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Seminar on Integrated Water Management in the Tisza River Basin
Final Report - VIII
International Presentations
19. Steps towards integrated water management planning in the Tisza River Basin
By Mr. Jack Damen
The request from Hungary by letter was a follow up of the FAO Conferences in Porto and Cyprus. The request concerned sub-Carpathian basin of the Danube. The request was followed by written support from Slovakia, Slovenia, and Serbia-Montenegro. The first FAO response was the FAO outline regional TCP; latest update of 2002. The second FAO response is the current Tisza seminar.
The FAO outline for a regional TCP introduces a new angle with the involvement of agricultural stakeholders and also emphasises the compliance with WFD, the exploration of political feasibility, and establishment of inter-ministerial dialogue. The result should be a full programme document, where the first phase is planned to address hydrological risks, and the second phase: long-term sustainable river basin management.
Before the seminar, a pre-seminar inventory has been carried out restricted to Tisza catchment. The inventory covers an assessment of institutions, policies, plans and projects within the five countries. During the survey, interviews of central governments, regions, NGO's and research institutions in five riparian countries have been conducted, as well as interviews of ICPDR, UNECE, COE, EU, Wetlands International, WWF, REC, Tisza Forum.
The responsible institutions (leading)
HU: Ministry of Environment and Water (National Water Authority)
RO: Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Waters and Environment (NA "Romanian Waters")
SE: Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management (Serbian Public Water Authority)
SK: Ministry of Environment (Slovak Water Management Enterprise)
UK: State Committee for Water Management
Key issues per Country
HU: International cooperation; flood management; WFD; Good Agric. Practice
RO: RBM w. ICPDR; Water supply; Water Quality improvement; Ecological reconstruction
SE: Flood management; Water supply; Water Quality; Biodiversity; Navigation
SK: Flood management; Water supply; Ecology (biodiversity); Agric. Potential
UK: Flood management; Re-forestation in Capathians; Reduction of contamination; job diversification
Major Obstacles - National and International
 No Inter-Ministerial (Sector) Coordination
Lack of information exchange
Lack of sufficient funds
No clear boundaries between national and regional responsibilities
Lack of work plans with monitoring mechanism for implementing bi- and multi-lateral agreements
Multitude of agreements, projects and actions require more coordination
No harmony in bi-lateral agreements
No enforcement mechanism of bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements
The role of the ICPDR is not recognized equally important in riparian countries
Issues for the current seminar:
Scope of trans-boundary integrated water management: Geographically and sector integration
Extent of WFD planning and implementation
National contra Regional responsibility
Merger of current agreements into WFD?
Agreement on follow-up steps (projects): FAO Regional TCP, EU Interreg IIIC/IIIB etc.
20. Trans-boundary river management experiences in The Netherlands
By Mr. Maarten Hofstra
There will always be many different viewpoints on one issue, when dealing with trans-boundary river management. So what can make trans-boundary management work? It is important to agree on delegations of responsibilities and on rules of cooperation. Since rivers cross borders and since man has influenced these rivers in a substantial way there are many reasons for international consultation and cooperation. In some cases this leads to international cooperation and treaties. In other cases it leads to long periods of misunderstanding and long negotiations before agreements can be reached.
The intensity of use of the river Rhine meant that already in an early stage there was a need for international cooperation. Shipping for instance is of interest for Rotterdam, the largest sea harbour of the world and the Ruhr area in Germany and other industrial centres along banks of the river Rhine.
The industrialisation combined with high population density lead to intensive water use, resulting in increasing deterioration of water quality. Chloride contents, water temperature, oxygen content and concentration of different pollutants were problems that became serious after the Second World War. In 1950 the "International Commission on Protection of the Rhine against Pollution" was founded. It took 13 years before the first agreements were made for a multilateral approach and a treaty could be signed: The treaty of Bern 1963. Another 9 years later the first ministerial conference was held. In 1976 a chemical convention could be signed and in 1977 a convention on chloride. The work, which was done related to these conventions, lead to a significant improvement of the water quality. The economic recession of the 80-ies showed the big influence of a crisis on the water quality. When the speed of improvement decreased an industrial accident led to a new impulse for not only the water quality of the river Rhine but also for the North Sea.
Around 1985 integrated water management developed in the Netherlands: Connection between water quality and water quantity management of surface and ground water on the one hand and connection between water management, environmental management, nature conservation and physical planning on the other hand. On the international playing field, however, the different aspects of water management mostly still remained separated and the connection between water management and the environment was not made. The first step to an integrated approach was the ECE treaty on trans-boundary river management. The EU-WFD (WFD) is a promising next step although the WFD is still mostly focussed on water quality and ecology and less on the quantitative aspects of water management.
