Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise and river basin management, , 12-14 December 2016

Introduction The international workshop “Improving water quality in the Neman catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management” was held on 12-14 December 2016 in Kaliningrad, . It was organised by Michael Succow Foundation, Coalition Clean Baltic, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Kaliningrad region (Russia) with the financial support of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in (BfN), Nordic Council of Ministers and the EU LIFE Programme. The workshop was dedicated to the problem of of the waters in the Neman River, its and, as a result, of the through the . The catchment of the Neman is shared among , , Poland and Russia. The area is covered with many peatlands. Many of them were drained and used in agriculture (as grasslands, arable lands) or forestry. Now, many thousands of hectares of degraded peatlands are abandoned and emit pollutants into the waters and GHGs in the atmosphere. However, the pollution of waters does not stop at the national borders. During the three-day event, 63 participants from 9 countries took part in the workshop to discuss the possibilities and constraints of water quality improvement in the downstream Neman catchment through wise and river basin management. Besides the participants from the countries in the catchment, there were experts from Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, Denmark and Finland. They shared experience and knowledge applied in this field in other countries. The workshop consisted of the common part with the presentations on selected topics and further detailed discussions in the thematic workshop groups. The groups’ work was facilitated by the experts and final reports were composed. Overall, 15 presentations were given with time for questions and discussion.

This brief report should give you a quick and easy-accessible overview on the topics discussed and outcomes of the workshop. For further details, please consult the accompanying files with presentations and background papers.

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Day 1: Monday, 12th December 2016

The first workshop day began with opening speech of the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the , who welcomed the participants, underlined the importance of the problem of water quality and integrated river basin management, and appreciated very much the engagement of people from different countries. Further the experts from the Neman catchment countries gave an overview of the status of the area in each country. Aliaksandr Pakhomau from the Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources in , Belarus, gave an overview of land used in the catchment area in Belarus, presented the results of the monitoring of the water quality and named point sources of contamination, as well as diffuse agricultural sources. He also described the water-protection zones applied in Belarus along all kind of water bodies. Ricardas Paskauskas from Nature Research Centre in , Lithuania, presented the status of catchment in the country, 75% of which were within the Neman catchmnet. Further, the measures proposed in a new Neman river basin district (RBD) managemnet plan were disscused. Marina Abramchuk from the University of Warsaw, Poland, presented the status of the Polish part of the Neman catchment with western tributaries to the river. Although most of the headwater parts of the rivers had been dredged and water retention had been limited, indicator species of clean water can be found there. This can be explained by high forest cover and extensive agriculture in the catchment. Dmitriy Domnin from P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Kaliningrad described the sub-catchments of the Neman in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russian Federation and presented the results of some scientific research on the changes of the amount of total nitrogen and phosphorus in the „incoming“ and „outgoing“ waters in Kaliningrad region.

All presentations about the current satus of the Neman catchmnet can be found in the folder with the following names of the files:

 Belarus [presentation: Status_BY_Pakhomau]  Lithuania [presentation: Status_LT_Paskauskas; Status_LT_Zableckis]  Poland [presentation: Status_PL_Abramchuk]  Kaliningrad [presentation: Status_RUS_Domnin]  Curonian lagoon in Russian Federation [KurshskayaLaguna_Alexeev].

During the second part of the workshop various European experiences in the field of river basin management were presented. John Stand, from Wetland Research Centre at Halmstad University, described the theoretical and practical background of constructed wetlands for nutrients retention. After more than Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

100 years of draining of the landscape in Sweden, new wetlands were constructed to prevent diffuse leakage of nutrients from arable lands to , lakes and sea. Practical information on how and where to build a wetland was provided. More information can be found in the attached folder [Key_notes: Constructed Wetlands_EN]. Alexander Kozulin, from Scientific-practical Centre for Bioresources of the Belarusian Academy of Science, presented the problems with drained peatlands in Belarus, as well as rewetting activities after peat extraction. Comprehensive experiences in peatland rewetting and management have been made in Belarus in different projects. Knowledge can be used in other countries of the catchment. . Since drained peatlands used in agriculture released a lot of nutrients to the waters and CO2 to the atmosphere, a new concept of paludiculture was developed. Wendelin Wichtmann, DUENE / Greifswald Mire Centre, presented ways to establish sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture on wet and rewetted peatlands with many environmental benefits. In particular, managed wetlands buffer zones (WBZ) could retain nutrients and provide valuable biomass from harvesting. More about WBZ and paludiculture can be found in the attached folder [Key_notes: Wetland Buffer Zones_EN]. In order to maximise the economic and social benefits for many stakeholders from the river and enhance participation, an integrated river basin management should be applied. Best practice, tools and key elements of a success were presented by Mikhail Durkin from Coalition Clean Baltic. More about integrated river basin management can be found in the attached folder [Key_notes: IRBM_EN]

