1. of transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwaters
SECOND ASSESSMENT
of transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwaters
Mr Ville Niinistö Minister of the Environment Finland

2. General
The most comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the transboundary waters in the European and Asian parts of the UNECE region:
more than 140 rivers,
25 lakes,
about 200 groundwaters and
25 Ramsar Sites and other wetlands of transboundary importance
Tämän kalvon voi näyttää lyhyesti ja sitten siirtyä karttoihin ( 2 kpl, koska koko alue ei mahtunut nätisti yhdelle),ja vasta siinä vaiheessa mainita, montako jokea, järveä pohjavesialuetta ja Ramsar-aluetta siihen sisältyy
The second assessment of transboundary waters we have at hand now after several years of hard work, is the most comprehensive overview on status our extremely valuable transboundary water resources

3. Main transboundary surface waters and groundwaters in Western, Central and Eastern Europe

4. Main transboundary surface waters and groundwaters in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia

5. General (cont’d)
Covers pressure factors on transboundary waters, their quantity and quality status, and transboundary impacts, as well as responses and future trends
More emphasis compared to the 1st assessment on:
Groundwaters
Institutional issues
Climate change impacts
Biodiversity and ecosystems
The assessment describes which are the main pressures on transboundary waters, what is their status in quantity and quality terms, what measures countries have taken to decrease pressures and how they see the future.
Compared to the 1st assessment more attention has been paid to groundwaters, institutional issues, like legislation, existence of transboundary agreements and joint bodies. A significant extension has been the case studies on 25 Ramsar sites. Let’s listen how Tobias Salathe from the Ramsar Convention describes their contribution.

7. Common issues in the whole ECE region
Uneven level of transboundary cooperation and related deficiences
Policy integration still weak
Agriculture (diffuse pollution, water use)
Hydromorphological changes
Climate change
There are several common concerns throughout the region:
the institutional frameworks for cooperation are very variable and so is the scale of issues dealt jointly
policy integration is still weak everywhere, although more pronounced in the eastern part of the region
agriculture has a strong impact on water resources, both in terms of quantity and quality
most major transboundary rivers have been heavily modified because of navigation, hydropower production and flood protection
the impacts of climate change are projected to be quite different in different parts of the region, but all the countries face the question and have to develop policies for adaptation
The region is also very diverse in many sense. Unfortunately the time does not allow me to go through the more detailed results. However, with a few short interviews from different sub-regions I would like to give you at least a flavour of the diversity of water management issues in various parts of the region (sitten siirrytään videopätkkän)

8. Video 2

9. Further efforts needed
Stronger water and environmental governance and integration of sectoral policies
Stronger transboundary water cooperation, both in the EU and in the rest of the region; even truer for transboundary groundwaters.
South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe, but also the Caucasus: the approximation to EU legislation is important and should be continued.
Address gaps in knowledge
Climate change: more comprehensive and collaborative research on impacts and adaptation, development of adaptation strategies and measures
So to summarize: In many countries there is still need for stronger governance. Sound land management policies and in general integration of sectoral policies are needed more than ever so that improvements in water management are not compromised by policies in other sectors.
Further efforts are needed to strengthen transboundary water cooperation, both in the EU in the implementation of the WFD in transboundary basins, and in the rest of the region. This is even truer for transboundary groundwaters.
For countries in South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe in particular, but also in the Caucasus, the approximation to EU legislation is an important process to improve national standards for water management and protection and should be continued.
However such process has in some cases had adverse effects on transboundary cooperation. In fact the transposition of the EU acquis and the implementation of new pieces of legislation have often absorbed all available (and limited) human and financial resources, leaving transboundary cooperation as a lower priority. A precondition to avoid such situations is stronger political will with respect to transboundary water cooperation.
What the Second Assessment also shows are the gaps in knowledge. For instance, more comprehensive and collaborative research into the impacts of climate change is needed at the subregional level. Initiatives to scale down the information on the impacts of climate change at the basin level are needed as well as joint action to respond to such impacts.
Future assessments of transboundary waters are therefore important to address these knowledge gaps, promote a common understanding of problems and harmonization of approaches across the region and, of course, benchmark progress and assess the results of measures taken.

10. Future of transboundary water assessments
The third comprehensive assessment only in 8-10 years
A special edition within 4 years with a more limited scope and coverage: focus on a specific theme, assessment limited to a representative number of basins
Options to be discussed and decision to be taken by the 6th MoP of the Water Convention
Partnerships sought
An extensive assessment like the one we at hand today, requires a lot of human resources. Therefore it has been planned that the next comprehensive report would only be prepared in 8-10 years. Meanwhile, however, smaller reports focusing on a specific theme or on certain river basins only, would be prepared. The final decision on the focus and time schedule will be made in the next meeting of the parties to the water Convention in fall Also the future assessments will be collaborative efforts and partners are most welcome to join.

11. Welcome to the side event on the 2nd assessment
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Room А7, Palace of Independence
For more information and for downloading the publication and the Executive Summary, please refer to l
I would also like to invite you to our side event on Thursday afternoon. Then you have an opportunity to learn and discuss the results of second water assessment in more detail.

12. Many thanks to the following partners for their generous contribution to the Second Assessment
Finally I would like to thank the numerou.s collaborators for their invaluable contribution