Vuoksa

From WaterWiki.net

The Vuoksa Basin is part of / comprises: · Europe & CIS · Northern Europe ·
Countries sharing the Vuoksa Basin: · Finland · Russia ·

Facts & Figures	edit
Catchment Area^A	62,700 km³
Recipient
Neighbouring Basins^A	Oulu
Population^A	510,000
Population Density^A	8 /km²
Discharge^A	20 km³/yr
Surface Area	m³
Average Depth	m
Water Volume	m²
Water Stress	37800 m³/person/year
Average Precipitation	mm/yr
Evaporation	mm/yr
Runoff	13600 mm/yr
Land Use
Irrigated Area	km²
Irrigable Area	142000 km²
No. of Dams^A	0
Dam Density	0 dams/km²
Total Water Withdrawals	km³
For Agricultural Use
For Domestic Use
For Industrial Use
Renewable Water Available (m³/yr/pers)
References & Remarks
^A Transboundary Freshwater Spatial Database, Oregon University

> Articles | Projects & Case studies | Publications & Web resources | Who is who | Maps

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1 News
2 Water Basin Profile: Physical and Hydrological Characteristics
3 Water Basin Profile: Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues
4 Water Basin Profile: Transboundary Political and Institutional Setting
5 Water Basin Profile: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities for the Future
6 Articles
7 Projects and Case Studies
8 Publications
9 Who is Who
10 References
11 See also
12 External Resources

News

Water Basin Profile: Physical and Hydrological Characteristics

The Vuoksa is a transboundary river that flows 150 km from Lake Saimaa in south-eastern Finland to Lake Ladoga in north-western Russia. The Vuoksa River basin extends between these two lakes and covers an area of 4,100 km². It is part of the much larger basin through which the Neva River flows to the Baltic Sea. Human activities have divided the Vuoksa basin into two independent parts. The northern part, the Lake Vuoksa sub-basin, is not connected to Lake Saimaa. This case study examines only the southern part, through which the Vuoksa River passes.

Average precipitation in the region is 775 mm per year and the mean annual temperature is around 3.2°C. The period without frost lasts from April to October. Up to 70% of annual precipitation falls during this period, mostly in August. The total population is about 80,000 people, of whom at least 52,000 live in towns in the Russian part of the basin.

Climate - Sparse Population, Reduced Risks

At national level, certain climatic trends are observed in both Finland and the Russian Federation. For example, over the last 150 years, the yearly average temperature in Finland has risen by 1°C (Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2005); during the 20th century, the increase was 0.7°C (Carter, 2007). March to May was the period that saw the greatest increase in monthly mean temperatures, ca. 1.5°C (Pöyry & Toivonen, 2005). Moreover, there was a statistically significant increase of 1°C in winter temperatures between 1961–1990 and 1971–2000 (Finnish Meteorological Institute, 2006). In the Russian Federation, the mean annual ambient temperature increased by about 0.4°C between 1990 and 2000 (Roshydromet, 2005).

In Finland, the rising mean temperature has led to a decrease in the duration of the snow cover and in the amount of snow in southern Finland. Fluctuations in precipitation remain within the range of climatic variability, however (Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2005). To address the inevitable socio-economic impact of climate change and variation, Finland prepared a National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (2005). The strategy describes the likely effects of climate change for a range of sectors and outlines actions and measures to improve the capacity to deal with them. It also aims at reducing negative effects and taking advantage of the opportunities climate change may offer.

In the Russian Federation, out of 11 anomalous winters in the last 109 years (i.e. with more than a 2°C deviation from the annual average), eight were observed in the last 30 years. In addition to warmer winters, climatic changes observed in the Russian Federation include increased evaporation in warmer periods combined with unchanged or decreased precipitation, a higher number of droughts, alteration of the amounts and periods of water discharges, and changes in ice conditions (Roshydromet, 2005). In 2005, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Russian Federation adopted an action plan on implementation of the Kyoto Protocol to mitigate the effects of climate change (Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation, 2006).

Not many water-related disasters on a big scale have been observed in or around the Vuoksi River basin. Nor has a link between climate change and water-related disasters been clearly identified. Nevertheless, scenarios for the basin and its surroundings project a rise of 3 to 4°C in temperature and a 10% to 25% increase in annual precipitation between 1971–2000 and 2071–2100. Extreme runoff is expected to be more frequent and winter floods are likely to become more severe (Silander et al., 2006). The discharge volume of the highest flood recurring about once in a 250 year period could rise from 1,100 m³ per second to as much as 1,400 m³/s by 2100, and the water level in Lake Saimaa could increase by almost a meter during such floods (Veijalainen, 2006). Over the same period, the duration of snow cover could decrease from 150 days to 30. Overall, climate change in the Vuoksi River basin is likely to make water-related disasters – both floods and droughts – more frequent and costly for society. However, as the basin is sparsely populated and has abundant water resources, the impact at basin level is not expected to be critical.