The presentations about European experience in river basin area management can be found in the attached folder with the following names of files:

1. [presentation: Constructed wetlands_Strand] 2. [presentation: Peatlands rewetting_Kozulin] 3. [presentation: Paludiculture_Wichtmann] 4. [presentation: BestPractice_IRBM_Durkin].

2 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Fig. 1. Listening of the keynotes presentations

The third part of the workshop was focused on the activities undertaken by governmental and non-governmental actors in every of the four countries to improve the environmental situation in the Neman catchment. Barbara Piekutowska from National Water Management Authority in Poland (KZGW) gave an overview of measures planned to fulfil the objectives of the Water Framework Directive in the Polish part of the Neman basin. According to the Region Drought Plan in the Neman basin area, the restoration of wetlands, watercourses beds, natural and retention function of watercourses was recommended. KZGW was responsible for coordination of policy area PA NUTRI under the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Vasily Shlyk from Regional Committee of Nature Resources and Environment Protection, Belarus, presented the utilisation of water resources in the area and problematic waste water treatment plants in the region. The international projects addressing the water quality in Grodno Oblast were mentioned. Kalpokas from the Water Policy Unit in the Ministry of Environment of Lithuania presented the River Basin Management Plan for the Neman, which defined the pressure of diffuse and point sources of water pollution, as well as hydro morphological changes. Some measures to improve the situation were already undertaken, e.g. removing of obstacles for fish migration, naturalisation of the straightened rivers beds, construction of sedimentation ponds. Jana Kazimirskaya from the Department of Water Resources in Kaliningrad Oblast presented statistical data about water use and its contamination in the Neman catchment on the territory of Russia.

3 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

The presentations about activities within the Neman catchment can be found in the attached folder with the following names of files:

 Poland [presentation: Activities_PL_Piekutowska].  Belarus [presentation: Activities_BY_Shlyk]  Lithuania [presentation: Activities_LT_Kalpokas]  Kaliningrad region [presentation: Activities_RUS_Kazimirskaya]

After the discussion following those presentations the participants selected one of thematic groups and continued work under the following topics:

Group 1: “Wetland restoration and paludiculture” was hosted by Wendelin Wichtmann and Alexander Kozulin.

General issues:  Rewetting of peatlands is a well introduced method for GHG emissions reduction.  Using fen peatlands for water purification is not well known, the following effects for water quality must be further investigated: o Resolving of organic compounds? o Phosphorus solution under changing redox conditions?  Effect of harvesting biomass from rewetted peatlands for nutrient removal differs with date of harvesting: the earlier in the vegetation period harvesting takes place, the more nutrients can be exported from sites The later harvesting takes place, the larger the harvested area must be to get same amount of nutrients exported  Ownership of land and drainage systems is very differently in the four countries of the Neman basin.

Problems Is a full inventory of peatlands in place, what is the current status quo? Lithuania:  peatlands inventoried, o Many are in an ameliorated status, deeply drained for agriculture and peat extraction, many of them abandoned (less favorable land for farming or exploited peatlands for peat extraction) o Currently some survey activities are going on within an Aquatic warbler (AW) Life project in BY and LT, but only in fen mires  Experiences in reed harvesting against eutrophication are in place  Curonian lagoon: in vicinity large areas with reeds are harvested for Aquatic warbler habitat maintenance and production of pellets partly for local boiler house or for substrate for horses (bedding material)

4 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

 Restoration activities in Augstumal are in conflict with excavation activities in other parts of the bog complex  Restoration of degraded bogs seems to be a common activity, fens are rather neglected

