Daugava/Western Dvina basin: situation and public engagement in River Basin Management (RBM)

Druskininkai, December 18, 2017

Aija Caune, VAK, Environmental Protection Club of Latvia Natallia Parechyna, Center for Ecological Solution, Belarus Elita Kalniņa, VAK, Environmental Protection Club of Latvia Daugava/Dvina river basin district: • 64 river WBs • 181 lake WBs

Of them, transboundary:

• 4 river WBs and 3 lake WBs – with BY (incl. the Daugava river); • 2 river WBs and 3 lake WBs – with LT; • 9 river WBs and 2 lake WBs – with RU The Daugava or Western Dvina

The total length 1,020 km: 325 km in Russia, 338 km in Belarus, 352 km in Latvia. The Daugava River Basin Area covers 27062 km2 or 42% of the territory of Latvia. About 59% of Latvia's population lives here.

. The main threats in the Daugava transboundary basin are: Latvia: Belarus/Russia: • companies and sewage • Pig-breeding complexes of the treatment plants Pskov region (1 million) • agricultural lands, farms • New HPPs on the • not connected households to Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina river centralized sewerage networks in BY have officially started • contaminated sites and landfills operating in summer 2017 (Polock). • crossborder pollution • Insufficiently treated water • various man-made changes in from wastewater treatment watercourses, water bodies, plants of cities and villages which alter their bed and banks, (only 7% of rural territory has change sediment flows, water central treatment system) regime, interrupt or impede the • migration of fish and other Livestock complexes of the aquatic organisms Vitebsk region (cattle - 565.8, pigs - 436.0 thousand) State of cooperation during elaboration of Daugava river management plan 2016-2021 Official level: • Cooperation with Lithuania – established (3 working group meetings with representatives from the competent authorities Latvia/ Lithuania took place) • An agreement was reached at the meeting, which includes informal cooperation of experts • In Plan nothing is mentioned on cooperation with Belarus, Russia • Belarus has billateral agreement with Russia regarding Daugava basin management, but does not have agreement with Latvia (meeting once a year) is an initiative and intention to cooperate on official level from Belarus Informal: • NGO meetings, scientists meetings, seminars, conferences, exchange of information Public participation in Daugava River basin policy • Participation in Daugava River Advisory Board meetings

– formal approach (2 meetings held in 2017) – exchange of information with the public;

• Participation in Consulting Board of «Daugavas loki» nature park (Nature 2000 site) The aim of the board: • to include nature park «Daugavas loki» into UNESCO list of culture and nature heritage. • Currently «Daugavas loki» is included in UNESCO Latvia nomination site «Upper Daugava and its Meanders» list • Cooperation with local municipalities, scientists from Daugavpils University and Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology Advisory board for Daugava river basin from 2017 Hot issues and challenges:

• new Cabinet of Ministers regulations «On the registration and management of decentralized sewage systems» which will be in force from January 2018; – Problem: unwillingness to connect household to centralised WWTP; – Proposal: additional financing for covering connection costs to Centralised Water and sewage systems; • Biotope mapping in RBMP in new planning period (2019) • Elaboration of Guidelines for maintaining biodiversity and reducing flood risks (currently under discussion); Hot issues and challenges: • Cooperation on elaboration of transboundary Daugava river basin management plan on ministerial level (financing + initiative) Data exchange with BY: – Monitoring data obtained annually from Belarus – 5 stations on the Daugava river – But: Unification of data received is necessary (different methodology is applied in BY) Source:"Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre" Hot issues and challenges:

• Construction of new HPP cascades in Western Dvina (Polock, Vitebsk) • Contruction of industrial pig farms (1 million units) in Pskov region International exchange of experience • Exchange of Latvian experience of River Basin Consulting Board work in International Workshop on transboundary river basin management in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea catchment area in Minsk, Belarus, January 18, 2017 • Project meeting Public Advisory River Team Daugava, 22 August 2017, Mārupe, Latvia • International Seminar Experience and initiatives to reduce environmental impacts and NGO cooperation possibilities on Daugava/Dvina river basin, 22-23 November 2017, Daugavpils, Latvia Voluntary activities Activities «All small rivers flows into bigger rivers»:

• Involvement of local community in local river pollution monitoring process in various small rivers of Daugava basin • Involvement of public through local river clean ups, • Salmonide spawning watching tours Exchange of Experience with Other Interesting Initiatives in Daugava River Basin

• VillageWaters - Water Emissions and Their Reduction in Village Communities: Coastal Villages in the Baltic Sea Region as Pilot Territories. Project it is planned to develop a tool to help select cost-effective and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment technologies that are suitable for installation in summer houses, coastal villages sites and individual homes that are not connected to a centralized sewerage system.

More info: https://www.villagewaters.eu/ Other interesting initiatives in Daugava River Basin

1)Project "Inventory of priority substances in Daugava and Gauja river basin districts« (Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre). The goal of the project: to ensure the collection of complete and detailed information on the chemical quality of the environment for the inventory of priority and hazardous substances, which, according to the requirements of European Union legislation, should be repeated in 2019. Other interesting initiatives in Daugava River Basin

2) Project "Determination of Ecological Flow in Latvian-Lithuanian Transboundary River Basins (ECOFLOW) (Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre). The goal of the project: to evaluate the impact of small Hydro Power Plants activities on river ecosystems in Latvian-Lithuanian cross-border river basins. 3) iWater project «Green area factor» application in rain water sustainable management. Solutions: • rain garden • rain water harvesting • permeable paving • vegetated roof • bioretention cell • infiltration structure • water detention basin • wet pond Possible cooperation issues and challenges

• Transboundary Daugava RB management plan – basis for further Latvian – Belarussian - Russian cooperation • Promotion of public monitoring system in cross border territories • Formal arrangement of cooperation at the level of Ministries of Environment should be initiated between Belarus and Latvia • information exchange at regular basis and regular public/NGO involvement; • Exchange and harmonization of monitoring results in transboundary Daugava/Dvina river basin with neighbouring countries: BY, LT, RU (on state and possibly public level) Possible cooperation issues and challenges • Promotion of cross border experience exchange on different issues (on migratory species – salmon, etc., floods, melioration, HPP, Industrial animal farms, etc.) related to Daugava basin • Promotion of environmental friendly melioration guidelines among farmers in all cross border countries • Promotion of organic agriculture practices • Cross border action program for water bodies in the Daugava basin, analysis of implementation costs and priorities could be elaborated with involvement of various stakeholders: (NGOs, etc. involvement and local municipalities along the border (in order to cooperate on local issues)

• AND MANY MORE…….. All rivers flow into the sea!

Thank you for your attention! [email protected]