1. 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

2. 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

3. IHP VII ( )
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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Outcome 1 - Strategic policy and planning framework
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!

9. 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

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

12. 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

13. IW:LEARN Community of Practice

14. 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

15. 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