1. ACTIONS AGREED UNDER BUCHAREST CONVENTION TOWARDS THE REDUCTION OF NUTRIENT POLLUTION IN THE BLACK SEA Valeria Abaza Pollution Monitoring & Assessment Officer Permanent Secretariat Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution www.blacksea-commission.org Southeast Europe Business Forum 22-23 November 2012 Istanbul, Turkey

2. BLACK SEA AND ITS GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

3. Black Sea Enclosed water body Large Catchment Unique ecosystem

4. Black Sea Bathymetry and Annoxia Black Sea has world’s largest volume of anoxic waters Temperature 5-25 o C 8-9 o C Salinity 18%o 21-22%o

5. Black Sea Catchment

6. Regional Environmental Problems in the Black Sea Eutrophication/Nutrient Enrichment Chemical Pollution, including Oil Changes in Marine Living Resources, Overfishing Biodiversity Changes/Habitats Loss, including Alien Species Introduction

7. Regional approach Sea possess no physical borders! Most marine problems are transboundary and require collective action Environment, the easiest area of cooperation

8. LEGAL FRAMEWORK

9. Bucharest Convention In April 1992 six Black Sea countries (Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) signed and shortly thereafter ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) with its (three) integrated protocols. BulgariaGeorgiaRomaniaRussian Federation TurkeyUkraine

10. Bucharest Convention Ratified: 10-Nov-1993 Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994 Ratified: 23-Feb-1993 Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994 Ratified: 29-Mar-1994 Entry into force: 29-Mar-1994 Ratified: 01-Sep-1993 Entry into force: 15-Jan 1994 Ratified:16-Nov-1993 Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994 Ratified:14-Apr-1994 Entry into force: 14-Apr-1994

11. Protocols to the Convention 1.Protocol on the Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment against Pollution from Land Based Sources (1992) 2.Protocol on Cooperation in combating pollution of the Black Sea Marine Environment by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (Emergency Protocol) 3.Protocol on the Protection of the Marine Environment Against Pollution by Dumping 4.Black Sea Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Protocol 5.Protocol on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Black Sea from Land-Based Sources and Activities (2009)

12. Obligations of Contracting Parties General obligation: to prevent, reduce and control the pollution in the Black Sea in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and to provide legal framework for co-operation and concerted actions to fulfill this obligation. To protect the biodiversity and the marine living resources; To provide framework for scientific and technical co- operation and monitoring activities.

13. LBSA Protocol 2009 Adopted at the Ministerial Conference in Sofia, 17 April 2009 – not enforced yet 24 Articles and 5 annexes with main reference to: Pollution from point sources (art. 7) Pollution from diffuse sources (art.8) Other harmful activities (art.9) Transboundary pollution and impact (art.10) Information and Data Collection, Monitoring and Assessment (art.11) Environmental Impact Assessment (art. 12)

14. Geographical scope of the LBSA The LBSA protocol (2009) applies also to: Pollution emissions originating from land-based point and diffuse sources, which reach the marine environment through rivers or other watercourses; Inputs of polluting substances transported through the atmosphere; Activities that may directly or indirectly affect the marine environment or coastal areas. Black Sea Catchment (Map GIWA 2004)

15. Implementation of Bucharest Convention and its Protocols Strategic Action Plan - SAP Signed on October 31, 1996 (Black Sea Day) Adopted by all Black Sea countries In 2009 updated BS SAP was adopted at Ministerial Conference in Sofia, BG Addressed to transboundary env. problems Ecosystem approach Framework for coordination and coherence with MSFD

16. Geographical scope of SAP The geographical scope of the Bucharest convention - the Black Sea In addition the SAP covers pollution sources from coastal area. Black Sea coastal states shall make effort to implement relevant provisions of the SAP at the Black Sea basin level.

17. Ecosystem Quality Objectives EcoQO 1: Preserve commercial marine living resources. EcoQO 2: Conservation of Black Sea Biodiversity and Habitats. EcoQO 3: Reduce eutrophication. EcoQO 4: Ensure Good Water Quality for Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic Biota.

18. EcoQO 3: Reduce eutrophication - actions (30) Introduce cost efficiency approach to nutrient management in all BS countries (31) Upgrade all WWTPs serving populations > 200,000 p.e. within the six BS country sub-basins to include N&P removal (32)Ensure all tourist resorts are connected to sewerage systems with WWTPs of adequate capacity to address seasonal loads (33) Ensure that all industrial plants have adequate WWT to reduce N&P emissions from direct discharge to surface waters (34). Reduce or phase out theuse of high P-containing laundry detergents (35). Introduce harmonized P and N standards for all WWTPs serving >100,000 p.e. Ensure compliance with and harmonize standards at regional level

19. EcoQO 3: Reduce eutrophication - actions (36). Reduce atmospheric emissions of N from municipal, agricultural and industrial sources, through the introduction of BAT, BAP principles etc. (37). Harmonize the monitoring and assessment of N&P in major rivers and straits (38) Improve network of atmospheric deposition monitoring stations around the Black Sea coast (at least 1 per country) (39). Develop a nutrient modeling tool to enable source apportionment estimates to be made (40). Improve the use of regulatory instruments for reducing point and diffuse source pollution from agriculture (41). Introduce appropriate economic incentives to reduce nutrient emissions from agriculture