Belarus:  Inventory for peatlands is in place, there seems to be a great potential for rewetting and paludiculture: (to specify what kind of inventory has been done? The database of peatlands contains info only about existing mires. The inventory of drained peatlands (especially under agricultural use) may be required – in the context of nutrients flows and retention bodies construction) o 165.000 ha destroyed peatlands (Neman river catchment), o 30.000 extraction sites, 17.000 ha of these are not efficiently used in Neman river catchment. o Another 1.000.000 ha peatlands are degraded by drainage (whole BY) for agriculture o Abandoned from agricultural use: 250.000 ha  an inventory on amelioration system is necessary to be done  assessment for natural peatlands already done  After assessing potential for agriculturally used peatlands land use must be defined  Agricultural use of most excavated (bogs) peatlands did not make sense because of low nutrient status o A general regulatory document was elaborated for the transfer of land to rewetting o Excavated areas nowadays must be rewetted by peat companies after use o There still is a problem with excavated areas which have been abandoned earlier  Significance of wetland restoration for water purification (depends very much on Fe and Ca!) must be more considered (risk of phosphorus release)

Kaliningrad  Coastal part in semi natural conditions-no measures are necessary here  Drainage system rather complicated – problem for rewetting and reconstruction  Many abandoned peatlands can be found in the catchment of Neman river o Often these formerly agriculturally used areas rewetted by themselves as drainage system has not been maintained  Especially raised bogs need rewetting

5 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Poland  Purification of waters from agriculture by rewetted peatlands seems promising (We should focus rather on nitrogen, as the phosphorous mobilisation might occur under certain conditions)  Most peatlands are drained and under agricultural use as grasslands  The Polish catchment of Neman river is a hilly region, fen peatlands are common, bogs are also in place. River courses have been straightened at their higher watercourses in the Neman catchment, many natural rivers and lakes are in place

Possible solutions: Lithuania:  Mechanisms of new farming concepts must be shown (best practice examples)  First pilot rewetting measures in Gruda river catchment area (Neman catchment , fen peatland ~ 500 ha) o Pilot for realisation of an integrated water basin management plan o Constructed wetlands is a part of the water basin management plan under EU Water framework directive (WFD)  Summary of status quo of peatlands (inventory) must be worked out (maybe data available, question is where and how to obtain them) o Many different registers in place…needs to be gathered o In respect AW – there will be strategic proposal elaborated for the network of ‘stepping stone’ habitats in 2017

Belarus:  Sustainable development strategy has been elaborated recently which is the basis for further activities  Projects for rewetting and paludiculture can be implemented  Scientific investigations of efficiency for water purification necessary, same as for GHG emissions reduction  Inventory of peatland melioration system used for agriculture and forestry should be done soon  Special scheme has been decided: all natural wetlands are given to nature conservation  All drained peatlands can be continued to extract peat until 2030

Kaliningrad:  Inventory necessary to be done soon  Focus should be given to areas which are abandoned and cannot be used in any other way or which expose risks to surroundings  To fight fire risks potential rewetting activities on abandoned peatlands needed

6 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Poland:  Restoration of Wetlands will be most promising measure here  River restoration would be an effective measure (re-meandering) which benefit fens as well as most straightened watercourses are in areas of organic soils (peatlands)  Further activity should take into account possible nutrients release after rewetting  Methods for identification of river water bodies which are under hydro- morphological pressure should be elaborated  system for preventing of flooding should be elaborated

Development of road map First steps: o Revision and formulation of goals for the whole system . PL, LT: Neman river management plan under WFD, in LT recently elaborated, in PL adopted . PL/LT commission meetings once per year on base of agreement . 8th of December last meeting with BY and PL resulted in preparation of agreement to be signed in near future on common development of transboundary waters -outcomes promising . Coordination meeting between ministries of PL/LT/BY would be helpful. In this respect, role of KG region is not clear . NGOs and international organisations can play a role in this process . Local environmental authorities can show how problems can be solved o Elaborate a strategy, who is in charge for this? . Analyse the conditions of peatlands under the water basin management plans in different countries . Face the problem that people who are dealing with water are not aware on problems of peatlands and other way round  integrated management plan is necessary that considers all relevant issues To be realized by:  Responsible administration; BY: Ministry of Natural Resources; LT: Environmental protection agency; PL: Min. of Environment (strategy), regional water management authority (RZGW) in Warsaw / National Water Management Authority (KZGW) is responsible for implementation; KG: Neva Ladoga Basin Water Authority in St. Petersburg, Ministry of Natural Resources of KG Oblast is only responsible for some functions related to peatlands o Key pilot areas for rewetting must be identified, who is responsible? . BY: Academy of Sciences, NGO´s can contribute, international organisations

