Lake Peipsi/Ch U Dsko E

WWAP Chapter 17/6 5/2/03 12:21 PM Page 401 Table of contents General Context 404 17 Map 17.1: Locator map 404 Map 17.2: Basin map 405 Major physical characteristics 404 the Russian Federation the Russian and Pskovskoe, Estonia Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe- Table 17.1: Hydrological characteristics 404 Table 17.2: Morphometric data on Lake Peipsi 404 Climate 405 Major socio-economic characteristics 405 Population and activities 405 Figure 17.1: Unemployment and average income per month in Estonian counties bordering Lake Peipsi 406 Figure 17.2: Unemployment in the Pskov region between 1997 and 2001 406 Figure 17.3: Land use in the Lake Peipsi basin 407 History 407 National minorities 407 Water Resources 408 Hydrology 408 Human impacts on water resources 408 Figure 17.4: Ratio of phosphorus pollution load by country and source 409 Figure 17.5: Ratio of nitrogen pollution load by country and source 409 Figure 17.6: Comparison of annual phosphorus loads by source between 1989 and 1998 409 Figure 17.7: Comparison of annual nitrogen loads by source between 1989 and 1998 409 Data and information on water resources 410 Challenges to Life and Well-Being 410 Water for fish 410 Water for ecosystems 410 Water for cities 410 Water for energy 410 By: The Ministry of the Environment of Estonia and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation WWAP Chapter 17/6 5/2/03 12:21 PM Page 402 402 / PILOT CASE STUDIES: A FOCUS ON REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES Management Challenges: Stewardship and Governance 411 Political set-up and border issues 411 Governance 411 Policy issues 411 Legislation 411 Institutions and infrastructure 411 Management approaches 412 Managing risks 412 Valuing water 412 Sharing the resource 412 Governing water wisely 412 Ensuring the knowledge base 412 Conclusions 413 References 413 Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe-Pskovskoe WWAP Chapter 17/6 5/2/03 12:21 PM Page 403 LAKE PEIPSI/CHUDSKOE-PSKOVSKOE, ESTONIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION / 403 Every seed knows its time. Russian proverb AKE PEIPSI/CHUDSKOE-PSKOVSKOE, a transboundary lake that discharges into the Baltic Sea, is shared by Estonia and the L Russian Federation, both of which are responsible for its management. There is abundant water to meet the needs of an ageing, essentially rural, local population. However, uncontrolled fishing, eutrophication and pollution from untreated wastewater and power plant emissions have put the environment under increasing pressure. A joint water commission was created in 1997, but so far the economic potential of the area is underexploited, and more could be done to engage local and regional authorities, stakeholders and private businesses in solving common problems. Many changes will have to occur in 2004/5, as Estonia must adopt new standards in order to gain entry to the European Union. WWAP Chapter 17/6 5/2/03 12:21 PM Page 404 404 / PILOT CASE STUDIES: A FOCUS ON REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES AKE PEIPSI/CHUDSKOE-PSKOVSKOE, sometimes called Peipus, is the Map 17.1: Locator map fourth largest and the biggest transboundary lake in Europe. Its L three names originate from the three languages historically used in the region – Estonian, Russian and German. Lake Peipsi belongs to the Atlantic watershed of the Narva River, a 77 kilometre (km)-long watercourse that Ocean RUSSIAN FED. connects Lake Peipsi to the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. FINLAND ESTONIA General Context Lake Peipsi/ LATVIA Chudskoe LITHUANIA basin The lake consists of three unequal parts: the biggest, northern Lake Peipsi sensu stricto BELARUS (s.s.)/Chudskoe, the southern Lake Pskovskoe/Pskovskoe and the narrow, straits-like Lake Lämmijärv/Teploe, which connects Lake Peipsi s.s. and Lake Pskovskoe. Lake Peipsi is located on the border of the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation between Lake Peipsi lowland (eastern border of Estonia) and the East European Plain (the Russian Federation). The lake lies Source: Prepared for the World Water Assessment Programme at 30 metres above sea level. (WWAP) by AFDEC, 2002. Major physical characteristics The catchment area of Lake Peipsi is approximately 160 km sandy beaches prevail. The flat shores, found mainly on the in width and 370 km in length. It has a surface area of western part of the lake, are usually swampy, populated with 47,800 square kilometres (km2), of which 16,623 km2 lie in reeds and bulrushes. Estonia, 27,917 km2 in the Russian Federation and 3,650 km2 in Table 17.2 provides some morphometric data on Lake Peipsi. Latvia. The catchment area is a gently undulating glaciolacustrine or till-covered plain, belonging to the forest Table 17.1: Hydrological characteristics of the Lake Peipsi basin zone of the East Baltic Geobotanical Subprovince. 