Transnational Water Management for a Sustainable Future. Gheorghe Constantin Director Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water And Forests

Transcription

1 Transnational Water Management for a Sustainable Future Gheorghe Constantin Director Romanian Ministry of Environment, Water And Forests

2 Danube River Basin is the most international River Basin in the world Danube River Basin is shared by 19 countries Managing the Danube River Basin waters requires cooperation between countries The instrument for such cooperation is represented by the Convention for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the Danube River Danube River Protection Convention

3 From the Black Forest to the Black Sea

4 Human activities damaged the Danube

5 Significant Water Management Issues in the Danube River Basin Organic Pollution Nutrient Pollution Hazardous Substances Pollution Hydromorphological Alterations Agenda Item: 3.1

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11 History of cooperation on Danube issues 1856 Paris Treaty set up the first Danube Commission with the aim of supervising the river as an international waterway 1948 Belgrade Convention on Danube navigation 1958 Convention on fishing on the Danube Bucharest Declaration on Danube water protection 1994 Convention for the Protection on Danube European Union Strategy for the Danube Region

12 Objectives of the Danube River Protection Convention Strengthen international cooperation Ensure sustainable water management Ensure conservation, improvement and rational use of surface waters and ground water Reduce inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances Control floods and ice hazards Reduce pollution loads of the Black Sea

13 Photo WWF The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River ( ICPDR ) has been established to implement the objectives and provisions and to achieve the goals of the Danube River Protection Convention and to coordinate the implementation of the WFD to the Danube River Basin

14 Coordination Mechanism Bilateral agreements R O MK Cooperation B G M D A L RS U A D E AT ICPDR B A C H SI IT C Z SK H U Cooperation PL H R Cooperation at sub-basin level: e.g. Sava Commission, Tisza Expert Group

15 EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) Promote sustainable development of the Danube region through joint cooperation and involvement of all countries in the Danube region. Promote fully use already existing resources, and to develop the Danube Region without new institutions, new legislations and new funds. Act for a better environment with cleaner water, protected biodiversity, and cross-border flood prevention Priority Area 4 on restoring water quality and Priority Area 5 dealing with environmental risks are very close connected with the ICPDR activities

16 Main actions of PA 4 Restoring and maintaining the water quality Implement the Danube River Basin Management Plan Strengthen cooperation at sub-basin level Extent and support the information collection systems already developed by ICPDR To continue boosting major investments in building and upgrading urban wastewater treatment facilities across the Danube Basin Reduce existing water continuity interruption for fish migration in the Danube river basin Strengthen general awareness and facilitate exchange of good practice in integrated water management issues in the Danube Basin

17 Main actions of PA 5-Managing environmental risks Develop and adopt one single overarching floods management plan at basin level Support wetland and floodplain restoration as an effective mean of enhancing flood protection Extend the coverage of the European Floods Alert System (EFAS) system to the whole Danube river basin Strengthen operational cooperation among the emergency response authorities in the Danube countries and to improve the interoperability of the available assets Update the existing database of accident risk spots (ARS Inventory), contaminated sites and sites used for the storage of dangerous substances Develop rapid response procedures and plans in case of industrial accidental river pollution

18 Political Commitment at the Danube River Basin 2016 ICPDR Ministerial Declaration Renew the commitment to implement the EU Water Framework Directive and the EU Floods Directive throughout the whole Danube River Basin Endorse the updated DRBM Plan and commit to implement the Joint Program of Measures, Endorse the DFRM Plan and commit to implement the measures foreseen in the DFRM Plan and in the national flood risk management plans Welcome the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) as a new strategic partner for the ICPDR Support the preparation ongoing in the framework of the EUSDR of a Danube Floodplain and Danube Sturgeons Express appreciation on the relevant activities in the sub-basins of the Sava, Tisza, Prut and Danube Delta

19 Key documents for transboundary cooperation on water management Danube River Basin Management Plan Danube River Floodrisk Management Plan EUSDR Action Plan Priority Areas 4 and 5 targets and actions

20 Danube River Basin Management Plan Aims to further protect and enhance the status of all waters, to prevent their deterioration and to ensure the sustainable, long-term use of water resources. Includes latest assessments on significant pressures, water status and a program of measures jointly agreed by the Danube countries for the period 2015 until Establishes and strengthens several integrative principles for river basin management, including economic approaches and integration with other sector policies like energy, transport and adaptation to climate change.

21 Danube Flood Risk Management Plan Addresses all aspects of flood risk management focusing on prevention, protection and preparedness Includes measures for achieving the established objectives Calls for solidarity among all ICPDR Contracting Parties.

