Komatina D. ISRBC, Integrated RBM The case of Sava River RBM

Integrated RBM and River Restoration –
The Case of the Sava River Basin

Dejan Komatina, Ph.D. Civ. Eng.,
Secretary, ISRBC

Overview
• Introduction on the Sava river basin

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB) and
International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC)

• Approach of the ISRBC

• Conclusion

• Contact information

River Restoration Seminar, Ljubljana, 16-18 Nov 2011 2

Sava river basin


Sava river basin
– Area: 97 713 km2 (the second largest Danube sub-basin; share: 12%)
– Average flow at the mouth: 1722 m3/s
(the largest Danube tributary; contribution: 25%)
– River length: 940 km (594 km of which is the waterway)
– Population: approx. 8.5 million

Country Share of the Share of the
basin (%) territory (%)
Albania 0.2 0.6
Bosnia & Herzegovina 39.2 75.8
Croatia 26.0 45.2
Montenegro 7.1 49.6
Serbia 15.5 17.4
Slovenia 12.0 52.8

Sava river basin
• High environmental and socio-economic value
– Natural beauty


Sava river basin
– High landscape diversity


Sava river basin
– High biological diversity (natural wetlands, parks, protected areas)


Sava river basin
– Large retention areas


Sava river basin
– Large retention areas

7
A
6
B
Discharge (1000 m3/s)

5 C

4

3

2

1

0
1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

River station (km)


Sava river basin
– High potential for transport of cargo and passengers


Sava river basin
– High potential for tourism and recreation


FASRB background
• “Low share” of the engineered parts of the rivers

• There is “not much” to restore

• There is “much” to preserve

• Strong need for economic development

• A balanced approach needed to use the potential and
preserve the values simultaneously


FASRB
• Decay of Yugoslavia – a substantial challenge to WRM in the
Sava river basin
– Sava river turned from the biggest national river of the former
country into an international river
– Appropriate institutional framework for WRM ceased to exist
– WRM restricted to a national level
– New, international framework required for (T)WRM

• Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin (FASRB)
– Signed in 2002, ratified in 2004
– The first development-oriented multilateral agreement in the
region signed after the Agreement on Succession
– Implemented by the ISRBC (B&H, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia)

FASRB
• Key objective:

Transboundary cooperation
for sustainable development of the region

• Particular objectives – to establish:
– International regime of navigation
– Sustainable water management
– Sustainable management of hazards
(floods, droughts, accidents, etc.)

• Provides the ISRBC with the broadest scope of work among
European basin organizations (i.e. river/lake commissions)


ISRBC
• Coordination of:
– Development of joint / integrated plans for the SRB
• River Basin Management Plan (according to EU WFD)
• Flood Risk Management Plan (according to EU Flood Directive)

– Establishment of integrated systems for the SRB
• GIS (according to EU INSPIRE Directive and WISE)
• RIS (according to EU RIS Directive)
• Meteorological and Hydrological Data Exchange System
• Flood Forecasting and Warning System
• Accident Emergency Warning System (use of the ICDPR’s system)

– Preparation of development programs for the SRB
• Navigation
• River tourism
• Other water uses


ISRBC
• Coordination of (cont.):
– Harmonization of regulation (national  EU)
– Creation of additional protocols to the FASRB
• Navigation regime
• Prevention of water pollution caused by navigation
• Flood protection
• Emergency situations
• Sediment management
• Transboundary impacts

• Cooperation / stakeholder involvement / public participation


ISRBC projects
• Majority of the ISRBC activities performed through
implementation of projects

• All the projects agreed by the four countries
– New Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB
– Action Plan for the Period 2011-2015

• Full conformity with the EU directives and strategies
– EU directives (WFD, Flood Directive, INSPIRE, RIS)
– EU strategies (EU Strategy for the Danube Region, EU 2020 Strategy)

• Share of internationally funded projects increased to 80%


River basin management
• Current activities
– First Sava RBM Plan (EU WFD)
– Protocol on Sediment Management
– Protocol on Transboundary Impact
– Climate Adaptation Plan for the
Sava River Basin


River basin management
• Planned projects
– Preparation and implementation of the Sava RBM Plan
• Implementation of the 1st Sava RBM Plan and its Programme of Measures
• Preparation of the 2nd Sava RBM Plan
– Examination of environmental status of sediment, water and biota
in the Sava river basin
– Implementation of the Climate adaptation plan for the Sava river basin

• Period of implementation: 2012 – 2015 and beyond

• All the projects included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube
Strategy as examples of projects


Flood management
• Preparation of the Sava FRM Plan (EU Flood Directive)
– Protocol on flood protection to the FASRB (signed in 2010)
– Hydrological model of the SRB and the hydraulic model of the SR
– Linking FRM and the climate change assessment in the SRB

• Period of
implementation:
2013 – 2015
and beyond


Accident prevention and control
• Accident Emergency Warning System
– Participation in testing of the existing system of the ICPDR
– Efforts to improve the work of PIACs in the Sava countries

• Draft Protocol on Emergency Situations to the FASRB

• Water Pollution Contingency Management Plan
– Project included into the Action Plan of the EU Danube Strategy
– Period of implementation: 2012 – 2014


Sava GIS
• Initial phase of the Sava GIS establishment
– Performed in accordance with the Sava GIS Strategy
– To be finalized in 2012
– Funding for the initial
phase secured
• EC grant
• Contributions of the Parties

