Finnish-Russian CommissionPrincipal Tools: Exchange of Data and
Information
Seppo RekolainenFinnish Environment Institute
Workshop on “River Basin Commissions and Other Joint Bodies for Transboundary Water Cooperation: Legal and Institutional Aspects”
23-24, September, 2013
FINNISH - RUSSIAN AGREEMENT ON THEUTILISATION OF TRANSBOUNDARYWATERCOURSES (1964)● Regulations on :
○ Water flow and structural measures○ Floods and water scarcity○ Timber floating and navigation○ Fisheries and fish migration○ Pollution and water quality○ Public health and economic considerations
Norway
FinlandSweden
Russia
LakeSaimaa
River Vuoksi
LakeLadoga
f
River Paatsjoki
FINLAND – RUSSIA TRANSBOUNDARYWATER COOPERATION
Location of Finland with Rivers Vuoksi and Paatsjoki crossing the border
The River Vuoksi – Lake Saimaa system
● Catchment 70 000 km2
○ Finland 77 %, Russia 23 %
● Lake Saimaa ○ surface 4 460 km2
○ precipitation ~ 600 mm/a
● River Vuoksi natural discharge○ mean 600 m3/s○ max 1170 m3/s○ min 220 m3/s
● Joint Commission○ Meetings once a year
● Working groups:○ Water Protection
• Water quality monitoring• Monitoring of pressures, particularly waste waters• Intercalibration of laboratory analytics• Information exchange on planned measures
○ Intergrated water management• Discharge management• Flood control and flood management• Hydropower• Fisheries, fish migration• Information exchange on planned measures
● Requires high commitment by national authorities
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Institutional frameworks
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CODMn mg/l, FIХПКMn мгО/дм3, RUSliukuva keskiarvo (6 näytettä)Скользящая средняя (6 пробы)
Vuoksiр. Вуокса
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Information and data exchange –water quality monitoring
● Annual joint reports● Water quality monitoring on both sides of the border
Vuoksi – COD Вуокса – ХПК• Blue line and dots – Finnish results• Red line and red dots – Russian results
● Concentrations of phosphorus in The River Rakkolanjoki● Two periods: 1994-2007 and 2008-2011● Clear improvement of the comparability
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Information and data exchange –Intercalibration of chemical analysis
y = 0,6855x + 17,164R² = 0,705
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0 100 200 300 400 500Kokonaisfosfori µg/l, FI
Фосфор общий мкг/дм3, RUS
Rakkolanjokiр. Селезневка1994--2007
y = 0,9108x + 6,0604R² = 0,7687
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0 100 200 300 400 500Kokonaisfosfori µg/l, FI
Фосфор общий мкг/дм3, RUS
Rakkolanjokiр. Селезневка2008--2011
● Joint report every year● Pollution loads from the Finnish side to the Saimaa – Vuoksi
system
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Information and data exchange –Pollution loads
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Vuoksen-Saimaan alue BOD7 t/dKiintoaine t/dCODCr t/dTuotanto 100 t/dJätevesien määrä x1000 m3/d
t/d m3/d
Industrialproductionvolume
● Water levels,discharges and other hydrologicalparametersavailable atInternet
● Stations at the Vuoksi basin
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InformationExchange
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Information and data exchange –Discharges
● Recent issues:
○ Redirection of waste water○ Mining activities○ Peat production○ Flood protection○ Improving fish migration
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Information exchange –Planned measures
● Joint monitoring and open data exchange increase trustbetween parties – basic actions
● Planned measures – early information is important○ Connections between Water Convention and
Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention)
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Conclusions
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Thank you!
The River Vuoksi: Transboundary river between Finland and RussiaPainting by Victor Westerholm 1912