22 European Union Strategy for the Danube Basin Define de focus of the Priority Areas on the environmental pillar Define actions which are related and contribute to Europe 2020 Strategy Encourages an integrated approach Requires strong coordination and cooperation across countries and across sectors related to the water management. Ensure that progress on environmental actions and projects can be closely monitored.

23 Priority Areas 4 and 5 targets Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River Basin Management Plan Reduce the nutrient levels in the Danube River to allow the recovery of the Black Sea ecosystems to conditions similar to 1960s Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species Elaborate, adopt and implement the sub-basin management plans, such as Sava, Tisza and Prut sub-basins Implement Danube wide flood risk management plans to include significant reduction of flood risk by 2021, also taking into account potential impacts of climate change Update of the accidental risk spots inventory at the Danube River Basin level

24 Visions and Management Objectives related to the SWMI in the Danube Basin No untreated municipal and industrial waters are discharged into the Danube waters The nutrient balance in the Danube River Basin is environmentally sustainable. The emissions of nutrients via point and diffuse sources are managed in a balanced way for the entire Danube River Basin, that neither the waters from this basin nor the Black Sea are threatened or impacted by eutrophication Hazardous substances are not threat for aquatic environment of the waters within the Danube River Basin and Black Sea Basin. No untreated municipal and industrial waters are discharged into the Danube waters. Best available techniques are implemented for the treatment of industrial wastewaters to eliminate and reduce the discharge of the dangerous substances Hydromorphological alterations do not impact the aquatic ecosystems in the Danube River Basin. The aquatic environment functions in a holistic way hydromorphological alterations are managed in such a way that necessary habitats and structures are provided to ensure self-sustaining aquatic populations.

25 Main actions for reaching the Management Objectives in the Danube River Basin Coordinate the actions for reducing pollution coming from the discharge of untreated urban wastewater Develop a joint strategy for restoring river continuity for migratory fish species and for river bed, flow- and sediment- regime restoration Promoting remediation of contaminated sites by hazardous substances Development of optimized working and water-saving waterworks Promoting a coordinated strategy for reduction of diffuse pollution, particularly coming from agriculture

26 Main measures of the for Flood Risk Management Plan Avoidance of new risks Reduction of existing risks Strengthening resilience Raising awareness Solidarity principle

27 Main objectives related to water quality restoration within EUSDR Cooperation with ICPDR on implementing projects River basin management planning process Strengthening sub-basin cooperation: Tisza, Sava, Prut, Danube Delta Increasing the awareness on water quality issues Promote the cooperation with Non-EU countries

28 Main objectives related to the environmental risk management within EUSDR Cooperation with ICPDR for development of projects Flood risk management planning and implementation process Integration of the environmental risk management with the protection of the water quality Cooperation with Non-EU countries on specific projects Increasing the awareness on environmental risks

29 Main achievements of the cooperation under ICPDR Development and operation of the Danube Transnational Monitoring Network Development and operation of the Danube Awareness and Warning Emergency System Development of the Danube River Management Plan (2010,2015) and Danube Flood Risk Management Plan Establishment of the Joint Program of Measures Undertaken three Joint Danube Survey Establishing of an active Public Participation framework at the Danube River Basin Level Danube Floodrisk Project

30 Project proposals for further transboundary cooperation for restoring water quality Utilisation of unique lakes and wetlands in undermined areas Development of urban waste water treatment plants in Trans Carpathian region Strengthening cooperation between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention to enhance the status of waters of the Tisza River basin Sustainable sanitation in small settlements of the Danube Region and Sedimentquality Information Monitoring and Assessment System to support transnational cooperation for joint Danube Basin water management Update of the Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan Managing the sediments on Danube and its main tributaries Ensuring sturgeons migration

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32 Project proposals for transboundary cooperation for Flood Risk Management Setting Danube sediment management; Reducing flood risk through floodplain restoration respecting WFD; Danube ice flood management; Partnership for a living Danube to restore vital wetlands and floodplains; Improvement of flood forecasting; Developing education/training network.

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34 Future areas for cooperation Drought management and water scarcity Reduce the risk of accidental water pollution Increase capacity for rapid and coordinated response in case of environmental emergencies Improve the operational cooperation for authorities involved in environmental risk management and emergency situations Fish migration on the Danube Coordination of the operational measures in tackling environmental risk

35 Integration of the environmental pillar The activities developed for the implementation of the DRMP and DFRMP are coordinated in order to create synergies wherever is possible Measures included in the DRMP and DFRMP have to consider the habitat protection and preservation of the ecological services Combination of structural and non-structural measures, including green infrastructure, is promoted Projects with benefits for WFD, Flood Directive or Nature directives are encouraged

36 Thank you for your attention!