ACTIONS AGREED UNDER BUCHAREST ACTIONS AGREED UNDER BUCHAREST CONVENTION TOWARDS THE CONVENTION TOWARDS THE

REDUCTION OF NUTRIENT POLLUTION REDUCTION OF NUTRIENT POLLUTION IN THE BLACK SEAIN THE BLACK SEA

Valeria AbazaValeria AbazaPollution Monitoring & Assessment Officer

Permanent SecretariatCommission on the Protection of the

Black Sea Against Pollutionwww.blacksea-commission.org

Southeast Europe Business Forum 22-23 November 2012Istanbul, Turkey

BLACK SEA AND ITS GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Black Sea

• Enclosed water body• Large Catchment• Unique ecosystem

Black Sea Bathymetry and Annoxia

Black Sea has world’s largest volume of anoxic waters

Temperature 5-25oC 8-9oCSalinity 18%o 21-22%o

Black Sea Catchment

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

Regional approach

• Sea possess no physical borders!• Most marine problems are transboundary and

require collective action• Environment, the easiest area of cooperation

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

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.

Bulgaria Georgia Romania Russian Federation

Turkey Ukraine

Bucharest Convention

Ratified: 10-Nov-1993Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994

Ratified: 23-Feb-1993Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994

Ratified: 29-Mar-1994Entry into force: 29-Mar-1994

Ratified: 01-Sep-1993Entry into force: 15-Jan 1994

Ratified:16-Nov-1993Entry into force: 15-Jan-1994

Ratified:14-Apr-1994Entry into force: 14-Apr-1994

Protocols to the Convention1. 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 Protocol5. Protocol on the Protection of the Marine Environment of

the Black Sea from Land-Based Sources and Activities (2009)

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.

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)

Geographical scope of the LBSAThe 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)

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

EcoQO 4: Ensure Good Water Quality for Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic

BiotaEcoQO 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

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

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

MONITORING - BSIMAP

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.

BSIMAPBlack 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

BSIMAP Pollution Monitoring Network

Monitoring network: spatial coverage

Territorial waters

Pollution Hot

Spots

Sampling Sites

Coastline (km)

Average distance (km) represented per sampling site

Bulgaria 14 12 300 25Georgia 6 5 310 62Romania 6 43

(13 transects)225 17

Russia 11 5 475 95Turkey 10 70

(25 transects)1400 56

Ukraine 9 16 1628 102

Monitoring

National institutions involved

Bulgaria Regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas

Georgia Environment Pollution Monitoring Department, MoEP

RomaniaNational Institute for Marine Research & Development; Water Directorate Dobrogea Litoral – Constanta

Russian Federation

Socchi Hydrometeorological Centre, Tuapse Roshydromet Monitoring Laboratory, Southern Branch of SIO RAS

Turkey MoEF, Istanbul University

Ukraine UkrSCES , State Ecological Inspection of the North-West region of the Black Sea (MENR)

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 dischargesThe emphasis is given to the Pollution Hot Spots.

Monitoring

Hot spots

Monitoring

REPORTING

ReportingWho: National Focal Points / Members of Advisory

GroupsWhat: 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 yearHow: in standardized formats

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

Usage of monitoring data & informationState 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

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

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

Monitoring results: Nitrogen loads

Other riversDanube

Ref: BSC LBS AG report 2009-2010

Monitoring results: Phosporus loads

Other riversDanube

Ref: BSC LBS AG report 2009-2010

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

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).

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

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