Integrated Water ManagementValentina PryazhinskayaWater Problems Institute

of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Problems and Challenges:

Conflicting interests of different organizations and agencies; Need to clear definition of each institutions’ role

and their links in solving water problem; Integrated approach to water management and

environmental legislation; Importance of comprehensive information; Decision Support Systems for storing, interpreting data

and numerical modeling of water problems.

Russian peculiarities: National economy reforms and reorientation to market relations; Natural resources use reorganization; Changes property forms on water resources (state, municipal and private); Creation of modern mechanisms of stimulating safe and rational water use; International water bodies - challenges to laws and rules for water use and water quality protection; Weakness of institutional framework and the gap between the intent and performance; Transition from centralized water management at a local scale.

Possible ways of solving the problemsSettle disputes between managerial bodies;Determine rights and obligations of each organization;Coordinate the current legislation in accordance with today's objectives of natural water management;Improve informational basis for water management, primarily the monitoring system;Introduce economic incentive mechanisms for stimulating rational water management;Change some of the laws which have already manifested their incompliance;Continue the reorganization of managerial bodies in water economy.

National Actions Program “The Water Russia – XXI Century”

Expanding the scope of water protection to surface waters and groundwater as well as coastal and transitional water; Achieving good status for all waters by a certain deadline; Water management based on river basins; Protecting from floods and harmful water damage influence; Combined approach of emission limit values and water

quality; Getting the prices right; Getting the citizen in streamlining legislation.

Main objectives of Program:

Water Basin Management Councils Competencies (“Water parliaments”)

Defining the water management programs for the basin and rules for spending of funds within a basin;Issuing resolutions on the conditions for the use of waters in the basin;Defining charges for the use of waters and water facilities in the basin;Endorsement of annual reports of the water basin management council.

Short-term Scenarios for Integrated Water Management (3 –5 years)

Address point sources of pollution:o Constructing wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for cities and areasin which sewerage collection exceeds treatment capacity;

o Multistage fashion based on well - proven treatment technologies;

Reduce water use through full cost pricing of water. Planning at the river basin scale to arrive at least-cost regional

policies; New standards based on established treatment technologies and

financial constants. Replaced less stringent criteria with more stringent during transition period (about 15 years). Strengthening of the domestic banking sector to create private

financial institutions capable of financing investments in WWTPs. Establish a regulatory framework in which water quality objectives

and standards are clear and which creates incentives for investing in clean technologies and pollution control.

Long term(15 years +)

Tighten requirements for industrial pretreatment of effluents discharged to municipal WWTPs.

Increase use of municipal sludge as a soil conditioner and fertilizer when its metal content achieves an acceptable level.

Focus construction program on building many medium removal-efficiency WWTPs.

Promote agricultural best management practices to increase farm profitability while reducing nutrient and pesticide runoff.

Compliance with EU water quality standards.

Partial or complete nitrogen removal through treatment plants where pollution jeopardizes regions.

Actions to specifically address transboundary pollution problems.

Extenuation of wastewater collection andtreatment into rural areas.

Medium term scenarios (5-15 years)