Untreated urban wastewater has been identified as one of the biggest sources of surface and groundwater pollution in the 11 River Basins located in Eastern Partner Countries.
The River Basin Management Plans developed during the European Union Water Initiative Plus project (2016-2021) identify this significant issue as in need of urgent action.
Inadequate sanitation systems harm human health and the environment
When municipal wastewater collection and treatment systems are lacking or faulty, nutrients, pharmaceutical products, pathogens and synthetic substances can spread into rivers, lakes and groundwater, which is often used for the drinking water supply. And often, groundwater is abstracted in rural areas, where untreated domestic wells can be unhealthy for local inhabitants and their animals.
Significant investments urgently needed
In all EU Eastern Partner countries, significant efforts and high investments are urgently needed to establish proper sanitation, collection and treatment systems, and to ensure that they are properly maintained. The EU4Environment Water Resources and Environmental Data programme (2022-2024) works to attract investments in wastewater treatment in the Eastern Partner countries and make them sustainable, preparing the ground for a “zero pollution” ambition in the region.
In November and December 2022, Ukraine and Armenia adopted important strategic and planning documents with the aim to improve their water resources management.
On 9 December 2022, Ukraine adopted a new Water Strategy and its associated operational plan for implementation that were approved by the Government. Over the last years, various support by the European Union has informed strategy development including the indicators for the monitoring framework.
Following the adoption of a package of amendments to its Water Code earlier in July, on 3 November 2022 Armenia adopted its Water Sector Adaptation Plan and its Programme of Measures for 2022-2026. Water is one of the six most vulnerable sectors to climate change in Armenia according to the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) developed under the UNDP Green Climate Fund. The Water Sector Adaptation Plan is part of the National Adaptation Plan process. Aimed at policy makers, its purpose is to help the Armenian government achieve its adaptation objectives for the water sector through the identification of specific and prioritised measures needed to build climate resilience in the water sector.
On 8 December 2022, Armenia adopted both Sevan and Hrazdan River Basin Management Plans, developed within the EU Water Initiative + project. The level of decentralisation provided by river basin management makes it possible to deal with local water challenges. By taking into account the balance between the economy (uses) and ecosystems (protection), management at the river basin level provides for equal access to water and the sustainability of water resources in the long-term. Armenia has prepared management plans for almost all of its 6 river basin districts: Ararat, Southern, Akhuryan (officially adopted in 2016 and 2017), Sevan and Hrazdan. The EU4Environment Water and Data programme supports the development of a river basin management plan for the Northern River basin district.
On 6 December 2022, Georgia hosted the 9th meeting of the National Policy Dialogue on Water, with support of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. Georgia is undertaking a major reform of its water sector to comply with the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) requirements. In this regard, the Draft Law on Water Resources is a key element to pursue reforms in the water sector and ensure sustainable and qualitative water resources for all.
A one-day training on the preparation of the Programme of Measures of the Dnipro River Basin Management Plan was held on 29 November in Kyiv. The measures aim to improve the status of the water bodies as well as rebuild water utilities destroyed by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The event gathered 36 participants physically.The first draft of the Programme of Measures will be available during the summer of 2023. The complete draft of the Dnipro River Basin Management Plan will be submitted for consultation during the first half of 2024.
A regional training on laboratory analysis of water quality (following the international norm ISO 28540) took place on 21-24 November in Tbilisi Georgia, at the laboratory premises of the National Environment Agency. Participants from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine participated were trained on the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in water, using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS).
A groundwater field survey was organised mid November in Georgia. The data collected will be help develop the River Basin management plan for the Enguri Rioni river basin districts.
The third meeting of the working group on water monitoring and information exchange of the Commission on Sustainable Use and Protection of the Dniester basin took place in Chisinau, Moldova on 7-8 December, with support of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. Moldova and Ukraine presented information collected during joint water surveys on the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater. Participants shared the lessons learnt and discussed the possibilities to improve this joint monitoring process in the future. The working group approved its work plan for 2023-2024.
The Republic of Moldova and Romania are resuming cooperation on the Prut and Danube rivers. After a long break, the intergovernmental commission for the implementation of the Agreement on cooperation for the protection and sustainable use of the Prut and Danube waters held its 2nd regular session from 2-3 November 2022. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova with the support of EU4Environment Water and Data.
