Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis is an important part of the overall strategic planning process, providing a basis for formulation of the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) and the harmonised National Action Plans (NAPs) on environmental rehabilitation of the Dnipro Basin. To this end, the following suggestions can be made on the basis of the Dnipro Basin Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis:
1. A common legal and policy framework should be developed and adopted in the form of a Convention on Sustainable Use and Protection of Water Resources in the Dnipro Basin. This will help provide an international legal framework between the riparian countries of the Basin on water resource management issues, and between the Basin countries and other nations and international organisations.
2. Strengthening (establishment) of an institutional framework is key to ensuring environmental protection and sustainable management of the Basin. The basinwide management framework should be provided with a sufficient level of authority and capacity to effectively address the issues of sustainable water resource management and water sector development.
3. Establishment of the International Dnipro Basin Management Council as a main co-ordinating body (including a definition of its powers, and setting up the legal/institutional/financial framework of its activities) is an important institutional issue to be addressed in the process of the SAP preparation and implementation.
4. An important aspect of the SAP and NAPs is to ensure active participation of the public and NGO’s in environmental protection activities. Governmental support for NGO activities should be provided in the form of specific and effective actions.
5. Establishment of a common interstate information management system to support basinwide water resource management in the Dnipro Basin is a prerequisite to enable the successful implementation of the SAP.
6. A priority issue for the SAP and NAPs development is the establishment of an international basinwide transboundary monitoring system. This would be a major component of the Dnipro Basin environmental information management system. There is an obvious requirement for the riparian nations to agree on common water quality standards for a range of key (priority) parameters. All 3 countries also need to introduce a common basinwide water quality classification system supported by the unified methodological framework, and ensure free access to monitoring information. Harmonisation of legal, regulatory, methodological, technological and technical framework of monitoring are the key elements of this important task.
7. The Strategic and National Action Plans should set out, where possible, clear and achievable Ecological Quality Objectives and Operational Objectives.
8. An important task that should be encouraged within the SAP and NAPs is the large-scale introduction of ISO14000 environmental management systems and environmental audit procedures, in parallel with a strengthened regional environmental consultancy capacity. In order to reduce anthropogenic loads and attract investment into the water protection sector, consideration should be given to the potential implementation of the BAT-based approach to emission limit setting for point sources. This approach should be integrated with the existing water quality regulation system and based on assessment of the impact of pollution on the ecological state of water bodies.
9. The SAP and NAPs need to formulate legal actions aiming at strengthening the role and responsibilities of local authorities on issues relating to the state of the environment within their jurisdictions, water protection zones and strips. This would attract additional funding for environmental actions, and maintain a balanced institutional framework of environmental management in the Dnipro Basin.
10. An important step in the formulation of the SAP and NAPs is defining the problem-solving sequence for the identified priority environmental issues of the Dnipro Basin. In this respect, the causal chain analysis of priority transboundary environmental issues carried out as part of the TDA process has to be taken into account.
11. The SAP should include provisions on the establishment of transboundary eco-corridors that could be integrated into the European system. The SAPs should also justify the plan for expanding the network of transboundary nature reserves and protected territories where water levels will be maintained to ensure conservation of wetland biodiversity in the transboundary parts of the Basin.
12. When designing priority strategic actions, consideration should be given to the results of identification and analysis of pollution hot spots in the Basin, particularly those that are located in the transboundary sections. It is important to ensure that priority actions are designed and proposed in the wider context of the whole Basin.
13. The range of pollution hot spots identified within the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine needs to be examined so that a priority list of potential projects can be formulated for subsequent pre-investment studies.
14. A range of actions need to be planned in order to make proposed environmental projects more attractive for potential investors, and ensure effective reduction of anthropogenic pressure on water bodies.
15. In order to facilitate the reduction of non-point pollution load, it is proposed to establish a number of ‘agro-environmental’ test sites where advanced agricultural techniques and practices could be tested/adjusted prior to large-scale application in the Basin. Proper consideration should also be given to the justification of a basinwide reforestation scheme as a tool designed to tackle the problem of erosion in the riparian zones of the Dnipro itself and its tributaries.