20. EcoQO 3: Reduce eutrophication - actions (42). Develop and expand the capacity of national agricultural extension services for promoting the control of agricultural pollution (43). Promote organic farming and other low input farming systems (44). Develop/define BAT for the design and operation of large-scale agro-industrial livestock production units, including pig and poultry farms with no land

21. EcoQO 4: Ensure Good Water Quality for Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic Biota EcoQO 4a: Reduce pollutants originating from land based sources, including atmospheric pollutions (50). Harmonise environmental quality standards throughout the Black Sea region and elaborate regionally agreed criteria for assessment of the state of the Black Sea environment (51). Develop/improve the existing monitoring system to provide comparable data sets for pollutant loads (from direct discharges and river inputs) and for other parameters

22. EcoQO 4a: Reduce pollutants originating from land based sources, including atmospheric pollutions (52). Improve the “list of Black Sea specific priority pollutants” to help target monitoring priorities (53). Continue/improve rehabilitation /construction of wastewater treatment plants (54). Optimise and/or increase resources to regulatory bodies responsible for pollution control and improve capacity through targeted training programmes

23. SAP implementation Conducted by countries Regional monitoring program Annual reporting to BSC Periodical assessment (5 years) – State of Environment Report – Assessment of SAP implementation and SAP revision

24. MONITORING - BSIMAP

25. Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (BSIMAP) Implemented since 2001. Build on established national monitoring programmes Operational Last version of BSIMAP was adopted in 2006.

26. BSIMAP Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (BSIMAP): addressed to the main transboundary environmental problems in the Black Sea region: eutrophication, water pollution and water quality, biodiversity change and decline, habitats destruction provides criteria for monitoring and external quality control instruments build on established national monitoring programmes there is no regional monitoring activity

27. BSIMAP Pollution Monitoring Network

28. Monitoring network: spatial coverage Territori al waters Pollution Hot Spots Sampling Sites Coastline (km) Average distance (km) represented per sampling site Bulgaria141230025 Georgia6531062 Romania643 (13 transects) 22517 Russia11547595 Turkey1070 (25 transects) 140056 Ukraine9161628102 Monitoring

29. National institutions involved BulgariaRegional laboratories in Varna and Burgas Georgia Environment Pollution Monitoring Department, MoEP Romania National Institute for Marine Research & Development; Water Directorate Dobrogea Litoral – Constanta Russian Federation Socchi Hydrometeorological Centre, Tuapse Roshydromet Monitoring Laboratory, Southern Branch of SIO RAS TurkeyMoEF, Istanbul University Ukraine UkrSCES, State Ecological Inspection of the North-West region of the Black Sea (MENR)

30. BSIMAP LBS component Complementary to the Pollution Monitoring, the BSIMAP LBS component includes monitoring of pollution loads from LBS, including: River discharges Industrial discharges Municipal discharges The emphasis is given to the Pollution Hot Spots. Monitoring

31. Hot spots Monitoring

32. REPORTING

33. Reporting Who: National Focal Points / Members of Advisory Groups What: Different parameters of the Black Sea ecosystem state, pressures, impacts, measures, changes in legislation/policy, programs, investments, etc. 1.PMA (pollution in water, sediments, biota) 2.LBS (pollution loads from rivers and hot spots – municipal and industrial) When: annually (in Autumn), data for previous year How: in standardized formats

34. Data flow Implementing agencies and laboratories National ministries and agencies BSC focal points BSC PS BSIS (Black Sea Information System) Users: scientists, decision-makers, public Standardized format

35. Usage of monitoring data & information State of Environment reporting (SoE) Transboundary diagnostic analysis Impact assessments of major pollutant sources Assesment of SAP implementation and SAP revision Monitoring data & information BSIS GIS, mapping Trend analysis

36. Annual reports Compiled from countries’ reports Contain assessment of environmental quality performed by countries Typical data products: – Spatial variability of parameters: charts, maps, transects – Annual variability of parameters: charts – Inter-annual variability of parameters: charts

37. Parameters reported BOD5 Total Nitrogen (TN) Total Phosphorus (TP) Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Flow (Q) Heavy metals Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

38. Monitoring results: Nitrogen loads Other riversDanube Ref: BSC LBS AG report 2009-2010

39. Monitoring results: Phosporus loads Other riversDanube Ref: BSC LBS AG report 2009-2010

40. State of Environment Report 2006/7 More than 60 scientists involved 12 chapters addressed to different environmental problems as well as socio-economic pressures and impact Last chapter – overall assessment of the state of the Black Sea Ecosystem

41. State of Environment Report 2006/7 Relative contributions of different point and diffuse sources to the emissions of (a) total nitrogen (N) and (b) total phosphorus averaged over 5 year bins and amounts of total nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer consumption in the Danube catchments basin (solid circles).

42. State of Environment Report 2006/7 Decadal variability of surface dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentration along the western and eastern coastal waters of the NWS based on the averaging of available data from several stations at 5-year bin Monthly surface NO3 concentration (blue) and total nitrogen (organic + inorganic) concentration (green) (μM) at the Bosphorus northern entrance during 1996-2003

43. Further tasks and challenges Harmonization of monitoring programs conducted by countries to meet requirements of new LBS protocol and SAP Standartization of sampling and sample analysis techniques Improving of QA/QC Ensuring sustainability of monitoring programs in the countries Monitoring