Ukraine submitted its summary report within the fifth reporting cycle (November 2021-April 2022) under the UN Protocol on Water and Health with support of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme. Read the summary report here.
Eastern Partner Countries participated to the 6th Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health that took place on 17 November 2022.
A workshop on Copernicus land monitoring products took place on 30 November in Armenia. The CORINE Land Cover (CLC) inventory was initiated in 1985 (reference year 1990) to standardize data collection on land in Europe to support environmental policy development. CLC is produced by the majority of countries by visual interpretation of high resolution satellite imagery. In a few countries semi-automatic solutions are applied, using national in-situ data, satellite image processing, GIS integration and generalisation. CLC has a wide variety of applications, underpinning various Community policies in the domains of environment, but also agriculture, transport, spatial planning etc.
On 6 December 2022, EU4Environment Water and Data organized a side event at the UN Groundwater Summit: "Future of groundwater monitoring & foresight concepts in support of SDG 6." EU DG Near and Armenia gave a presentation focusing on EU Water Initiative + and EU4Environment Water and Data.
On 28 November, EU4Environment Water and Data organized a workshop at the International River Symposium in Vienna. The workshop focused on river governance in Eastern partner countries. Experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine discussed challenges and solutions with experts from the OECD, UNECE, International Office for Water (France) and the Environment Agency Austria.
EU4Environment Water and Data is looking for a consultant to support local authorities in the organisation of the future Water Supply and Sanitation services in the Nirnova river basin in Moldova. Deadline is 06 January 2023. More information
On 3 October took place the 20th meeting of the National Policy Dialogue on water in Armenia. This dialogue marks an important milestone, with the recent revision of the Water Code of Armenia, which brought the country closer to the EU water legislative framework.
The following day, on 4 October, a workshop on Nature-Based Solutions and potential applications for the water sector in Armenia was organized.
Water monitoring surveys took place in Armenia (groundwater), Georgia and Azerbaijan (surface water). For surface waters (rivers, lakes) biological, chemical, and hydro-morphological parameters are monitored in order to determine the ecological status of selected water bodies. The data collected will be a valuable inputs for the River Basin Management Plan of this river basin.
In September 2022, the SarsCov-2 virus was analysed for the first time in wastewater samples from Yerevan, Baku, Tbilisi and Chisinau. On 24 October, EU4Environment Water and Data presented the first results of COVID-19 virus monitoring in wastewater in the EaP countries at the "Grand Challenges Annual Meeting 2022" in Brussels.
Ukraine achieved the fifth reporting exercise under the Protocol on Water and Health (November 2021-April 2022). The report (English and Ukrainian) is available here.
Open data missions were organized in the Republic of Moldova and Azerbaijan in October. EU4Environment Water and Data supports the Republic of Moldova in the development of an Integrated Environmental Data System and Azerbaijan in the development of its Portal on environmental data. The aim of open data is to improve the collection, exchange and use of environmental data and information by relevant institutions, as well as facilitate public access to information on environmental data.
A cross-border regional seminar on water accounting was organised on 5-7 October, with the participation of Armenian and Georgian beneficiary institutions. The seminar was conducted in the villages of Natakhtari, Dusheti Municipality of Georgia, and was combined by a training session, a discussion panel, and site visits at critical water infrastructures for drinking water supply and energy generation for Tbilisi agglomeration.
A round table "Clean Air in peace and war time: monitoring air quality in Ukraine" was organised in Ukraine on the occasion of Clean Air Day on 7 September.
Air quality monitoring achievements and challenges in the EaP countries were presented by EU4Environment Water and Data at the 9th Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference in Nicosia, Cyrpus. A side-event allowed to showcase Georgian, Ukrainian and Armenian achievements in monitoring air quality.
On the occasion of Clean Up Day in Ukraine, people gathered in Natalka Park on the banks of the Dnipro on Saturday 17 September to raise awareness on water issues. The Ministry of Environment of Ukraine, the State Water Resources Agency of Ukraine, Obolon District State administration in Kyiv, NGO Pochayna and charitable foundations “Native Obolon” and “Via Concordia” organised this event with the support of EU4Environment Water and Data.
