ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION WITHIN THE BLACK SEA COMMISSION STATUS, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS Volodymyr Myroshnychenko, Project Expert Permanent Secretariat.

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION WITHIN

THE BLACK SEA COMMISSION

STATUS, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS

Volodymyr Myroshnychenko, Project ExpertPermanent Secretariat

Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

www.blacksea-commission.org

Black Sea OUTLOOK ConferenceOdessa, UkraineNovember 1-4, 2011

Content• Legal framework• Institutional framework• Monitoring• Reporting• Challenges • Solutions and targets• Recommendations

LEGAL FRAMEWORK

Bucharest Convention

In April 1992 six Black Sea countries (Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) signed and shortly thereafter ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) with its (three) integrated protocols.

Bulgaria Georgia Romania Russian Federation

Turkey Ukraine

Obligations of Contracting Parties General obligation: to prevent, reduce and control the pollution in the Black Sea in order to protect and preserve the marine environment and to provide legal framework for co-operation and concerted actions to fulfill this obligation.

To protect the biodiversity and the marine living resources;

To provide framework for scientific and technical co-operation and monitoring activities.

The Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the

Black Sea

• Signed on October 31, 1996 (commemorated as the Black Sea Day)

• Adopted by all Black Sea countries

• Updated in 2009• Ecosystem approach

SAP-1996: Assessment and monitoring of pollutants• A Black Sea Monitoring System, based upon biological effects

measurements and measurements of key contaminants, will be established in compliance with the Bucharest Convention.

• A “State of Pollution of the Black Sea” report will be prepared and published every five years, beginning 2006. It will be based on the data collected through the coordinated pollution monitoring and assessment programmes.

• Data regarding actual and assessed contaminant discharge measurements for point sources, rivers, and, where possible, diffuse sources, shall be compiled and freely exchanged beginning 2002 on an annual basis. It is advised that the Advisory Group Control of Pollution from Land Based Sources make these compilations in future.

SAP-2009: Develop/improve the existing monitoring system to provide comparable data sets for pollutant loads (from direct discharges and river inputs) and for other parameters.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Black Sea Commission• Intergovernmental body for promoting the implementation of

the provisions of Bucharest Convention, its protocols and Strategic Action Plan

• The regional focal point for any aspects of the coastal and marine environment of the Black Sea

• Made up of 6 Commissioners (one for each coastal country) and a chairman`

• Chairmanship for one year and rotates between coastal countries

BSC Structure

MONITORING

Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (BSIMAP)

• Implemented since 2001.•Build on established national monitoring programmes•Operational•Last version of BSIMAP was adopted in 2006.

BSIMAP Pollution Monitoring Network

National institutions involved

Bulgaria Regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas

Georgia Environment Pollution Monitoring Department, MoEP

RomaniaNational Institute for Marine Research & Development; Water Directorate Dobrogea Litoral – Constanta

Russian Federation

Socchi Hydrometeorological Centre, Tuapse Roshydromet Monitoring Laboratory, Southern Branch of SIO RAS

Turkey MoEF, Istanbul University

Ukraine UkrSCES , State Ecological Inspection of the North-West region of the Black Sea (MENR)

BSIMAP monitoring requirements (1) Sampling media: water

Parameters: nutrients, oxygen, physical & chemical parameters, petroleum hydrocarbons, suspended solidsFrequency: 4 times per year

Sampling media: sedimentsParameters: organic contaminants,

heavy metalsFrequency: 1 time per year

Sampling media: biotaParameters: organic contaminants,

heavy metalsFrequency: 1 time per year

BSIMAP monitoring requirements (2) Problem: response of biodiversity on pollution and

destruction of habitatsMandatory parameters Frequency

Chl a 4Phytoplankton 4Mesozooplankton 4Biomass of Noctiluca 4Macrophytobenthos 1Macrozoobenthos 1Fish landing (annually) 1Fish stocks (optional, annually) 1

Monitoring of pressures:BSIMAP LBS component

Complementary to the Pollution Monitoring, the BSIMAP LBS component includes monitoring of pollution loads from LBS, including:•River discharges•Industrial discharges•Municipal (WWTP) dischargesThe emphasis is given to the Pollution Hot Spots.

