in transboundary basins: Joint Monitoring and Assessment in transboundary basins: obligations and experience under the Convention Addis Abbeba, 14 November 2012 Zsuzsanna BUZÁS Hungary Photo WWF

Different levels of co-operation International level River basin level Transboundary level National level

International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Helsinki Convention) World Meteorological Organisation Hydrology and Water Resources Programme - Guide to Hydrological Practice - Technical Regulations

International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes The Convention entered into force in 1996 but already in 1994 started the Task Force on Monitoring and Assessment (which later on became the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment) with the main task developing Guidelines, these guidelines aimed to assist the Governments and joint bodies for common management of transboundary waters (surface and groundwaters) the guidelines were revised based on findings of the pilot projects that aimed to implement of given guidelines in practice

Guidelines and Strategies International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes Guidelines and Strategies Guidelines on Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality of Transboundary Rivers, 1996 (revised in 2000) Guidelines on Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Groundwaters, 2000 Guidelines on MA of Transboundary and International Lakes (2002) Strategies for Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, Lakes and Groundwaters, 2006

International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes Guidelines on Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality of Transboundary Rivers, 1996 (revised in 2000) Content: - Identification of river-basin management issues - information needs - strategies for monitoring and assessm. - monitoring programmes - data management - reporting - joint co-ordinated action and institutional aspects

International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes pilot projects were good tools to learn how could the countries put into practice the guidelines it started with MoU signed by the two Parties, in which they declared with river basin – lake – or groundwater would be the topic, usually they got some special financial support both for the implementation itself and for the reporting about the findings,

International level UN/ECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes the final reports were handed over both to the MA Working Group and the given joint bodies for further consideration, pilot projects were useful instrument not only for the trial implementation and developing guidelines, but for the further cooperation of the involved countries, but had some problems as well: planned 2 years were never enough, language (English reports had to be translated) and sometime financial problems

The Danube River Protection Convention A legal frame for co-operation to assure the protection of water and ecological resources and their sustainable use in the Danube River Basin It was developed parallel with UNECE Water Convention signed: 29 June 1994, Sofia entered into force: 22 October 1998 Permanent Secretariat: since 1 October 1999

Trans National Monitoring Network – TNMN The coordinated Monitoring Network has been upgraded.

TNMN until 2007 Based on national monitoring networks Data from 77 sampling stations provided 52 determinands in water Minimum sampling frequency 12/year (chem) 2/year (biol)

Major Objective – Revised TNMN The major objective overview of the overall status and long-term changes of surface water and – where necessary – groundwater on a basin-wide scale particular attention paid to the transboundary effects like pollution load link Danube nutrient loads and eutrophication Black Sea monitoring of nutrient sources and pathways of nutrients in the DRB and the effects of measures to reduce the nutrient loads into the Black Sea. address all biological quality elements

TransNational Monitoring Network TNMN 1st yearbook 1996 Harmonise or make comparable the monitoring and assessment methods Develop communication and data processing facilities Elaborate joint programmes for monitoring the riverine conditions in the Danube catchment as basis for the assessment of transboundary impacts

JDS2 JOINT DANUBE PROGRAMME 2008

JDS2 Objectives 96 sites were successfully sampled along the 2,600 km stretch of the Danube River Survey gathered comprehensive information about riverine hydromorphology, biology and chemistry; microbiological and isotope analysis was performed as well Strengthened basin-wide cooperation among the scientific community Increased public awareness toward water quality protection

Transboundary level 7 neighbours SLOVAKIA UKRAIN AUSTRIA HUNGARY SLOVENIA ROMANIA CROATIA Bilateral co-operation is essential for the daily water management in Hungary, because 96 % of the water resources is originated from the neighbouring countries YUGOSLAVIA 7 neighbours

Hungarian experience at transboundary level History: started with flood defenses, followed by data exchange and water quality control Co-operation through commities based on the Water Convention principles, organised according to technical issues, or catchments only commitees related to water quality exist in all relations Co-operation are based on regulations Co-operation in water resources management have started Co-operation in groundwater related question is the next step Common implementation of EU WFD is the new task

Transboundary level Hungary - Romania Hungary - Slovakia Sub-committees - on the protection against floods and excess waters - on water management and hydrometeorology, - on water quality Hungary - Slovakia Subsidiary bodies - Danube sub-committee - Ipoly/Ipel sub-committee - Tisza sub-committee - Sub-committee on water quality - Expert group on hydrology - Expert group on the implementation on WFD

