Key Transboundary Issues and Priority Scores

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4.1. Key Transboundary Issues and Priority Scores

22 GIWA issues from five major concern areas were assessed in order to determine their relevance and transboundary nature in the context of the Dnipro Basin. The objective of the first stage of the TDA was to select criteria that would be used for the prioritisation of these transboundary issues. The following suite of criteria was subsequently used for this purpose:

 

1. Transboundary nature of an issue.

2. Scale of impacts of an issue on the Dnipro Basin and Black Sea ecosystems.

3. Scale of impacts of an issue on economic activities, the environment and human health.

4. Relevance of an issue from the perspective of national priorities reflected in existing national policies and action plans on environmental rehabilitation and biodiversity conservation in the Dnipro Basin.

5. Scope of the systemic relationship with other environmental issues and economic sectors.

6. Expected multiple benefits that might be achieved by addressing an issue.

7. Lack of perceived progress in addressing/solving an issue at the national level.

 

Each transboundary issue was scored on the basis of the severity of their environmental and socio-economic impacts, on a scale of 0 to 3 by the 16 members of the TDA team. The outcome of this exercise was a prioritised list of the transboundary issues in the Dnipro basin. Two categories of priority are shown, Priority A and B. Priority A issues are those with an environmental and/or socio-economic impact score of 3. Priority B issues are those that scored less than 3 for either environmental and/or socio-economic impacts. The result of this exercise identified 12 major transboundary issues in the Dnipro River Basin that required further detailed analysis (Table 4.1). Of those, the following transboundary issues were considered as a priority, requiring more detailed causal chain analysis:

 

Issue 4        Chemical pollution (Priority A)

Issue 6        Radionuclide pollution (Priority A)

Issue 8        Eutrophication (Priority A)

Issue 11      Loss/modification of ecosystems or ecotones and decreased viability of stocks due to contamination and diseases (Priority A)

Issue 3        Flooding events and elevated groundwater levels  (Priority B)

Issue 1        Modification of the hydrological regime (Priority B)

 

When addressing the identified transboundary issues, consideration should be given to the interrelationships between them. These interrelationships need to be taken into consideration when defining the sequence of steps involved in problem solving (Figure 4.1). Table 4.2 reflects the problem-solving sequence for the key transboundary issues existing in the Dnipro Basin. This sequence is defined on the basis of the following criteria: (1) the number of issues dependant on, or relating to a given issue, (2) the location of an issue within the causal chain, and (3) what issues require solving prior to addressing the issue under consideration. It should be noted that an issue can only be effectively solved if the related root, underlying and immediate causes have been properly identified. An overview of cause/effect relationships between the priority transboundary issues is presented below.

 

Table 4.1. Modified GIWA concerns and issues for the Dnipro River Basin

 

 

 

Figure 4.1 Outline of links between the transboundary environmental issues of the Dnipro Basin

 

Table 4.2 Problem-solving sequence for the key transboundary environmental issues

 

 

1. Modification of hydrological regime of surface waters is attributed to land drainage activities in the Upper Dnipro Basin, excessive damming and regulation of smaller rivers, and construction of the chain of Dnipro reservoirs and flow diversion channels. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Modified riparian habitats;

- Depleted fish stocks and decreased species diversity;

- Changes in water quality;

- Decreased wetland area;

- Reduced sediment transport capacity;

- Changes in biological diversity and food chains;

- Changes in sediment budgets;

- Increased intensity of river bank modification.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

 

2. Changes in the groundwater regime are caused by mining industry activities, groundwater abstractions, and excessive flow regulation. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Decreased productivity of natural resources;

- Loss of biodiversity and natural erosion barriers.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

3. Flooding and elevated ground and surface waters are caused by river bed siltation, degradation of river floodplains, forest cutting activities, and land drainage/irrigation activities. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Degradation (change) of terrestrial and riparian plant and animal habitats;

- Additional pollution (bacterial, chemical etc.) of water bodies due to runoff from flooded territories;

- Changes in biotopes;

- Increased extent of territories with elevated groundwater levels.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