Water Basin Profile: Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues

State of the Water Resource and Water Use

The Vuoksa River has an annual water potential of some 20.4 billion m³. The part of the basin that lies in Finland, although very limited in extent (10% of the overall basin area), contributes almost 94% of the average flow. The Vuoksa River basin also contains several freshwater lakes. On both the Russian and Finnish sides of the basin, groundwater resources exist but are of limited capacity (0.03 billion m³ and 0.001 billion m³ per year, respectively) (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003).

The abundance of surface water resources means that meeting water demand is usually not an issue in the Vuoksi River basin. However, during severe droughts, low water levels can affect fish farms, water transport, industrial and household water supply (with intake pipes not reaching the water level), and recreational activities.

Most parts of the Vuoksa River basin are in a natural state and unpopulated. On the Russian side, 76% of the basin is forested, 17% is used for agriculture and 7% for other purposes. The main towns in the Russian part of the basin are Priozersk (pop. 21,000), Svetogorsk (pop. 15,600), Kamennogorsk (pop.12,000) and Lesogorsk (pop.4,000). The small part of the basin area that is located in Finland is centred on the town of Imatra (pop. 29,000) (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003).

Industry is a leading water user in the Vuoksa River basin. Industrial production in the region grew steadily during the 20th century before declining in the recession of the early 1990s, then started to recover after 1997 (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003). In the Russian part of the basin, industrial water consumption is 66 million m³ per year (2004), close to 80% of which is used by the pulp and paper industry. In the Finnish part, annual industrial water use is around 210 million m³ (2007): 17 million m³ directly withdrawn from the Vuoksi River and the rest from Lake Saimaa. As on the Russian side, most of the water on the Finnish side is used by the pulp and paper industry (99%), with the metal industry accounting for most of the rest. Despite increased production, industrial water use has been declining in Finland thanks to higher productivity and water recycling. In fact, water consumption in 2007 was 50% lower than in 1974.

Access to drinking water is widespread. In towns, more than 80% of residents are connected to centralized cold and hot water infrastructure and sewer networks (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003). In rural areas, wells are quite common for providing drinking water. In some places in the Russian part of the basin, however, private wells are in poor condition and their water quality is not always adequate or has not even been analysed. Overall, municipal water consumption in the basin amounts to about 2.7 million m³ per year, of which around 60% is withdrawn from surface waters (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003). By 2015, municipal water use in the basin is expected to have decreased by up to 4.5% because of a reduction in water loss and decline in population. As adequate wastewater treatment is lacking in some settlements, however, ground and surface water pollution is likely to be a problem.

Farming and animal husbandry are mainly practised in the Russian part of the Vuoksi River basin to assure local self-sufficiency. The extent of the cultivated area, including pasture land, is 77 km². The sector seems to be recovering from the effects of the recession that ended in 1997 (VIVATVUOKSIA, 2003). Due to the climate of the basin, agricultural land is excessively damp and requires drainage. This in turn has led to phosphorous contamination of water resources because of fertilizer use (Kondratyev et al., 2007). Although the potential impact of climate change on agriculture in the Vuoksi River basin has not yet been fully studied, there are indications that rising temperatures may lead to increased production. Such a change could translate into higher water demand and fertilizer consumption, potentially aggravating surface and groundwater pollution. Finland’s response to such pressures is guided by the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive, to which it adheres as an EU member. Similarly, policy in the Russian Federation calls for adoption of modern agricultural methods that help reduce nutrient loads to the environment.

The four hydropower plants in the basin (two in each country) harness about 93% (2.5 TW) of its hydropower potential. As construction of new dams is not considered profitable, the preferred option for increasing energy production is to renovate existing facilities. Energy demand in the basin is expected to grow as economic development of the region intensifies and industrial production increases. However, thanks to the adoption of more energy efficient methods and processes, the growth in energy demand is not likely to be substantial. The hydropower plants on the Vuoksi River lack fish passages. To reduce their environmental impact, Finnish hydropower companies are obligated to release 1,125 kg of lake trout every year, mainly in the section of the river that lies between the two dams, but also in Lake Saimaa.