Transboundary level Romania - Hungary Regulations on the frontier crossing of the responsible authorities on the mutual visual aerial observations under critical situations caused by floods and excess waters on flood defences, of mutual communication of meteorological and hydrological data and information on the water quality of transboundary surface waters, on the procedures in the cases of unexpected, hazardous pollution on the defences against excess waters, on the concerted operation of some hydraulic structures, on the regular hydrological observation and common identification of water resources of watercourses

National level - Cooperation among the water related ministries and related institutions including monitoring activities (surface and groundwater, quantity and quality!) - Responsibility for co-operation on the transboundary, catchment and international level

Lessons learnt on transboundary monitoring and assessment In the Hungarian practice: - we revised the already existing transboundary water agreements based on Helsinki Convention and EU WFD (the river basin principle and new tasks) in the regulations under the Agreements were introduced the groundwater and new biological parameters, partly based on the outcomes of the pilot projects under UNECE

Lessons learnt on transboundary monitoring and assessment In general (1): being Parties to the UNECE Water Convention gives not only obligations, but neutral field for discussions of water related problems, between downstream and upstream countries, importance of personal contacts and understanding, common work, including common measuraments and projects with involvment all the interested institutions and the public, - Parties should try to translate all relevant documents, guidelines into their national language

Lessons learnt on transboundary monitoring and assessment In general (2): - both the transboundary agreement and the regulation under it dealing with MA tasks should include surface and groundwater, quality and quantity elements event though the monitoring for these elements on national level belong to different ministries and institutions, - sign the Agreement on high political level and implement on regional, expert level, having the feedback connection

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

river basin management plans Transboundary level Flood control common river basin management plans Hydrological data exchange Water quality protection Surface water management Groundwater management

Transboundary level Romania - Hungary Regulation of mutual communication of meteoro-logical and hydrological data and information Article – Introduction 2. Article – Aim of the mutual exchange of meteorological and hydrological data and information 3. Article – Regular daily meteorological data exchange 4. Article – Water – snow equivalent data exchange 5. Article – Meteorological warnings 6. Article – Daily precipitation forecasts exchange 7. Article – Regular daily hydrological data exchange 8. Article – Hydrological warnings 9. Article – Exchange of hydrological forecasts 10. Article – Replacement of daily met and hydrological data 11. Article – Exchange of yearly hydrological data 12. Article – Exchange of groundwater data 13. Article – Information of the changes of basic data 14. Article – Exchange of weather radar and radar warnings data 15- Article – Long-term hydrological forecasts 16. Article – Protocols and methods of exchange of data and information

Transboundary level Slovakia - Hungary Regulations rules of procedure of the HU-SK Committee on Transboundary Waters in the defense against floods, excess waters and ice during accidental pollutions on the sampling, analyses and evaluation of water quality on the activities during the accidental pollution of the cooperation in the exchange of hydrological data and information

Transboundary level Slovakia - Hungary Regulation on the sampling, analyses and the evaluation of water quality performed by the authorities of the Hungarian Republic and the Slovak Republic in the watercourses forming the frontier or crossed by it 1 Article – Aim of the regulation 2 Article – Institutions involved 3 Article – Sampling places 4 Article – Water quality parameters 5 Article - Sampling methods 6 Article – Fulfilment of physical, chemical and biological samplings 7 Article – Compliance of the results 8 Article – Evaluation of the results 9 Article – Applied threshold limits 10 Article – Qualification of the results 11 Article – Periodical survey of the water quality changes 12 Article – Reporting obligations of the Water quality sub- commission 13 Article – Closing resolutions

Transboundary level Slovakia - Hungary Regulation on the sampling, analyses and the evaluation of water quality performed by the authorities of the Hungarian Republic and the Slovak Republic in the watercourses forming the frontier or crossed by it Annexes 1. Data of involved institutions 2. List of the sampling places and frequencies 3. List of the parameters, units and yearly frequencies of given parameters 4. Sampling, conservation, transport and storage methods 5. Fulfilment of physical, chemical and biological samplings 6. Protocol for common sampling results 7. Protocol for evaluation of the results 8. Threshold values for evaluation 9. Summary table 10. Protocol for the water quality changes of given rivers

Transboundary level Slovakia - Hungary Regulation on the sampling, analyses and the evaluation of water quality performed by the authorities of the Hungarian Republic and the Slovak Republic in the watercourses forming the frontier or crossed by it 4 Article – Water quality parameters - general physical and inorganic chemical parameters - general organic parameters - inorganic industrial pollutants parameters - organic industrial pollutants parameters - biological parameters (including based on WFD: phytoplankton, - - macrophytes and phytobenthos, benthic invertebrate fauna) 12. Article – Reporting obligations of the Water quality sub-commission - evaluation of water quality in written from and with general tabulators - general summary of the yearly water quality changes - reasons of the changes

