Monitoring and Improving the Rivers in the /Axios Watershed

Atanasko Tuneski, George Balafoutas Sts. Cyril and Methodius University Skopje,

Abstract

The paper presents the outcomes and activities that will be carried out in the MIRVAX (Monitoring and Improving the Rivers in the Vardar/Axios Watershed) project, financed by the NATO Science for Piece program in the two and a half year period, starting from January 2006. The paper presents: (i) Actual situation in the Vardar/Axios river watershed; (ii) The problem to be addressed in the MIRVAX project; (iii) The main steps of the MWS (Monitoring the Watershed Sustainability) path and IWS (Improving the Watershed Sustainability) path and their corresponding relative weights; (iv) The MIRVAX project justification; (v) The science or technology that will be developed and applied in order to realize the MWS and IWS paths; (v) The status of related research and development activities in the FYR Macedonia and world-wide; (vi) The equipment and facilities necessary to realize the MIRVAX project.

Keywords: watershed monitoring, watershed improvement, river water quality, SCADA systems

Vardar river basin

General conditions Vardar River (in the FYR Macedonia) or Axios River (in Greece) is the longest and largest river of the FYR Macedonia and one of the largest in Greece, with a length of 302 km in the FYR Macedonia and 87 km in Greece. The watersheds of the FYR Macedonia are shown in Table 1 and the hydrographic characteristics of the Vardar and its main tributaries are in Table 2.

Table1. The watersheds of the FYR Macedonia

RIVER VARDAR 20,400 km2 (80%) River Lebnicka 130 km2 (0,5%) 2 2 River Crn Drim 3,200 km (13%) Dojran Lake 120 km (0,5%) River Strumica 1,500 km2 ( 6%) River Binacka Morava 45 km2(0,2%)

Table 2. Hydrographic characteristics of the Vardar river and its main tributaries Average Average Annual Length River Watershed elevation discharge discharge [km] 3 6 [km2] [m] [m /s] [m³]x10 VARDAR 20,400 793 302 45.0 4,565 Crna 4,850 863 228 7.5 1,178 Treska 1,920 1,010 139 2.4 762 Bregalnica 4,300 722 225 4.0 444 Pcinja 2,500 758 136 2.5 397

The average elevation of the FYR Macedonia’s Vardar watershed is 793 m. The elevation of the Vardar at its spring {in Shara massif, near Vrutok/Gostivar}, is 683m and at the Greek border 50m. The average annual rainfall is 660 mm and the total annual discharge is ca. 4,5 million m3. The floodplain of Vardar is mainly used for agricultural activities, including cattle-breeding. The Vardar River, its tributaries Crna, Bregalnica, Pcinja, Treska, Lepenec and a large number of smaller water currents form a dense hydrographic network (Fig. 1). Several large chemical industries and hydro- electric power stations are located in the Vardar river basin and its sub-basins. Water, abstracted from the rivers is used 63% for irrigation, 15% for municipalities and industries, 12% for (production) of drinking water and 11% for fish ponds.

Figure 1. FYR Macedonia, Greece and the Vardar/Axios River, the red line is the border of the Vardar/Axios basin, yellow lines is the borders between the FYR Macedonia and neighboring countries.

