komatina d. isrbc, integrated rbm the case of sava river rbm

Integrated RBM and River Restoration – The Case of the Sava River Basin

Dejan Komatina, Ph.D. Civ. Eng., Secretary, ISRBC

River Restoration Seminar, Ljubljana, 16-18 Nov 2011 2

Overview

• Introduction on the Sava river basin

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) and International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)

• Approach of the ISRBC

• Conclusion

• Contact information


Sava river basin


Sava river basin

– Area: 97 713 km2 (the second largest Danube sub-basin; share: 12%)

– Average flow at the mouth: 1722 m3/s (the largest Danube tributary; contribution: 25%)

– River length: 940 km (594 km of which is the waterway)

– Population: approx. 8.5 million

Country Share of the

basin (%) Share of the territory (%)

Albania 0.2 0.6

Bosnia & Herzegovina 39.2 75.8

Croatia 26.0 45.2

Montenegro 7.1 49.6

Serbia 15.5 17.4

Slovenia 12.0 52.8


Sava river basin

• High environmental and socio-economic value

– Natural beauty


Sava river basin


– High landscape diversity


Sava river basin


– High biological diversity (natural wetlands, parks, protected areas)


Sava river basin


– Large retention areas


Sava river basin


– Large retention areas

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Sava river basin


– High potential for transport of cargo and passengers


Sava river basin


– High potential for tourism and recreation


FASRB background

• “Low share” of the engineered parts of the rivers

• There is “not much” to restore

• There is “much” to preserve

• Strong need for economic development

• A balanced approach needed to use the potential and preserve the values simultaneously


FASRB

• Decay of Yugoslavia – a substantial challenge to WRM in the Sava river basin

– Sava river turned from the biggest national river of the former country into an international river

– Appropriate institutional framework for WRM ceased to exist

– WRM restricted to a national level

– New, international framework required for (T)WRM

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB)

– Signed in 2002, ratified in 2004

– The first development-oriented multilateral agreement in the region signed after the Agreement on Succession

– Implemented by the ISRBC (B&H, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia)


FASRB

• Key objective:

Transboundary cooperation

for sustainable development of the region

• Particular objectives – to establish:

– International regime of navigation

– Sustainable water management

– Sustainable management of hazards (floods, droughts, accidents, etc.)

• Provides the ISRBC with the broadest scope of work among European basin organizations (i.e. river/lake commissions)


ISRBC

• Coordination of:

– Development of joint / integrated plans for the SRB

• River Basin Management Plan (according to EU WFD)

• Flood Risk Management Plan (according to EU Flood Directive)

– Establishment of integrated systems for the SRB

• GIS (according to EU INSPIRE Directive and WISE)

• RIS (according to EU RIS Directive)

• Meteorological and Hydrological Data Exchange System

• Flood Forecasting and Warning System

• Accident Emergency Warning System (use of the ICDPR’s system)

– Preparation of development programs for the SRB

• Navigation

• River tourism

• Other water uses


• Coordination of (cont.):

– Harmonization of regulation (national EU)

– Creation of additional protocols to the FASRB

• Navigation regime

• Prevention of water pollution caused by navigation

• Flood protection

• Emergency situations

• Sediment management

• Transboundary impacts

• Cooperation / stakeholder involvement / public participation

ISRBC


• Majority of the ISRBC activities performed through implementation of projects

• All the projects agreed by the four countries

– New Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB

– Action Plan for the Period 2011-2015

• Full conformity with the EU directives and strategies

– EU directives (WFD, Flood Directive, INSPIRE, RIS)

– EU strategies (EU Strategy for the Danube Region, EU 2020 Strategy)

• Share of internationally funded projects increased to 80%

ISRBC projects


River basin management

• Current activities

– First Sava RBM Plan (EU WFD)

– Protocol on Sediment Management

– Protocol on Transboundary Impact

– Climate Adaptation Plan for the Sava River Basin


River basin management

• Planned projects

– Preparation and implementation of the Sava RBM Plan

• Implementation of the 1st Sava RBM Plan and its Programme of Measures

• Preparation of the 2nd Sava RBM Plan

– Examination of environmental status of sediment, water and biota in the Sava river basin

– Implementation of the Climate adaptation plan for the Sava river basin

• Period of implementation: 2012 – 2015 and beyond

• All the projects included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube Strategy as examples of projects


Flood management

• Preparation of the Sava FRM Plan (EU Flood Directive)

– Protocol on flood protection to the FASRB (signed in 2010)

– Hydrological model of the SRB and the hydraulic model of the SR

– Linking FRM and the climate change assessment in the SRB



Accident prevention and control

• Accident Emergency Warning System

– Participation in testing of the existing system of the ICPDR

– Efforts to improve the work of PIACs in the Sava countries

• Draft Protocol on Emergency Situations to the FASRB

• Water Pollution Contingency Management Plan

– Project included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube Strategy

– Period of implementation: 2012 – 2014


Sava GIS

• Initial phase of the Sava GIS establishment

– Performed in accordance with the Sava GIS Strategy

– To be finalized in 2012

– Funding for the initial phase secured

• EC grant

• Contributions of the Parties

• Completion of the Sava GIS

– Included in the Action Plan of EU Danube Strategy

– Implementation period: 2012 – 2015 and beyond


Hydro-meteorological issues

• Hydro-meteorological data exchange system

• Hydrological Yearbook of the Sava River Basin (the first since 1986)