For the Rhine, the WFD meant a complication in the international cooperation. It took quite a long time and a lot of energy to come to an efficient working order and still this is not easy. Nevertheless we may expect the WFD to give another impulse to healthy rivers ecologically as well as for human use.
21. Sustainable development programme in the Tisza River Basin
By Ms. Eva Csobod
The Tisza River Basin runs 966 km, covers 157.000 km2, and is populated with 14.4 million inhabitants.
Tisza River Basin sustainable Development Programme:
New international method on river basin level instead of national or country level approach
Early integration of sustainable principles in planning and implementation processes
Development of a participatory framework for cooperation between countries, sectors, communities and stakeholders in the river basin
The goals of the programme: Securing prosperity for inhabitants, using natural resources sustainable, minimizing environmental risks, preserving natural and cultural values, and involving communities.
Initiation phase challenges:
Identification of key stakeholder groups, contact persons/organisations (local governments, scientific institutions, NGOs, regional development councils, media, businesses)
Determine priority list of development needs (justification and analysis from SD point of view)
Public debate, gaining priority list mandate
Networking: presentation of the concept of the Tisza River Basin SDP in personal meetings with key partners, and organising national/regional workshops
Scope of REC programme
Public information about the state of the river basin
Consultation process
Capacity building for local and regional authorities
Assessment and coordination of regional development plans and spatial plans
Project website: www.rec.org/tisza for the Tisza River SDP is created at the REC with the purpose of providing information during the lifetime of the project and to communicate the results of the project.
Mapping
Identification of the relevant sectors and specification of their interests
Identification of organisations, and contact persons to collect data and existing plans
Presentation of the concept of the Tisza River Basin SDP through correspondence and meetings
Search, create standard list of and provide access to relevant project information, that are completed, ongoing, planned, or unplanned but important for the program
Establish national focal points (NFP) in all riparian countries from the stakeholder representatives
Working-out a uniform system of information flow in/between countries concerned
Methodology of information flow (route, frequency).
22. How NGO's can contribute to achieve IRBM of the Tisza
By Ms. Victoria Siposs
WWF for nature and People has existed since 1961, in Hungary since 1991, and focus on conservation of habitats and species, whereby the freshwater issue is one of the main focus areas. WWF working strategy is a) determining priority areas, b) policy and fieldwork, and c) finding local supporters, d) negotiate to find compromise, e) reasonable communication towards the goals. The aim of WWF Hungary regarding the IRBM of the Tisza is a complex development of the region to achieve better (ecological and living) stage in floodplains and for the benefit of people living there.
WWF Hungary focuses on methods for restoration and management on model sites (Mid-Tisza, Ecsed/Ecedea and Maramures), listening of local needs and wishes, dialogue with stakeholders, creating market for biodiversity, identify mechanisms, public participation, lifting up examples and experience to magnify and multiply. For WWF Hungary, IRBM means the integration of water and flood management with farming, land use and socio-economic factors in order to produce biodiversity.
Overview of legislation:
EU Directives and Conventions (WFD, ICPDR, Natura 2000, Ramsar Convention)
Regulations (CAP, Agri-Environmental Programme)
Land conversion based products and services
Communications and Coordination
Working with NGOs will provide in general flexibility and quick response, high commitment, sense to coordination, catalysing by pulling parties together, ability to analyse and synthesize, integrated thinking, and low level of bureaucracy.
Role of NGOs:
filling the gap between governmental and local level
involve/connect parties willing to cooperate
reporting field/real life/local needs towards decision makers
spreading information towards field/real life/local level and public control
WWF offers field experience, outcomes of base studies, "ready-to-go" cooperative parties in Hu (and in Rom), international support, and independent "quality assurance".
Recommendations:
sufficient trans-boundary cooperation
integrated management of flood, land use and landscape
integrated use of all sorts of tools (regulations, investments, communications, public participation)
use of already existing assets (case studies, reports, contacts, visions, plans, etc.)
strengthen with NGOs
23. Keynote address
By Ms. Marine Trevisan
Year 2003 has been proclaimed International Year of Freshwater by the United Nations. The subject of Water represents one of the great steps made at the Third World Summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg in 2002. The Plan of implementation that came out of the Johannesburg Summit stresses the protection and management of the natural resources as the basis of economic and social development. Access to water is an integral part of the eradication of poverty.
The Council of Europe and its approach about water resources management:
The COE was created in the aftermath of WWII aiming at achieving a greater unity between its members across the continent on the basis of their common commitment to pluralist democracy, respect of human rights and the rule of law. The COE aims at connecting peoples. Taking the Danube, it flows through 18 different states and touches the daily life of 80 million persons. This is an example of the COE focus on water resources and management issues, which the COE has focused on for 30 years already, long before the Central, Eastern and Southern Europe accessed the organisation. The COE focuses on two fundamental issues: water management and cross-border cooperation. The COE Committee of Ministers has for instance adopted the Charter on Water already in 1968. The Charter of Water was the first text of its kind adopted by an international organisation.
