Management of Transboundary Rivers Between Ukraine, Russia and the EU – Identification of Science-Based Goals and Fostering Trilateral Dialogue and Cooperation”
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
“Management of Transboundary Rivers between Ukraine, Russia and the EU – Identification of Science-Based Goals and Fostering Trilateral Dialogue and Cooperation” Project acronym: ManTra-Rivers Report on WP A– Assessment of the status quo in the three investigated basins Chalov S, Pluntke T, Nabyvanets Y, Kruhlov I, Helm B, Terskii P, Krengel F, Osadcha N, Habel M, Osadcha N, Osadchyi V, Reeh T, Karthe D and Bernhofer C Funding agency Volkswagen Stiftung Project coordinator Technische Universitat Dresden (TUD), Germany Project partner Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany Lomonosov Moscow State University (LMU), Russia Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute (UHMI), Kiev, Ukraine Dresden, Moscow, Kyew, September 2017 Content Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1. General information about investigated basins .......................................................................... 4 1.1 General features in the XXI century .................................................................................................... 4 1.1.1 Western Dvina ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.2. Desna ........................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1.3. Western Bug .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.2. Historical transformation of the environment and land use since the middle of the XX century .................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.3. Water Legislation ....................................................................................................................... 21 1.3.1 Western Dvina ............................................................................................................................ 21 1.3.2 Desna .......................................................................................................................................... 21 1.3.3 Western Bug ............................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2. Status-quo in water resources assessment: monitoring and data ............................................ 24 2.1. Hydrological and meteorological network .................................................................................. 24 2.2. Geodata availability ................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 3. State of knowledge ................................................................................................................. 32 Chapter 4. Hydrology and meteorology – long term and seasonal variability .................................... 36 4.1. Precipitation and temperature ...................................................................................................... 36 4,324.2. Hydrological changes ................................................................................................................ 40 Chapter 5. Water quality and pollution ................................................................................................... 44 5.1 Western Dvina ................................................................................................................................... 45 5.2 Western Bug ...................................................................................................................................... 47 5.3 Desna ................................................................................................................................................. 48 Chapter 6. Identification of research needs and collaboration efforts ....................................................... 50 Chapter 6. References ................................................................................................................................. 53 Abstract This report is a part of trilateral project of the Volkswagen Stiftung, which aims at strengthening cross border cooperation, confidence, understanding and maintenance of the dialogue between scientific institutions and public authorities from Russia, Ukraine and countries of the EU. The project intends a transnational analysis of three river catchments: the Western Bug (shared by Ukraine, Belarus and the EU), the River Desna (shared by Russia and Ukraine) and the Western Dvina (shared by Russia, Belarus and the EU) (Figure 1). Water quality problems that need to be dealt with in a transboundary setting are the connective element of these basins. Figure 1. Overview of the transboundary river basins This report aims at I) a literature review on national and international publications, II) expert talks on all relevant issues of an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and on political disputes in Ukraine, Russia and the EU, III) an assessment of the hydrological, hydro-morphological, geochemical and ecological state of the rivers and their basins, including the consideration of ecosystem services and IV) an identification of important stressors onto the water system, including point and diffuse pollutant sources and changing boundary conditions. Chapter 1. General information about investigated basins 1.1 General features in the XXI century The three transboundary catchments represent distinctive environmental and socio- economic patterns. The smallest catchment Western Bug has the largest population (Figure 2). The ratio of urban to rural population varies from 43.5 % in Polish part of Western Bug catchment to 95,6 % in Russian part of Desna River (Table 1), which is an evidence of drastic socio-economic changes in the traditionally rural area of Bryansk Oblast in Russia. Vegetation mosaic (forest, shrubland, grassland, cropland) and cropland-forest mosaic dominates in Western Bug and Desna rivers, whereas broadleaved forest is the main land use class in Western Dvina Basin. These distinctions have a significant impact on hydrology and water quality of the transboundary rivers and also lead to changes in the cooperation issues between riparian countries. 100000 3500000 km2 inh. 80000 3000000 2500000 60000 2000000 40000 1500000 20000 1000000 500000 0 Western Desna Western Bug 0 Western Dvina Desna Western Bug Dvina Figure 2. Catchments area (km2) and population (inhabitants) of the transboundary basins Table 1. Administrative and demographic characteristics of the transboundary catchments River Western Dvina Desna Western Bug Countries Russia Belarus Latvia Estonia Lithuania Russia Ukraine Ukraine Belarus Poland Area, km2 27466 33144 23361 131 1862 55494,0 33509,7 9877 8760 19120 (% from the (32%) (38.6%) (27.2%) (0.2%) (2.2%) (62 %) (38 %) (26.2) (23.2) (50.6) total area) Number of 3 2 3 1 2 6 3 2 1 3 administra- tive areas (Province level) Population, 176469 842556 1109762 420 43810 1538677 960923 1441000 579000 1206000 inhabitants population 6.55 26.2 52.3 3.49 26.2 27,9 28,4 146 66 63 density, inh./km2 Urban/rural 60.9 86.3 84.9 84.1 85.6 95,6 89,4 79.0 77.0 43.5 population, %* Number of 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 large cities (with population more than 100 000 people) 1.1.1 Western Dvina Location Western Dvina (RUS: Zapadnaya Dvina, LV: Daugava) river basin is a river rising in the Valdai Hills, Russia, flowing through Russia, Belarus, and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea forming there a delta. Lithuania and Estonia have small shares of Western Dvina catchment (Table 1, Figure 3). Topography and geology The basin has mainly flat and wavy plain topography. River valley have been formed approximately 12-13 thousands years ago. Relatively high drainage density and mostly grey forest soils explain the low rates of infiltration losses. Figure 3: Middle part of Western Dvina river near Velizh (Russian Federation) Climate and hydrology The climate of the Western Dvina river basin is temperate moderately continental. In Russian part, the average temperature in January ranges from −6 °C in southwestern part until −10 °C in the northeastern part. Temperatures in July range between +17 and +19 °C. Average annual precipitation is 650 mm. Climate in Latvia is characterized by wet and mild summers (18,2 °C, 85mm) (Second assessment…, 2011). The total length of the river is 1020 km: 325 km in Russia, 338 km in Belarus and 317 km in Latvia. Western Dvina originates from the lake Ohvat, flows in South-West direction and downstream of the city Vitebsk in North-West direction. Information about total catchment area differs between sources: 87000 km² (International river basins…2006), 85600 km² (Resources…1975). According to our analyses based on SRTM v.4 Hydrosheds 30s, total catchment area was estimated to 85900 km². Average annual water discharge into the sea is 20700 mln m3 (656 m³/s), annual nitrogen flux is 40600 tons and phosphorus flux 1400 tons (International river basins… 2006). Maximal discharges are observed in spring due to snow melting and spring rainfalls. Soils There are eight soil classes in the catchment according to Unified State Soil Registry (Harmonized World Soil Database) (Table 2). Total population Within Western Dvina river basin live 2.17 million