Romanian Experiences with Monitoring and Water Quality Through Agricultural Pollution Control Project (Nicolau)

Romanian Experiences with Monitoring and Water Quality Through Agricultural Pollution Control Project

Estefan NicolauAPCP Romania

Ankara, TurkeyOctober 23-25, 2007

Project Interventions

At project area level:

A detailed water quality monitoring network

Rehabilitation of the water and soil quality monitoring laboratories

Measuring results of nutrient pollution control interventions

• Monitoring the nutrients concentration into the surface and ground water and review of eutrophical state of the surface waters at regular intervals.

• Use of indirect measurement methods.

Options:

Measuring nutrients concentration into the ground and surface waters

Strong points:– It shows the actual

quality of the ground and surface waters at designated measuring stations.

Weak points:– The existing sampling

stations could be not representative for project interventions.

– The frequency of measurements could not catch stochastic events as storm rains, snow melting or variable factors as fertilizers or manure applications.

– The trend of nutrient concentration does not reflect only the project interventions.

– It is expensive.

Nitrate concentration in Piezometers

Piezometer P5

0.000

5.000

10.000

15.000

20.000

25.000

01.0

9.03

01.1

1.03

01.0

1.04

01.0

3.04

01.0

5.04

01.0

7.04

01.0

9.04

01.1

1.04

01.0

1.05

01.0

3.05

01.0

5.05

01.0

7.05

01.0

9.05

01.1

1.05

01.0

1.06

01.0

3.06

01.0

5.06

01.0

7.06

Testing Date

NO

3 -

mg

/l

NO3

Piezometer P8

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

01.0

9.03

01.1

1.03

01.0

1.04

01.0

3.04

01.0

5.04

01.0

7.04

01.0

9.04

01.1

1.04

01.0

1.05

01.0

3.05

01.0

5.05

01.0

7.05

01.0

9.05

01.1

1.05

01.0

1.06

01.0

3.06

01.0

5.06

01.0

7.06

Testing Date

NO

3 -

mg

/l

NO3

Drinking water quality

Water Well C18

0.000

20.000

40.000

60.000

80.000

100.000

120.000

24.1

1.03

24.0

1.04

24.0

3.04

24.0

5.04

24.0

7.04

24.0

9.04

24.1

1.04

24.0

1.05

24.0

3.05

24.0

5.05

24.0

7.05

24.0

9.05

24.1

1.05

24.0

1.06

24.0

3.06

Testing Date

NO

3 -

mg

/l

NO3

Why use the indirect measurement methods?

• Are based on extensive scientific research.

• Allow assessment of total results of a variety of diverse interventions.

• Are cheap and offer good accuracy.

• Allow for quantitative estimate in terms of nutrient pollution reduction using the survey results.

• Allow for forecasting of results of new projects implementing the same nutrient pollution control interventions.

Before Project (Year 2000)

Total manure (tons):

Of which:

Use Comments% tons

80,184

2 1,604As fertilizers in the back yard vegetable garden

Good practice, reduced looses

98 78,850Mixed with household waste and dumped in unauthorized places

The entire quantity of nutrients is lost

Nutrients (kg/t)

N P K

6 3.5 8

Nutrients in fresh manure

Year 2006 (Project year 5)

Total manure (tons):

Of which:

Use Comments% tons

80,184

5 4,009As fertilizers in the back yard vegetable garden

Good practice, reduced looses

29 22,950Manure applied as fertilizer on agricultural lands

Good practice. Only the nutrients that are not available to plants are lost

66 53,225

Still unmanaged manure, source of pollution, due to the inappropriate behavior of some farmers

The entire quantity of nutrients is lost

According the monitoring surveys and the communes’ reports, the use of the manure during the year 2006 was as follows:

Reduction of nutrients discharge into the waters in the year 2006, due to manure management interventions at commune and household levels:

N (t/year) P (t/year) K (t/year)

Nutrients subject to leaching WITHOUT PROJECT (t/year)

473.41 276.15 631.21

Nutrients subject to leaching PY5 - 2006 (t/year)

389.57 194.83 489.59

Reduction of nutrients discharge into the ground and surface waters in year 2006 (t/year)

83.84 81.32 141.62

Total reduction of the nutrients discharge into the waters in the Project area, in the year 2006, as result of appropriate Manure Management and use of the

Code of Good Agricultural Practices:

Reduction of nutrients discharge into the ground and surface waters in year

2006 (t/year)

From manure and factory made fertilizers used into the Project area

N (t) P (t) K (t)

128.6 110.8 141.7

Effectiveness of investmentDemonstrations measured in terms of actual stress reduction (N reduction) achieved at the project site(s)

Estimate of impact achievable through country-wide application of new approach (to all NVZs)

Extrapolation to the entire watershed

Measurable during project lifetime

Due to lag time of response, changes in environmental status in the target water-body will only be detected well beyond project completion

Stress reduction Environmental status

Source: Andrea Merla – GEF Secretariat

N (tons)

P (tons)

K (tons)

Present situation:Total nutrients looses into the aquatic system (tones/year)

15,350 8,950 20,460

After Project implementation (year 2013):Total nutrients looses into the aquatic system (tones/year)

11,010 5,255 15,585

Forecasted reduction of nutrients looses into the aquatic system (tones/year) 4,340 3,695 4,875

Estimation of the impact achievable through application of manure management and use of the Code of Good Agricultural Practices to all NVZs

Lessons learned that could be transferred to help other GPA – Partnership in order to achieve similar results

The Recipe of a Smooth and Successful Implementation

- Strong support of the central coordinating authority and the World Bank counterparts;

- Permanent contacts and substantial involvement of the local authorities

- Total commitment of the Project beneficiaries

- Timely and appropriate guidance from the National and Local Coordination Committees

- GEF, GOR and Local funds available on timely basis

- A knowledgeable and dedicated Project Implementation Team.

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

Project Management Unit “Agricultural Pollution Control”

Tel: +40.741.242.002; E-mail: [email protected]; www.apcp.ro