7 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

. LT: academic institutes, NGO’s . PL: academic institutes, NGO’s . KG: federal authority would be in charge, organisation dealing with drainage (public organisation: Regionalmeliovodkhoz), for forested sites the forestry department of Ministry for Natural Resources and environmental protection of KG Oblast o How institutions can be convinced to deal with these activities . Best practice examples . Fire is a good incentive – maybe show examples on damages caused by fires and costs for fire control . KG: Make awareness on GHG emissions – fulfill requirements of Paris convention - uniform measures in whole Russia o for concrete areas measures must be planned  PL: The Small Retention Plans driven by the Direction of National Forest: construction of small reservoirs and ponds  PL: The Neman Water Region Drought Plan made by the Regional Water Management Authority in Warsaw contains retention measures related to restoration of rivers and wetland

Kaliningrad  After concrete planning decision for rewetting of selected sites can be done o Can be realized in different ways in KG: . Waste water treatment plants for 80 % reduction of N and P by two pond system (sedimentation pond and vegetated pond) for household sewage is in planning stage . Can be added by peatland rewetted system to retain remaining nutrients o Use Russian/German days in each autumn (October) to make excursion to such sites. Participants are invited as speaker or participant, limited access o Include waste water treatment plants into water basin management plans o In KG new treatment plants are planned, mainly in bigger cities. In smaller villages wetland type treatment could be more attractive

Belarus  By chance one example for wastewater treatment (discharge waters of a big pig farm) already exists nearby Saligorsk (outside Neman catchment area) o Monitoring not in place o Filter function obvious

Poland

8 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

 Monitoring on transboundary waters is in place (commission between PL and LT)  Plans are prepared for transboundary water management  Flood risk management plans are planned  Construction of small reservoirs for provision of agriculture in Poland

Lithuania  Identification of data relevant for peatland rewetting  Coordination and updating information about the river basin management plan under WFD  Funding schemes: find actors for implementation  Analyse funding options if they can be used also for peatland rewetting and paludiculture (Interreg LT/PL, Life, other EU funds)  Incentives to apply paludiculture by farmers  Priority action framework under the Life program in PL in place, in LT under revision

Fig. 2. The group on rewetting and paludiculture

Group 2: “Waste water treatment in constructed wetlands and reed beds” was hosted by John Stand and Yury Serikov.

Initial discussions on problem identification identified 2 different areas: 1) Waste water treatment solutions for small-scale point-source pollution (households/waste corresponding to 1 – 1000 persons). 2) Constructed wetlands for diffuse pollution from agriculture

9 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Discussions were focused on waste water treatment (point source) solutions. Both in Kaliningrad and Belarus it has been tested with small scale waste water treatment solutions (in terms of reed beds, sand filters, wetlands) and major advantages have been identified: - Simple to construct - Only small investment needed for construction and maintenance - Clear positive environmental effects.

In Kaliningrad as well as in Belarus it is important to be able to show that the solutions comply to the very strict rules of pollution limits. Only with reliable data on different pollution parameters it will be possible to get the facilities accepted and included in the federal list of Best available technologies (basis for state expertise).. In Kaliningrad suitable locations for further construction of waste water treatment solutions have already been identified. Also in Lithuania it is important to be able to show, by for example in pilot projects, that the solutions give good environmental effects. Several examples from Poland were presented on different small-scale waste water treatment solutions.

Possible solutions It was stated in the group that an important solution to the problem was knowledge exchange (both theoretical and practical) between colleagues and countries, particularly between Poland and Kaliningrad but also including Belarus, Lithuania and Germany. A joint application for knowledge exchange and construction and monitoring of pilot projects was suggested. This would also help to identify knowledge gaps.

Road map 1) Kaliningrad Technical University took responsibility to contact the experts of the list of Best available technology to find what concrete information is needed from the facilities/solutions in order to be able to join the list. This will be done by February 2017. 2) From this gathered knowledge the next stage is to disseminate within the group what data and knowledge already exists. 3) This procedure will give information of how to succeed with adding the technology to the official list of best available technologies. 4) Finally, the identified knowledge and knowledge gaps will be the base for a joint application (Poland suggested as lead partner?) for site-specific pilot project in Kaliningrad which might also include Belarus and Lithuania.