16. Given that the Dnipro plays a significant role in shaping the Black Sea ecosystem, the SAP should propose a set of water protection actions designed to ensure proper management of shallow-water sections in the Dnipro reservoirs, with particular focus on preventing their further eutrophication and degradation. It should also develop a set environment/water protection actions, including environmental audits and pre-investment studies at industries located within the Lower Dnipro Basin, to identify options for improving their environmental performance and, ultimately, reducing the pollution load on the Black Sea.
17. A key task relates to developing and strengthening co-operation and collaboration between the riparian countries of the Basin, especially on issues relating to the provision of scientific and technical support for the implementation of the SAP and NAPs. This includes the development of human resources that are adequately trained to address and tackle the complex suite of environmental and water management issues in the Basin. In the longer term, a network of scientific and research institutions needs to be established in the riparian countries that would help to provide effective solutions for existing environmental issues of the Basin.
The problem-solving sequence for the identified issues is defined on the basis of the following criteria: (1) the number of issues dependant on, or relating to a given issue, (2) the location of an issue within the causal chain, and (3) what problems should be solved prior to addressing аn issue under consideration. It should be also noted that an issue can only be effectively solved if the related root, underlying and immediate causes have been properly identified.
When addressing the identified transboundary issues, consideration should be given to the interrelationships between them. Table 4.2 reflects the problem-solving sequence for the key transboundary issues in the Dnipro Basin.
Six of 12 issues examined in the TDA were recognised as the priority transboundary issues (Table 4.17). These are listed below:
1. Chemical pollution;
2. Loss/modification of ecosystems or ecotones, and reduced viability of biological resources due to contamination and disease;
3. Modification of the hydrological regime of surface waters;
4. Eutrophication;
5. Flooding events and elevated groundwater levels;
6. Pollution by radionuclides.
Therefore the suggested options for addressing the identified issues of the Dnipro Basin focus on the issues listed above.
The general recommendations presented in Section 7.1 are followed by a number of suggestions that are not linked to any individual environmental issue and mainly relate to strengthening legislative/regulatory framework and building institutional capacity for environmental management in the Dnipro Basin.
Legislative/regulatory framework:
· Introduction of economically viable water tariffs.
· Applying the legally defined principle of financing the costs of corrective and preventive actions at the expense of users benefiting from activities that adversely affect the state of environment.
· Development of a programme-oriented regulatory and methodological framework for environmental impact management and regulation including the clear definition of relevant roles and responsibilities of local and regional authorities.
Institutional framework of environmental management:
· A set of measures on the decentralisation of environmental management based on the principle of effective ground level management and strengthening the role and responsibilities of local administrations. The broader involvement of water users and the general public in the planning and implementation of local environmental programmes.
· Setting up a programme-oriented economic framework of environmental protection and natural resource management, and clear defining the roles/responsibilities of local and regional authorities.
· Development of an environmental management approach that employs risk assessment and management tools.
· Enhancement of Environmental Impact Assessment procedures for proposed new developments and existing facility upgrade projects including the involvement of the public in this procedure.
In this TDA, 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. Potential options for reducing and/or eliminating chemical pollution might include:
Legislative/regulatory framework:
1. Setting realistic and achievable water quality targets on the basis of existing environmental quality standards and water quality categories, supported by a relevant regulatory framework.
2. Introduction of an integrated approach to regulation of effluent discharges based on a combination of BAT-based discharge limit values and environmental impact assessment tools.
Improvement of the management regime:
3. Environmental Impact Assessment of new proposed developments and/or existing facility upgrade projects that represent a source of chemical pollution.
4. Establishment of effective enforcement and compliance control mechanisms for regulation of environmental impacts of human activities.
5. Development and implementation of regional/local water resource protection programmes.
6. Introduction of economic incentives that encourage the transition towards effluent discharge regulation on the basis of BAT.
7. Enhancement of the water quality monitoring capacity in the Dnipro Basin (both surface water and groundwater quality). Development and implementation of a basinwide water quality monitoring programme.
