Situation in the new EU-Member/Neighbour States

From WaterWiki

The countries in this sub-region are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey

Some of these countries also fall under the UN classification of 'Eastern Europe', so also see the article on Situation in Eastern Europe and Russia

Contents 1 Overview of Transboundary/Shared Water Bodies & Resources in this sub-region 1.1 Major Transboundary River Basins in this sub-region 1.2 Major bilateral agreements and regional cooperation 2 Further Readings, References, Links

Overview of Transboundary/Shared Water Bodies & Resources in this sub-region

Wetlands areas are characteristic of Romania, Bulgaria, and the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania). In Romania, the Danube Delta, the largest European wetland was established in 1990, and joins the country’s other 450 protected areas.

Many groundwaters remain polluted by non-point sources including uncontrolled runoff, untreated sewage, contaminated soils, bacteriological pollution, and nitrate excesses (Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia). In many cases they are even found to be worsening. Other groundwater sources tend to be affected by high ground concentrations of iron, manganese, and active carbon dioxide (Slovakia, and Lithuania).

Reductions in surface water pollution have been detected across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to various degrees, including Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Romania. Eutrophication of rivers, lakes, reservoirs are continuing problems in many other countries, as are emissions of untreated sewage, excessive nutrient levels and biogenous substances (in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia). Transboundary pollution is problematic in several countries, including Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria. The status of other areas are improving through decreasing pollution, for example, the state of wetlands and waterfowl habitats in Bulgaria through the restoration of the Srebarna Lake and a decrease in Danube River pollution.

With regard to coastal waters, those of Latvia tend to be moderately polluted and in some localities, highly polluted, especially those within the vicinity of estuaries. Contaminated Lithuanian waters feed into the Curonian lagoon which is also considerably polluted. Slovenian coastal waters are considered good, though suffer periodically from bacteriological concentrations.

Source for above section: REC [1]

Major Transboundary River Basins in this sub-region

Basin Name	Countries in the basin	Percent area of country in basin (%)
Barta	Latvia Lithuania	60.87 37.71
Danube	Romania Hungary Austria Serbia and Montenegro Germany Slovakia Bulgaria Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Ukraine Czech Republic Slovenia Moldova Switzerland Italy Poland Albania	28.93 11.74 10.32 10.31 7.47 5.77 5.17 4.83 4.54 3.75 2.59 2.18 1.76 0.32 0.15 0.09 0.03
Daugava	Byelarus Latvia Russia Lithuania	48.14 34.38 16.11 1.38
Gauja	Latvia Estonia	90.42 9.58
Lielupe	Latvia Lithuania	66.76 33.22
Maritsa	Bulgaria Turkey Greece	66.49 25.69 7.55
Narva	Russia Estonia Latvia Byelarus	53.20 34.09 11.13 1.57
Neman	Belarus Lithuania Russia Poland Latvia	46.13 43.97 5.30 4.21 0.36
Nestos	Bulgaria Greece	53.63 46.36
Parnu	Estonia Latvia	99.85 0.15
Rezvaya	Turkey Bulgaria	74.66 25.34
Salaca	Latvia Estonia	78.52 5.70
Struma	Bulgaria Greece Macedonia Serbia and Montenegro	57.66 25.88 12.22 4.1
Vardar	Macedonia Serbia and Montenegro Greece	62.83 25.22 11.94
Velaka	Bulgaria Turkey	95.25 3.74
Venta	Latvia Lithuania	65.15 34.72
Vijose	Albania Greece	64.83 34.66

Source:Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database [2]

Other transboundary river basins

• The Tisza River Basin (Hungary, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Ukraine)
• The Dnipro River Basin (Belarus, Russia, Ukraine)

Major bilateral agreements and regional cooperation

Bulgaria

• Agreement between Bulgaria and Greece for cooperation in exploiting the waters of the rivers that cross the territories of both countries, signed on and in force since July 9, 1964.
• Agreement between Bulgaria and Turkey for cooperation in using the waters of the rivers that cross both countries, Oct. 23, 1968; in force since Sept. 25, 1970. (This is not published in the Official Journal)

Latvia

• Agreement on Environmental Management of the Lielupe River Basin between the Environmental Protection Committee of Latvia and the Environmental Protection Department of Lithuania, May 25, 1993.
• Extension of the agreement on environmental management of the Lielupe River Basin between the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia and the Ministry of

Lithuania

• Agreement between the Ministries of Environmental Protection of the Lithuania and Belarus, April 14, 1995.
  • Protocol on open water source protection
  • Protocol on monitoring and information exchange
  • Protocol on transportation of hazardous materials
  • Protocol on hunting and fishing
  • Protocol on forest protection
• An agreement has been signed with Poland on the monitoring and protection of the transboundary Sesupe River and Lake Galadusis.

Romania

• The Convention on Black Sea Protection, Bucharest, April 21, 1992; approved by law No. 98/92.
• Regulation regarding the organization and function of the Romanian-Bulgarian Intergovernmental Commission on Protection of the Surrounding Environment, Sofia, Dec. 15, 1993; approved by government decision 400/94.
• In 2000, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine signed a Declaration on Cooperation to protect key wetlands and flood plain forests along the Danube as part of the Lower Danube Green Corridor initiative supported by WWF.
• Romania also has agreements with Hungary, Bulgaria, and Moldova for their shared rivers (Danube and the Prut).

Source:REC [3]

Further Readings, References, Links

Situation in Eastern Europe and Russia

“WWF - 2006 Floods in the Danube River Basin”

Tisza River Basin

Establishing Mechanisms for Integrated Management of Land and Water Resources in the Tisza River Basin

Tisza community-led demonstration project for sustainable development and integrated land and water management

IRWAT - Integration of rural water management in river basin management in the Tisza Basin (FAO)

Conservation and Restoration of the Global Significant Biodiversity of the Tisza River Floodplain through Integrated Floodplain Management

Rapid Environmental Assessment of the Tisza River Basin

Prut River Basin

Integrated River Basin Management in the Prut River Basin

Maritsa River Basin

Integrated River Basin Management in the Maritsa River Basin

Bulgaria - PILOT PROJECT FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER TUNDZHA BASIN AS A SUB-BASIN OF THE TRANSBOUNDARY RIVER MARITSA BASIN

JICA Study Integrated Environmental Management in Maritsa/Maritza Basin in Bulgaria

Dnipro River Basin

Implementation of Priority Interventions of the Dnipro Basin Strategic Action Program: Chemical Industrial Pollution Reduction and The Development of Joint Institutional Arrangements

Preparation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Dnipro River Basin and Development of SAP Implementation Mechanism

See Also: Individual country pages of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Turkey

Global Water Partnership page on Central and Eastern Europe