Hot spots

Parameters• BOD5• Total Nitrogen (TN)• Total Phosphorus (TP)• Total Suspended Solids (TSS) • Flow (Q)• Heavy metals• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

REPORTING

ReportingWho: National Focal Points / Members of Advisory

GroupsWhat: Different parameters of the Black Sea ecosystem

state, pressures, impacts, measures, changes in legislation/policy, programs, investments, etc. 1. PMA (pollution in water, sediments, biota)2. LBS (pollution loads)3. CBD (phyto- and zoo-plankton, conservation status…)4. ESAS (ship traffic, oil spilled during accidents, fines…)5. ICZM (state of the coast and management)6. FOMLR (stocks, landings, fishing fleet, measures…)

When: annually (in Autumn), data for previous yearHow: in standardized formats

Data flow

Implementing agencies and laboratories

National ministries and agencies BSC focal points

BSC PS BSIS (Black Sea Information System)

Users: scientists, decision-makers,

public

Standardized format

Usage of monitoring data & informationState of

Environment reporting (SoE)

Transboundary diagnostic analysis

Impact assessments of major pollutant

sources

Assesment of SAP implementation

and SAP revision

Monitoring data &

information

BSIS

GIS, mapping

Trend analysis

CHALLENGES

Analysis of official data reportingItem/State BG RO GE RU TU UA How many Institutions are responsible for reporting?

7 3 6 7 3 5

Major gaps in reporting

Pollution data – water, sediments,

biota No gaps

Pollution data – water, sed.

biota; Biodiv. and Fishery data

Biodiver. and Fishery data; Pollution in

sediments and biota

Biodiver. data Pollution in

sediment and biota

Major reason for gaps in reporting

Poor coordination N/A Financial Poor coordination Poor coordination Financial

Quality of data good excellent good good excellent since

2005 excellent

How can be the reporting improved?

Improved coordination

between Ministries and by

stable financial assistance for

monitoring

N/A By stable

financial assist. for monitoring

By improved coordination

between Ministries,

Agencies and simplified

organization of monitoring

By improved coordination

between MoEF and scientific institutions

By stable financial

assist. for monitor.

Can the data be used for scientific ecosystem analyses in TDA and SoE reports?

Only for water quality, biodiv.,

etc., not suitable to EA

Yes

Only for water quality, biodiv.,

etc., not suitable to EA

Only for water quality, biodiv.,

etc., not suitable to EA

Only for water quality, biodiv.,

etc., not suitable to EA

Only for water quality, biodiv.,

etc., not suitable to EA

Can the data be used for SAP IR?

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Source: ‘Diagnostic Report’ to guide improvements to the regular reporting process on the state of the Black Sea environment”

Suitability of data for calculating indicators

Indicator group Indicators/Parameters In BSIS Outside

BSIS

Eutrophication

Nutrients Y YChl-a (in-situ) limited YTransparency limited YHypoxia (dis. oxygen) Y YAlga blooms Y YMacroalgae limited limited

Contamination

Concentrations in sea water Y Y-:- in biota limited --:- in sediments limited -

Biological effects not considered yet -

Biodiversity

Species composition (zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthos, fish, seagrass) limited YPopulation abundance & biomass limited YNon-indigenous species Y Y

Source: ‘Diagnostic Report’ to guide improvements to the regular reporting process on the state of the Black Sea environment”

•Insufficient time-series data in BSIS for trend analysis

Reasons for data gaps (1)• Mandatory parameters of BSIMAP are often not

covered • Recommended frequency of observations is not

always observed• Gaps in countries’ monitoring programs: the

monitoring is mainly not integrated• Different approach in assessment of environmental

status • Pure coordination between responsible authorities• Insufficient financial support of monitoring