8. Improved control over pesticide application in agriculture. Establishment of a diffuse pollution monitoring system, to cover sources and pathways of pesticide transport into water bodies.
Practical actions:
9. Development of the capability for the instrumented control of pollution discharges.
10. Feasibility assessment, design and construction of technical facilities/systems for the protection of surface water and groundwater against pollution.
11. Stimulating investments in wastewater management; enhancing wastewater treatment capacity and efficiency; design and construction of full-cycle wastewater treatment facilities.
12. Encourage the introduction of water-saving technologies and water reuse schemes in industry.
13. Strengthening technical capacity of industries for on-site wastewater treatment and sludge management.
14. Repair and upgrade of liquid waste storage facilities; development of local monitoring systems at waste management/disposal sites.
15. Provision of adequate arrangements for treatment of drainage runoff from agricultural land.
16. Provision of adequate arrangements for the collection and management of rainstorm runoff from urban areas and industrial sites.
17. Establishment of water protection zones and riparian strips.
18. Provision of adequate arrangements for safe storage of pesticides (including expired and banned materials).
19. Establishment of an early-warning system for the protection of water intakes against extreme pollution events.
Recent loss of ecosystems or ecotones refers to the complete destruction of aquatic habitats and means a loss of pre-defined habitats. Options for reversing/diminishing the intensity of this process might include:
Legislative/regulatory framework:
1. Enhancement of environmental legislation on the protection of biodiversity. Ensuring that adequate arrangements are in place at the national level to fulfil the country’s commitments under international conventions and basinwide treaties on biodiversity protection.
Improvement of management regime:
2. Compliance with environmental protection regimes in nature reserves and protected areas.
3. Improved pollution control in protected areas.
4. Environmental Impact Assessment of new proposed developments or existing facility upgrade projects that can potentially affect protected areas, in particular those lying in the territory of the riparian countries.
Practical actions:
5. Implementation of rehabilitation actions in existing protected areas and nature reserves.
6. Expansion of the area of nature reserves and protected territories.
7. Establishment of water protection zones and riparian strips.
8. Development of eco-corridors (including transboundary eco-corridors), and their integration into the European network.
River flow pattern is greatly affected by human interventions in the natural flow regime at the local and/or regional level. This leads to an increase or reduction of river flow as a result of poorly controlled flow diversions for industrial and agricultural purposes particularly on medium and smaller rivers. In turn, modification of the hydrological regime can significantly contribute to the deterioration of water quality, alter groundwater regimes and riparian habitats, and result in decreases in fish productivity and species diversity. The Dnipro reservoir chain, playing an important water management role, contributes to a broad range of environmental issues.
The following potential options are suggested for addressing this issue:
Legislative/regulatory actions:
1. Development and introduction of incentives to stimulate the application of Best Available Technologies for regulation of the hydrological regime, water reuse, irrigation etc.
2. Setting environmentally acceptable flow extraction limits for surface water bodies.
Improvement of the management regime:
3. Setting and maintaining environmentally justified water levels in the Dnipro reservoirs, and monitor compliance.
4. Designing and applying an environmentally acceptable schedule of flow diversions from the Dnipro Basin within the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine.
5. Preparation of an inventory of existing forests located in the river floodplains and catchments, which will be used as a scientifically justified basis for planning and implementing reforestation actions.
6. Design and assess the feasibility of specific actions on wetland protection/conservation.
7. Based on best scientific knowledge, design and implement a strategy for sustainable development of fish-breeding ponds, and monitor their impacts on hydrological regime.
8. Strengthen the capacity for hydrological monitoring (including monitoring of shoreline modification); establish new hydrological monitoring sites in the transboundary sections of the Basin.
Practical actions:
9. Promote the application of water-saving technologies in the industrial and agricultural sector, in particular:
- In the industrial sector: significantly increase water reuse/recycling and reduce the water intensity of industrial production through the application of BATs;
- In the agricultural sector: the application of modern water-saving technologies for irrigation in the Lower Dnipro Basin.
