UNESCO-ROSTE, INWEB WORKSHOP on

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UNESCO-ROSTE, INWEBWORKSHOPonTransboundary
Water Bodies in the Balkan Region

• BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS
• R. ARSOV
• Faculty of Hydrotechnics
• University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and
  Geodesy
• 1046 Sofia, BULGARIA
• Thessaloniki, 18 20 October 2004

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS

• Topics
• General Information
• Surface Water Resources
• International Water-related Agreements
• National Water-related Legislation
• Responsible National Institutions
• Identification of Critical Problems and Plans

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• Because of the specific topographic conditions,
  almost all Bulgarian rivers rising in Bulgarian
  territory run down to the state boarders.
• The only exemptions are the very upper short
  reaches of four small rivers
• Erma and Dragovishtitza (rising in Serbia and
  Montenegro)
• Strumeshnitza (rising in FYR of Macedonia)
• Rezovska (rising in Turkey)
• Reaches of the following three rivers form parts
  of the Bulgarian state borders
• Danube (with Romania)
• Timok (with Serbia and Montenegro)
• Rezovska (with Turkey)
• Part of the Maritza / Evros / Merich river,
  rising in Bulgaria forms the state border between
  Greece and Turkey.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• The following four River Basin Districts have
  been established, according to the National Water
  Act
• Danube River Basin District (Pleven)
• Black sea River Basin District (Varna)
• South-West Aegean River Basin District
  (Blagoevgrad)
• South-East Aegean River Basin District (Plovdiv)

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information
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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• Only the following two Bulgarian River Basin
  Districts and the associated river basins fall
  into the scope of the present join project and
  workshop
• South-West Aegean River Basin District
  (Blagoevgrad)
• Struma / Strimon river basin
• Mesta / Nestos river basin (including the
  tributory of Dospat)
• South-East Aegean River Basin District (Plovdiv)
• Maritza / Evros / Merich river basin
• Arda / Ardas / Ergene river basin (including the
  tributary of Byala / Erithropotamos)
• Tundja / Tuncha river basin

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information
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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• General spatial and hydrological characteristics
  of the South Bulgarian river basins

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• General topological, geological and climatic
  characteristics of South Bulgarian river basins

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• General demographic characteristics of the South
  Bulgarian river basins

• Under construction

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• Struma / Strimon river general view at the
  states boarder

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• Mesta / Nestos river general view at the upper
  reach

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 1. General
Information

• Maritza / Evros / Merich river gneral view of
  the gauging station
• at a very upper reach

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 2. Surface Water
Resources

• Bulgaria is not rich in water resources, compared
  to the other European countries.
• Annual water runoff, formed on the country
  territory ranges from 9.109 m3 to 24.109 m3,
  depending on the annual humidity.
• Average annual water resource per capita is in
  the range 2300 2500 m3.
• In this respect Bulgaria is classified in fifth
  position bottom up among the poorest in water
  resources countries in Europe, before Poland,
  Czech Republic, Belgium and Cyprus.
• Specific relief characteristics and river network
  disposition along with insufficient number and
  capacity of water regulating reservoirs are the
  reasons that over 97 of the total annual surface
  runoff leaves the Bulgarian territory unused.
• This creates the necessity of the river flow
  regulation and establishing a possibility for
  water saving and all the year round usage.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 2. Surface Water
Resources

• General surface water resources data for the
  South Bulgarian river basins

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 2. Surface Water
Resources

• The National Water Sector Strategy states
• The water resources formed on the territory of
  the country in whole are enough to insure the
  normal water supply of the settlements, provided
  they are protected from pollution and their
  quantity is reasonably managed.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 2. Surface Water
Resources

• Mean and extreme annual concentration values of
  water quality parameters of surface water in the
  South Bulgarian rivers, g/m3

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 2. Surface Water
Resources

• The mean annual values of the water quality
  parameters, quoted in the above table are fare
  below (for DO above) the relevant National
  standard limits for III rank river reaches (water
  for irrigation), while in some extreme cases
  their values (highlighted in yellow) violate the
  standard limits.
• Obviously definite measures have to be undertaken
  for insuring surface water quality relevant to
  the EU standards.
• For this, National Programme for Priority
  Construction of WWTPs for the Settlements with
  Population over 10000 PE has been established
  and is under implementation, along with the
  Ordinance ? 6 at the Water Act.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 3. International
Water-related Agreements

• Following the Accession Agreement with EU,
  Bulgaria accepted the Helsinki Convention as one
  of the guiding principles for management of the
  transboundary waters.
• It refers to the following conventions as being
  relevant for the management of transboundary
  rivers
• The Convention on environmental impact assessment
  in a transboundary context
• The Convention on transboundary effects of
  industrial accidents
• The Ramsar Convention

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 3. International
Water-related Agreements

• The following EU legislation has been taken into
  account with the Bulgarian National legislation
  harmonization in the field of Water Resources
  management
• Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EEC)
• Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC)
• Dangerous Substances Directive (76/464/EEC)
• Surface Water Directive (75/440/EEC)
• Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC)
• Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC)

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 3. International
Water-related Agreements