The FYR Macedonia, with a population of 2,045,300 inhabitants (July 2005), is situated in the central southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and has common borders with Greece (246 km), Serbia and Montenegro (221 km), Albania (151 km), and Bulgaria (148 km). Independently of the evaluation criterion {i.e. geographical extent, economical resource, environmental resource, drinking water supplier, industrial water supplier, agricultural water supplier, energy supplier, municipal sewage receiver, industrial wastewater receiver, fishing, recreation, tourism, social aspect} the Vardar river could be considered as synonymous with the FYR Macedonia, because it corresponds to the 75% of the country’s water resources and 80% of the FYR Macedonia’s territory (Table 1, Fig. 1). It is a landlocked, mountainous country, bisected by the Vardar River, with a territory of 25,333 km2, from which 2% (477 km2) is water. The country is covered with deep basins and valleys, large lakes, and has highest point at Golem Korab (2,764 m), and lowest point at the passage of the Vardar River to Greece (50 m). The climate is warm, with dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall. Being in the north of Greece, the FYR Macedonia has 150 km of highways, 5500 km of paved roads, 700 km of railways, and has as natural seaport the Greek town of Thessaloniki. It is part of the major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to . Thessaloniki may be reached by car from almost all the big towns, industrial and agricultural centres of the FYR Macedonia in less than 3 to 4 hours. Data from 2004 show that: • Exports reach $1.650 billion, concern food, beverages, tobacco, miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel, and have as best partners Serbia-Montenegro (31%), Germany (20%), and Greece (9%); • Imports reach $2.680 billion, concern food products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, and automobiles, and have as best partners Greece (18%), Germany (14%), and Serbia- Montenegro (9%). Based on the available data, it can be stated that the river water pollution is generally higher downstream of the industrial towns. Only 10% of the FYR Macedonia wastewater may be reported as treated before its disposal to rivers. Among the more seriously polluted are the central and lower sections of the Vardar and its tributaries Pcinja, Bregalnica and Crna River, while Treska River is considered to be rather clean. The economic life and almost all the important towns are related to Vardar River or to one of its tributaries. Skopje, the capital of the FYR Macedonia (about 600,000), most of the biggest or industrial cities as Kumanovo (105,000), (90,000), Prilep (75,000), Tetovo (70,000), Veles (60,000), Gostivar (50,000), Stip (50,000), Kavardarci (40,000), Kocani (35,000), Kicevo (30,000), Gevgelija

2 (25,000), and many other smaller towns and villages, with a total population of over 1,7 million inhabitants, are located in the Vardar watershed. Therefore any improvement of the Vardar watershed may be considered as synonymous to the improvement and the development of the whole FYR Macedonia. Evidently a monitoring system for the river’s water quality control will be beneficial for most of the country’s population and for the FYR Macedonia economy. Economic development of the country is endangered by a variety of environmental threats, among them surface water pollution and degradation of water resources being the most important issues. Water pollution may cause serious damages to the terrestrial and aquatic flora, fauna, drinking water supplies and, consequently, to humans. The pollution of the Vardar River is caused mainly by the unregulated inflow of untreated domestic and industrial wastewater, which is usually containing a large variety of toxic inorganic and organic substances, microbes and excessive amounts of nutrients. As a result, large-scale fish-kills occur rather frequently and direct drinking water supply is unusable even for livestock. The quality of surface water in the FYR Macedonia watersheds does not always comply with the relevant environmental regulations, because it is usually in the range of 3rd to 4th class, in certain downstream parts of the rivers of the 5th class and only some upstream parts can be classified as 1st and 2nd class water. Water shortage, especially in summer, is a common phenomenon and it becomes worse due to decreasing groundwater reserves. The groundwater is generally considered to be of a good quality and it is used for drinking water supply without any or only after a minimum treatment. However, pollution of shallow groundwater in some areas occurs due to inadequate on-site prevention measures and/or leaching of various contaminants from mining, landfilling, industrial and/or agricultural activities. Groundwater resources are suspected to be polluted in areas near Skopje and Veles. The 87% of the FYR Macedonia water resources belong to the wider Aegean basin and, out of this, 75% flows into the gulf of Thermaikos, a few kilometers west of Thessaloniki with its 1,2 million inhabitants. Thus Vardar/Axios besides its importance for the FYR Macedonia plays also an economical and environmental role of equal importance for Greece. Vardar/Axios and the interconnected ground water bodies, especially the aquifers on the territory around Dojran Lake, are the unique sources of irrigation water resource to the fertile plain of Thessaloniki. The river forms together with the Greek river Aliakmon an important delta protected by the RAMSAR Convention. At the same time, the Vardar/Axios River is blamed to be the biggest single pollution source of the closed bay of Thessaloniki and Thermaikos Gulf. Obviously, there is a tremendous common interest both in the FYR Macedonia and Greece for water pollution control and improvement of its quality in the Vardar/Axios watershed.

The problem to be addressed in the MIRVAX project Тhe MIRVAX Project, has the main and one complementary objectives: A. Monitoring the Watershed Sustainability (MWS, MIRVAX Monitoring Network), where initiatives and responsibility belong to the engineers and scientists and which are the technological tasks, divided in four specific objectives/actions: 1. Establishment and operation of the Vardar/Axios (VAX) Monitoring Network (VaxMN) complementing FYR Macedonia effort towards implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Investigative identification of the chemical surface/ground water quality status and upgrading the capacities of the Central Laboratory in the FYR Macedonia Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MEPP). 2. Design and implementation of the SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems and the remote data processing system. 3. Development of the Vardar Data Base (VaxDB) and Vardar Geographical Information System (VaxGIS) and calibration of the existing Vax water quality model MONERIS.

