Description (EN): To achieve the Baltic Sea unaffected by eutrophication accelerated due to input of phosphorous and nitrogen from anthropogenic sources, HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) developed and updated in 2013 country allocated reduction targets for each of Baltic Sea country. Estonia and Russia use their own, significantly different measured data and calculation methods for estimation the total nutrient load to the Gulf of Finland transported by the Narva river flow. Due to particular boundary position along the river middle course, measurements for whole cross-section of the river Narva currently are impossible. Discharge values in the Narva river mouth from Russian side are calculated by the volume of electricity generated at Narva hydroelectric power station (HPP), while Estonian data are based on water level/discharge relation only on the Estonian side of the river. Nutrients concentration data can also vary due to different sampling time and methods that hampers accurate assessment of water quality for the whole river cross-section. Thus, the evaluation and assessment criteria are not harmonized. These are the main bottlenecks for the environmental cooperation. Thus, improving the quality of shared water resources by creating harmonized tools for reliable assessment of the quantity, quality and nutrient loads of water from the Narva River Basin to the Gulf of Finland is critical. Developed harmonized methods and criteria for reliable water quality assessment will allow common sustainable use and management of the joint water assets, which in turn positively influence on the quality of aquatic fresh and marine ecosystems. The cooperation of the leading national organizations in the field of environmental protection with a great work experience in the Program Region, will ensure the high level of competence and implementation of mutually agreed methods and estimation criteria. The project offers benefit to end-users and actors involved in long-term actions for the improving of water quality in the river Narva, as they will have actual water quantity and quality assessment. In addition, beneficiaries are activities outside of the water sector such as socio-economic assessment, investment strategies, construction of buildings, reduced energy usage, support fish and agriculture, providing public recreation opportunities for over 60 000 people etc. Main outputs: Developed harmonized methods for measuring water discharges, estimation of the river Narva runoff and the total nutrient load entering to the Gulf of Finland. Complex index obtained for harmonized water quality assessment criteria. Increasing of environmental awareness. Main activities: Common database creation. In-situ measurements (water discharges, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations). Analysis of the contribution of various type pollution (anthropogenic point and diffuse, natural diffuse) to the formation of nutrient load and development of the harmonized methods for calculating the annual nutrient load with Narva river. Developing common criteria, based on the common understanding, together with the reliable assessment of pollution loads flowing into the sea. Increasing environment awareness for end users and the wider community through a link to the project';s website, organized communication campaigns, eco-events and workshops. On the basis of the common complex index, harmonized methods for estimating the quantity and the quality of water bodies in the Narva River Basin will be developed. This will allow for the first time to obtain a reliable estimation of annual nutrient loads from the river basin to the Gulf of Finland.
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Expected Outputs (EN): Developed are common (harmonized) calculation methods, and follow-up accurate assessment and Joint approach and evaluation of Estonia and Russia contribution to the nutrient load formation from the catchment area of the Narva river to the Gulf of Finland.
Developed mutually agreed methods for the Narva river water discharge calculation and nutrient load estimation and proposed recommendations for common criteria of water bodies quality assessment will improve our knowledge about prevailing factors which impact on water quality in fresh water ecosystems from both countries. Our understanding about relation of nutrient pollution influence on marine water ecosystem will be improved. Based on the obtained joint assessments and knowledge, developed recommendations and proposals for common measures that can improve the ecological status of water bodies in the basin of the river Narva will be included in the National Water Management Plans (SKIOVO).
The development process as well as the implementation of methodology and approach will be done with involvement of the national and local authorities and scientists.
Information and proposed recommendations/measures will be available from the website of the project which will be available after the project is completed. Additionally, results will be regularly disseminated among general public during and after workshops, round table discussions and campaigns. This will enhance cooperation in environmental protection for joint water assets, increase capacity in defining priority measures to achieve national and regional (HELCOM) ecological goals and will contribute to more targeted and effective environmental and financial investments, and projects in the Programme area.
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