Establishment of Centre for Exchange of Water-Environmental Information

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1. Administrartive infomation

 

Project Leader: A.N.Kolobaiev, Director of Laboratory, Central Scientific Research Institute of Water Resources Complex Use (CSRIWRCU), under Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Belarus Republic

 

Project executors:

А.P.Dalimaiev (CSRIWRCU )

V.N.Korneev(CSRIWRCU )

E.M. Minchenko (CSRIWRCU )

Yu. I.Myshkin (CSRIWRCU )

A.V.Pakhomov (CSRIWRCU )

A.M.Penkovskaia (CSRIWRCU )

M.A.Podgaiskaia (The National Center for Radiological Control and Environmental Monitoring under the Hydrometeorology Department)

Yu.A.Alekhnovich (EcoInvest)

 

Experts from the Brest, Vitebsk and Mogilev regional committees on natural resources and environmental protection were involved to the project implementation. The project outputs were discussed at the coordination meeting with officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and from regional centers, that is, from the Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev regional committees on natural resources and environmental protection, with the involvement of IDRC representatives.

 

The work was carried out thanks to the grant donated by the Canadian International Development Agency through the IDRC, Ottawa.

 

2. Project goal (objective)

 

The project goal was to organize a center of computerized information exchange with the water and environmental information and to perfect a technology for the computerized exchange with water and environmental information in the Dnipro basin.

 

3. Problem definition

 

Validity of water-ecological measures mainly depends on the comprehensiveness of information about available water resources, about actual use of these resources and about water pollution in a result of human activity. Considerable part of this information is collected, processed and analyzed by ministerial systems of keeping the State Water Cadastre of Belarus Republic, of Russian Federation and of Ukraine. Moreover, currently undertaken comparative analysis and mutual coordination of the Cadastre data in Belarus Republic is carried out only at the republic level in course of annual development of inter-ministerial water cadastre publications. Comprehensive analysis of data about water resources and its use, and about water quality at the regional level is not carried out, as well as comparison of these data with similar data in the basins of neighboring states.

 

To manage the control of water quality of the Dnipro water it is necessary to maintain electronic communication between both regional managing and controlling bodies (including regional committees on natural resources and environmental protection), and executive bodies of neighboring countries (Russia, Belarus and Ukraine). The primary stage of creating electronic system for water and ecology information exchange within the given project was aimed at establishing a specialized unit (center) of electronic exchange with water ecology information and develop major documents which are to become a base for the project technical implementation, software development and further establishment of national (and later, international) informational systems, which will function in both ordinary and emergency situations.

 

4. Project outputs

 

-  Specialized computer and peripheral equipment (see Table 1) for exchange with water ecology information was installed in the Brest, Vitebsk, and Mogilev regional committees on natural resources and environmental protection.

 

-  The National center on water ecology information exchange is equipped with specialized computer equipment: the functions of this center are carried out by main organization keeping the Water Cadastre of the Belarus Republic (Central Research Institute of Complex Use of Water Resources under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection).

 

-  The Internet access and e-mail communication for operational exchange with water and environmental information was established between the national center, divisions of the Ministry of Natural resources, regional committees on natural resources and environmental protection and the Hydrometeorology Department.

 

-  The software oriented to the solution of specific problems, allowing to develop, accept and deliver water ecology data to remote user was installed in the division of the Ministry of Natural resources (that is, in Special Inspection on State Control of water use and protection; Monitoring and Analytical Control Department)

 

-  Two-way e-mail communication between the national center of water ecology information exchange and Vitebsk regional committee on natural resources and environmental protection was approved as a way of delivering upgraded software versions and transmitting database of hydrochemical analysis results of leachate and superficial water.

 

-  The high-frequency (up to 100Mbit) local network for delivering data according to the client-server technology was installed in the national center; the workstations of the center’s experts were linked up to the server and administration of this computerized workstations was organized;

 

-  A range of documents was developed, including the following: a Draft process flowsheet of the water ecology information exchange about the Dnipro basin (Table 2); the List of water ecology characteristics subjected to the national exchange (Table 3); the List of water ecology characteristics subjected to the international exchange (Table 4); and also the List of transboundary cross-sections in the Dnipro basin, on which it would be advisable to submit aggregated information about water resources, their use and the water quality.

 

-  The specialized software on mapped presentation of water ecology information about anthropogenic load of water quality in the Dnipro basin was approved (see figure attached to the section 4.5)

 

More detailed information about the project outputs is presented below in sections 4.1-4.3.

 

4.1. Organizational Framework of the Centre for exchange of water-environmental information

 

4.1.1. The center for Centre for exchange of water-environmental information is a structural unit (within the Water Cadastre Laboratory) under the main organization keeping the State Water Cadastre of Belarus Republic, whose functions are carried out by the Central Scientific Research Institute of Water Resources Complex Use according to item 9 of ‘The Process Flowsheet for Keeping the State Water Cadastre of Belarus Republic’. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection approved the document on October 23, 1995 after consultation with the Committee on Hydrometeorology and Ministry of Health [1].