3 B. Improving the Watershed Sustainability (IWS, MIRVAX Stakeholders and Volunteers Network), where initiatives and responsibility belong to the municipalities, regulators, citizens, and which is a set of social/policy tasks, divided in two specific objectives/actions: 4. Establishment of the MIRVAX volunteers network, which will contribute to the development and implementation of the VAX River Basin Management Plan (RBMP). 5. Establishment of a sustainable scheme for scientific cooperation and technology transfer between the FYR Macedonia and Greece. Environmental protection is an egocentric procedure. Our environmental interest is usually limited in a small boundary layer around our own ‘generalized ego or EGO’. This ‘EGO’ might be defined as our individuality, or our family, or our neighbourhood people, or our town people, or our country people, or our transboundary watershed people. The environmental sensibility is evident and stronger in the small of the above ‘ego-items’, but it becomes suspicious and weaker as the ‘ego-extent’ grows. Stakeholders are usually defined as the ones who hold the bets in a game or the ones who have a shared interest. Let’s define here as watershed stakeholders anyone of the above ‘ego-members’, anyone in the ‘watershed community’ who takes a natural interest in environmental protection. We may benefit of engaging people from all stakeholder groups from the beginning of an environmental action because the people become much more conscious, responsible and successful. In a river watershed this potential engagement requires a reasonable and equitable share in the beneficial use of the common water resource and obligation to exchange on a regular basis hydrologic and other relevant data and information and make them available to the public. Watershed is a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water resource, such as river, lake, gulf or pelagos. Watersheds may cross community, county or country boundaries and are coming in all shapes and sizes. − The watershed of Vardar in Gevgelija covers an area of 20,500 km2 with more than 1.7 million inhabitants and it is the 80% of the FYR Macedonia (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2a). − The watershed of Axios in its estuary (few km west of Thessaloniki) covers an area of 23,700 km2 and provides a living space for more than 3.0 (1.7+1.3) million inhabitants (Fig. 2b). − The watershed of the Thessaloniki’s Bay, which adds to Vardar/Axios also the large Aliakmon river basin, covers an area of 37,600 km2 with more than 3.5 (1.7+1.8) million inhabitants (Fig. 2c). − The watershed of the Thermaikos Gulf adds to the previous Pinios river basin and covers an area of 55,000 km2 with more than 4.0 (1.7+2.3) million inhabitants (Fig. 2d). Figures 2a-2d prove that the Vardar/Axios River plays in Greece a role of equal importance as in the FYR Macedonia. The river has a dominant impact to the ecosystem of the Thermaikos Gulf (sea area of 3,400 km2). After the construction and start of the operation of the wastewater treatment plants of Thessaloniki, Vardar/Axios was left as the primary pollution source responsible for the degradation of the very closed, shallow and small Bay of Thessaloniki (sea area of 220 km2).

It should be considered that the relationships between Greece and FYR Macedonia have been rather delicate. However, their common trans-boundary river Vardar/Axios is there, present but very ‘ill’. Let’s be as clever and as wise as a river is {River is a dynamic natural entity, adjusting roughness, velocity, slope, depth, width, and platform in response to human activities} and let’s try to adjust ourselves in response to the river needs. Let’s both people from the FYR Macedonia and Greece participate in the movement of volunteers, and let’s control and help the river to be healthy, because it is the only revivifying entity of our watershed and if it dies we shall follow it.

The MIRVAX project is an applied research and development project targeting to create a real-scale procedure on how trans-boundary rivers may be transformed from an arena of tension, antagonism and conflicts to a farm of harmony, cooperation and serenity. MIR {for Monitoring and Improving a River} is the target; VAX {‘Marriage’ of the two river names into the common VAX or Vax (VArdar/AXios)} is the region. Мир means Peace in the FYR Macedonia language and VAX is our common trans-boundary river, our common trans-boundary watershed, our common trans-boundary heritage, our common trans-boundary environment, our common trans-boundary EGO.