On the 13th Session of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning of the Member States of the Council of Europe (CEMAT) held in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Hungary, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovak Republic and Ukraine signed the Initiative on the Sustainable Spatial Development of the Tisza River Basin and adopted the Declaration on co-operation concerning the Tisza river basin. The five countries agreed to jointly initiate and carry out a process of implementation of the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European Continent as concerns the geographical area of the hydrographical basin of the river Tisza.
The WFD has modernised water management, applying the principle that each river basin should be managed as an entity and give local and regional authorities wide ranging responsibilities in this field. This approach meets the focus of the COE on cross-border co-operation. The Parliamentary Assembly believes that bringing closer its member states in order to built sustainable stability and peace in Europe can only be realised through trans-boundary co-operation and intercultural communication at large. Dialogue among people is the basic requirement for good cooperation between countries.
Concluding comments
To conclude about the Parliamentary Assembly contribution to the International Year of Freshwater, a report on issue management and coordination of water related issues and initiatives at European level will be prepared by our committee. In a recent Resolution on the role of territorial authorities in the management of River basins, the Congress for Local and Regional Authorities in Europe (CLRAE) that emanates from the COE made a proposal for the creation of a centre for local and regional authorities in the Danube that the Parliamentary Assembly supports.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the COE emanates from national parliaments and therefore takes all its legitimacy from them. National parliaments are PACE interlocutors and at the same time source of inspiration of initiatives and relays, to which we propose projects and solutions. The Committee on Environment and Agriculture and the local and regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly work as support for regular and systematic co-operation of our counterparts in national parliaments for a permanent dialogue. The aim of the COE is setting up national legislative instruments contributing to the sustainable development of our continent.
24. Wetlands management in the upper Tisza river basin
By Dr. Douglas Taylor
The Tisza is a complex of wetlands stretching over five countries. During this seminar, the Wetlands International will listen to the findings and recommendations in order to target its engagement in IRBM of the Tisza.
Key interests for Wetlands International of the seminar objectives (tick):
To present and exchange information on recent, ongoing and future policies, programmes and projects concerning water management in the TRB
To discuss sector obstacles and constraints with respect to water management in the TRB
To explore common ground for a joint approach directed at the ultimate establishment of a trans-boundary IRBM plan for the TRB in line with the EU WFD
To agree on further steps to be taken to achieve the above joint approach and plan
To take the first step to the design of a joint organisational and financial structure, to monitor the implementation of the road map and to co-ordinate relevant projects and programmes.
Wetlands and River Basins: Importance
Range of wetland types, e.g. riverine, lacustrine, palustrine
Each type can have an important functional role in terms of sustainable catchment management
Potential functional roles: Protection of property through flood attenuation, protection of water quality through reduction of diffuse pollution, generation of (alternative) income (harvesting wetland products, (eco-)tourism, and havens for biodiversity through habitat provision).
Wetlands and River Basins: Assessment of the role of wetlands
inventory & description
identification of functions (hydrological, ecological, and socio-economic)
identification of current and future demands
assess impact on wetlands of land use + water development projects (EIA, CBA)
integrated land use plans
protect & restore wetlands
initiate international co-operation.
For the Tisza, plenty of good information on sustainable use for practical managers exists, and many international and bilateral projects have been implemented. So there are many platforms and events and information already, which we don't need to invent again, but which we can build upon.
Examples of publications, satellite remote sensing, international projects:
Publications e.g.: "The Upper Tisa Valley"
Remote sensing of Tisza flood events: See
Other applications of remote sensing: ESA: Meris User Workshop November 2003 ()
International projects, e.g. Upper Tisza Ramsar Site designation.
Wetlands International' current engagement is the Dutch funded PIN MATRA project: "Trans-boundary cooperation on Ramsar site designation and management on the Upper Tisza River" with the aims to:
Assist in the designation of identified Ramsar sites
Assist in the evaluation of site status and threats / effects of land-use change
Support the development of trans-boundary wise use management practices for Ramsar sites
Catalyse the integrated land use and management of the Tisza catchment.
Wetlands International: Future Engagement
Wetlands in River basins are more than just protected areas
Sustainable management of wetlands throughout the basin is important
Wetlands International will respond to gaps identified through Working Groups at this Seminar
Wetlands International does not intend to waste resources by duplicating effort.
25. CADSES opportunities for integrated water management planning & implementation
By Mr. Alfred Evers
Some important items related to cross-border cooperation are the following: There has to be political mandates and will, you have to know what you want to decide upon, you need money, and you have to know your counterpart on the other side of the border. As an important source of funding, the CADSES under the Intereg IIIB is an important instrument (500,000-5,000,000 EUR), because a large part of the available money has focus on cross-border projects/issues.