• In addition the following bilateral agreements
  between Bulgaria and Greece have been signed
  during last four decades
• Greek-Bulgarian agreement on co-operation for the
  use of watercourses flowing through the two
  countries (Legislative Decree 4393/1964, OG
  193/A/4-11-64)
• Agreement between Greece and Bulgaria concerning
  the formation of a Greek-Bulgarian committee for
  the cooperation in the field of electric energy
  and the use of the waters of the rivers crossing
  both countries (Sofia, 1971) (in force since
  12/7/1971 L. 366/1976 (OG 160/?/25-6-1976)
• Protocol for the Joint Greek-Bulgarian Technical
  Working Group and Environment Group (approved on
  14.3.1990) JMD F 0544/4/?S 227/?.3919, OG
  143/?/30-10-1990
• Protocol for the co-operation of Greek-Bulgarian
  Experts for the flood controls of Strymonas River
  (approved on 4.06.1980) CMD 0544/3.2.1981, OG
  45/19-2-1981

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 3. International
Water-related Agreements

• Bulgaria Greece agreements (cont.)
• Protocol of the Meeting of the Joint
  Greek-Bulgarian Committee of Experts for the
  preparation of a common proposal to the EU for
  the monitoring and control of water quality and
  quantity of the transboundary rivers Evros,
  Nestos and Strymonas. (17-5-1991) JMD F.
  0544/3/?S 413/?.4031 OG 161/?/30-10-1991
• Process Verbal of the 3rd Session of the
  permanent common Greek - Bulgarian Committee on
  Hydro -economy and Electricity ''about the
  determination of the natural flowing of the
  hydrological basin of Nestos\Mesta river'' (OG
  105/A/1980)
• Greek-Bulgarian agreement for the regulation of
  the Nestos river water (Sofia 22.12.1995) (Law
  2402/1996, OG 98/A/4-6-1996)

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 4. National
Water-related Legislation

• The following legislation acts and programmes
  are in force and under implementation
• Water Act (1999) and 12 (out of 16) associated
  regulations
• National Programme for Priority Construction of
  WWTPs for the Settlements with Population ?ver 10
  000 PE (1999)
• Implementation Program for Directive 91/271/EC
  Concerning Urban Waste Water Treatment in
  Bulgaria (2003)
• National Programme for Construction of Sewer
  Networks and Main Trunks to the WWTPs for the
  Settlements with Population ?ver 10 000 PE
  (2001)
• Ordinance for Establishing of Sensitive Zones
  (2003)

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 4. National
Water-related Legislation

• Ordinance ? 7 on Parameters and Norms for the
  Running Surface Waters Quality (1986)
• Regulation ? 6 on the Wastewater Emission
  Standards for Admissible Contents of Harmful and
  Dangerous Substances Discharged in Water Bodies
  (2000)
• Strategy for Development and Transforming the
  Water Supply and Sewerage Sector in the Republic
  of Bulgaria (2004)
• Development of the River Basins Management Plans
  for the southern Bulgarian river basins are in
  progress.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS 5. National
Water-related Legislation

• The National institutions responsible for and/or
  taking part in the water management are as
  follows
• Ministry for Environment and Water (MoEW)
• Executive Agency on Environment (EAE) at the MoEW
• Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works
  (MRDPW)
• Ministry of Health (MH)
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
• Ministry of Finance (MF)
• Municipalities and local water companies
• National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
  (NIMH) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS6. Identification
of Critical Problems and Plans

• The problems concerning the National Water
  Sector could be specified in the following three
  groups
• ?. Problems, related to the water resources
• Global climate change (fluctuation?) affected
  recent two decades the region, resulting in about
  30 decreasing of the precipitations and
  associated water resources
• Transboundary rivers water resources distribution
  between Bulgaria and Greece are for years subject
  of negotiations. It seems now that some
  reasonable agreement has been achieved in this
  respect but much more have to be done

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS6. Identification
of Critical Problems and Plans

• B. Problems, associated with the uses, needs and
  demands
• A shortage of water for drinking and irrigation
  exists in some settlements and regions which
  sometimes affects about 25 of the population
• Construction of more dams are necessary in order
  to regulate the runoff and to insure the
  necessary water quantity during the year
• C. Problems affecting ecosystems
• Construction of wastewater treatment plants
  (WWTPs) is necessary for most of the towns and
  some industrial enterprises in the river basins

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS6. Identification
of Critical Problems and Plans

• The following main challenges concerning inter
  alias the transboundary river basins management
  could be specified, according to the Water Act
  and the National Water Sector Strategy
• Construction of WWTPs at the settlements over
  100 000 PE first (by 2011) and over 2000 PE later
  on (by 2015)
• Considering the sensitive zones requirements in
  the WWTPs performance (by 2009)
• Development of the River Basins Management Plans
  (by 2009) according to the Water Act and Water
  Framework Directive.

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BULGARIAN TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS6. Identification
of Critical Problems and Plans

• Recent estimations show that about 3500 M EUR are
  necessary to be invested in Bulgaria for
  development, upgrading, reconstruction and
  rehabilitation of the urban waters infrastructure
  
• For development, upgrading, reconstruction and
  rehabilitation of the sewer networks and WWTPs
  only the necessary sum is about 2200 M EUR
• The state and the municipalities are not able to
  insure this sum now and in the near future. That
  is why support from the International financial
  institutions and participation of the private
  sector (foreign investors in particular) is of
  vital importance
• International cooperation in the transboundary
  water resources management is also encouraged

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UNESCO-ROSTE, INWEBWORKSHOPonTransboundary
Water Bodies in the Balkan Region
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