultivation and used by an agricultural producer shall be under plant cover. In the rest of Estonia the measure is voluntary.

26 Supplementary measures Established more larger storages for liquid manure Additional restrictions for manure application Implementation of good agricultural practice Raise of awareness of farmers Increase of extensive land use

27 Monitoring Groundwater Karstsprings in Pandivereupland border areas characterise the groundwater nitrate content quite well In central part, there are no springs, for monitoring drilled wells are used Surface water The network of water courses is sparse The monitoring point are mostly on the upper courses of river The sampling sites give an information about agricultural impact on water quality

28 Quality Groundwater The average nitrate content in all sampling (178 samplings) in 2010 (wells, springs, karstwater) was 21,2 mg/l Surface water Most rivers feed on the groundwater (spring) The average nitrate content in surface water was 14,9mg/l

29 The groundwater bodies of Pandivereare mostly in good qualitative and quantitative status Upper layers of groundwater are under the risk in densely populated and intensive agriculture regions On the unprotected groundwater fields are also risk of pesticides pollution

30 The big question? How to link agricultural support with environmental objectives and How to better the collaboration with the Agricultural Ministry to assure thesustainable development in rural area?

31 Main challenges and difficulties: How to make people interested about the environment and water? How to rise environmental awareness the main environmental problem??? How to link better the spatial planning and water management plans? How to agree on who should do what: Which measures to implement and where How to prioritize measures From where to find enough money?

32 The key task today: Provide as much information to people as possible, so that people can participate and know what is going on when decisions need to be taken Environmental education children are most vulnerable to new behavior