21 November, Ulan-Ude, Russia UNDP/GEF project “Integrated Natural Resource Management in the Baikal Basin Transboundary Ecosystem” Inception Workshop 21 November, Ulan-Ude, Russia Surface and groundwater interactions in the transboundary Lake Baikal Basin UNESCO-IHP

International Hydrological Programme The only global intergovernmental scientific programme on water resources in the UN system Created in 1975 after the International Hydrological Decade 6 year phases, unifying theme Member States define needs and plans of phases Growing emphasis on management and social aspects

IHP VII (2008-2013) Water dependencies: Systems under Stress and Societal Responses Groundwater resources activities Transboundary Aquifers Management (ISARM) Global Hydrogeological Map (WHYMAP) Groundwater and Climate Change (GRAPHIC) Groundwater for Emergency Situations (GWES) GEF groundwater portfolio

Groundwater in the Lake Baikal Basin Very important socio-economic role Primary source of drinking water Supplies major cities in the basin Agriculture and industry Exploitation mainly from shallow unconfined aquifers, supplying high quality water Vulnerable to pollution and over-exploitation Climate change is expected to further increase the importance  buffer function

Groundwater in the Lake Baikal Basin IWRM: to recognize the intergrated nature of surface and groundwater circulation, and the role of deep groundwater circulation in the lake‘s ecology TDA/SAP will need to address: Protection of groundwater sources of potable water Protection of recharge areas (Karst, main fractured belts along the active faults) Land use policies in valley floors, tourism development First lake project in the GEF portfolio adopting a basin approach, fully integrating groundwater considerations

Shallow groundwater resources Alluvial sediments of rivers draining into lake Baikal Concentration of human activities  contamination of unconfined alluvial aquifers Nutrients and PTS (from agriculture, mining, other industries and urban waste) Risk for human health and the lake ecosystem Surface water – shallow groundwater interactions

Outcome 1 - Strategic policy and planning framework 1.1 - TDA (based on preliminary TDA) Upper watershed degradation: increased transportation of contaminants, sediments Pollution from land-based activities: slowly reversible or irreversible Groundwater overuse Increased risk and uncertainty from climate change impacts Non-harmonized policies and legislation

Outcome 1 - Strategic policy and planning framework 1.3 - dedicated study to highlight surface and groundwater interactions with the Selenga River Basin and corresponding pollution trends Direct interactions: groundwater discharge to the lake Indirect interactions: discharges to rivers, wetlands and draining to the lake Interactions in both directions!

Outcome 1 - cont‘d Qualitative and quantitative Vulnerability of groundwater-dependant ecosystems Application of isotope techniques for source attribution of groundwater contaminants Recommendations for national and local gw management policies (2.4) and expanded monitoring 1.4 – pollution hotspot assessment (Kharaa River Basin), with focus on urban water pollution

Outcome 2 - Institutional Strenghtening for IWRM 2.3 – targeted capacity building on IWRM, taking into consideration groundwater and surface water interlinkages

Preliminary TDA UNESCO chair on sustainable groundwater management, & Institute of Geoecology, Mongolia UNESCO chair on water resources, Irkutsk, & Irkutsk State University, Russia University of Tsukuba, Japan UNESCO-IHP Russia & Water Institute

IW:LEARN Community of Practice

UNESCO activities Output 1.3: „Assessment of transboundary problems in integrated surface and groundwater management of the Baikal Basin and corresponding pollution threats. Output 1.4: „Pollution hotspot assessment of the transboundary Baikal Basin“ Output 2.3: training programme for key actors for enhanced long-term TB management of the lake basin

Deep groundwater circulation Lake Baikal is part of one the world‘s largest active continental rifts Water infiltrates mainly through faults, reaching great depth and feeding the active geothermal system Heat pulses cause dissociation of gas hydrates Int‘l research efforts on plate technonics, climate change and gas hydrates thermodynamics