Ivan Zavadsky presents the GEF Danube-Black Sea Strategic Partnership for Nutrient Reduction at GPA IGR-2 Partnership Day, October 17, 2006.

1. THE DANUBE – BLACK SEA REGION
» 81 Mio Inhabitants in the
Danube Basin;
» 16 Mio Inhabitants – Black
Sea Coast;
» 21 Countries with diverse
cultures, economic and
social background;
» Pollution of the Black Sea
by nutrients – degradation
of ecosystems, reduced
biodiversity, economic loss.

2. Relevance of the GEF D–BS Partnership to GPA
Priority issues and problems
» Nutrients and eutrophication - nitrogen and phosphorus
loads to the Black Sea;
» Sewage - Inputs of insufficiently treated sewage result
in the presence of microbiological contaminants;
» Oil pollution - Significant amounts of oil enter the
environment from land-based sources and activities (as
well as from vessel discharges);
» Unregulated coastal development.

3. Pollution Control in the Danube-Black Sea Region
Cooperation related to GPA implementation
» GEF Support: GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic
Partnership and TDA/SAP Process ;
» Two regional Conventions and Commissions:
» Danube Convention and the ICPDR;
» Black Sea Convention – BSC;
» ICPDR/BSC Memorandum of Understanding;
» LBSA Protocol to the Bucharest Convention;
» EU Directives, EU Marine Strategy.

4. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
» To reduce pollution of the Black Sea and recover its
ecosystems;
» Activities aimed at new policies, legal mechanisms and
measures development, institutional strengthening,
investment projects and stakeholder involvement.

5. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
Stress Reduction Targets
» Danube:
» 22% reduction in P emissions and 33% reduction in
N emissions by 2005 of 1996 baseline level.
» Black Sea:
» To avoid exceeding nutrient loads of 1997;
» To reduce nutrients loads allowing Black Sea
ecosystems to recover to conditions similar to those
observed in the 1960s.

6. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
Two regional projects
» Danube Regional Project;
» Black Sea Ecosystems Recovery projects.

7. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
World Bank Nutrient Reduction Investment Fund
» US$70M GEF grants implemented through the World
Bank;
» Combination of investments and policy reforms in
individual countries;
» Focused on nutrient reduction from municipal, industrial
and agricultural sources;
» Access to international best practice;
» Catalytic effect among donors - Leveraging over
US$210M of co-financing.

8. COOPERATION IN THE DANUBE RIVER BASIN
Danube River Protection Convention – DRPC
» The legal frame for co-operation to assure protection of
water and ecological resources and their sustainable use
in the Danube River Basin.
» Objectives:
» sustainable and equitable water management;
» conservation, improvement and the rational use of waters;
» Control of waste waters discharges, inputs of nutrients and
hazardous substances from sources of emissions;
» Control of floods and ice hazards;
» Control of accident hazards (warning & prevention);
» Reduction of pollution loads of the Black Sea from sources
in the Danube catchment area.

9. Cooperation in the Black Sea Basin
Convention on the Protection of the Black
Sea Against Pollution
» The legal frame for co-operation to assure protection of
water and ecological resources and their sustainable use
in the Black Sea Basin,
» Key Objectives:
» Prevent, reduce and control pollution from land-based
sources;
» Prevent, reduce and control pollution of marine
environment from vessels, from emergency situations;
» Prevent, reduce and control pollution caused by activities
on continental shelf, incl. exploration & exploitation of
natural resources;
» Protect the biodiversity and marine living resources;
» Provide framework for scientific and technical cooperation
and monitoring activities.

10. Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution
LBA Protocol
» The Protocol on Protection of the Black Sea Marine
Environment Against Pollution from Land Based Sources
was adopted in 1992 and entered into force in 1994.
» Revised BS LBSA Protocol prepared by BSC with support
from BSERP and GPA Coordination Office and UNEP
ROE, presented to the BS Commission meeting in Feb
2006.

11. Integrated Coastal Zone Management
BSERP activities relevant to GPA
» Feasibility study on ICZM Protocol;
» The concepts and guidelines for ICZM are incorporated
in the national strategies and local planning;
» A Pilot Project to test Concept and guidelines for ICZM
(developed by BSC/Tacis);
» Strengthening the capacity of BSC to coordinate the
ICZM planning process.

12. The EU Marine Strategy
Current Challenges
» Protection and conservation of the marine environment;
» Achieving good environmental status of the EU’s marine
waters by 2021;
» The marine strategies will contain:
» assessment of environmental status;
» clear environmental targets;
» programme of cost-effective measures;
» Fully consistent with the EU WFD.

13. Cooperation in the Black Sea Basin
The way forward to GPA
» Work programme for implementation of the Black Sea
Land-Based Activities Protocol to the Convention
approved by the Commission;
» Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy
approved by the Commission;
» Fisheries legally binding document under negotiation.

14. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
GPA related experience
» Involvement of UNEP/GPA from the earliest stages;
» the LBSA Protocols to be coordinated with the current
legislative and institutional set-up;
» Importance of the national ownership of the process
from beginning;
» Strong regional institutional support needed.

15. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
GPA related experience
Implementation of GPA :
» Requires considerable finances;
» Should be built-in into national programmes;
» Requires realistic measures.

16. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
General experience
» Robust decisions are based on good information.
» Public perception and/or alternative drivers are critical
to ensuring success.
» Present sensible targets: challenging, but not over-
ambitious. Timing is crucial.
» Not the only player in town; co-operation is the
lifeblood of success.

17. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
General experience
» Source apportionment studies are invaluable, but the
same methodology must be used by all participants.
» Over a short-intermediate timescale, P export is easier
to tackle than N export.
» Point source nutrient emissions are “easier” to tackle
than diffuse source emissions.

18. ACHIEVEMENTS
» Reduced nutrients – upper Danube;
» Reduced P discharges from Danube;
» Reduced anoxic conditions NW Black Sea;
» Increased zoobenthos diversity NW Black Sea.

19. 0
200
400
600
800
1948-1959
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
DIN(kt/y).
DIN (Q corr.) kt/y DIN kt/y Almazow
linear trend
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1948-1959
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
DIN(kt/y).
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Flow(m
3
/s)
DIN kt/y TNMN/Buch.Decl.
DIN kt/y Almazow
Danube discharge m3
linear trend
0
20
40
60
80
100
1948-1959
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
TotalP(kt/y).
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Flow(m
3
/s).
P kt/y TNMN/Buch.Decl. P kt/y Almazow
Danube discharge m3 linear trend
0
20
40
60
80
1948-1959
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
TotalP(kt/y).
Total P (Q corr.) kt/y Total P kt/y Almazow
Actual
loads
Flow –
corrected
loads
Inorganic N Total P
Danube loads to Black Sea

20. 0
3
6
9
1960s
1983-
1990
1991-
2000
2001-
2005
Biomass(g/m
3
)
0
20
40
60
1960s
1988
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
NumberofTaxasec
2
3
4
5
966
972
980
986
996
002
log10abundance(number/l).
1967-2005 data set
1997-2005 data set
Linear (1967-2005 data set)
Linear (1997-2005 data set)
Phytoplankton Zoobenthos
Zooplankton
?
Phyllophora/Fisheries
Ecological status of Black Sea

21. REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS
» Political will – countries collaborate;
» Legal framework – convention;
» Strong institution – e.g. ICPDR;
» Long-term support – e.g. UNDP/GEF projects.

22. GEF Danube – Black Sea Strategic Partnership
Next steps to implement GPA
» Draft LBSA Protocol to be finalized by 2007;
» LBSA Protocol reflected in the revised Black Sea
Strategic Action Plan;
» LBSA Protocol to be signed at the next Ministerial
Conference (2008).

23. Thank you for your attention!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.icpdr.org
www.blacksea-commission.org
www.undp-drp.org
www.bserp.org