• Planned projects (2012 – 2015)

– Development of the Flood Forecasting and Warning System for the Sava River Basin

– Hydrological Study for the Sava River Basin (the first since 1976)


Navigation development

• Rehabilitation of the waterway infrastructure

– Planning phase under finalization (studies, design)

– Waterway marking system restoration

3.5 – 9.6 million tonnes

3 - 8 million

5.8 – 15.5 million tonnes 7.8 – 20.8 million tonnes

Sisak Bosanski Brod Brcko Belgrade



• Improvement of navigation safety and technical standards (reduction of the risk of water pollution caused by navigation)

– Rules harmonized with the EU and UNECE regulation

– Protocol on prevention of water pollution caused by navigation to the FASRB

– Development of RIS



• Integration with environmental protection

– Involvement in processes / projects on Danube and EU level

– Involvement in the ISRBC activities

• Sava RBM Plan

• Climate Adaptation Plan

• Sediment Management Plan



• Activities planned

– Rehabilitation of the Waterway on the Sava River

• Detailed design (Belgrade – Sisak)

• EIA study (Belgrade – Račinovci)

• Execution of river training works

• Period of implementation: 5-6 years

– Further Development of the Sava RIS


– Establ. of the Ship Waste Management System on the Sava River

• Period of implementation: 5 years (2014 – 2019)


Hydropower development

• Joint Statement on guiding principles for hydropower development and env. protection to be developed

– Process launched by the ICPDR (ISRBC involved)

– Replication of the Joint Statement process on navigation (ICPDR, DC, ISRBC)


Tourism development

• Nautical and Tourism Guide of the Sava River


Tourism development

• Activities planned

– Preparation of the Master Plan for Development of River Tourism in the Sava River Basin

• Period of implementation: 2011 – 2013

– Development of the infrastructure for river tourism



Other developments

• Planned project

– Fostering contribution of the SME sector to sustainable development of the Sava River Basin

• Development of the infrastructure and facilities for river tourism (e.g. nautical tourism, recreation, fishing) in the Sava river basin

• Development of projects related to food production and fish farming in the Sava river basin

• Development of small hydropower plants in the Sava river basin

• Contribution of the SME sector to waste water and manure treatment in the Sava river basin

• Development of small shipyards and ports in the Sava river basin



Public participation

• “Sava NewsFlash” bulletin (bilingual publication in English and an official language of the ISRBC)

• Brochures and publications

• ISRBC web-site

• Press-releases

• Press-conferences & media briefings

• Consultation workshops

• Public presentations



• Sava Day (1 June)



• Photo-exhibition “Sava river – nature, people and culture”



• Project “Our beautiful Sava”



• Sava Fairs


Public Participation

• A number of mechanisms established so far

• A top-down approach dominated in the initial phase of work

• The existing top-down approach to be enriched by introducing a bottom-up component (according to the new Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB)

• Establishment of the Sava Water Partnership – platform to involve the governmental, non-governmental, academic and business sector (feasibility study under development)


Commitment of the Parties

• Sessions of the ISRBC

• Meetings of the Parties

• Other high-level meetings


Added value

• Key features of the approach

– Cohesive, providing conditions for:

• Cooperation of the countries after the conflict

• Implementation of joint, mutually agreed, basin-wide projects

• Harmonization of national regulation, methodologies, procedures, …

– Integrated (whole basin; sustainability and development)

– Transparent (public participation)

– Aligned with the EU and UNECE regulation (EU directives, UNECE conventions)

– Subregional (“finer resolution” and complementarity of results with those on the regional scale)

– Pragmatic and practical (offering concrete “products” to the Parties)


Added value

• Relevance to EU strategies

– EU Danube Strategy

– EU 2020 Strategy

• Interest of other regions

– Other parts of South-Eastern Europe

– Mediterannean region

– Western Europe

– Central Asia


Challenges

• Differences between the countries

– EU membership status

– Eligibility for approaching funds

– Level of economic development (financial resources)

– Organizational structure in decision-making process

– Environmental awareness of the public

• Financing priority projects / strategic studies, establishment of integrated systems

• Resolving conflicts of interests of different users of water (transboundary level / national level / climate change)


Challenges

• Lack of human and financial resources of the Parties

• Limited access to basic data (topographic, hydrologic, etc.)

• Twofold legal capacity of the ISRBC – Making decisions (obligatory for the countries) in the field of navigation

– Providing recommendations in the field of water management

• In some countries

– Lack of appropriate institutional arrangements

– Lack of harmonization of the legislation with the EU acquis


Conclusion

• The FASRB implementation is:

– demanding, in terms of

• need for resources of the Parties

• need for continuous, joint efforts of the Parties

– perceived by the Parties as a process providing multiple benefits

– making a steady progress toward the key objective – sustainable development of the region within the basin

– an interesting example of the integrated RBM and river restoration ?

– a good practice example ???


Contact information

International Sava River Basin Commission

Kneza Branimira 29

10000 Zagreb

Croatia

www.savacommission.org

komatina d. isrbc, integrated rbm the case of sava river rbm

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