Co-operation between Poland, Ukraine and Belarus is necessary for realization of water management in the transboundary Bug river basin. Today trilateral co-operation is being developed as a result of Memorandum of Understanding (1997) on the development joint Pilot Project on implementation of the UN/ECE Guidelines on Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment of Transboudary Rivers in the Bug river basin. Agreement between the Government Republic of Poland and the Government of Ukraine on co-operation in the field of bordering waters management signed in 1996 is the basis for full range of such co-operation. Lack of similar agreement with Belarus and the also lack of trilateral agreement between those countries does not allow to realize the full range in the Bug river basin.

In this contribution attention will be focused on the information the pilot project on monitoring and the begining of Polish-Ukrainian co-operation in the field of water management.

Monitoring, assessment, quality, water management, transboundary waters, river basin, co-operation,

The transboundary Bug river basin is a part of the Baltic Sea drainage basin, it belong to three countries: Republic of Belarus, Republic of Poland and Ukraina. Since 1974, Poland has been a signatory part to the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention), Ukraina signed the Convention of 1992 but has not ratified, the Republic of Belarus is the associated member of the Helsinki Committee.

Poland and Ukraine have signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), Belarus has not signed this Convention. Under the UN Watere Convention, the Task Force on Monitoring and Assessment has prepared the Guidelines on Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers. Based on selection criteria, the Bug river basin was chosen to be included in the pilot project programme.

Memorandum of Understanding among the Ministry for Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry for Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry of the Republic of Poland signed in 1997 is a base for the realisation the Pilot Project on the Bug river basin monitoring.

This project establish the beginning of the common, integrated water management in the Bug river basin for Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. The realization of the Project which aim is to provide information for the water management, runs ahead the actions that come from the Agreement between the Government Republic of Poland and the Government of Ukraine on co-operation in the field of bordering water management. Thanks to this, the future actions on the water management in the Bug river basin will be based on the information iussed from common Polish-Bielorussian-Ukrainian monitoring.

The Bug river rises in the geographical region - Easter Roztocze in the Lviv region (Ukraine).

The total area of the Bug river basin is - 39,4 thousands km² of which:

The total length of the Bug river is - 772 km of which:

in Ukraine - 184,4 km

border between Ukraine and Poland - 185,0 km

border between Belarus and Poland - 178,0 km

in Poland - 224,6 km

at the begining of border between Ukraine and Poland 10,5 43,2 283

at the begining of border between Belarus and Poland 15,5 55,4 310

at the end of border between Belarus and Poland 36,0 120,0 540

in the lower part of the Bug river 47,2 158,0 747

The strong variation in the flow of the river, caused by melting snow in spring and low discharges in autumn, affects the quality of water to a high degree.

The population in the catchment area is 2,0 million inhabitants on Ukraina side, 0,5 million in Belarus and 1,1 million in Poland.

Ukraine - the surface waters from the upper part of the Bug river basin are used for industrial purposes, fishery, recreation and livestock breeding, and only in extremely „dray years’ - for drinking purposes. Its quality is very important for the aquatic wildlife. In 1996 the amount of the Bug river basin used in Ukraine was 2,4 million m³.

The main impacts on the water quality are from wood industry, food processing, mining and the oil industry. In addition to industry and agriculture, insufficient treatment of waste water from municipalities and rural areas has heavy impact on water quality.

The loads of pollutants discharged from Ukraine are reflected in the high concentration of suspended solids, total phosphor and coliform bacteria, which are observed at the monitoring sampling point located at the place where the Bug is crossing the border with Poland. At this point water is out of classification, according to the Polish regulation.

Belarus - in the part of the basin which belongs to Belarus the agriculture and metal industry has been developed intensively over the last few years. In 1996 - 16,8 million m³ of the Bug basin waters was used for: industry -7,5 million m³, agriculture - 1,3 million m³, and fish breeding - 8 million m³.

26 significant industrial pollution point sources was recognised for the Bug and its tributaries.

