Accidental spills: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Accidental spills refers to the adverse effects of accidental episodic releases of contaminants and materials to the aquatic environment as a result of human activities.
Agricultural development intensity: The ratio between the area of agricultural land and the total area.
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD): Decrease in oxygen content in milligrams per litre of a sample of water caused by the bacterial breakdown of organic matter under aerobic conditions at 200C after a certain period of time (BOD after 3, 5, 10, 20 days etc.). Measuring unit: mg O/l.
Causal chain analysis: Examines the sequence of events that cause environmental and socio economic impacts. The first step of the analysis examines the immediate causes of the issue. The next step studies the sectoral pressures that underlie the immediate causes including a detailed analysis of current governance structures that affect the sectoral or immediate causes (e.g. regulations, public participation, institutions).
Changes in the groundwater regime: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Changes in the groundwater regime refer to changes in aquifers as a direct or indirect consequence of human activity.
Chemical oxygen demand (COD): The amount of oxygen (mg) equivalent to the amount of consumed oxidising agent in the chemical oxidation of all reducing agents present in a water sample. Measuring unit: mg O2/l.
Chemical pollution: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Chemical pollution refers to the adverse effects of chemical contaminants released to standing or marine water bodies as a result of human activities. Chemical contaminants are here defined as compounds that are toxic and/or persistent and/or bioaccumulating.
Ecological system (ecosystem): A community of living organisms and the environment in which they live, interacting to form a whole functional system.
Environmental impact: The adverse effect of a transboundary issue on the integrity of an ecosystem. For example, loss of natural productivity and biodiversity as a result of the loss of an ecosystem or ecotone.
Environmental Impact Assessment: A nationally adopted procedure for assessment of potential impacts of a planned activity (development) on the environment.
Eutrophication: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Eutrophication including harmful algal blooms refers to artificially enhanced primary productivity in receiving water basins related to the increased availability or supply of nutrients.
Flooding events and elevated groundwater levels: Flooding event refers to coming of a great quantity of water over land in the period of high flow or as a result of construction of an impoundment (dam) within a river channel or valley. It may span a long period of time during which any economic use of flooded land is neither possible nor feasible, or a short period during which an economic use of flooded land is possible and feasible. Elevated groundwater levels refer to an elevation of groundwater table caused by a rise of water level in a river due to construction of reservoirs, channel dams and other hydroengineering facilities; saturation of previously unsaturated soils as a result of water filtration through a channel bottom and slopes; leaks in water supply and sewerage mains; river channel siltation etc.
Forest coverage: The ratio between the area occupied by forests and the total area of a territory.
Governance: A response term embracing regulations, laws, policies, projects and institutions. The absence of effective governance is not regarded as the cause of pressure on the environment but as a failure to deal with a pre-existing cause.
Immediate causes: are the immediate technical causes of the issue. For example, in the case of eutrophication, the causes might be enhanced nutrient inputs, increased recycling/mobilisation or trapping of nutrients.
Impact on biological and genetic diversity: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Impact on biological and genetic diversity refers to changes in genetic and species diversity resulting from the introduction of alien and genetically modified species or local stocks as an intentional or unintentional result of human fisheries activities including aquaculture and restocking.
Institutional barriers to change: These are the barriers identified in the governance study. They include issues related to insufficiencies in current policy, legislation and its implementation, institutional capacity, public participation, etc.
International waters: International waters are those shared by one or more nation states. They are transboundary in nature but provide "free" goods and services to the economies of individual countries.
Landscape: A territorial system comprising natural and/or natural and anthropogenic components and groups of lower taxonomic levels that interact with each other.
Local hot spot: A source of pollution whose impact results in exceedance of the prescribed MAC limits in water bodies located within the boundaries of one administrative unit (District), thereby creating a greater threat for biodiversity and risk for human health, as well as areas of higher environmental danger.
Local radioactive hot spot: a radioactive hot spot that occupies a local area.
Microbiological pollution: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Microbial pollution refers to the adverse effects of microbial constituents of human or animal sewage released to water bodies.
Modification and loss of ecosystems or ecotones and decreased viability of stocks due to contamination and disease: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Modification and loss of ecosystems or ecotones refers to the modification or complete destruction of aquatic and riparian habitats. Decreased viability of stocks due to contamination and disease refers to contamination of feral (wild) stocks of fish or invertebrates as a result of human-induced contamination or of diseases that are a direct or indirect consequence of human action.
