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THE JOINT FINNISH-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON
TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS
TRENDS IN INFORMATION EXCHANGE
SIRKKA HAUNIAFinnish Environment Institute
St. Petersburg, 8-10 June 2005
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AREA COVERED BY THE FINNISH-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT
"TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS" ARE LAKES, RIVERS OR STREAMS WHICH CROSS THE BOUNDARY OR ARE LOCATED ON THE BOUNDARY"
HENCE COASTAL WATERS AND GROUND WATERS ARE EXCLUDED
INVENTORY OF THE TRANSBOUNDAR WATERS WAS MADE 1970-1974 • 20 RIVER BASINS• 448 LAKES; RIVERS OR STREAMS
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LEGAL FRAMEWORK
1964 AGREEMENT BETWEEN FINLAND AND THE SOVIET UNION / 1992 RUSSIA
1965 JOINT COMMISSION ESTABLISHED 1972 AGREEMENT ON THE WATER LEVEL
BETWEEN THE IMATRA AND SVETOGORSK POWER STATIONS
1991 DISCHARGE RULE OF LAKE SAIMAA AND THE VUOKSI RIVER
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SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT
ALL FIELDS OF WATER MANAGEMENT ARE COVERED • WATER PROTECTION• HYDROELECTRIC POWER• FISHERIES• WATER TRANSPORT• (TIMBER FLOATING)
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HOW DOES THE COMMISSION WORK IN PRACTICE 1)
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COMMISSION IS THE FORMAL DECISION-MAKING BODY
IN-BETWEEN THE COMMISSION MEETINGS THE CHAIRMEN TOGETHER MAKE DECISIONS IF NEEDED
WORK IN PRACTICE IS CARRIED OUT BY THE PERMANENT WORKING GROUPS AND THE SECRETARIES ACCORDING TO THE ANNUAL WORK-PLAN
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HOW DOES THE COMMISSION WORK IN PRACTICE 2)
• WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION
• WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
• WORKING GROUP OF FISHERY EXPERTS
THE FRONTIER GUARD ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN FIELD WORK AND BORDER CROSSING
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WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION 1)
ANNUAL JOINT REPORT ON MONITORING RESULTS/ WATER QUALITY IN TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS
BOTH SIDES REPORT ANNUALLY ON POLLUTION LOADING AND THE MEASURES TAKEN TO REDUCE IT
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON RELEVANT PROJECTS, DEVELOPMENTS ETC.
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WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION 2)
OCCASIONALLY CONSIDERED SPECIAL WATER PROTECTION ISSUES
COMPARABILITY OF WATER QUALITY DATA (SAMPLING, ANALYTICAL METHODS, LABORATORY PRACTICES) CHECKED PERIODICALLY
THE FINNISH SIDE GIVES A STATEMENT TO PERMIT AUTHORITIES ON PERMIT APPLICATIONS INVOLVING TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS
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JOINT MONITORING PROGRAMME 1)
STARTED IN 1966, INITIALLY ALL MAJOR RIVERS WERE MONITORED
AS MOST TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS WERE IN NEARLY NATURAL STATE, MONITORING WAS CONCENTRATED ON THE RIVERS IN THE SOUTH-EAST WHICH ARE EXPOSED TO WASTE WATER LOADING
IN 1994 MONITORING PROGRAMME WAS REVISED, MONITORING FREQUENCY WAS INCREASED, SOME PARAMETRES WERE ADDED
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JOINT MONITORING PROGRAMME 2)
AT PRESENT THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME INCLUDES RIVERS FLOWING INTO LAKE LADOGA (VUOKSI, HIITOLANJOKI) AND TO THE BAY OF VYBORG IN THE GULF OF FINLAND (RAKKOLANJOKI, URPALANJOKI AND THE SAIMAA CANAL)
REGIONAL AUTHORITIES IN BOTH COUNTRIES CARRY OUT COLLECTION ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAMME AGREED ON BY THE COMMISSION. WATER QUALITY DATA ARE EXCHANGED BY E-MAIL AS SOON AS THEY ARE RECEIVED FROM THE LABORATORY.
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WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 1)
FINLAND REPORTS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DISCHARGE RULE FOR LAKE SAIMAA AND THE RIVER VUOKSI. THE OUTCOME IS DISCUSSED AND IF RELEVANT, COMPENSATION IS AGREED.