In 1996 about 56 million m³ of waste water was discharged in the basin, out of each 8,6 million m³ did not need any treatment and 47 million m³ was treated in the sewage treatment plants.

In the area of the lower tributaries of the Bug there are pit bogs and depression which are the receivers of waste water; they impose a considerable threat on the quality of ground and surface waters.

As a consequence of the intensified agriculture and industry the pollution of ground and surface waters has increased, including such compounds as insecticide, herbicide and heavy metals.

Poland - in the Polish territory water is mainly used by agriculture, food industry and for recreation. Nevertheless, the quality of water is of significant importance since the main water intake plant for Warsaw is located on the ZegrzyAskie Lake. The capital city takes about 50% of its drinking water from this reservoir. As the country located in the lower part, Poland receives the pollution from the upper part of the river Bug, and the pollution from Polish agriculture areas and municipal waste water treatment plants causes the high concentration of suspended solids, coliform bacteria and nutrients along the Bug river.

The requirements for the quality are very high; however, such parameters as BOD5, coliform count, nitrogen, nitrite, phosphor and dissolved oxygen do not meet the standards for water which can be used for drinking purposes (I class according to the Polish law). In 1996 total discharge of waste water (mechanically and biologically treated) into the Bug river was - 3,42 million m³, and within the basin 23,41 million m³

4. WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE BUG RIVER BASIN.

The fundamental difference in the way of water management in the countries forming Bug river basin is that Ukraine and Belarus management is placed in administrative boundries while in Poland, since 1992, drainage system is being set.

Nevertheless, many legislative issues of the transboundary water courses require further development to approach the European environmental legislation.

Belarus - in the water management are involved:

• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection - which performs the state protection policy, including the policy of rational use of water and water protection, and is responsible for implementation of it.
• State Inspectorate for the Control and Protection of Water and Department for Monitoring and Analytical Control - are responsible for the main activities in water management field.
• 6 Regional Committees and the Minsk City Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection - these Committees issue water abstraction and waste water discharge permits, they are responsible for the co-ordination of scientific research studies, planning and publishing information on environmental problems, co-operation with local governments, self-governance authorities, public and scientific institutions. Hydrochemical laboratories of these Committees carry out the control of effluent water quality and water quality upstream and downstream from the effluent discharge points.
• State Hydrometeorology Committee - is responsible for monitoring of quantity and quality of surface waters, which is perfomed in the network of hydrological, hydrochemical and hydrobiological stations.

Poland - in Poland the organisation relating to water management are following:

• Ministry of Environment - it performs the state environmental policy, the policy of rational environmental modelling, forest management and the policy of natural resources management including geological and water resources,
• Office of Water Management – is the organisation subordinate to the Minister of the Environment and its aim is to provide for the conditions for uniform activity to be made by the Regional Boards of Water Management in Poland. The activity objective of the Office is to harmonise the activity of the Boards and to assist in managing their activities.
• Regional Boards of Water Management Authority - realise water resources management according to river basin management system in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. They perform the following main tasks: the balancing of surface and ground waters resources; the working out of conditions for making use of basin waters; the working out of programmes and plans for water resources management, water protection, and flood control.The Boards are responsible for the administration of inland waters belonging to the state
• Voivodeship (Departments of Environmental Protection) - issue the permits for the investments particularly dangerous to the environment and people’s health, co-ordinate issues of environmental protection; co-operate and act together with the government and self -government administration organs, public organisations and scientific institutions.
• County district – self - government administratives give water legislation permission concerning particular water usage..
• Voivodeship Inspectorates of Environmental Protection - are responsible for control environmental users, co-ordinate and carry out monitoring actives and water assessment.