Modification of hydrological regime: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Modification of stream flow refers to an increase or decrease in the discharge of streams and rivers as a result of human interventions on a local/regional scale.
National hot spot: A source of pollution whose impact results in significant exceedance of the prescribed MAC limits in water bodies located within a country, thereby creating a greater threat for biodiversity and risk for human health, as well as areas of higher environmental danger.
National radioactive hot spot: a radioactive hot spot that occupies or, in the future, may occupy a substantial national territory and has no significant transboundary impact.
Radioactive hot spot: a technical facility or a local natural site (territory) that is contaminated with radionuclides or, in the future, may become a source of the environmental radioactive contamination above reference levels, or resulting in human or biota exposure above radiological criteria.
Radionuclide pollution: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Radionuclide pollution refers to the adverse effects of the release of man-made and naturally occurring radioactive contaminants and wastes into the aquatic and atmospheric environment from human activities.
Regional hot spot: A source of pollution whose impact results in significant exceedance of the prescribed MAC limits in water bodies located within the boundaries of two or more Oblasts (administrative units), thereby creating a greater threat for biodiversity and risk for human health, as well as areas of higher environmental danger.
Resource uses and practices: These are practices that contribute to a particular immediate cause and transboundary issue. They include such issues as land use, waste discharges, damaging or unsustainable practices, uses of water (diversion, storage etc). A typical agricultural practice contributing to eutrophication for example, would be the excessive application of fertilisers.
Root causes: Beyond the underlying social and economic causes and sectoral pressures are the root causes of environmental degradation. These underlying causes can be loosely divided into the following categories: population pressure and demographic change; poverty, wealth and inequality; public policies, markets and politics; development model and national macro-economic policies; social change and development biases.
Sectoral approach: The causal chain methodology uses a sectoral approach to examine the pressures that underlie the immediate causes. The seven sectors are agriculture, industry, urban development, transport, energy, fishing and recreation (including tourism).
Social and economic causes: The causes of resource uses and practices These include increased sectoral development, investment, operation and maintenance, waste minimisation procedures, demand and supply side management etc.
Socio-economic impact: The adverse effect of a transboundary issue on human welfare. For example, increased costs of water treatment, or illness due to pollution.
Solid waste pollution: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Solid waste pollution refers to adverse effects associated with the introduction of solid waste materials into water bodies or their environs.
Strategic Action Programme: A negotiated policy document, endorsed at the highest level of all relevant sectors, which establishes clear priorities for action to resolve the priority transboundary issues identified in the TDA.
Suspended solids: A transboundary issue in the Dnipro Basin. Suspended solids refers to the adverse effects of modified rates of release of suspended particulate matter to water bodies resulting from human activities.
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis: The TDA is an objective assessment and not a negotiated document. It uses the best available verified scientific information to examine the state of the environment, the root causes for its degradation. The analysis is carried out in a cross sectoral manner. It focuses on the transboundary issues without ignoring national concerns and priorities.
Transboundary hot spot: A source of pollution whose impact results in exceedance of the prescribed MAC limits in water bodies located within the adjacent countries. Also, described as transboundary hot spots may be the transboundary sections of the Dnipro Basin where economic activities pose a greater threat for biodiversity and risk for human health, as well as areas of higher environmental danger.
Transboundary issue: An environmental problem originating in one country and affecting another (e.g. Eutrophication, chemical pollution). The transboundary impact may be damage to the natural environment and/or damage to human welfare.
Transboundary radioactive hot spot: a radioactive hot spot which is or, in the future, may become a source of the environmental radioactive contamination in the territory of another country above reference levels, or resulting in human or biota exposure above radiological criteria
Underlying causes: Those causes that contribute to the immediate causes. They can broadly be termed as resource uses and practices and their related social and economic causes.
Water monitoring: Regular observation and assessment of the state of natural waters.