The amalgam of the above defined MWS and IWS will offer a fruitful and efficient MIRVAX Project. Underestimation of the MWS is the utopia of some of the politicians, administrators and citizens and produces waste policy and vain attempts. Underestimation of the IWS is the utopia of scientists and engineers and produces theoretical puzzles and waste databases, expensively paid. The intention of the proposed project is to find solutions in this discord by installing a continuous interaction and

4 mutual feedbacks between these two objectives. The ‘hidden target’ of the project is to discover and implement rules and guidelines for establishing a strong ‘watershed-ego’ through a down-to-earth strategy and a common effort ensuring health and sustainability for the next generations of the VAX watershed in both countries. This view is deeper and wider of the notion of ‘Peace’. If we will succeed it, we shall be very satisfied to have contribute, through the NATO Program ‘Science for Peace’, to the Genesis of a

“Model on how a Guide for MIR (Monitoring and Improving the River) can be a Guide for Мир (Peace)” or a “Symbiosis Model in a Trans-boundary Peaceful (sustainable) Watershed Ego”.

Fig. 2a. Watershed of Vardar in Gevgelija Fig. 2b. Watershed of Axios in Thessaloniki {20,500 km2 and 1.7 million inhabitants {23,700 km2 and 3.0 million inhabitants} (80% of the FYR Macedonia)}

Fig. 2c. Watershed of the Thessaloniki’s Bay {37,600 km2 and 3.5 million inhabitants}

Fig. 2d. Watershed of Thermaikos Gulf {55,000 km2 and 4.0 million inhabitants}

5 The MIRVAX project justification The MIRVAX research and development project corresponds to the NATO policy towards countering threats to security because of the following: 1. The MIRVAX project may contribute as an example of results-oriented cooperation between neighbouring countries in the environment protection area and especially in the frame of a transboundary watershed. The project will leverage on the official commitment of both countries to implement the new EU water legislation (WFD). The “bottom-up” strategy will be used starting with involvement of scientists, experts and volunteers. The sustainability of the project will be assured via seeking support for coordination of activities and their continuation after the project’s end at the highest levels of both governments. 2. Vardar is the most important river in the FYR Macedonia and (as Axios) one of the major rivers in Greece. The effective VAX river basin management is in a common interest of both countries, however, it strongly depends on the availability of regularly collected and reliable data suitable for decision-making. In its 30-months duration the project will provide a set of hydrological and water quality data, which will be available and may be used by both countries and any other Vardar/Axios river related project. 3. The investigative chemical monitoring survey and the contribution to the upgrading of the present capacities of the MEPP’s Central Environmental Laboratory, especialy for analysis of the WFD priority substances in the river water, ground water and sediment samples will contribute to the provisional establishment of the specific list of Vardar/Axios priority substances, according to the EU WFD. 4. The uses of the water in the basin (e.g., construction of dams, industrial, municipal and agricultural use in FYR Macedonia, irrigation in Greece, etc.) and the consequent scarcity of water, especially in summer periods, have often been a subject of disputes between the two governments. The project will establish a network of monitoring stations collecting hydrological data allowing for effective common management of water resources. 5. Neither the FYR Macedonia nor Greece currently possesses sufficient data to identify major point and diffuse pollution sources in the basin. The project will establish a “pollution baseline” via investigative monitoring campaigns, which will be used for identification of major polluters and design of future operational monitoring schemes. Significant part of the selected parameters will be studied for the first time. 6. Negative impacts, such as increased levels of eutrophication and changed patterns of sedimentation were observed in the Thermaikos Gulf, influencing general ecological status, fisheries and tourist industry. The VAX delta near Thessaloniki, protected by the RAMSAR Convention, is also very sensitive to the pollution pressures. An implementation of the SCADA monitoring system along the river will contribute to the understanding of the pollution patterns and hydrology of the river and will eventually lead to the prioritization of the investments for improvement of the water quality. 7. The project aims also to improve the environmental public awareness in the VAX basin via motivation, recruiting, training and retraining of Groups of VAX Volunteers and establishment of the MIRVAX Computer Centres Network. By providing the monitoring data to national or, as in the MIRVAX case, bi-national watershed communities public confidence in local water utilities will be built between neighbouring people living in a common watershed. 8. At present, there is a significant lack of scientific and technology transfer between Greece and the FYR Macedonia. The project will establish a sustainable scheme for scientific cooperation at several levels: (i) formation of the Advanced Watershed Academy in Thessaloniki, (ii) regular exchange of scientists and students from the project partners’ universities and (iii) know-how and technology transfer at the upgrade of the Central Environmental Laboratory of MEPP.