 

4.1.2. The leadership over the Centre for exchange of water-environmental information (hereinafter referred to as the Center) is carried out by the director of the Water Cadastre Laboratories of the CSRIWRCU, who is appointed and dismissed by the Director of CSRIWRCU (in line with established procedure for the Institute).

 

4.1.3. The Center carries out:

 

-  creating and maintaining inter-departmental integrated data about water resource use and water quality;

-  creating and maintaining primary database on water use and discharges of contaminants in leachate;

-  updating specialized data bases of the Ministry of Nature divisions and exchanging with current water and ecological information;

- providing informational services for both executive and legislative bodies, design and research organizations (including international and non-government organizations); delivering aggregated data about water resource in general, about their use and water quality;

-  mutual exchange with water ecology information between neighboring states (alongside the basins of transboundary rivers);

-  informational support to international projects in the area of water use control and water protection;

-  supporting and maintaining water ecology computer systems at both oblast and regional levels;

-  carrying out international projects commissioned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and by National Management Committee of the UNDP-GEF ‘Dnipro Basin Environmental Rehabilitation’ Program;

-  training specialists and offering both consulting and practical support to the Minsk City and oblast committees on natural resources and environmental protection, and to regional and city inspections attached to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Belarus Republic.

 

4.1.4. The Center is funded in line with the CSRIWRCU Statute on the account of funds allocated for the state research programs, from target budget funds for environmental protection and from the budgets of international projects carried out on the commission of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Belarus Republic and National Management Committee of the UNDP-GEF ‘Dnipro Basin Environmental Rehabilitation’ Program;

 

4.1.5. As to the UNDP-GEF ‘Dnipro Basin Environmental Rehabilitation’ Program implementation, the Center’s work is coordinated by the National office managing the Program and by Regional Informational Management Center.

 

4.2.Purchase and Installation of Special Computer Equipment

 

Since both national and regional centers for water ecology information exchange are created on the framework of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection structures, then specific computer equipment was purchased and installed in the CSRIWRCU (the national center) and in three regional centers on environmental protection (in the Brest, Vitebsk and Mogilev oblasts). Equipment supplies to the Gomel, and both Minsk regional and Minsk City committees on environmental protection is planned in the course of implementing another project sponsored from the Canadian grants (on developing GIS-technologies). The list of installed special computer equipment and peripherals is given in Table 1.

 

4.3. Process Flowsheet on Exchange with Water Environmental Information about the Dnipro Basin

 

4.3.1. The following Process Flowsheet on Exchange with Water-and-Ecology Information about the Dnipro Basin (hereinafter referred to as the Process Flowsheet) is developed keeping in mind that after necessary improvement it would be appropriate for the information exchange with water ecology information throughout the entire Belarus territory.

 

4.3.2. The functions of the National Center on water ecology information exchange is carried out by main organization keeping the State Water Cadastre of Belarus Republic (CSRIWRCU). The organizational structure of the Center is given in section 4.1.

 

4.3.3. The Process Flowsheet envisages informational interaction between organizations at the national level. The range of interacting organizations includes:

 

-  organizations keeping various sections of the State Water Cadastre, aiming to increase efficiency of informational services delivered to managing bodies of water protection system;

-  main organization keeping the State Water Cadastre (CSRIWRCU) and regional (including the Minsk city) committees on natural resources and environmental protection, possessing regional data bases about water resources in general, water resource use and water quality in the Dnipro basin;

-  the nepublic center on water ecology information exchange (that is, the main organization keeping the State Water Cadastre) and structural units of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection including: Special Inspection on State Control of water use and protection, Monitoring and Analytical Control Department, and Information Section;

-  the national center on water-and-ecology information exchange with similar (in terms of functional purpose) informational centers in the Russian Federation and in Ukraine (supervised and coordinated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and by the National Office managing the UNDP-GEF ‘Dnipro Basin Environmental Rehabilitation’ Program);

-  the republic and regional centers along with non-government and international organizations (in line with the provisions of the Archus Convention).

 

4.3.4. The information subjected to the exchange at the national level includes both basic and aggregated data. Aggregated data are circulating between organizations possessing specialized data bases on the various State Water Cadastre sections (superficial water; ground water; water use; health conditions of the drinking water supply sources). The input information is delivered according to the ‘top to bottom’ scheme: the city (region) –oblastthe Republic center Ministry of natural Resources and Environmental protection.

 

4.3.4. The technique of the water ecology information exchange at the national level (including forms and submission deadlines) is presented in Table 2.

