TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATER
IN EUROPE IN EUROPE
Dr. Sergei Vinogradov
IWLRI Dundee IWLRI, Dundee
European Groundwater European Groundwater
App. 75% of European drinking water - from groundwater
Servicing 200-300 mil people
Over 90 transboundary groundwater aquifers (TGA) not including FSU and Central Asia
Most common problem - over-exploitation
Pollution is affecting quality in over 77 of the TGA g q y
Causes of pollution in Europe:
¾ Urbanization (pollution from run-off)
¾ Urbanization (pollution from run off)
¾ Industry (pollution from accidents, disposal and dumping)
¾ Agriculture (pollution from nitrates and pesticides)g (p p )
Legal Instruments Legal Instruments
Regional Treaties:
Regional Treaties:
¾1992 UN/ECE Helsinki Convention
¾1999 Protocol on Water and Health (not in force)
¾1999 Protocol on Water and Health (not in force)
¾2003 Protocol on Civil Liability (not in force)
Basin-wide & bilateral agreements: Basin wide & bilateral agreements:
¾1998 Rhine Convention
¾1994 Danube Convention
¾1994 Danube Convention
¾2002 Sava River Basin Agreement
¾Bilateral: Russia with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus
Guidelines:
¾UN/ECE Guidelines on Monitoring and Assessment TGWg
1992 UN/ECE Convention 1992 UN/ECE Convention
Framework convention – requires implementingFramework convention requires implementing agreements
Scope: applies to transboundary waters, including transboundary groundwater
transboundary groundwater
Parties - take all appropriate measures to prevent, reduce
& control pollution that would have a significant adverse
ff t t b d t
effect on transboundary waters
Guided by the principle of equitable & reasonable utilization and precautionary principlep y p p
Waters to be managed sustainably
Monitoring programs - through joint institutions
Joint institutions to develop quantity and quality action plans to, inter alia, reduce nutrients and hazardous
substances from diffuse sources
Water and Health Protocol Water and Health Protocol
Scope: the same including all groundwater
Scope: the same including all groundwater
Parties must take all appropriate measures to ensure that adequate supplies of drinking water are free
that adequate supplies of drinking water are free from harmful substances
Parties are Parties are
Guided by the precautionary principle and sustainable developmentp
To develop water-management plans based on catchment areas or groundwater aquifers
To establish joint institutions for monitoring and enforcing drinking water standards
Civil Liability Protocol Civil Liability Protocol
Unique since it falls under two Conventions: Unique since it falls under two Conventions:
Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses
C i h T b d Eff f I d i l
Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents
Regime of strict liability of an operator Regime of strict liability of an operator
Applies to “damage caused by effects of an industrial accident on transboundary waters” y
Damages include the cost of measures to rehabilitate impaired transboundary waters
Individuals affected have the right to a legal claim for
adequate and prompt compensation
Rhine Convention Rhine Convention
Scope: Groundwater interacting with surface water
Parties guided by the precautionary principle
To implement measures to maintain and improve the quality of water (including groundwater)
A id d d li i t ll ti d t h d
Avoid, reduce and eliminate pollution due to hazardous substances and nutrients from both point and diffuse sources
sources
Creation of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine
Protection of the Rhine
¾ Prepares international monitoring programs and analysis
Sava River Basin Sava River Basin
S G d t l t d t f t
Scope: Groundwater related to surface waters
Parties agree to cooperate on the integrated
t f f d d t
management of surface and ground waters
Sufficient quantity of water of adequate quality
t b id d f th ti t ti
must be provided for the preservation, protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystem
J 2004 E t bli h t f th I t ti l
June, 2004: Establishment of the International Sava River Basin Commission:
¾T d l i t t d t l
¾To develop an integrated management plan
¾To reduce or eliminate transboundary impacts on the waters caused by economic and other activities
waters caused by economic and other activities
UN/ECE Monitoring and Assessment Guidelines
Promotion of IWRMo ot o o
States should jointly agree on the following:
1. Aquifer location and relation, if any, to surface waterq y 2. Specific human uses of TGA
3. Ecological function of TGA resources 4. Pressures on the groundwater; and 5. Quantified management targets
A plan or program should be developed which includes
A plan or program should be developed which includes, inter alia, (i) land and groundwater uses; (ii) zoning
criteria; (iii) protection zones; (iv) economic activities; (v) criteria; (iii) protection zones; (iv) economic activities; (v) groundwater pollution levels; (vi) groundwater
abstractions; (vi) wetlands protection.