General Objectives of the CADSES:
establishment of a common understanding of the spatial policies
setting the basis for developing common rules and principles in the territorial planning
creating a unified vision of the transport and communication networks
supporting the best conditions of a sustainable growth
protecting natural heritage and preventing its degrade - including flood and disaster prevention
evaluating cultural and historical heritage, both establishing common rules for its regulation and using this as a strategic element of economic development.
Participating regions and countries:
Member states: Austria, Germany (8 regions), Greece, Italy (10 regions)
Accession states: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
Non-EU-member states: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine (Odesa, Zakarpatska, Lviv, Ternopol, Ivano-Frankovsk, Cernovci).
Priorities of the programme
Priority 1: Promoting spatial development approaches and actions for social/economic cohesion
Priority 2: Efficient and sustainable transport systems and access to the information society
Priority 3: Promotion and management of landscape, natural and cultural heritage
Priority 4: Environment protection, resource management and risk prevention.
General conditions for projects
At least two partners from the co-operation area
At least two financing partners from different partner states
The project should show an added value within the field of trans-national spatial development
Maximum co-financing rate 75% (ERDF) in objective 1 (areas of Greece and Eastern Germany) 50% (ERDF) in all other areas (only for MS-partners)
Lead partner principle
Project duration not beyond September 2008.
Average project size and duration
total costs between 500.000,-Euro and 5.000.000,-Euro.
average project size of already approved projects: ~3 Mio Euro
between 40% - 60% of the projects should have a total budget of above 1.500.000,-Euro.
some projects might have a higher budget.
average project duration 2 - 3 years, but not longer than 2008.
Application procedure:
SC will decide on opening and closing dates for handing in project applications
Project applications have to be submitted to JTS in Dresden within a given deadline
JTS will assess project applications and include contributions of national CCPs
Applications will be forwarded to SC members for discussion in national committees
Final decision on project approval by Steering Committee
You need some experiences, so get some people in, who knows already how to apply
If the project is approved, you get paid for the preparation
It is not possible to co-finance EU money with other EU-money, but if the co-financing is from a national donor or the WB, then funding can function as co-financing to a CADSES funding.
26. Trans-Boundary integrated water management in the Sava river basin
By Mr. Henk Zingstra
The Sava River Basin has many similarities with the Tisza River Basin. The Sava River is an important source for drinking water and an important navigation route. It drains up to 44% of the national territory of Croatia. The river holds significant high landscape and biodiversity values and still possesses unaltered floodplains.
After the Balkan war, there was no communication on river management between the countries, navigation was impossible, there was no economic development and cross-border environmental and flood issues were not addressed.
The establishment of the Sava Basin Initiative
In June 2001, the Sava Basin Initiative was launched by the Stability Pact for South-East Europe
In November 2001, the four responsible ministers signed the Letter of Intent stating that the countries agreed to a) draft an International Framework Agreement, and b) trust the stability pact to mediate and support the process.
The objectives of the Letter of Intent were to: a) resume shipping on the Sava, b) promote sustainable water resource management, c) foster economic development, and d) define an institutional coordination framework.
The International Framework Agreement (IFA)
In December 2002, the IFA was signed and the Interim Action Plan ready
The Objectives of the IFA: The Parties shall co-operate to achieve the following goals: a) establishment of international regime of navigation, b) establishment of sustainable water management, c) prevention of hazards; reduce and eliminate, and d) adverse consequences
Mechanisms of co-operation within the IFA are the organisation of regular meetings of the Parties (once a year), and Establishment of the Sava Basin Commission, which is responsible for elaborating an IRBM Plan in line with the WFD.
The tasks of the Sava Basin Commission is to: a) establish provision of safe navigation, b) take decisions on financing works, c) elaborate annual programmes, and d) define recommendations on the realisation of the IFA. Within the scope of the IFA, protocols are developed for: a) protection against floods, b) exploitation of stone, sand and gravel, c) water quality improvement and protection, d) protection of aquatic ecosystems, and e) protection caused by navigation.
The Interim Action Plan:
A roadmap for achieving the objectives of the IFA
29 priority actions defined
Presented to the international donor community in March in Brussels
Continued efforts to improve the coherence, prioritisation and motivation.
For the Sava Basin Initiative, the main characteristic is the will of the basin countries to pursue cooperation, as stated in the agreement: "In a regionally agreed, legally binding, and enforceable way in line with EU and international law", and further "By developing an innovative process which enables the countries to choose flexible tools to achieve commonly agreed objectives".
Lessons Learned
Coordinating body with sufficient political power
Political commitment of the basin countries
Sufficient allocation of staff and budget
Tight time planning
Technical and financial support to facilitate the process.
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