The time-frame was suggested to submit an application already in June 2017, perhaps then a smaller project from some local, regional or EU funding and to have this as a base for a larger application to Interreg later. Interreg applications

10 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

are time consuming but the purpose of Interreg fits very well with the groups intentions.

Diffuse pollution from agricultural land Parallel to these discussions it was also discussed on the possibility of a joint project between Sweden, Poland, Belarus and maybe also Lithuania regarding constructed wetlands for nutrient leakage from farmland. The colleagues from the different countries will continue contact and knowledge exchange after the Kaliningrad meeting, with the aim of applying for funding for a concrete, joint project.

Group 3: “Integrated River Basin Management” was hosted by Mikhail Durkin. The Neman/Nemunas River is the 14th largest in and the fourth largest in the Baltic Sea basin. The river drains the territories of Belarus, Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), and Poland; originating in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea. The quality of the water is influenced by a number of factors, primarily linked to industrial and agricultural production and inadequate household wastewater treatment. The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive has revealed that most streams within the Neman river basin did not qualify for “good ecological status” and that a reduction of both nitrate and phosphorus pollution is required. Transboundary pollution management is absolutely critical in this basin as half of the total pollution load reaching the Baltic Sea through the Neman River originates in Belarus. Similar issues affect the smaller, adjacent Pregola River basin which drains the territories of Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) and Poland. The river originates in Poland and flows through the city of Kaliningrad before discharging to the Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Public participation in water management, that can deliver optimal decisions that are more acceptable and better implemented on the ground, is one of the key elements introduced by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Taking into account that catchments of major rivers flowing into the Baltic are transboundary and in many cases originating from upstream non-EU states (Russia, Belarus and Ukraine), this issue becomes even more important. In 2010 the transboundary waterborne nutrient inputs originating from non- HELCOM countries constituted 3% of total nitrogen and 5% of total phosphorus inputs to the Baltic Sea. For the time-being, attempts to arrange joint water management at inter- governmental level in all major transboundary river basins within BSR have been stalled due to differences in EU/non-EU governance and legislative approaches, lack of agreement on common methodology, lack of commitment etc. Currently, merely exchange of monitoring data occurs. At the same time, Russia and Belarus have adopted national River Basin Management Plans

11 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

(RBMPs) that are largely equivalent to those under EU WFD, also encouraging public consultations on draft RBMPs/Programmes of Measures and possibilities for performing public water monitoring. On the basis of the above, the breakout Group 3 discussed the way forward for integrated river basin management in Neman catchment. One of the challenges is how civil society could be engaged in integrated river basin management as a key element in reaching Good Ecological Status of rivers and hence contributing to achievement of the Good Environmental Status of the Baltic Sea as stipulated by the HELCOM BSAP and the EU MSFD. CCB will run in 2017 a Project funded by NCM and EU LIFE to focus on development and testing of tools for public participation, namely Public Advisory River Teams (PARTs). Such informal bodies will be formed by civil society organizations operating within the same river catchment, with involvement of other stakeholders, and will address issues that are not yet resolved through intergovernmental cooperation. The role of PART in Nemunas would be to - act as an informal platform to boost transboundary cooperation within shared river basins and expand cooperation and exchange of experiences among several river basins - comprise of civil society representatives (NGOs, individuals) working within specific catchment area with water/river basin management related issues - regularly meet to discuss actual water management agenda, - establish thematic working groups to address relevant issues e.g. flood protection/emergencies, nature conservation, water pollution, etc. - invite for its meetings representatives of national water management authorities, - cooperate actively with relevant research institutions, - provide broad dissemination of information on its activities, - facilitate public awareness and capacity building for local residents on the state of river basins. The Group also discussed and outlined several outstanding ideas for the way forward with PARTs establishment, as follows:

Strategic objectives and goals • Drafting group to be established • Vision “Neman 2030”

Who does what? • Decide upon responsibilities of actors to be involved

Timeline ideas / milestones • Short- and long-term planning • 2021 HELCOM/MSFD GES (Also WFD goals) • 2030 SDGs

Stakeholders (authorities, academia, NGOs, business, sectors, youth)

12 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Coordination / Platform • Coalition Clean Baltic / Eco-Chronos? / [Public Advisory River Teams] • Relevant stakeholders (e.g. EU)

Pilots • Smaller-scale projects (e.g. polder management, small WWTPs) • Joint events, e.g. Neman Day / Festival • Joint Neman/Nemunas/Niemen product branding (e.g. meadows grazing beef, bees/honey)

Fig. 3. The group on Integrated River Basin Management

Day 2: Tuesday, 13th December 2016

On the second workshop day the work in groups continued and results were presented and discussed on the common session with all workshop participants.