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BOD |
Biochemical Oxygen Demand |
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BOD5 |
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (Over 5 Days) |
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CIS |
Commonwealth of Independent States |
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COD |
Chemical Oxygen Demand |
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COP |
Chlorinated Organic Pesticides |
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EIA |
Environmental Impact Assessment |
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ENGO |
Environmental Non-Governmental Organisation |
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EQO |
Ecological Quality Objective |
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EU |
European Union |
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GDP |
Gross Domestic Product |
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GEF |
Global Environmental Facility |
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GIS |
Geographic Information System |
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GIWA |
Global International Waters Assessment |
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GNP |
Gross National Product |
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HDI |
Human Development Index |
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IAEA |
International Atomic Energy Agency |
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IDRC |
International Development Research Centre (Canada) |
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LTEQO |
Long Term Ecological Quality Objective |
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MAC |
Maximum Admissible Concentration of a Chemical Substance |
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MAC fishery |
Maximum Admissible Concentration of a Chemical Substance Set for Fishery Water Use |
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MAC potable/domestic |
Maximum Admissible Concentration of a Chemical Substance Set for Potable/Domestic Water Use |
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MC |
Management Committee |
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NAP |
National Action Plan |
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NGO |
Non-Governmental Organisation |
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NR |
Nature Reserve |
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OP |
Oil Products |
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PMU |
Project Management Unit |
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RB |
Republic of Belarus |
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RF |
Russian Federation |
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RTC |
Regional Thematic Centre |
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SAP |
Strategic Action Programme |
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SSAA |
Synthetic Surface-Active Agent (Surfactant) |
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TDA |
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis |
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UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
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UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
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WHO |
World Health Organisation |
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WPI |
Water Pollution Index |
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
1. Modification of riparian habitats 2. Depletion of fish stocks and species diversity 3. Water quality changes 4. Changes in the area of wetlands 5. Reduced capacity to transport sediments 6. Changes in biological diversity and food chains 7. Changes in sedimentation process 8. Increased intensity of bank modification
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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2. Changes in the water table
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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3. Flooding of territories and rising groundwater levels
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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4. Microbiological pollution
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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5. Eutrophication
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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6. Chemical pollution
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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7. Suspended solids
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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8. Solid waste
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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9. Radionuclides
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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10. Accidental spills and emissions
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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11. Loss and modification of ecosystems or ecotones and decreased viability of biological resources
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4. Population density, including urban population
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Issue & Impacts
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Pressure Indicators |
Status Indicators |
Impact Indicators |
Response Indicators |
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12. Impact on biological and genetic diversity
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Low level of water reuse and recycling
Water recycling is reusing treated wastewater for beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, industrial processes and replenishing ground water basins (referred to as ground water recharge). This occurs in only a limited capacity in the Dnipro Basin due to a lack of clean technologies, inadequate finance and a lack of human and technical capacity.
Failures in operation and maintenance
Failures in operation and maintenance are due to inadequate training and a lack of trained staff (human capacity), insufficient finance, inadequate/inappropriate technologies (technical capacity) and interruptions in the power supply.
Irregular energy supply
Although there is idle energy capacity in the region, most equipment and technology in the energy sector is obsolete and worn out. Investment in power engineering is negligible, and this (together with a crisis of non-payments) makes its stable operation and progress impossible. Therefore power supply is limited, leading to disconnection of hundreds of enterprises and transport facilities.
Poor waste disposal practices
Runoff from roads, litter and wastes from small enterprises, industries and households all contribute to the overall pollution load. They are all caused by poor or no waste disposal practices and are generally a result of pressures from urbanisation. However, it is also linked with the industry and transport sectors
Human, technical and institutional capacity
Human and technical capacity includes:
Human resource development;
The process of equipping individuals with knowledge, skills and training to enable them to perform effectively;
The provision of access to information;
Organisational development;
The development of management structures, processes and procedures within and between organisations and sectors;
Modern/appropriate technologies.
Inadequate or lacking water/waste management systems
The lack of management systems for wastewater disposal, sanitation and solid waste management can result in the pollution of water resources and a subsequent reduction in water supply. There is a need for efficient and effective management that is strategic in approach, including:
The implementation of demand and supply management techniques;
A review of existing policy and legislation;
The promotion of waste avoidance;
The recovery of waste through recycling and reclamation;
Research and development.
Lack of collection and treatment facilities
Water supply/sewerage systems in the Basin have generally reached a high level of depreciation and the coverage of the centralised sewerage service is extremely low when compared to Western European countries. The total annual volume of wastewater discharges in the Dnipro Basin is 7,463,600,000 m3/year. Of the total volume, the majority receives no, or only partial treatment (see section 4.4.1).
Lack of adequate finance
Since the early 1990s there has been a reduction in budget expenditure on social and environmental protection actions (e.g. capital and operational expenditure in wastewater treatment, monitoring and regulation) due to the inadequate structure of the current economy. There has also been limited internal investment in industry, power generation, transport and agriculture due to the unfavourable investment climate.