Ukraine - water management including water quality monitoring and assessment are performed by four major institutions:

• Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety - provides intersectional guidance on water resources management, elaboration of economic tools for the decreasing of water pollution level and the establishing of the rational use of water, organisation of the State ecological monitoring, state ecological control system.
• State Water Committee - carries out: distribution of water resources between users, quantitative assessment of the use of water resources, radiological and hydrological/hydrochemical monitoring of effluents, maintenance of the Annual Water Cadastre.
• State Hydrometeorological Committee - performs hydrological, hydrochemical and hydrobiological monitoring of ambient surface water quality, supports the Annual Water Cadaster in co-operation with the State Water Committee,
• State Geological Committee - carries out: quantitative and qualitative assessment of groundwater resources and users, groundwater quality monitoring, maintenance of the Annual Ground Water Cadastre.

The co-operation on transboundary waters between Poland and Soviet Union has a long history. The basis of which is the agreement on the year 1964 between Poland and USSR on co-operation in water management, on the grounds of the agreement the "Perspecive plan of complex usage and security of Water Resources of the Bug river basin" was prepared." The aim of this plan is the security against disordered expoatation and pollution of the river. The countries established monitoring networks on the bordering part of the river Bug. The investigations of the water quality were carried out separately by each country using their own methodology. The brake-up of the Soviet Union contributed to the significant changes in Europe. On the eastern border of Poland the new neighbouring countries have appeared, as well as the need for new co-operation agreements.

For the time being, the agreement from 1964 which was confirmed by the succession, is still the base for the co-operation on the bordering waters between Poland and Belarus. The agreement to co-operate in the field of the environmental protection of 1992 is implemented to a limited extend. In 1996, Poland prepared the projekt for the agreement on the co-operation on transboundary water management, the project was delivered to the Belarussian side.

In October 1996 Poland and Ukraine signed an agreement on a co-operation on the bordering waters, which was ratified in December 1998. The „Agreement between the Government Republic of Poland and the Government of Ukraine on co-operation in the field of bordering waters management" provides the principles of the co-operation in the surface and ground water quality and quantity aspects, monitoring, flood control and the principles of the exchange information.

On the basis of this agreement the Poland - Ukraine Comission, concerning Boundary Waters was established. In this Commision there are 5 Poland - Ukraine Working Groups concerning: Boundary Waters Planning; Protection of Boundary Waters against Pollution; Flood Protection, Regulation and Land Melioration; Accidental Pollution Control; Hydrometeorology and Hydrogeology. The first meeting was held in June 2000. Documents that were then approved became the basis for practical realization of tasks to be made by each Working Group. The establishement of the Commision and cooperation between Working Groups is not only the beginning of cooperation between Poland and Ukraine on Boundary Waters but also the beginning of integrated management in the Bug transboundary river basin.

For the realization of such management an effective and efficient monitoring and assessment of water and to constitute tailor-made monitoring is neccessary. A reliable practice of monitoring at the sources of pollution has to be established. The monitoring network in the Bug river, which is performed individually by each country, has to be optimised. The equipment, analytical techniques and quality assurance have to be improved. Other important issues for establishing an efficient monitoring system are personal training of local staff, development of adequate system far data handling and information dissemination and improvement of information exchange. The idea of implementing „Guidelines on water-quality monitoring and assessment of transboundary rivers" in the Bug river basin, vowing to work together to protect the river Bug. The Republic of Poland, the Republic of Belarus and Ukraine signed in May 1997 the Memorandum of Understanding in which the countries agreed to harmonise the approaches to the water quality monitoring and assessment of the river Bug and to develop and implement the joint pilot project on implementation of the guidelines.

The Guidelines have been drawn up as part of the working programme 1994/95 of the ECE Task Force on Monitoring and Assessment under the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. The drawing-up of the guidelines was based on a thorough examination of current monitoring and assessment practices

The Guidelines are in line with the last development concerning EU environmental legislation. Due to the fact that CEECs are in the process of approximation of EU legislation to their national law systems, such an approach provide an excellent opportunity to assist in this process. Basic guidelines are following: Working out the monitoring guidelines and estimating the quality of Transboundary Waters following premises have been settled:

• the drainage area is taken as a whole.
• water quality should be connected with quantity and the way of usage. A river is not only the water but also flora and fauna.
• monitoring process should be taken account as a sequence of following one by one and connected with each other actions which defining of information needs in the management process is the beginning. ( Pattern shown below)

That kind of approach to the monitoring anables to re - define the information needs while the time goes and also to estimate the information in the context of needs and possibilities. This can start a new sequencial cycle of monitoring process. As a result of this as the basis of quidelines construction the above monitoring cycle have been adapted.