Transboundary level Slovakia - Hungary Regulation on the activities during the accidental pollution of the Hungarian -Slovakian transboundary waters (1995) 1-2. Article – Introduction and aim of the regulation 3. Article – Information exchange 4. Article – Evaluation of the risk and vulnerability 5. Article – Contingency plans 6. Article – Warning systems 7. Article – Information about the events 8. Article – Post-evaluation of accidental pollutions List of annexes 1. Data of the institutions which have to be informed in case of accidental pollutions (two responsible national ministries) 2. Data of other institutions involved into accidental events information exchange 3. Protocol for reporting 4. Technical means for identification of accident 5. Contingency plans’ content 6. Information protocol about the accidental pollution

Objectives of the DRPC  Ensure sustainable and equitable water management;  Ensure conservation, improvement and rational use of surface and groundwater;  Control discharge of wastewaters, inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from point and diffuse sources of emissions;  Control flood and ice hazards;  Control hazards originating from accidents (warning and preventive measures);  Reduce pollution loads of the Black Sea from sources in the Danube catchment area;

Co-ordination mechanisms in the DRB IT CH PL MK AL ICPDR DE AT CZ UA MD HU SI CS BG RO SK HR BA – coordination – information exchange – develop strategy for RBM Plan – develop DRB roof report for EC – harmonisation of methods and mechanisms Co-operation (example) Bilateral agreements (examples) RBM EG Sub-river basin co-operation (example: Tisa, Sava River)

COUNTRY POPULATION* TOTAL AREA DRB of the state in DRB of the state in DRB in state flag name status capita million % km2 km2 % % GERMANY EU CP 82,398,326 9.300 11.49 357,021 56,184 7.01 15.74 AUSTRIA EU CP 8,188,207 7.700 9.51 83,858 80,423 10.03 95.90 CZECH REPUBLIC EU CP 10,249,216 2.800 3.46 78,866 22,870 2.85 29.00 SLOVAKIA EU CP 5,430,033 5.200 6.42 48,845 47,084 5.87 96.39 HUNGARY EU CP 10,045,407 10.045 12.60 93,030 93,030 11.61 100.00 SLOVENIA EU CP 1,935,677 1.700 2.10 20,273 16,422 2.05 81.00 CROATIA Apl CP 4,422,248 3.000 3.71 56,542 34,965 4.36 61.84 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO  CP 10,655,774 9.800 12.11 102,350 88,635 11.06 86.60 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA  CP 3,989,018 2.900 3.58 51,129 36,636 4.57 71.65 BULGARIA Acs CP 7,537,929 3.500 4.32 110,910 47,413 5.92 42.75 ROMANIA Acs CP 22,271,839 21.000 25.94 237,500 232,193 28.97 97.77 MOLDOVA  CP 4,439,502 1.100 1.36 33,843 12,834 1.60 37.92 UKRAINE  CP 48,055,439 2.650 3.27 603,700 30,520 3.81 5.06 ICPDR TOTAL 219,618,615 80.850 99.88 1,877,867 799,209 99.72 ALBANIA   3,582,206 0.010 0.01 28,748 126 0.01 0.44 ITALY EU  57,998,353 0.020 0.02 301,230 565 0.07 0.19 MACEDONIA   2,063,122 0.010 0.01 25,333 109 0.01 0.43 POLAND EU  38,622,660 0.040 0.05 312,685 430 0.05 0.14 SWITZERLAND   7,318,638 0.020 0.03 41,290 1,809 0.23 4.38 BASIN TOTAL 329,203,593 80.950 100.00 2,587,153 802,248 100.00 *) as of July 2003

Most international river basin in the world 10% of Europe 83 mil inhabitants 19 countries Most international river basin in the world

Catchment level Convention on Co-operation for the Protection and Sustainable Use of the River Danube Regional Co-operation of the Danube Countries in the frame of the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO International Association for Danube Research (IAD) Co-ordination of researches in the field of Danube’s ecosystems (mapping, monitoring, investigation and modelling) International Association of Waterworks in the Danube Basin Aiming to reduce risks of pollution of drinking water Danube Commission To ensure the unrestricted navigation Forum of the Danubian Hydrological Services Discussion on the monitoring related tasks related to international conventions, organisations and directives

JDS2 General conclusions Important tool for the preparation of the Danube River Basin Management Plan Generally improving trend along the main Danube River was confirmed Specific problems were reinforced, especially at a number of tributaries and downstream large cities