4. Microbiological pollution is associated with discharges of insufficiently treated municipal wastewater and food industry process effluents, as well as non-point pollution sources (mainly during high-flow periods). This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Deterioration in drinking water quality;

- Decreased recreational value of water bodies;

- Infestations/diseases in aquatic and terrestrial species.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

5. Eutrophication has developed as a result of large organic and nutrient pollution loads entering the Basin water bodies in the territories of the three riparian countries, excessive flow regulation, and the presence of extensive shallow-water sections in the Dnipro reservoirs. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Deterioration in water quality due to intensive algal blooms;

- Changes in redox capacity;

- Changes in the structure and functions of aquatic ecosystems;

- Changes in species composition and the productivity of native fish species.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

6. Chemical pollution of anthropogenic origin has been consistently present at various levels in the transboundary sections of the Dnipro Basin. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Deterioration of surface and groundwater quality;

- Depleted fish stocks and decreased species diversity;

- Changes in the biodiversity of aquatic, riparian and terrestrial biological resources;

- Changes in riparian habitats;

- Reproductive dysfunction in aquatic organisms;

- Behavioural dysfunction in aquatic organisms;

- Modified community structure;

- Increased mortality of aquatic organisms;

- Immuno-suppression in aquatic organisms.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues

 

 

7. Suspended solids enter the Dnipro Basin water bodies with discharges from point- and non-point pollution sources, exacerbated by land drainage/irrigation activities. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Modification of habitats;

- Changes in biological community composition;

- Increased sediment deposition and siltation;

- Destruction (blanketing) of benthic communities;

- Fish kills.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

8. Solid waste disposal represents a serious problem in the Dnipro Basin. Large numbers of unorganised/non-engineered dumpsites containing industrial/municipal/mining wastes are concentrated in the Basin posing a continuous threat of water pollution. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Deterioration of surface water and groundwater quality;

- Modification of terrestrial ecosystems;

- Deterioration of air quality;

- Modification of the hydraulic regime of small rivers;

- Beach and sediment compositional changes.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

9. Pollution by radionuclides is associated with the consequences of the Chernobyl accident resulting in the contamination of large areas of land with caesium and strontium, and uranium mining activities in the Lower Dnipro Basin. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Mutagenic effects;

- Immune system degradation in living organisms;

- Mortality of living organisms and changes in population number.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

10. Accidental spills and releases represent a continuous threat of water pollution in areas where liquid industrial effluent storage sites and pipelines are in a poor technical condition. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Acute deterioration of surface water and groundwater quality;

     - Deterioration of air quality;

- Mass kills of living organisms;

- Persistent contamination of soils resulting in dramatic ecological changes.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

11. Modification and loss of ecosystems and ecotones and decreased viability of biological resources due to contamination and disease. Progressive degradation of ecosystems and ecotones due to human activities has become apparent in many areas. Significant changes have been found in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and plant and animal species composition. Parasitic invasions have affected aquatic biota, exacerbated by the bioaccumulation of hazardous substances of anthropogenic origin. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Modification and degradation of ecosystems;

- Loss of natural productivity;

- Changes in and loss of biodiversity;

- Loss of natural erosion barriers;

- Loss of carbon sinks and release of carbon to the atmosphere;

- Loss of migratory species using the habitat and altered migratory patterns;

- Impacts of estuarine system changes on adjacent coastal marine ecosystems;

- Changes in ecosystem stability;

- Changes in community structure both plant and animal;

- Decreased species diversity.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues:

 

 

12. Impact on biological and genetic diversity is associated with the introduction and invasion of alien species. Water pollution has also undermined the biological and genetic diversity of species/communities inhabiting the Dnipro Basin. This can result in the following impacts:

 

- Changes in biological community structure due to the overexploitation and/or depletion of one or more key species;

- Changes in biological communities through deliberate and accidental introductions;

- Changes in community structure by food chain manipulation;

- Changes in community structure due to modification of species habitats;

- Changes to habitat and community structure resulting from destructive fishing practices;

- Degradation of ecosystems.

 

The diagram below illustrates how this issue is linked to other transboundary issues: