EPIRB project team leader Timothy Turner, with a university degree in civil andstructural engineering and another in zoology, has been involved in waterresources planning for more than 20 years. He has managed water resourceand environmental projects and programmes in Russia, the Black Sea, theCaspian Sea, the Kura-Aras basin, the Arctic and Central Asia.

“Assisting in the construction and operation of effective regulatory andmanagement frameworks for natural resources may not sound exciting,but I assure you it is,” says Turner. “It is hard work and you have to becommitted, but if you succeed in moving forward, even by one small step, thenat the end of the day your spirits are lifted. The environmental sector ispopulated by some of the most hardworking, dedicated professionals I know.”

The EPIRB project follows up on EU work in the Black Sea and Caspian Seabasins on the implementation of integrated water resources management(IWRM), and specifically the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Turner hopesthat the implementation of pilot river basin management plans (RBMPs) willnot only result in cleaner waters, but also attract funding to the countries frommultilateral and bilateral donors and raise the profile of environmental issueson local and national political agendas.

“Cooperation between countries to tackle common and shared problemsis central to EPIRB project objectives,” claims Turner. “The pilot RBMPsprepared under this project are jigsaw pieces in a much larger regulatorypicture for the Black Sea basin. The IWRM concept is a lofty target, perhapseven a ‘nirvana’ concept that can never fully be reached, but it’s somethingwhich we have to strive for. At the heart of any IWRM programme isinstitutional reform. Water professionals need to work together and buildunderstanding and trust. This means that all stakeholders need to be involvedand participate in the exercise.”

Regional activities under the EPIRB project will support the implementationof both the UNECE Water Convention and the Danube Convention, and will lookto strengthen national commitment to these conventions via practicalassistance at country level.

“The key project deliverables will be the RBMPs developed in line withthe WFD, but they should not be seen as products of the project, but ratherproducts of the beneficiaries,” Turner concludes. “The plans are not meantto be pretty documents which decorate the bookshelves, but planning andimplementation tools which galvanise investment and ultimately leadto improved water quality and environment. This will be our aim overthe next two years.”

Striving for ‘nirvana’: EPIRBTeam Leader Timothy Turner

The project is fundedby the European Union

This project is implemented by a consortiumled by Hulla & Co. Human Dynamics KG

•CALL OF THE WILD: Turner hasmore than 20years of experience inmanaging water resourceand environmental programmes and projectsaround the world.

E P I R BEnvironmental Protection of International River Basins

Welcome to the inaugural issueof In the Flow, the official,twice-yearly newsletterof the EPIRB project.

In this and subsequent issues,In the Flow will report on achievedresults of EPIRB project activities,while also serving as a gateway forrelevant stakeholders and the generalpublic to learn more about the project.

Issue 1 ● August 2013 Newsletter of the Environmental Protection of International River Basins project

Mapping the territory:View profiles of the five selectedpilot river basins

3

A closer look: Joint field surveysare performed to gather surfacewater and groundwater data

4

• PRUT BASIN

Total area: 17,473.36 km2

Location: 8,123.35 km2 inMoldova; 9,350.01 km2 in western Ukraine

Characteristics: 5 national parks and several nature reserves , 1major wetland,and several Ramsar-listed lakes along the lower Prut.

Did you know? The Prut River starts from the south-western slope of MountGoverla of the ChernogoryMassif, and flows into the Danube River.

Pilot river basin profiles as selectedby leading beneficiary institutions

Prut Pilot Basin - Ukraine

Prut Pilot Basin - Moldova

Larger Prut Basin

Upper Dnieper Pilot - Belarus

EPIRB Pilot Basins Eastern Europe

Larger Dnieper Basin

Upper Dnieper Pilot - Ukraine

Lithuania

Belarus

RussianFederation

Ukraine

Moldova

Romania

• UPPER DNIEPER BASIN

Total area: 77,336.17 km2

Location: 67,295.35 km2 in Belarus; 10,040.82 km2 in northern Ukraine

Characteristics:Wide natural biodiversity and a variety of linked ecosystems,withmore than 90 fish species, 182 bird species and over 2,500 plant species.

Did you know? The Dnieper derives water frommany sources: snowwater(50%), groundwater (27%) and rain water (23%).

Larger Akhuryan - Kars Basin

Central Kura Pilot District - AZ

Larger Central Kura District

Chorokhi - Adjaristskali Pilot District

EPIRB Pilot Basins South Caucasus

Larger Chorokhi Basin

Akhuryan - Metsamor Pilot Basin

Black Sea

RussianFederation

Georgia

Turkey

ArmeniaAzerbaijan

Iran

• CENTRAL KURA BASIN

Total area: 6,188.10 km2

Location:Gandzha-Gazakh Economic Region in western Azerbaijan; 4mainrivers (Gandzhachay, Shamkirchay, Tovuzchay and Agstafachay)

Characteristics: 1 national park, 2 state nature reserves, and 4 statenature sanctuaries.