In the second part of the day the presentations were focused on the biosphere reserves (BR) as a framework for coordinated thematic work. Valery Neronov, from the Committee for MAB Program in Russia, presented the concept of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. He showed the experience of BR establishment in Russia and prospects for Kaliningrad region. More in the attached paper [Key_notes: Biosphere Reserves_EN]. Anna Lukonina presented the situation and activities conducted on the Volga floodplain BR in Russia, whereas Anke Hollerbach presented German experience on the Middle Elbe River BR with a focus on river basin management.

13 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

The presentations about biosphere reserves can be found in the attached folder:  [presentation: BR and Ramsarsites_Neronov]  [presentation: BR Volga_Lukonina]  [presentation: BR Elbe_Hollerbach]

Afterwards, the funding opportunities for coordinated work in the Neman river basin were summarised and presented by Liana Maximova with a focus on involvement of Russian partners in EU funded activities like Interreg. The presentation was attached [presentation: Funding_Maximova].

Two working groups were formed to discuss the issue of Biosphere Reserve and potential for the lower Neman River and of funding opportunities in detail:

Group 1: The BR possibilities on the Neman catchment area:

Lower Neman: 1) Several initiatives have already taken place with respect to a potential lower Neman Biosphere Reserve, and a technical documentation in preparation of this Biosphere Reserves is readily available. There needs to be an initiative from the region now to push this further. The NGO Green Front agreed to take this role and prepare next steps. 2) Mr. Akinin suggested the staff of the new department of OOPT could also help to do the trick. 3) A local OOPT is currently prepared. 4) The Delta Neman is best suited for the establishment of a Biosphere Reserve – it is an anthropo-natural complex. Vishtnesky Nature Park (Rominter Heide) 5) We need some documents here. (MSS has done a lot and prepared good documentation) 6) There is a new addition to the regional law on protected areas on important wetlands. However, there are no steps towards international status. 7) So the Lithuanian delegation could send a letter on the Vishtnesky Park (Rominter Heide) to the Russian authorities. 8) Question about transboundary status: Suggestion to start a working BR in one country, and only than think about transboundary contacts. Wetlands There is a list of potential future Wetlands in Russia.

Group 2: Funding. Options for proposals

14 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Different ways of funding were discussed; main focus was how to involve Russian and Belarusian partners into EU funded projects. Experiences from running transboundary Life Nature projects were shared. Peter Torkler from baltcf explained funding sources from private sources and how they can be used as co-funding to get larger public funded projects.

Fig. 4. Discussing of the funding possibilities

15 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Day 3: Wednesday, 14th December 2016

On the third workshop day, a field trip to the Gromovsky nature reserve in delta of the Neman River was organised. The workshop participants could visit the largest mire in Kaliningrad Oblast – Bolshoye Mokhovoye bog.

Fig. 5. Map of the Kaliningrad Oblast and site of the field trip

Walking on the nature trail, the experts noticed the degradation of some parts of the mire due to human activities and discussed the possible measures to restore the sites. They also visited a polder pumping station which was functioning and discussed with local people the wetlands management issues.

Fig. 6. View on Bolshoye Mokhovoye bog

16 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Fig. 7. Water pumping station in the polders of Neman delta

More about the field trip can be found on the web-page of the NGO “Prirodnoye nasledie” that organised the excursion (in Russsian): https://pnak.ru/news/eksperty-po-vosstanovleniyu-bolot-posetili-gromovskiy- zakaznik

Workshop participants:

Country Name Organisation Contact BY Boris Adamovich Laboratory of Aquatic [email protected] Ecology, Belarussian State University

BY Alena Bahadziazh Center of [email protected] Hydrometeorology and Control of Radioactive Contamination and Environmental Monitoring of the Republic of Belarus BY Dima Belush NGO "Bahna" [email protected]

BY Mikhail Kalinin Eco-Chrones - [email protected] Association of River- Keepers, IPO Ecoproject BY Olga Kaskevich NGO "Bahna" [email protected]

