July 10, 2014, Kyiv — In the framework of Environmental Protection of International River Basins (EPIRB) EU Project Working Meeting of Experts was conducted in the Water Informational Center.

The event, organized by UNENGO MAMA-86 was aimed at presenting and discussing results of anthropogenic pressures analysis and risks assessment for the water resources of the Upper Dnipro basin. Experts, including representatives of EPIRB EU project in Ukraine, other international projects of technical assistance, Dnipro and Desna Basin Administrations, State SES, Research Institutions, Ukrainian Association of Vodokanal, Chernigiv Vodokanal Public Utility Company, environmental NGOs, and Focal Point of the Protocol on Water and Health in Ukraine took part in the meeting.

Main goal of the Project is to improve water quality of transboundary river basins of extended Black Sea Region and Belarus. It is planned to achieve the goal by strengthening ongoing activities in the field of environment and water management, implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Nataliia Zakorchevna, Ukrainian Coordinator of EPIRB EU Project, mentioned that 6 countries are taking part at the Project. Ukraine selected two pilot rivers basins: the Upper Dnipro and the Prut. Expert presented results of first stage of the Project – Upper Dnipro Basin Analysis and field survey of hydrobiological, chemical, and hydromorphological state of water bodies, which were conducted last year.

Objective of the second stage of the Project is to develop River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for selected pilot basins. Anna Tsvietkova, Coordinator of MAMA-86Water Programs presented main stages and tasks of RBMP development for selected pilot river basins according to Water Framework Directive.

‘A lot of work has been already done within the Project, and today we are facing the second stage which includes development of river basin management plan. EU Water Framework Directive is the main instrument of EU water policy, and each country adopts this framework. Our objective is to develop draft of the plan with respect to EU WFD’, - expert said.

Kyryl Sereda, independent expert, presented EU methodology of the anthropogenic pressures-impact analysis and risks assessments for water bodies. ‘Impacts of anthropogenic pressures and risks analysis are conducted for the development of effective water resources monitoring program and appropriate program of measures on protection, improvement and recovery of water resources’, - said K. Sereda. According to the assessment, water bodies are referred to one of the following categories: water bodies that are at risk of failing to achieve good ecological status; possibly at risk; not at risk.

Oleksandr Kravchenko, representative of the Science-Research and Design-Technology Institute of Municipal Economy, presented results of risk assessment of anthropogenic pressures caused by untreated wastewater of agglomerations. He informed participants about the results of calculations of wastewater discharge risk assessments. There are a lot of issues to be solved, the expert said. In particular, the exact calculation is complicated due to missing dataset, such as information about a number of livestock and domestic animals in the small household farms within the investigated area.

Participants also discussed the following issues: assessment of chemical state of the Upper Dnipro basin and identification of water bodies at risk of chemical pollution, assessment of ecological state of the Upper Dnipro river basin. Ecological status of Kiev reservoir was discussed most notably. The results of field survey of rivers of the Upper Dnipro were presented by Tatyana Kuznetsova, Head of the Laboratory of Hydrobiology at the Central Geophysical Observatory. Dr. Sci. Biol. Yuri Pligin, researcher of the Institute of Hydrobiology of NA S, reported about the state of Kiev reservoir.

During the meeting all participants had an opportunity to provide their comments and suggestions as well as exchange ideas according to further cooperation.

More information about the Environmental Protection of International River Basins EU Project is available here: Environmental Protection of International River Basins Project.