Did you know? Almost all rivers in the region are used for recreationand provide drinking water.

• AKHURYANWATER BASINMANAGEMENT AREA

Total area: 5,021.19 km2

Location: Akhuryan River Basin in western Armenia, borderedby theMetsamor River Basin

Characteristics: 30 raremammal types and 200 bird types; notable speciesinclude various waterfowl, panthers, Armenianmoufflon, Bezoar goatsand the red-listed Darevsky’s viper.

Did you know? Amplewater reserves and good climatic conditions allowagriculture and cattle breeding to be key components of the regional economy.

• CHOROKHI-ADJARISTSKALI BASIN

Total area: 2,478.84 km2

Location: South-western Georgia on the Black Sea coast

Characteristics: 2 national parks and several reserves; diverse flora and fauna,including rare varieties of relict and endemic species.

Did you know? No artificial reservoirs are currently operating in the pilotbasin, though many hydropower infrastructure development plans arein the works.

August 2013 ● Issue 1

BASIN PROFILES

The Dnieper River Basin Council (RBC) was established in 2011 as an advisory bodyto the State Agency for Water Resources in Ukraine. The Basin Management Authorityof Water Resources in the Dnieper, based in Vyshgorod, acts as Council Secretariat.

At a meeting held in Cherkassy on November 22, 2012, the Dnieper RBC’s main taskwas to discuss improvements in the management of environmental restoration of theDnieper Basin and the rational use of its water resources. Belarusian counterparts wereinvited to the meeting and were among the 45 people in attendance. Participantsdiscussed the roles and responsibilities of the Dnieper RBC with regard to EU practicesand the Water Framework Directive.

Another meeting in Cherkassy on May 23–24, 2013, concentrated on the conceptionand planning of Dnieper Day celebrations (July 4–5) and resulted in key decisions suchas: providing information on the hydromorphological, chemical and biological waterquality of water bodies during later stages of development of the pilot RBMP of theUpper Dnieper; legally establishing a transboundary working group (Ukraine andBelarus); and proposing to launch trilateral negotiations to reach a final agreement onthe text of the basin treaty. Also, the RBC deemed it appropriate to send a request toprovincial councils and governors to help organise Dnieper Day celebrations.

DNIEPER RIVER BASIN COUNCIL SPRINGS INTO ACTION

The National Coordination Committee(NCC), together with the RegionalSteering Committee, serves asan advisory mechanism for closecooperation between the EPIRB projectteam and beneficiary institutionsin carrying out project goals andobjectives. Three NCC meetings tookplace in the past 18 months.

The first NCC meeting in Armeniawas held in Yerevan on December 12,2012, and featured the presentationof a tentative work plan of upcomingproject activities in Armenia, namely:improving the hydro-, biological-,chemical- and hydro-morphologicalmonitoring and assessment of waterbodies; and developing joint RBMPs forselected river basins.

Georgia’s NCC was established onMay31, 2012, and the first EPIRB NCCworkshop in Georgia was held onMarch7, 2013, an event that took place jointlywith the EuropeanWater InitiativeNational Policy Dialogue for Georgia.Major steps for the development of theRiver Basin Analysis for the Chorokhi-Adjaristkali were presented, as wereongoing activities and future plans.

The first EPIRB NCCmeetingin Azerbaijan was held on June 6, 2013,in Baku. Its main purpose was to raiseproject awareness amongrepresentatives of key beneficiaryinstitutions and to discuss completedwork and follow-up tasks to be carriedout in Azerbaijan, such as RBMP analysisand water body analysis in the CentralKura pilot basin district.

TRIO OF NCCMEETINGS TAKES PLACE

Countries and regions needto manage their water basinsto minimise anthropogenic effectson water quality, and an efficientnational laboratory is an importanttool for doing so. Such laboratoriesregularly monitor and analyse waterconditions, organise and conducton-site water and sedimentsamplings, respond to waterpollution incidents, work to limitor reverse damage, and raise generalpublic awareness about key waterquality issues.

All of the six project countries havewater laboratories with differentcapabilities, and each does the mostit can with the resources providedto carry out vital activities. As a keypriority is to provide support to thesenational laboratories, the project’skey ecological and biological expert,Michael Jackman, has carried outtraining workshops and workedon site with staff in attemptsto address the following:

• narrowing gaps with regardto analytical equipment andstaff operations;

• training and assisting staffto ensure the credibility andacceptability of analytical results(ISO17025 accreditation);

• advising on laboratorymanagement;

• reviewing local expert supportfor water pollution control andanalysis; and

• assessing and training staff ontaking water samples accordingto international ISO standards.