Budget/expenditure for operation and maintenance
Industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities require managed budgets and expenditure regimes in order to maintain equipment and plant.
Limited ability of water users to pay
There is a limited ability (and will) of industrial and domestic water users to pay for the supply of water in the Basin. Ultimately water prices are a function of water costs. Factors that increase water costs include compliance with drinking water standards, replacing and improving the water delivery infrastructure, and meeting demand growth. Costs associated with meeting demand growth can be recovered through capacity charge plans in which users benefiting from the increased capacity pay for it.
Limited capital Investment
Capital investment is provided by banks, individual loans and government financial aid. In the riparian countries of the Dnipro Basin this is far below the capital needs of individual sectors. The lack of capital investment is becoming a major constraint to further growth in industrial, agricultural, municipal and energy sector restructuring. While exporters of natural resources generate sufficient cash flows to finance internal investment, other industries have to rely on external finance. This is why good corporate governance is crucial for building a sustainable economy.
Lack of planning
This specifically refers to a lack of planning at the Oblast level (e.g. the lack of planning for siting of fishponds in river channels).
Lack of incentives to reduce consumption including the introduction of cleaner technologies or sustainable practices
The riparian countries of the Dnipro Basin, in line with most countries of the former Soviet Union, have a much higher energy usage per capita than developed countries. Traditionally energy was very cheap, was not metered and there were no incentives to reduce consumption, either by private industrial or municipal users. The problem has worsened over the last few years, following the transition to market economies. This resulted in a payment crisis which meant that many enterprises couldn’t pay their energy bills and the energy distribution companies did not have the means to enforce payment.
There is also a lack of incentives to reduce water consumption in the Basin. This includes incentifying users to implement technological means to improve water use efficiency and reduce water consumption in the urban, industrial and agricultural sectors (e.g. the irrigation of agriculture products).
Inadequate economic instruments/tariffs
Central governments can use economic, regulatory and policy instruments (e.g. tariffs, taxes, fees, quotas, groundwater extraction charges etc.) to achieve environmental goals while generating budgetary revenues. The adoption of such instruments can result in significant savings of water in the industry, agriculture and urban sectors. A further reduction in demand can be obtained if the recycling or reuse of water is encouraged (particularly in the industry sector) through pollution control legislation and economic incentives (e.g. water tariffs based on economic costs, effluent charges and low-interest loans for effluent and sewage treatment plants). Similar savings may be possible in irrigated agriculture by investing in canal lining, encouraging less water-intensive crops (through relative output prices) and by raising irrigation rates.
Lack of land tenure
Land tenure affects the basic operational decision of farmers. If land tenure is uncertain (e.g. if the right of exclusivity, transferability and inheritability are weak or uncertain) a farmer will have no incentive to invest in land enhancement and maintenance or sustainable agricultural practices (e.g. best farming practices). For example, in Russia land tenure has significantly changed to allow farmers to hold long-term leases for land, but not own it. Agriculture companies (collective farms, sovkhozes, and farmers) still control 80% of the land, but are unable to use their land as collateral for credit.
Deficiencies in implementation of regulations, monitoring and enforcement
There is a need to eliminate gaps and improve the consistency of environmental regulations in the 3 riparian countries of the Dnipro Basin. There are many framework environmental acts and amendments including such principles as polluter pays, prevention and precautionary, sustainability, shared responsibility, free access to environmental information, and public participation. However, many of them remain just a declaration of intent and are not properly enforced. It is generally recognised that inadequate or a lack of implementation and enforcement are often more of an obstacle to effective management than deficiencies in environmental legislation or scientific information. In addition, implementation of environmental regulations is not sufficiently supported by the public. There is also a lack of institutional capacity in terms of inadequately financed and staffed research/technical institutions, including monitoring and environment agencies, poor existing environment monitoring systems and a limited practice of environmental monitoring.
