Hungarian experience - implementing the Water Convention

Péter Kovács River Basin Management and Water Protection

Department Ministry of Interior

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HUNGARY IN THE DANUBE BASIN

Danube is the most international river basin 800,000 km2

19 countries 81 million inh.

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3 rivers leaving the country

24 rivers entering into the country

84% < 200 mBf (in the bottom of Carpathian basin) 95%of surface waters originated abroad Floods, inland waters, draughts Continental weather effects Climate changes Sensitive/vulnerable areas

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The image part with relationship ID rId2 was not found in the file.

The quantity of waters are changeable: sometimes the too much water, sometimes lack of waters can cause damages at the same sites

Szolnok, 2000. április

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Draught River flood

Excess water All together

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Water related damages

Floods • 2-3 years minor • 5-6 years important • 10-12 years extreme Inland excess water (undrained runoff): 2-3 years Droughts: 3-5 years

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Ministry of Interior Prime Minister’s

Office

National Water Authority/National

Disaster Management

County’s Goverment Offices

12 Regional Water Directorate

General Directorate of Water

Management

12 Regional Water Authority

10 regional laboratories

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International co-operation in the water sector • Bilateral co-operation

– Transboundary (neighbouring countries) – With other countries

• Multilateral co-operation – International Conventions

» (UNECE Water Convention, Danube Convention, etc.)

• European (Union) level co-operation – Common Implementation Strategy – Common basic legislation

• Regional, global level water co-operation

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Two framework multilateral instruments

• 1997 Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UN Watercourses Convention)

• 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention)

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Main functions of rivers: Ecology, green corridor Flood plain area Recreation Water resource Wastewater recipient Energy resource Transport way

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Main drivers, pressures and impacts on water-based ecosystems

• Drivers: energy production, flood control, navigation, developments in industry and agriculture, urbanization and other infrastructural developments

• Pressures: construction of dams, weirs, ports, river diversion and regulation, irrigation, water abstraction, wastewater discharge, canalisation, shoreline protection • Impacts: changes in hydro-morphological conditions, horizontal and longitudinal ecosystem discontinuity of water courses, disappearing floodplains, degraded shoreline ecosystems, increased chemical loads

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UNECE Water Convention and Hungary

Signature: 18 March 1992. Approval: 2 September 1994

Entry into force: 6 October 1996 Number of bi-and multilateral transboundary agreements

were and being formulated (e.g. Danube river Protection Convention)

Provosions were taken into account in the formulation of EU Water Framework Directive

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Transboundary River Commissions

With all 7 neighbouring country – historical form of cooperation – different structures – identical objectives

AT, SK, UA, RO, RS, CR, SL • Flood management, river engineering • Hydrological forecast, data exchange • Water quality protection • Water management, protection of water

resources (quality & quantity) • Integrated River Basin Management

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From Black Forest to Black Sea

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Danube River Protection Convention Legal frame for cooperation to assure protection

of water and ecological resources and their sustainable use in the Danube River Basin.

Signed: 29 June 1994, Sofia

The main objectives of the Convention:

- sustainable and equitable water management - conservation and rational use of surface and groundwater - contol of hazardous substances originating from accidents - control of floods and ice-hazards -reduction of pollution loads of Black sea

Ministerial meetings December 2004, February 2010, February 2016

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History of Danube River Cooperation

1815 Wien congress / free navigation 1829 Danube Steamboat Company 1856 European Commission of the Daube (Treaty of Paris) for all European countries 1948 Danube Commission (Belgrade Convention) for riparian countries 1985 Declaration of the Danube Countries to Cooperate on Questions Concerning the Water Management of the Danube – Bucharest Declaration – water quality deterioration Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin (EPDRP) – 1991 (Bulgaria) Interim Task Force - Strategic Action Plan

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History of Danube River Cooperation

Original objectives: • Sustainable and equitable water management • Control of pollution of hazardous substances, floods, ice • Reduce pollution load to the Black Sea • Polluter pays and precautionary principles

Additional objectives: • River Basin Management Planning • Flood Risk Management Planning • Cross sectoral cooperation (hydroenergy, navigation, etc.)

• Rehabilitation of ecosystem (eg. Sturgeons)

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Contracting Parties •Bosnia & Herzegovina

•Serbia

•Montenegro

•Romania

•Bulgaria

•Rep. of Moldova

•Ukraine

•European Union

Germany Austria Czech Republic Slovakia Hungary Slovenia Croatia

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ICPDR Delegations of Contracting Parties

River Basin Management

RBM EG

PM EG MA EG

Flood EG

IMGIS EG

PP EG

ICPDR Secretariat

ad hoc S EG

ad hoc Strategic

Pressures & Measures Monitoring &

Assessment

Flood Protection

Public Participation

Information Management & Geographical Information

System

Task Groups

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Stakeholder Involvement: 22 Observers

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Reflects

• Water status of the DRB waters

• Significant Water Management Issues

Includes • Joint Programme of Measures • Evaluation on measure implementation Enables • Conclusions on investment & funding • Potential link to Danube Strategy

Danube River Basin Management Plan

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TNMN: Monitoring Waters

collect data Identify issues &

responses

implement measures

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• Oct 2010: Red sludge spill results in loss of human life & environmental damage

• AEWS alert for down-stream countries

• Underlined importance of coordinated, international warning systems

www.redsludge.bm.hu

Accident Emergency Warning System (AEWS)

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Dispute settlement

Transboundary co-operation Bi-lateral agreements - court of arbitration (e.g. International Court of Justice)

UNECE Water Convention Article 22 - 1 negotiation, 2 International Court of Justice, 3 arbitration (annex IV.) Danube Convention Article 24 – 1 negotiation, 2 International Court of Justice, 3 arbitration (annex V.) European Union Article 12 of EU Water Framework Directive – reporting to the Commission

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Basin year Quantity Env. quality risk mgmt variability infra inst dispute

Danube (focus on env quality)

1994 no (equitable util)

yes yes no yes yes yes (ICJ, arb)

Elbe 1990 nothing yes, but weak

no no very weak yes no

Oder 1996/99 nothing yes, but weak

no no very weak yes no

Rhine 1998 no (rational mgmt.)

yes yes no yes yes yes

Meuse 2002 no (sust dev) yes, WF, RBMP

yes no ? yes no

Sava 2004 yes!! equitable and beneficial share (Art 7), no harm (art 9), Art 11 sufficient quantity

yes yes ? yes yes YES (Detailed !!!)

Albufeira Convention

1998, 2008 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

Source : Mr. G. Baranyai

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Connecting the Danube Region • (1) improving mobility - • 1a (inland navigation) – AT, RO; • 1b (rail, road air) – SI, SRB • (2) encouraging sustainable energy – CZ, HU • (3) promoting culture and tourism – BG, RO Protecting the environment in the Danube Region • (4) restoring water quality – HU, SK • (5) managing environmental risks – HU, RO • (6) preserving biodiversity – GE, CRO Building prosperity in the Danube Region • (7) developing research capacity – SK, SRB • (8) education and information technologies, supporting • the competitiveness of enterprises - DE, CRO • (9) investing in people’s skills – AT, MD Strengthening the Danube Region • (10) stepping up institutional capacity, and cooperation of institutions – AT, SI • (11) improving cooperation to tackle organised crime, security – DE, BG

Adopted at EU Council meeting 23 June 2011.

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Thank you for your kind attention !