Download the mission reports here:

http://blacksea-riverbasins.net/en/downloads-section

WATER QUALITY LABS INSIX PROJECT COUNTRIES

•SCI-TECH: All six project countries havewater labs, each with different capabilities.

•FULL OF LIFE: Lush vegetation crowds the banks of theMetsamor River in Armenia.

Issue 1 ● August 2013

EPIRB IN ACTION

A joint field survey (JFS) includes surveying, monitoring, sampling, equipmentprogramming and evaluation.

Groundwater joint field surveys and trainings were carried out this yearin three Caucasus countries—Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia—during April6–27, and in Moldova and Ukraine during May 14–25. Activities took placein the following pilot river basins: Akhuryan-Metsamor (Armenia), righttributaries of the Kura River (Azerbaijan), Chorokhi-Adjaristkali (Georgia),Prut (Moldova) and Upper Dnieper (Ukraine).

After obtaining a number of sampling materials and detailed topographicmaps of pilot basins, 20 groundwater points (wells and springs) were visitedand sampled in each pilot basin, and sampling point coordinates were fixedwith the GPS MAPS 62sc device. After conducting field parameter analyses,samples for each basin were delivered for laboratory analyses of main cations,anions and trace elements. The information will be used to fill in groundwaterdata gaps and for further classification of groundwater bodies.

Furthermore, 22 local experts have been trained to perform field workin compliance with EU QA/QC requirements.

Joint field surveys of surface waters in pilot basins of the Caucasussub-region took place in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia during June 10–29.The eventual goal of these efforts is to obtain data from each of three keysections of every surface-water object or river basin, namely: a) upstream riversections in order to demonstrate reference conditions in each basin (‘high’to ‘good’ ecological status); b) middle-flow sections where significant impactfrom human activities is still not clearly visible (‘good’ to ‘moderate’ status); andc) downstream flow sections or at crossing points with industry/agricultureand highly populated areas to demonstrate changes in ecological status(from ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’ or ‘bad’ ecological status).

Since water quality monitoring practice has severely limited the amountof available monitoring data in the selected pilot areas, the first priority of thisyear’s JFS was to sample and analyse hydro-biological, physical-chemical andhydro-morphological quality elements for potentially ‘high’ and ‘good’ ecologicalstatus of the identified water bodies. Any further examinations of water bodieswith inferior classifications will be carried out at the next JFS during summer 2014.

Based on the results of this year’s survey, it is possible that the project maychange reference point locations for next year to ensure complianceof sampling locations with EU WFD requirements.

Local experts collect datafrom pilot river basin sites

•QUEST FOR DATA: A project expert assists a local biology expert in taking water samplesduring a joint field survey in Georgia.

MOVING FORWARD CALENDAR

In the Flow is available on the web at:www.blacksea-riverbasins.net

For a free subscription to In the Flow EPIRBproject newsletter please send amessage towmt@rec.org

Editors: Imola Koszta •Nathan JohnsonContributors: Timothy Turner• Zurab Jincharadze • R.Michael Jackman• Ivelina DilovskaDesign, layout and graphs: Juan TornerosCopyediting and proofreading:Nathan JohnsonPhotographs: EPIRB partnersPublisher: The Regional Environmental Centerfor Central and Eastern Europe

Legal notice: The views expressed in this publicationare the sole responsibility of the Human DynamicsConsortium implementing the project and can in no waybe taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

© 2013 – Regional Environmental Center for Centraland Eastern Europe

• Aug. 26, 20132nd Surface Water Joint Field Survey.Upper Dnieper

• Sept. 17, 2013Expert meeting: Ecological monitoringprogramme in Caucasus. Tbilisi, Georgia

• Sept. 18-19, 20132nd Regional Steering Committee.Tbilisi, Georgia

• Sept. 24, 20132nd NCCmeeting. Yerevan, Armenia

• Oct. 9, 2013Bilateral technical seminar (Ukraine /Belarus): Water quality standards.Kiev, Ukraine

• Oct. 10, 2013Dnieper Day celebrations. Kiev, Ukraine

• Nov. 11, 20131stNCCmeeting. Chisinau, Moldova

• Nov. 21-22, 2013Technical workshop: WFD-compliantmonitoring programmes. Chisinau, Moldova

• Nov. 27, 20131stNCCmeeting. Kiev, Ukraine

• Nov. 28, 2013Technical workshop: RBM planning.Kiev, Ukraine

• Nov. 29, 20131stNCCmeeting. Minsk, Belarus

• Dec. 4, 20132nd NCCmeeting. Tbilisi, Georgia

• Dec. 6, 20132nd NCCmeeting. Baku, Azerbaijan

• Dec. 17, 2013Regional workshop: TransboundaryCommissions. Kiev, Ukraine

For final dates please consult the online EPIRB calendar,available at www.blacksea-riverbasins.net

August 2013 ● Issue 1