Soil separates rocks from the atmosphere and constitutes the epidermis of the land. Soil is as crucial to life on Earth as water.
Soils are made up of solid, liquid and gaseous materials that organise porosity. They are assembled in horizons (successive layers) and form a continuous cover of highly variable thickness. The nature of soils varies in space depending mainly on geology, topography, climate, time and living organisms. Our knowledge of soils through morphological observations on the field and analyses helps us understand their qualities, fragility, and the pressures they are subject to. Soils are classified and named. Despite their importance, we know little about them.
However, soils should be the subject of more attention because they are decisive in water dynamics (regulation, reservoir, distribution), in pollution processes through a protective effect (filtration, buffer effect, decomposition, degradation or immobilisation of pollutants) or a source effect (when they have been contaminated), and for ecosystems (plant rooting, animal life in and on soils). They support economic activities (primarily agriculture, followed by human infrastructures), play a role in carbon sequestration (as a climate change moderator) and can be a receptacle for materials (sludge, sewage, treated waste water). Soils contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals1.
However, soils are subject to many types of pressure: sealing due to urban sprawl and infrastructure; erosion by rain, wind and certain agricultural practices; diffuse or point source pollution by contaminants; overexploitation with a drop in fertility and biodiversity of soil organisms; drying out due to drainage; waterlogging due to floods; compaction by agricultural or forestry machinery; salinisation due to irrigation and rising sea levels; acidification; desertification; etc. Soil degradation can be very rapid and is irreversible on a human scale. Indeed, it takes thousands of years to reconstitute soil (1,000 years for 1 cm in temperate zones). Soil is therefore a non-renewable resource that must be preserved.
A first step is to preserve soils with high agronomic quality for agriculture.
Due to their role in regulating the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater, we should also consider soils in water management.
1-Source of production and income if well managed (MDG 1), support for agricultural production and fight against hunger (MDG 2), retention of dangerous elements to preserve health (MDG 3), protective role with regard to water quality, purifying power and receptacle of sanitation by-products (MDG 6), regulation of rainwater and sources of amenity in urban areas (MDG 11), fertility and agricultural production (MDG 12), climate action through carbon dioxide sequestration (MDG 13), support and habitat for terrestrial life (MDG 15)
Supported by the programme EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data, four of the European Union’s Eastern Partner countries successfully developed a COVID-19 monitoring concept and performed pilot analyses in urban wastewater: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova.
During September 2022, the SarsCov-2 virus was analysed for the first time ever in wastewater samples from Yerevan, Baku, Tbilisi and Chișinău. The now proven concept for sampling, analysis and evaluation has been developed with the support of the European Union. In the framework of the EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data programme, experts from the Environment Agency Austria and Vienna University of Technology provided guidance on the elaboration of the procedures and enabled the first analysis of Covid-19 in wastewater in each of the countries. In order to obtain valid and comparable results, a minimum data set and more inflow (sewer) data for normalization are needed as a next step.
During the next months, the European experts will guide the programme’s partners in the Eastern Partner countries to go from first sampling to continuous practice and train them on evaluation and interpretation of data. In parallel, the sampling will be extended to increase the coverage of the COVID-19 monitoring. This will improve monitoring the pandemic for overall health protection in each country and even internationally.
Covid-19 surveillance in Europe
Since 2021 EU Member States are strongly encouraged to put in place a national wastewater surveillance system targeted at data collection of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in wastewaters. This system serves as a rather simple, low-cost instrument on top of the more complex public testing. Austria was one of the pioneers in the implementation of such a system, kicked off with the Coron-A project in spring 2020. Monitoring still persists and delivers timely information about the pandemic situation.
The Environment Agency Austria in a nutshell
As Austria´s most important expert organisation for the environment and one of Europe´s leading environmental consultants we are committed to transforming the economy and society in order to ensure sustainable living conditions. Our experts provide the basis for decision making at local, regional and international level. We are committed to transparency and impartiality in our work and we engage in dialogue with politics, administration, business, science and civil society.