6 Science or technology to be developed and applied The MIRVAX project team will use state-of-the-art automated monitoring and control equipment to collect daily data for measurements of surface and ground water levels, surface water flow and selected water quality indicators. The fixed and mobile sets of equipment will be used as follows: ƒ Real-time monitoring at two fixed locations in the FYR Macedonia; ƒ Non-permanent monitoring and control on an as-needed basis at eight selected locations (seven in the FYR Macedonia and one in Greece); ƒ On a temporary seasonal or emergency basis (e.g., during the summer drought period or floods). The Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system implemented in the MIRVAX project will provide the necessary control, system monitoring and data collection activities. The uniqueness of the SCADA system relative to other process control systems is its ability to monitor and control remote processes. The MIRVAX SCADA system will link remote sensing units to a central monitoring location at the project end-user Municipality of Negotino, where the data will be processed, checked for quality and then transferred to the project’s web-based database and central database of MEPP. The system will integrate data acquisition systems with data transmission systems and graphical software in order to provide a centrally located overview of the selected water quality indicators in the Vardar/Axios watershed. The PLC system, as a part of the complete SCADA system, will collect measurement data, and transfer them back to a central computer. This will enable the SCADA system to display the data information, thereby allowing monitoring and/or control of the entire system from a central location in real time. The MIRVAX SCADA system will provide constant, real-time data on the water quantity and selected quality indicators from two sites, allowing for systematic monitoring of trends and the necessary response in cases of above/below-the-limit values. In such cases the MIRVAX SCADA system will be programmed to automatically respond to alarm changes of the monitored parameters, either by sounding an alarm, or by transmitting alert messages or warning signals back to the MIRVAX project team, such as by initiating a call to a personal mobile. This will allow the MIRVAX team to initiate the corresponding actions by means of contacting responsible authorities (cf. Section Water management institutions above). A special attention will be taken to assure the quality of the monitored data via frequent re-calibration of the sensors and comparative measurements of all parameters in close cooperation with Central Laboratory of the FYR Macedonia MEPP. The design and implementation of the MIRVAX SCADA system is one of the main project objectives. The implemented SCADA will consist of both hardware and software. The hardware part will include a computer/CPU placed at a central location, communications equipment (radio, telephone line or satellite), and one or more Remote Telemetry Units (RTUs) based on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). PLC-based RTUs will allow communication between the outlying measuring equipment and a central processing unit (CPU), enabling the SCADA system to control both local and remote equipment. The MIRVAX SCADA software will be configured for the MIRVAX specific application, and programmed to tell the system what and when to monitor, what parameter ranges are acceptable, and what response to initiate should the parameters go outside acceptable values. The MIRVAX SCADA CPU will store and process the information from PLC-based RTUs inputs and outputs, while the PLC will ensure the control function. The communication network will allow the transfer of information and data back and forth between the CPU and the PLC’s connected to the measuring equipment. A typical SCADA system setup is presented on Figure 4. SCADA solution offers cost-savings benefits in the following areas: (i) automation and centralization of the river water quantity and quality control, (ii) improved reliability of the data, (iii) improved management of water resources, (iv) reduction of costs associated with on-site monitoring, (v) reduction of equipment investments. Systematic monitoring of surface and ground waters aims at providing an overview on the: (a) use of water resources, (b) rate and trends of pollution that are needed for carrying out the water protection programs, (c) regular collection of reliable and continuous information on the pollution by selected indicators (e.g., nutrients), which can be used for reporting to EU databases and in the predictive computerized models. The MIRVAX SCADA system will consist of: 1. Two main fixed (permanent) SCADA systems for real-time continuous measurement: the first one will be located downstream of the MIRVAX project End-user - the Municipality of Negotino, and the second one will be located downstream of Skopje, since it is the biggest town in the FYR MACEDONIA with one third of the FYR Macedonia inhabitants and with a lot of industries that produce wastewater. The Municipality of Negotino was chosen as End-user since the town of

7 Negotino has, from the point of view of the MIRVAX team, the most appropriate location because of the following: (i) it is in the central part of the FYR Macedonia, located almost in the middle of the Vardar/Axios river flow through the FYR Macedonia (approximately 100km after Skopje – the capital of FYR Macedonia and 70 km before the FYR Macedonia/Greek border), (ii) all the main Vardar tributaries are located before Negotino, (iii) after Negotino there are no large or known polluters of the river water, (iv) drinking water resources in Negotino are suspected to be impacted by the VAX pollution, and finally, (vi) the monitoring site is near the Krivolak area – one of the biggest Balkan military training areas. In addition, according to the new Decentralization Law in the FYR Macedonia (put into force in July 2005) the Municipality of Negotino is obliged to take care about all environmental issues in its part of the basin.

Figure 3. A typical SCADA system setup

2. Two mobile non-permanent SCADA subsystems used as mobile real-time water monitoring systems (for non-permanent periodically real-time measurement of the water quality parameters) in the entire Vardar/Axios watershed. The locations for the mobile SCADA subsystems in the FYR Macedonia will be chosen in cooperation with MEPP in order to avoid any duplication of efforts. Among the preliminary candidate sites are (see Fig.1 and Fig.4): (a) at Gostivar – near the Vardar spring, (b) downstream of Veles, (c) downstream of Gevgelija (near the FYR Macedonia/Greek border), (d) at the confluence of the four VAX main tributaries (Treska, Pcinja, Bregalnica and Crna River) with the Vardar river, in either MIRVAX or MEPP non-permanent stations. The main SCADA computer located in Negotino (in the Thermal Power Plant Negotino) will collect all data both from the permanent and mobile SCADA substations via communications network (radio, telephone line or satellite) in real time. The main SCADA PC will be equipped with visualization software that will ensure full screen display with an overview, control and alarm signalisation of the monitored parameters at MIRVAX stations. The database and the corresponding software for data update, filtration, management and control will be installed in the main SCADA PC. The exact locations for the mobile measurement stations will be selected such that road facilities and electric power system connections do exist nearby. The mobile equipment will enable water quality monitoring activities on an as-needed basis or to answer specific questions at selected locations, on a temporary or seasonal basis (e.g., during the summer drought period), and on an emergency basis (e.g., during floods or after a pollution spill). Each subsystem will be composed of one Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) that will be connected to the measurement units for collecting data necessary for the water quantity and quality control. A control software will be implemented into the PLC in order to ensure control of the local input and output signals. The data from the PLC will be transferred to the local SCADA laptop computer equipped with visualization software that should ensure local full screen display, alarm signalization and possibility to view real-time values/concentrations of the monitored parameter. One modem for data transfer to the main SCADA station in Negotino will be located in each substation. Both fixed and mobile measurement stations will be properly designed to ensure: (a) reduction of the probability of vandalism through keeping the monitoring equipment in a secure

8 building; (b) reduction of the probability of losing equipment during high flow events; (c) facilitation of the field equipment calibration during bad weather conditions.

Figure 4. Ten (10) MIRVAX stations (cyan, green)}

The SCADA remote monitoring data will be used for rational organisation and management of the Vardar/Axios watershed resources and utilities. The data will be displayed immediately after the measurement or after a time delay depending on the equipment used to process the data. MIRVAX real-time water quality data will be collected and communicated to the public in a time frame that makes them useful for making day-to-day decisions about the public health and the environment.

Facilities and expertise needed to execute the project

The following facilities and expertise are needed to execute the MIRVAX project:

Software ƒ PLC software, SCADA software, and SCADA run-time key (SCADA license). ƒ Software for Project Management (ex. MS Project), and for general organisation and communication (ex. Adobe Acrobat, Macromedia Studio, MS Visio, Systran, etc). Field Equipment ƒ Fixed (permanent) Water Monitoring Systems for continuous and simultaneous real-time monitoring of the temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, suspended solids, turbidity and indicators of nutrient conditions: total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive ortho- phosphate (P-PO4), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (N-NO3), nitrite (N-NO2) and ammonium (N- NH4). ƒ Mobile (non-permanent) Water Monitoring Systems (for periodical and simultaneous real-time measurement of the temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, suspended solids, turbidity and indicators of nutrient conditions: total phosphorus (TP), soluble reactive ortho-phosphate (P-PO4), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (N-NO3), nitrite (N-NO2) and ammonium (N-NH4). ƒ PLC equipment, SCADA equipment. ƒ Water velocimeters (high speed and low speed, for measuring river water flows). ƒ Surface water level/ground water table height measurement devices.