17 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

BY Alexander Kozulin Scientific-practical [email protected] center for bioresources of the National Academy of Science BY Aliaksandr Pakhomau Central Scientific aliaksandr.pakhomau@gm

Research Institute of ail.com Water Management

BY Natallia Parechyna Center for [email protected] Environmental Solutions BY Vasili Shlyk Grodno commettee for [email protected].

environment by BY Natallia Tupitsyna Mogilev State [email protected]

University m

BY Dmitry Vintcheuski APB-Birdlife Belarus [email protected]

DE Uli Gräbener Michael Succow uli.graebener@succow-

Foundation stiftung.de DE Anke Hollerbach Middle Elbe Biosphere A.Hollerbach@bra- Reserve schelb.mvnet.de; [email protected] DE Jan Peters Michael Succow jan.peters@succow-

Foundation stiftung.de DE Heinrich Schmauder Federal Agency for Heinrich.Schmauder@BfN.

Nature Conservation de DE Peter Torkler International Baltic Sea [email protected] Foundation for Nature Conservation DE Wendelin Wichtmann Michael Succow wendelin.wichtmann@due

Foundation ne-greifswald.de

DK Arne Grove expert [email protected]

FI Marjukka Porvari John Nurminen

Foundation ation.fi>

LT Edmundas Greimas Lithuanian Fund for [email protected] Nature

LT Vytautas Kalpokas Ministry of [email protected] Environment LT Zymantas Morkvenas Baltic Environmental zymantas.morkvenas@bef. Forum lt LT Ricardas Paskauskas Nature Research ricardas.paskauskas@bota

Center nika.lt

LT Nerijus Zableckis Lithuanian Fund for [email protected]

18 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

Nature

NL Weitse Hermanns Hermanns Consultancy [email protected]

om

NL Ernst Oosterveld Ecological consultant [email protected]

PL Marina Abramchuk Michael Succow marina.abramchuk@succow-

Foundation stiftung.de PL Barbara Piekutowska National Water barbara.piekutowska@kzg Management Authority w.gov.pl PL Maria Staniszewska Polish Ecological Club [email protected]

Gdansk om

PL Maria Weber Polish Ecological Club [email protected] Gdansk

RU Aleksandr Akinin RU Felix Alexeev Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

RU Boris Chubarenko Shirshov Institute of [email protected] Oceanology RU Oleg Divakov Kaliningradmeliovodho z

RU Dmitry Domnin Shirshov Institute of [email protected] Oceanology

RU Elena Ezhova HydroBios [email protected] RU Gennadiy Grishanov Kant Baltic Federal University

RU Inna Hadan Federal Service for [email protected] Supervision of Natural Resources

RU Oleg Ivanov NGO "Greenfront" [email protected] RU Jana Kazimirskaya Department of Water Resources in Kaliningrad Oblast

RU Anna Kazina Friends of the Baltic [email protected] RU Vyacheslav Kent

RU Ivan Kesoretskih [email protected]

RU Ekaterina Klimova NGO "Greenfront" [email protected]

RU Boris Komovnikov ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected]

RU Tatiana Komovnikova ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected] RU Sergey Kondratenko RU Olga Krylova Green Planet RU Natalie Kurcheva

19 Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

RU Anna Lukonina Committee of Nature [email protected] Resources and Ecology, Volgograd Oblast

RU Maxim Napreenko NGO "National [email protected] Heritage"

RU Valery Neronov Deputy Chairperson of [email protected] Russian MAB Committee

RU Victor Oleinik NGO "Greenfront" [email protected] RU Irina Poterukhina

RU Dmitry Filippenko Green Planet [email protected] RU Julia Ruigite RU Vitaly Sadkov

RU Olga Senova Friends of the Baltic [email protected] RU Juriy Serlaev RU Natalia Shcagina Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RU Olga Sheshukova ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected] RU Juriy Shitikov Ministry of Ecology in Kaliningrad Oblast RU Andrey Sulenko [email protected]

RU Tatiana Taleckaya [email protected] RU Ruslan Teuvazhukov RU Alla Veselova RU Roman Voropaev

SE Maria Basova Coalition Clean Baltic [email protected] SE Mikhail Durkin Coalition Clean Baltic [email protected]

SE John Strand Halmstad University [email protected]

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