In terms of monitoring, it is important that:
It is regular, consistent and of a high quality;
There is a good understanding of the ecological state of the environment;
Prompt and good quality information is provided to users at all levels;
It provides a basis for the proper justification of environmental actions and their effective implementation;
It supports improved international co-operation in the field of environment protection and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Deficiencies in legislation
There appear to be many similarities between the national legislation systems existing in the riparian countries, attributable to the fact that they are largely based upon the system used in the former USSR. However, significant differences have emerged during the past decade of independence. Weaknesses in the system include:
The lack of a sustainable development concept in environmental legislation;
Inconsistencies in environmental legislation, affected by inter-sectoral disagreements;
Gaps in the existing legislative and regulatory framework that are not systematised and structured properly;
An inadequate legislative process and the reference nature of laws;
The inefficient economic and environmental review of draft legislation and regulations;
Inefficient legislation enforcement and implementation mechanisms;
The limited involvement of the public in the legislative process;
The limited practice of independent due diligence review of draft laws.
Ineffective national/regional policies/management plans
National and regional policies/management plans are ineffective for a number of reasons. These include:
The socio-economic crisis in the region;
Ineffective and inefficient management systems;
The application of market-based concepts and ownership arrangements to environmental resources;
Ineffective credit finance policy, and a lack of incentives for the introduction of new technologies and environmental actions;
The declarative nature of environmental priorities in socio-economic development strategies and environmental policies;
National policies that do not focus on environmental education and awareness.
Location and concentration of industrial complexes
Historically, the large industrial centres of European Russia have been concentrated in the upper part of the Dnipro Basin with over 90% of the capacity in this part of the Basin located in 3 Oblasts. There has also been intensive industrial development in the Ukrainian part of the Dnipro Basin. The region currently accounts for over 60% of the total industrial production capacity of the country. Industrial facilities are distributed very unevenly over the territory of the Basin with more than two thirds of the regional industrial capacity concentrated within less than one third of the region’s area.
Increased role of mining for export income
A significant proportion of the national mineral resource of Belarus and Ukraine is concentrated in the Dnipro Basin, and together with related mining industries is one of the major contributors to export income, waste generation and environment pollution. Mineral resources mined in Ukraine constitute approximately one-third of the total Ukrainian export. During the past decade the export of mineral resources has been seen as a key factor in stimulating the Ukrainian economy.
Unsustainable use of water
Refer to Lack of incentives to reduce consumption including the introduction of cleaner technologies or sustainable practices for more details.
Lack of implementation of sustainable practices (agriculture)
The lack of implementation of sustainable practices in agriculture is due to a number of factors including a lack of investment, inadequate economic instruments/tariffs (incentives/sanctions) and a lack of human and technical capacity. Sustainable practices include changes in irrigation practices (more crop per drop), encouraging less water-intensive crops (through relative output prices), appropriate application of pesticides and fertilisers, improved ploughing techniques etc.
Programme Management Unit, the UNDP-GEF Dnipro Basin Environment Management Programme:
Lubomyr Markevych
Volodymyr Bilokon
Svitlana Pchelina
Pavlo Yakovlev
Regional TDA Coordinator:
Oleksandr Vasenko
International Consultants:
Laurence Mee
Martin Bloxham
Jan Barica
Chairmen of the National Programme Management Committees:
Aleksandr Apatsky
Nikolay Mikheev
Anatoliy Hritsenko
TDA Experts:
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Republic of Belarus: |
Russian Federation: |
Ukraine: |
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Tamara Amvrosieva |
Andrey Aleshukin |
Kemali Aliev |
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Sergey Balashenko |
Aleksandr Anischenko |
Bohdan Danylyshyn |
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Mikhail Cherepansky |
Valentin Anuchkin |
Mikhailo Grodzynsky |
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Aleftin Kolobaev |
Galina Chernogaeva |
Roman Khimko |
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Vladimir Korneev |
Aleksey Chizhevsky |
Volodymyr Lozansky |
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Ivan Matveenko |
Evgeniy Grigoriev |
Gennadiy Marushevsky |
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Aleksandr Odinets |
Iliya Komarov |
Oleksandr Mazurkevich |
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Natalya Petrushkevich |
Nikolay Man’kov |
Natalya Movchan |
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Ludmila Skripnichenko |
Viktor Melikhov |
Vasyl Navrotsky |
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Aleksandr Stankevich |
Viktor Omelianenko |
Volodymyr Osadchy |
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Gennadiy Tischikov |
Eduard Reznik |
Viktor Romanenko |
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Natalia Tomina |
Margarita Shevchenko |
Viktor Samoilenko |
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Nikolay Tsygankov |
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Pavlo Stankevych |
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Svetlana Utochkina |
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Oleksandr Vasenko |
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Anna Vysochenko |
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Oleg Voitsekhovich |
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Olga Zhukova |
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Mark Zheleznyak |