FINLAND PREPARES PROGNOSIS REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER REGIME FOR LAKE SAIMAA AND THE RIVER VUOKSI FOR THE COMING YEAR
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WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 2)
BOTH SIDES REPORT ANNUALLY ON THE REGULATION OF RIVERS HIITOLANJOKI AND JÄNISJOKI AND OF LAKES JÄNISJÄRVI AND INARI
BOTH SIDES INFORM ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1972 AGREEMENT (RAISING OF WATER LEVEL BETWEEN THE IMATRA AND SVETOGORSK POWER STATIONS)
BOTH SIDES INFORM ABOUT RELEVANT PROJECTS, PLANS AND DEVELOPMENTS
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THE DISCHARGE RULE
THE AIM IS TO PREVENT AND DIMINISH DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODS OR LOW WATER LEVELS
DISCHARGE VOLUMES CAN BE CHANGED RAPIDLY AND FLEXIBLY
WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER THREAT OF FLOODING, NORMAL DISCHARGE RATES AND NATURAL WATER LEVEL WILL BE RESUMED
IF DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY THE CHANGES OF DISCHARGE VOLUMES IT WILL BE COMPENSATED BY FINLAND
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The discharge rule ofLake Saimaa and River Vuoksi
1 m
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INFORMATION EXCHANGE RELATED TO THE DISCHARGE RULE 1)
Once a year the working group meeting is held for discussing the outcome of the implementation of the rule in the previous year.
Once a month a forecast of the water level for the next four months is sent to the Russian side.
Once a week the hydropower companies in the River Vuoksi are informed about the discharge for the coming week.
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INFORMATION EXCHANGE RELATED TO THE DISCHARGE RULE 2)
In case there will be a change in discharge, the Russian side and the power companies are informed.
If the discharge is expected to cause damage, the amount of discharge will be agreed on in consultation between the Parties.
Throughout the year information on water level, precipitation and water equivalent of snow is sent to the Russian side and directly to some institutions.
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WORKING GROUP ON FISHERIES
BOTH SIDES INFORM ON RELEVANT STUDIES AND RESULTS OF RESEARCH AIMED AT IMPROVING FISH STOCKS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
PLANS AND PROJECTS ARE NEEDED FOR MANAGING AND ENHANCING FISHERY
DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF FISH STOCKS
PREPARATION OF FISHERY GUIDELINES
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IMPORTANT PROJECTS
Several projects have been carried out in recent years which have produced a lot of useful information for the Commission's work. These have been funded from the TACIS CBC Programme and involved several local and regional authorities and organizations in both countries:
RUSSFINNONPOINT
VIVATVUOKSIA
VUOKSIAGAIN
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DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION REPORTS OF THE COMMISSION MEETING CONTAIN A LOT
OF INFORMATION (USUALLY SOME 20 ANNEXES) THESE REPORTS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO RELEVANT
AUTHORITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON REQUEST
USUALLY A PRESS RELEASE IS ISSUED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMISSION MEETING, OCCASIONALLY ALSO AT OTHER TIMES
INTERNET SITE FOR THE COMMISSION IS BEING PREPARED, SHOULD BE READY THIS YEAR• IN FINNISH, RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH
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TRENDS IN INFORMATION EXCHANGE
EXHANGE OF INFORMATION IS FASTER using fax, email, telephone automatic measuring and data transmission
between the power companies
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MORE AND EASIER ACCESS TO INFORMATION- real-time time forecasts on water level and
discharges from some measuring sites are available in the Internet
The forecast of water level and discharge of Lake Saimaa and Vuoksi River on the Russian territory and two smaller rivers flowing to the Vuoksi River on Russian territory can be seen and are updated daily in the Internet.
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IMPROVED PREPAREDNESS FOR EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS
a plan is under preparation on how to ensure information exchange within the Commission during exceptional situations
the hydropower companies have prepared a code system for information exchange by telefax to ensure that the message is understood e.g. in case of urgent need to change the discharge
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WIDER DISSEMINATION AND ECHANGE
Internet pages for the Commission being prepared
Information to and feedback from local people gathered
WWW.YMPARISTO.FI