• Completion of the Sava GIS
– Included in the Action Plan
of EU Danube Strategy
– Implementation period:
2012 – 2015 and beyond


Hydro-meteorological issues
• Hydro-meteorological data
exchange system

• Hydrological Yearbook of the Sava
River Basin (the first since 1986)

• Planned projects (2012 – 2015)
– Development of the Flood
Forecasting and Warning System
for the Sava River Basin
– Hydrological Study for the Sava
River Basin (the first since 1976)


Navigation development
• Rehabilitation of the waterway infrastructure
– Planning phase under finalization
(studies, design)
– Waterway marking system restoration

Sisak Bosanski Brod Brcko Belgrade

3.5 – 9.6 million tonnes 5.8 – 15.5 million tonnes 7.8 – 20.8 million tonnes

3-8
million


• Improvement of navigation safety and technical standards
(reduction of the risk of water pollution
caused by navigation)
– Rules harmonized with the
EU and UNECE regulation
– Protocol on prevention of water
pollution caused by navigation
to the FASRB
– Development of RIS


• Integration with environmental
protection
– Involvement in processes / projects
on Danube and EU level
– Involvement in the ISRBC activities
• Sava RBM Plan
• Climate Adaptation Plan
• Sediment Management Plan


• Activities planned
– Rehabilitation of the Waterway on the Sava River
• Detailed design (Belgrade – Sisak)
• EIA study (Belgrade – Račinovci)
• Execution of river training works
• Period of implementation: 5-6 years

– Further Development of the Sava RIS

– Establ. of the Ship Waste Management System on the Sava River
• Period of implementation: 5 years (2014 – 2019)


Hydropower development
• Joint Statement on guiding principles
for hydropower development and env.
protection to be developed
– Process launched by the ICPDR
(ISRBC involved)
– Replication of the Joint Statement
process on navigation (ICPDR, DC,
ISRBC)


Tourism development
• Nautical and Tourism Guide of the Sava River


Tourism development
• Activities planned
– Preparation of the Master Plan for Development of River Tourism
in the Sava River Basin
• Period of implementation: 2011 – 2013

– Development of the infrastructure for river tourism


Other developments
• Planned project
– Fostering contribution of the SME sector to sustainable
development of the Sava River Basin
• Development of the infrastructure and facilities for river tourism
(e.g. nautical tourism, recreation, fishing) in the Sava river basin
• Development of projects related to food production and fish farming in
the Sava river basin
• Development of small hydropower plants in the Sava river basin
• Contribution of the SME sector to waste water and manure treatment
in the Sava river basin
• Development of small shipyards and ports in the Sava river basin



Public participation
• “Sava NewsFlash” bulletin
(bilingual publication in English and
an official language of the ISRBC)

• Brochures and publications

• ISRBC web-site

• Press-releases

• Press-conferences & media briefings

• Consultation workshops

• Public presentations


• Sava Day (1 June)


• Photo-exhibition “Sava river – nature, people and culture”


• Project “Our beautiful Sava”


• Sava Fairs


Public Participation
• A number of mechanisms established so far

• A top-down approach dominated in the initial phase of work

• The existing top-down approach to be enriched by introducing
a bottom-up component
(according to the new Strategy on Implementation of the FASRB)

• Establishment of the Sava Water Partnership – platform to
involve the governmental, non-governmental, academic and
business sector (feasibility study under development)


Commitment of the Parties
• Sessions of the ISRBC

• Meetings of the Parties

• Other high-level meetings


Added value
• Key features of the approach
– Cohesive, providing conditions for:
• Cooperation of the countries after the conflict
• Implementation of joint, mutually agreed, basin-wide projects
• Harmonization of national regulation, methodologies, procedures, …

– Integrated (whole basin; sustainability and development)
– Transparent (public participation)
– Aligned with the EU and UNECE regulation
(EU directives, UNECE conventions)
– Subregional (“finer resolution” and complementarity of results with
those on the regional scale)
– Pragmatic and practical (offering concrete “products” to the Parties)


Added value
• Relevance to EU strategies
– EU Danube Strategy
– EU 2020 Strategy

• Interest of other regions
– Other parts of South-Eastern Europe
– Mediterannean region
– Western Europe
– Central Asia


Challenges
• Differences between the countries
– EU membership status
– Eligibility for approaching funds
– Level of economic development (financial resources)
– Organizational structure in decision-making process
– Environmental awareness of the public

• Financing priority projects / strategic studies, establishment of
integrated systems

• Resolving conflicts of interests of different users of water
(transboundary level / national level / climate change)


Challenges
• Lack of human and financial resources of the Parties

• Limited access to basic data (topographic, hydrologic, etc.)

• Twofold legal capacity of the ISRBC
– Making decisions (obligatory for the countries) in the field of navigation
– Providing recommendations in the field of water management

• In some countries
– Lack of appropriate institutional arrangements
– Lack of harmonization of the legislation with the EU acquis


Conclusion
• The FASRB implementation is:
– demanding, in terms of
• need for resources of the Parties
• need for continuous, joint efforts of the Parties

– perceived by the Parties as a process providing multiple benefits
– making a steady progress toward the key objective –
sustainable development of the region within the basin
– an interesting example of the integrated RBM and river restoration ?
– a good practice example ???


Contact information
International Sava River Basin Commission
Kneza Branimira 29
10000 Zagreb
Croatia

www.savacommission.org


Komatina D. ISRBC, Integrated RBM The case of Sava River RBM

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Komatina D. ISRBC, Integrated RBM The case of Sava River RBM