Reasons for data gaps (2)

• Gaps in data availability (i.e. data have not been collected due to some reasons)

• Gaps in data reporting (i.e. data are available in the country but due to lack of inter-agency coordination did not became available to AG members for including in reports)

• Besides, the Focal Points have no dedicated time in their ToRs officially to work for the BSC

Suitability of data for calculating indicators

Indicator group Indicators/Parameters In BSIS Outside

BSIS

Eutrophication

Nutrients Y YChl-a (in-situ) limited YTransparency limited YHypoxia (dis. oxygen) Y YAlga blooms Y YMacroalgae limited limited

Contamination

Concentrations in sea water Y Y-:- in biota limited --:- in sediments limited -

Biological effects not considered yet -

Biodiversity

Species composition (zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthos, fish, seagrass) limited YPopulation abundance & biomass limited YNon-indigenous species Y Y

Time-series data in for trend analysis limited Y

SOLUTIONS AND TARGETS

Improvement of monitoring • Strengthening of existing program: mandatory parameters

covered, monitoring frequencies observed• Further harmonization of monitoring program:

–Meet requirement of new SAP and LBS protocol, –Coherence with MSFD and WFD–Common understanding of Good Environmental Status (GES) and

indicators–Further development of guidelines, inter-comparison exercises, etc.

• Proper geographical coverage, networks development• Sustain stations and transects with long-terms observations• Sustainable quality control and assurance

Utilizing capacities of all marine organizations in the Region

BSIMAP Monitoring Institutions Marine Organizations in the Black Sea region*

*Black Sea Scene website

The network of reporting institutions in the Black Sea should be further developed

Utilizing capacities of data exchange networks – BlackSeaScene

SeaDataNet standards of interoperability34 data providers~160,000 measurements> 40 data categoriesWater column temperature and salinity

126969

Dissolved gases 33659Nutrients 25468Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus 24907

All Nutrients

Nutrients for period 2006-2010 (2725)

Utilizing capacities of data exchange networks – EMODNet

EMODNet – European Marine Observation and Data Network Preparatory Actions:•Hydrography1

•Geology•Chemistry1,2

•Biology2

•HabitatsNew portal:•Physical Parameters1,2

___________________________________________________

1Based on SeaDataNet standards of interoperability2Includes Black Sea

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for improving data management within BSC

• The regional data base (BSIS) should become fully operational on-line, GIS-enabled, interoperable and linked with other marine/environmental data and information networks (EMODNET, BlackSeaScene etc)

• The work carried out within the BSIMAP should become transparent through renewed BSIS

• BSIS should be proposed as the permanent domain for any data in the region produced by projects

• Data policy should be developed and sustained by the BSC in relation to major data-holders in the Black Sea region

Steps undertaken• The regional Mnemiopsis Database hosted by BSC PS is part of

the BlackSeaScene infrastructure since 2010• The interoperable GIS enabled Regional Pollution Data Base is

being developed in framework of the Baltic2Black* project by the RAC PMA

• The MONINFO system based on OGC interoperability standards (WMS, WFS…) for sharing spatial data

* Baltic2Black is a joint BSC+HELCOM project financed by DG Environment

Further data needFor wider assessments (sensu MSFD, Annex III) BSIS has to be extended with data on:•physical oceanography; •sedimentology; •marine geology;•erosion, etc.

Further data needs (2)Due to large catchment area as compared to its own area, the Black Sea is very vulnerable to pressure from land based human activities and its health is equally dependent from the coastal and non-coastal states of its basin. Due to the same reason Black Sea is vulnerable to climate change.Black Sea catchment

Identifications of drivers of pressures on the Black Sea environment from LBSA requires knowledge on processes in watershed this require cooperation and data exchange with relevant programs and projects: ICPDR, SEIS, EnviroGRIDS.

Accessibility to all available data and information

is a priority issue

Thank you for your attention

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