 

4.3.5. The list of water ecology characteristics, used at the national level, is given in Table 3. It is put down with the consideration of existing practice of the State Water Cadastre [2] keeping and the results of specific water quality research in the Dnipro basin [3]. With the development of computerized water ecology systems going on the content of exchangeable information would be defined more accurately. For example, it could be expanded on the account of data about boundaries of water protection zones and protective stripes of rivers, lakes and storage ponds; it could provide information about the ecology tax rates and amount of fines for violation of water regulations; about location and parameters of main dispersed pollution sources, etc.

 

4.3.6. As a rule, the aggregated information is a subject of international exchange. The draft list of characteristics subjected to the international exchange s given in Table 4. These characteristics are represented according to the transboundary cross-sections of the Dnipro and its tributaries, listed in Table5. The plan of international exchange with water ecology information is to be subjected to the further more detailed specification and approval of the Inter-Governmental Council on the Dnipro Rehabilitation Program.

 

4.3.7. Informational services to the executive and legislative branches, design, educational, scientific, intergovernmental and other organizations is carried out only according to the laws and regulatory provisions active in the Belarus Republic.

 

4.4. List of the Water Ecology Characteristics Subjected to the National Information Exchange; List of the same Characteristics to be Delivered at the International Level

 

4.4.1. The list of the water ecology characteristics subjected to the national information exchange (Teble 3) includes both the river run-off data and the superficial water quality data, as well as hydrological characteristics of discharge leachate. Moreover, it is envisaged to deliver information about the limits of leachate scoop and discharge (according to the issued special water use permissions); and about definition of maximum permissible concentration of pollution compounds in each leachate discharge.

 

4.4.2. The list of the water ecology characteristics subjected to the international information exchange (Table 4) includes data on water discharge rate in coordinated cross-sections, disastrous discharges and water levels in the stationary observed cross-sections, annual rates of inlet, used and discharged water (the cumulative effect result for coordinated cross-sections) as well as average month rates of superficial water quality in coordinated cross-sections. The primary list of parameters of the latter characteristic is given in Table 5.

 

4.5. An Example of Mapped Presentation of Water Ecology Characteristics

 

To illustrate opportunities suggested by the mapped interpretation of the water ecology characteristics we developed real aggregated data for 1999-2001, which characterize anthropogenic load provided by concentrated pollution sources on the superficial water quality in the Dnipro basin (see the map in the attachment). The data for industrial centers include amounts of discharged leachate and concentration of contaminants of three limited compounds (different in each case), and values of dilution order required to reach the maximum permissible concentration. Specially developed software helps not only to represent the level of anthropogenic load at the Dnipro outflow in seven scales depending on the required dilution order in percentage to the 95% endured river run-off (see Fig.), but also allows to provide at the map additional information on each industrial center chosen by the user.

 

5. Conclusion and recommendations

 

1.  The main project objective to organize computerized center for water ecology information exchange and approve technique of the computerized information exchange process within the Dnipro basin is fulfilled. Functions of the national center are carried out by specialized CSRIWRCU unit, which is the main organization keeping the Water Cadastre of Belarus Republic. The national center is fully equipped with necessary equipment (including means for the information receiving and transmitting and copying machinery). Additional computer equipment installations were carried out for three regional centers, the one of which (under Vitebsk regional committee on natural resources) has approved the technique of computerized exchange with leachate analysis results.

 

2.  The lists of water ecology characteristics subjected to the international information exchange and list of transboundary cross-sections in the Dnipro basin were developed and discussed at the level of representatives from task forces on informational management from Russia and Ukraine. These lists are recommended to be taken as the framework for developing international system of computerized water and ecology information exchange.

 

3.  For successful performance of the computerized water ecology exchange system is advisable to get organizational and financial support both from Dnipro Environmental Rehabilitation Program and from other sources.

 

6. Bibliography

 

1.  Cadastre of the Water Resource Use (methods and the practice of keeping). Minsk, Published by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Belarus Republic, 1997.

 

2.  The State Water Cadastre. The Water Resource Use and Water Quality (Annual Edition, for the year 2000). Minsk, Published by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Belarus Republic, 2001.

 

3.  Basic Results of the Specialized Expedition on Investigation of the Water Quality in the Dnipro Basin (within the territory of Belarus Republic) Minsk, Published by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Belarus Republic, CSRIWRCU, 2000 and 2001.

 

4.  Guidelines on Water-Quality Monitoring and Assessment of Transboundary Rivers. UN/ECE TASK Force on Monitoring and Assessment. 1996.

 

 

7. Attachments

 

Table 1. List of the Equipment Purchased on the Project Framework

 

 

Table 2. Draft process flowsheet of the water ecology information exchange

about the Dnipro basin (the information should be presented in electronic form).

 

 

Table 3. List of water ecology information subjected to the national exchange

 

 

Table 4. List of water ecology information subjected to the international exchange

 

 

Table 5. List of transboundary sections in the Dnipro basin, which are the subjects

of submitted water ecology information about water resources in general, water resource use and water quality