2 The formation of the lake basin is due mainly to Pleistocene Surface area of the basin 47,800 km Annual precipitation 575 mm/year glaciers. In the north, some topographical features originated Annual discharge 329 m3/s more than 380 million years ago, and have been slightly Annual inflow to lake 324 m3/s modified by the glaciers. On the northern part of the lake, scarp, Annual outflow from lake 329 m3/s Table 17.2: Morphometric data on Lake Peipsi Lake Peipsi s.s./ Lake Lämmijärv/ Lake Pskovskoe/ Lake Peipsi/ Chudskoe Teploe Pskovskoe Chudskoe-Pskovskoe Total basin area, km2 2,611 236 708 3,555 Distribution of the waters between Estonia and the Russian Federation, km2 1,387/1,224 118/118 25/683 1,564/1,991 Distribution of the waters between 55/44 50/50 1/99 44/56 Estonia and the Russian Federation, % Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe-Pskovskoe, Estonia and the Federation Russian Percentage of surface area 73 7 20 100 Volume, km3 21.79 0.60 2.68 25.07 Percentage of total volume 87 2 11 100 Medium depth, m 8.3 2.5 3.8 7.1 Maximum depth, m 12.9 15.3 5.3 15.3 Length, km 81 30 41 152 Medium width, km 32 7.9 17 23 Maximum width, km 47 8.1 20 47 Length of shoreline, km 260 83 177 520 Percentage of total length, km 50 16 34 100 Source: Jaani, 2001. WWAP Chapter 17/6 5/2/03 12:21 PM Page 405 LAKE PEIPSI/CHUDSKOE-PSKOVSKOE, ESTONIA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION / 405 Map 17.2: Basin map annual precipitation near the Narva River is between 700 and 750 mm. The minimum temperature is -39°C on the lake’s Gulf of Finland Ivangorod shores, but can reach -43°C inland. Kohtla- Järve Narva Lu reservoir ga Major socio-economic characteristics ESTONIA Narva Slantsy Ozero 166 m Samro L Plyussa RUSSIAN Population and activities gi Mustvee FED. jõ a The total population of the basin is approximately 1 million, but m E Lake Peipsi/ Põltsamaa Chudskoe Pedja the population density differs in various parts: 24 inhabitants/ 2 Tartu N km in the Estonian and Pskov regions, compared to 11 Zhelcha gi E majõ inhabitants/km2 on the sparsely populated eastern shore. Võrtsjärv Chernaya 204 m L There are only two large towns in the basin: Pskov in the N Lake Russian Federation, with 204,000 inhabitants, and Tartu in Pskovskoe Võhandu Estonia, with 98,000 inhabitants. The majority of the basin Valga Võru Pskov 318 m L population lives in small settlements. Only 27,000 people live in Velikaya the local municipalities bordering the lake on the Estonian side. Valmiera Aluksne Chereka Ostrov On the Russian side, the Leningrad region had 60,600 inhabitants Gulbene in 2001, 87 percent of them urban dwellers. Of the 427,000 Sorot Utroya residents of the Pskov region, almost half live in Pskov itself. LATVIA va uch K Issa The greatest problems are the ageing population and the Sinyaya departure of the younger generation for bigger towns. An Rezekne Aivieskte Opochka V additional problem on the Russian side concerns the very low e lik a ya Jekabpils Rezekne incomes in the Pskov and Leningrad regions (shown in figure N Ramsar site Ludza Daugava National park Malta 17.2). More than half the population have incomes that do not Lake Peipsi L basin 288 m cover the cost of living. Comparisons between 1997, 1998 and International boundary 1999 indicate that the situation is worsening, in part due to the BELARUS 50 km CitiesDaugavpils high rate of unemployment in these regions. Source: Prepared for the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) by AFDEC, 2002. The Lake Peipsi basin can be divided into three regions (southern, central and northern) from the points of view of economic and social development, cultural composition of the Climate population and the type of human impact on the lake. Lake Peipsi has a moderate continental climate, rather wet, The southern part of the basin is a rural, sparsely populated softened by the relative closeness of the Atlantic Ocean. area with forestry and agriculture as the main livelihoods. Since Positioned between marine and continental climates, it is agriculture is no longer profitable, many farmers live by cutting subject to unstable weather conditions all year. Summer is down forest from their own lands and selling it. This, and non- comparatively warm and wet, with a mild winter. The continental point source pollution from agriculture, comprise the main character increases to the east, where winters are longer and environmental problems of the area. Figures 17.1 and 17.2 show summers warmer. The watershed belongs to an area with high the unemployment rates in Estonian counties bordering Lake activity of low-pressure weather systems: an average of 130 Peipsi and in the Pskov region. depressions per year are registered, in other words, almost one Tartu and Pskov are located in the central part of the basin, every three days.

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