For the selection of river basins in the pilot programme, the Task Force defined the following criteria:

1. The project should include the entire catchment area of a "manageable" size, and cover at least the relevant parts of the country with the river source and the first downstream country.
2. The existence of a pollution situation which is "common" to many European watercourses rather than of a specific pollution problem.
3. A monitoring network should exist.
4. Participation of 2 or 3 countries riparian to that river.
5. Rivers crossing the border (one component of the pilot project) and rivers forming the border (second component of the pilot project).
6. Existing (i.e. signed or ratified) bilateral or multilateral agreement(s) and preferably established joint body(ies), which function at least on an interim basis.
7. The willingness of countries to implement the guidelines through a joint pilot project, acceptance of participation by experts from countries not riparian to the chosen watercourse and of those experts acting in advisory capacity.
8. Countries should be represented in the Task Force (or should have made contributions to it).
9. Workload should be reasonable (project duration 2,5-3 years).
10. Workload has to be borne by riparian countries with financial/scientific support by possible donor organisations.

Based on the above criteria the eight river basins were proposed by the countries and were selected to be included in the pilot project programme: The river Bug meets most of the selection criteria for the pilot rivers which were mentioned above. It is of a manageable size, its pollution situation is "common" to many European watercourses, it has the monitoring network; the river both crosses and forms the borders of its three riparian countries. Moreover, these three countries located in the catchment area: Belarus, Poland and Ukraine, co-operate bilaterally to protect their transboundary waters.

Wider objectives of the pilot project programme are as follows:

• to initiate and/or improve bilateral and multilateral cooperation, leading to institutional strengthening and capacity building under the convention
• to prepare effective and efficient monitoring and assessment which is sustainable in the specific economic context of countries concerned
• to support approximation to EU environmental legislation in CEEC-countries

In the pilot project programme four phases can be recognised as indicated below with their successive tasks.

1. recommendations for the review of the guidelines based on the findings of the pilot-project

The Memorandum of Understanding Among the Ministry for Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine , the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus and the Ministry for Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Foresty of the Republic of Poland on Collaboration in the Development and Implementation of the Joint Pilot Project on Monitoring and Assessment in the Bug River Basin – signed in 1997. This is the beginning of the Preliminary Phase realization of the project. The phase was ended in 1998. The results of which were discussed on workshops that took place in Zamosc between 30.09 to 2.10.98 and published in the Inception Report No. 1. The Report contains the whole Bug River Basin and is common to Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. Within the limits of the Phase the following organisational structure of the Project has been set.

By working together under the MOU the three countries hoped to attract funds from donor countries and organisations to finance joint monitoring and assessment projects. The limited financial resources is one of the reasons which does not permit the development of an effective monitoring system. Ukraine and Belarus submitted the project proposal for TACIS funds and Poland for TACIS - PHARE joined support.

The result of this is the following: in 1998 - Ukraina has received funds for the realization of the Project, while the finance of the Project in Belarus, TACIS decided to start from the year 2000. As a result of this Belarus will get the financial support from TACIS in year 2000. In 1998, Poland submitted support for Polish National Found of Environmental Protection and Water Management and it was accepted.

The realization of the phase in Poland and Ukraine was started in 1999. It is foreseen that in Belarus the Project will begin this year after auction procedures will be finished..