10. Develop and implement actions on river-channel clearance and the restoration of the natural flow regime including setting clear and measurable targets to monitor actual performance.
Eutrophication, including harmful algal blooms, refers to artificially enhanced primary productivity in receiving water basins related to the increased availability or supply of nutrients. The potential options to prevent and reduce eutrophication might include:
Legislative/regulatory framework:
1. Legally defined and strengthened role and responsibilities of local governance bodies on issues relating to the sanitary and ecological state in the territories under their jurisdiction, and water protection zones and riparian strips.
2. Introduction of economic incentives that encourage the transition towards effluent discharge regulation on the basis of BAT.
Improvement of the management regime:
3. Environmental Impact Assessment of new proposed developments and/or existing facility upgrade projects that can potentially affect the state of regional water bodies.
4. Implementation of environmental audit procedures and engineered improvements at food-processing industries (using experience gained from the Ukrainian-Canadian Environmental Management Development Project).
5. Establishment of a basinwide monitoring system to monitor diffuse pollution sources.
Practical actions:
6. Establishment of water protection zones and riparian strips, especially along smaller rivers.
7. The introduction of environmentally sound practices in agriculture to reduce the nutrient load carried with surface runoff from agricultural land.
8. Improvement of wastewater treatment arrangements in industrial and agricultural sector, including livestock-rearing farms.
9. Development of centralised sewerage systems in rural areas, and achieving a balance between water abstraction and wastewater discharge.
10. Improved management and reduction of the area of shallow-water sections in the Dnipro reservoirs.
Significant areas of the Basin suffer from regular flooding events that occur during high flow periods. The resulting negative effects are often exacerbated by poor planning of flood prevention facilities. As a result, polluted runoff from flooded areas enters surface water bodies, contributing to the diffuse pollution load.
Changes in the water table caused by economic activities and uncontrolled water extractions in the medium-sized and small river catchments, and construction operations in the river floodplains have resulted in flooding events and extensive waterlogging.
Potential options for mitigating or eliminating these adverse effects might include the following actions:
Legislative/regulatory framework:
1. Strengthening the legislative/regulatory framework for management of economic activities in the river floodplains.
Improvement of the management regime:
2. Environmental Impact Assessment of hydroengineering developments, in particular flood-regulating facilities and projects.
3. Scientific/technical feasibility assessment of actions on the restoration of the natural hydrological regime of medium-sized and small rivers.
4. Control of compliance with operation rules at hydroengineering facilities; compliant operation of irrigation/drainage schemes.
5. Development of hydrological monitoring systems, including surface waters and groundwater.
6. Establishment of a basinwide flood prediction system that employs remote-sensing tools.
Practical actions:
7. Mapping of areas susceptible to flooding.
8. Provision of hydroengineering facilities designed to prevent flooding and elevation of groundwater levels.
9. Improved management of economic activities in the river floodplains.
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 environments from human activities, i.e. from nuclear or radiological accidents, mining and ore-processing industries and from nuclear power plant operations.
Options for mitigation of these adverse effects might include:
Legislative/regulatory framework:
1. Revision/amendment of existing legislation and regulations to ensure that radiation safety provisions are adequate to meet regional requirements and are consistent with international standards.
Improvement of the management regime:
2. Improved and optimised systems for monitoring of surface water and groundwater quality in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and in uranium mine locations (in Zhovti Vody and Dniprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine).
3. Environmental Impact Assessment of new proposed developments and/or existing nuclear power facility upgrade projects.
Practical actions:
4. Completion of planned engineered improvements in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (on the right bank of the Pripyat River).
5. Ensure environmentally safe decommissioning and closure of the cooling reservoir at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant site.
6. Ensuring that safety action plans adopted at nuclear power facilities are fully implemented in a timely manner.
7. Rehabilitation of non-operational uranium tailings impoundments at Zhovti Vody and Dniprodzerzhinsk needs to be completed to ensure they provide long-term containment;
8. Improved control of emissions/discharges from power industry waste disposal sites.