9 Computer Equipment ƒ Computers, laptops, printers, scanners. ƒ Communication equipment. ƒ Data acquisition devices . Laboratory Equipment and Training ƒ Upgrading the present capacities of the Central Environmental Laboratory (CL) of the MοEPP in Skopje (specifically on sampling, sample storage and transport, sample preparation equipment, and standard chemicals and reference materials), especialy for analyses of WFD and other priority substances in the river water, ground water and sediment samples, assuring the quality of obtained data. ƒ Assistantship to the CL on adaptation and revalidation of methods needed to comply with the Minimum List of the parameters needed to be monitored in water, groundwater and sediments. ƒ Training programmes. Investigative screening of the WFD priority substances and river basin specific pollutants ƒ Definition of 15 sampling sites to characterise the pollution of surface water and sediments. ƒ Definition of 10 additional sampling sites to characterise the pollution of groundwater. ƒ Two (once in 2006 and once in 2007) survey campaigns (sampling, laboratory analyses and screening for priority substances) of surface water, sediments and groundwater, during the low waters period.

MIRVAX objectives

The MIRVAX project objectives are presented on Table 3. Table 3. The MIRVAX project objectives IMPORTANCE {total relative weight} OPERATION MWS-objectives IWS-objectives (weight 60 %) (weight 40 %) Monitoring the Watershed Sustainability (MWS, MIRVAX Monitoring Network) 1 Establishment and operation of the 20% MIRVAX Monitoring Network – Investigation on the chemical water quality status of VAX and upgrading the MEPP’s CL capacities 2 Design and implementation of the 20% SCADA and the remote data processing system

3 Development of the VaxDB and VaxGIS 20% and calibration of the existing Vax water quality model MONERIS

Improving the Watershed Sustainability (IWS, MIRVAX Stakeholders and Volunteers Network) 4 Establishment of the MIRVAX 20% decentralized organization - Volunteers involvement to the VAX RBMP development/implementation 5 Establishment of a sustainable scheme 20% for scientific cooperation and technology transfer between the FYR MACEDONIA and Greece

10 Conclusions The paper presents the outcomes and activities that will be carried out in the MIRVAX (Monitoring and Improving the Rivers in the Vardar/Axios Watershed) project, financed by the NATO Science for Piece program in the two and a half year period, starting from January 2006. The actual situation in the Vardar/Axios river watershed shows that this river is the biggest single water pollution source both in the FYR Macedonia and the closed bay of Thessaloniki and Thermaikos Gulf. Therefore, there is a tremendous common interest both in the FYR Macedonia and Greece for water pollution control and improvement of its quality in the Vardar/Axios watershed. Тhe MIRVAX project has two main paths: (a) Monitoring the Watershed Sustainability (MWS, MIRVAX Monitoring Network), where initiatives and responsibility belong to the engineers and scientists and which are the technological tasks, and (ii) Improving the Watershed Sustainability (IWS, MIRVAX Stakeholders and Volunteers Network), where initiatives and responsibility belong to the municipalities, regulators, citizens, and which are a set of social/policy tasks. The MIRVAX project justification is presented, as well as the science or technology that will be developed and applied in order to realize the MWS and IWS paths. Finally the equipment and facilities necessary to realize the MIRVAX project are given and the MIRVAX objectives are listed.

It may be concluded that the economic life and almost all the important towns in the FYR Macedonia are related to Vardar River or to one of its tributaries. Therefore any improvement of the Vardar watershed may be considered as synonymous to the improvement and the development of the whole FYR Macedonia.

Acknowledgements

The present work was supported by the NATO Science for Piece Grant for preparation of the complete MIRVAX project proposal.

References The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC, which is legally binding for all EU Member States “Common Implementation Strategy for the WFD 2000/60/EC (the Guidance Documents). The official WFD web sites in Member states of the European Union. The NATO Science for Piece experience on similar projects. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiatives, programmes, educational material, software, manuals etc. The FYR Macedonia new Decentralization Law (August 2004). The FYR Macedonia NEAP (National Environmental Action Plan), The FYR Macedonia WEMP (Water Economy Master Plan). Greece’s official texts and practices, as the Law 3199/2003 on European Directive 2000/60/EC, the Development Law 3299/2004, the program ‘Thiseas’ for the Local Self-Government, the Internet Gate of the Ministry for Development on Sustainable Development, the Greek Initiative "Information Society" of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Guidelines, initiatives and models developed and successfully applied within the Danube basin by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), and to other transboundary European rivers. The RAMSAR convention rules. The 6th Environment Action Program of the European Union “Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice”.