In Polish and Ukrainian part of the river Bug Basin the stock was taken in 1999. It was finished with the Report from the stock and also legislative regulations were analyzed. As the result of the analysys Legislative Report was writteny. Between March 28 and 29 2000 during the workshops in Kazimierz the Reports were presented and discussed over. After corrections and supplements are set during the workshops the Reports will be treated as agreed between Poland and Ukraine. In the limits of this Phase of the Project, between 6th and 8th June 2000, common sampling from the River Bug was arranged The analysys of water was to be made by Polish laboratories (WIOS Lublin and Rzeszow), Ukrainian laboratories (Lwow, Luck, Kijow), and also German and French.

Between 16th and 21st June 2000 study trip was organized. The trip was to Polish and Ukrainian part of River Bug Basin. The aim of which was the total look at the ecological and economical functions of the basin and also to get to know the "hot spots"

In autumn 1999 in the cross - section Krylow first research were started to gain the information about toxic substances in Bug that were yet not monitored. The results of this research showed that there are no toxic substances in the monitored cross section. In years 2000-2001 the research will be continued in the Polish part of the Bug river basin.

Specified information needes come from the monitoring research for the need of marketing and elaborating the strategy of monitoring and water quality assesments. The assesments of current monitoring state and recommendation for improvement in the system of Bug river basin together with expence assesment of this changes are being prepared and will finally be ended after toxicological research in the year 2001

The results of the Preparational Phase will be shown in a form of the Synthetic Report (No.2) consisting of the synthesis of Stock-Taking, Legislative and Information Needs Reports and also Changes Recommendation Report in Monitoring Systems (No.3). The Preparatory Phase will be ended with coordinating workshops between Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.

Works for the need of Implementation Phase realization for the Polish part of Bug river basin will start in 2000. The estimated date to finish the works is 2001. The Assesment Phase should be accomplished in 2002..

In the Ukrainian part of Bug river basin works concerning the Project are being finished. The estimated date is November 2000. If the Project, in Belarus, is started this year the estimated date should be, like in Poland, in 2002.

1. Pilot Project on Monitoring and Assessment in the Bug river basin have iniciated practical co-operation between Poland, Ukraine and Belarus in the field of creating the basis of water management economy according to the laws of balanced development
2. In the field of the Project co-operation between institutions of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus concerning water management economy and monitoring is being shaped
3. A very important aspect of the Project is the exchange of information, indispensable documents needed for the realization of the project and also creating common Reports as a result of next stages of the Project.
4. The impediment for working out this Project is not providind funding in the same time for Belarus and Ukraine. It creates different stages of development in these countries which leads to additional agreements and workshops which again leads to additional costs.
5. Inventories and screening of the water quality at hot spots and key locations of the river by chemical, ecotoxicological and ecological surveys gives insight information on advantages of monitoring efforts in the river concerned. These provide the essential information needed to set up the monitoring as effectively and efficiently as possible.

1. ECE, Guidelines on Water-quality Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers, in: Protection of Transboundary Waters, Water Series nNo.3, ECE/CEP/II, New York and Geneva, 1996
2. P. Roncak, M. Adriaanse, M. Landsberg-Uczciwek, Pilot Projects for Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers under the ECE Water Convention, the International Conference Management of Transboundary Waters in Europe, MrzeWyno, 1997.
3. Umowa mi
   dzy Rzadem Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej a Rzadem Ukrainy o wspó
   Bpracy w dziedzinie gospodarki wodnej na wodach granicznych, sporzadzona w Kijowie dnia 10 pazdziernika 1996 r., Dziennik Ustaw Nr 30, Warszawa, 1999.
4. Kompleksowy, Regionalny Program Ochrony Przeciwpowodziowej Dorzecza Zrodkowej WisBy na terenie RZGW w Warszawie, Hydrologia Wielkich Wód, „HYDROPROJEKT", Warszawa, 1998.
5. T. Zan Politique Européenne d’Aménagement des Bassins Internationaux. Stratégie pour la Riviere Bug, These professionnelle, EDHEC, Lille,1997

6. www.mos.gov.pl