minutes of workshop improving water quality in the neman ...region drought plan in the neman basin...

Minutes of Workshop Improving Water Quality in the Neman Catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management, Kaliningrad, 12-14 December 2016

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Introduction

The international workshop “Improving water quality in the Neman

catchment area through rewetting, wise wetland and river basin management”

was held on 12-14 December 2016 in Kaliningrad, Russia. It was organised by

Michael Succow Foundation, Coalition Clean Baltic, the Ministry of Natural

Resources and Ecology of the Kaliningrad region (Russia) with the financial

support of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation in Germany (BfN),

Nordic Council of Ministers and the EU LIFE Programme.

The workshop was dedicated to the problem of eutrophication of the

waters in the Neman River, its tributaries and, as a result, of the Baltic Sea

through the Curonian Lagoon. The catchment of the Neman is shared among

Belarus, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The area is covered with many

peatlands. Many of them were drained and used in agriculture (as grasslands,

arable lands) or forestry. Now, many thousands of hectares of degraded

peatlands are abandoned and emit pollutants into the waters and GHGs in the

atmosphere. However, the pollution of waters does not stop at the national

borders. During the three-day event, 63 participants from 9 countries took part

in the workshop to discuss the possibilities and constraints of water quality

improvement in the downstream Neman catchment through wise wetlands and

river basin management. Besides the participants from the countries in the

catchment, there were experts from Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands,

Denmark and Finland. They shared experience and knowledge applied in this

field in other countries.

The workshop consisted of the common part with the presentations on

selected topics and further detailed discussions in the thematic workshop

groups. The groups’ work was facilitated by the experts and final reports were

composed. Overall, 15 presentations were given with time for questions and

discussion.

This brief report should give you a quick and easy-accessible overview on

the topics discussed and outcomes of the workshop. For further details, please

consult the accompanying files with presentations and background papers.

Day 1: Monday, 12th December 2016

The first workshop day began with opening speech of the Minister of

Natural Resources and Ecology of the Kaliningrad Oblast, who welcomed the

participants, underlined the importance of the problem of water quality and

integrated river basin management, and appreciated very much the

engagement of people from different countries.

Further the experts from the Neman catchment countries gave an

overview of the status of the area in each country. Aliaksandr Pakhomau from

the Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources in Minsk,

Belarus, gave an overview of land used in the catchment area in Belarus,

presented the results of the monitoring of the water quality and named point

sources of contamination, as well as diffuse agricultural sources. He also

described the water-protection zones applied in Belarus along all kind of water

bodies. Ricardas Paskauskas from Nature Research Centre in Vilnius,

Lithuania, presented the status of catchment in the country, 75% of which were

within the Neman catchmnet. Further, the measures proposed in a new Neman

river basin district (RBD) managemnet plan were disscused. Marina

Abramchuk from the University of Warsaw, Poland, presented the status of the

Polish part of the Neman catchment with western tributaries to the river.

Although most of the headwater parts of the rivers had been dredged and water

retention had been limited, indicator species of clean water can be found there.

This can be explained by high forest cover and extensive agriculture in the

catchment. Dmitriy Domnin from P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the

Russian Academy of Sciences in Kaliningrad described the sub-catchments of

the Neman in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russian Federation and presented the results

of some scientific research on the changes of the amount of total nitrogen and

phosphorus in the „incoming“ and „outgoing“ waters in Kaliningrad region.

All presentations about the current satus of the Neman catchmnet can be

found in the folder with the following names of the files:

Belarus [presentation: Status_BY_Pakhomau]

Lithuania [presentation: Status_LT_Paskauskas; Status_LT_Zableckis]

Poland [presentation: Status_PL_Abramchuk]

Kaliningrad [presentation: Status_RUS_Domnin]

Curonian lagoon in Russian Federation [KurshskayaLaguna_Alexeev].

During the second part of the workshop various European experiences in

the field of river basin management were presented. John Stand, from Wetland

Research Centre at Halmstad University, described the theoretical and practical

background of constructed wetlands for nutrients retention. After more than


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100 years of draining of the landscape in Sweden, new wetlands were

constructed to prevent diffuse leakage of nutrients from arable lands to streams,

lakes and sea. Practical information on how and where to build a wetland was

provided. More information can be found in the attached folder [Key_notes:

Constructed Wetlands_EN].

Alexander Kozulin, from Scientific-practical Centre for Bioresources of

the Belarusian Academy of Science, presented the problems with drained

peatlands in Belarus, as well as rewetting activities after peat extraction.

Comprehensive experiences in peatland rewetting and management have been

made in Belarus in different projects. Knowledge can be used in other countries

of the catchment. .

Since drained peatlands used in agriculture released a lot of nutrients to

the waters and CO2 to the atmosphere, a new concept of paludiculture was

developed. Wendelin Wichtmann, DUENE / Greifswald Mire Centre, presented

ways to establish sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture on wet and

rewetted peatlands with many environmental benefits. In particular, managed

wetlands buffer zones (WBZ) could retain nutrients and provide valuable

biomass from harvesting. More about WBZ and paludiculture can be found in

the attached folder [Key_notes: Wetland Buffer Zones_EN].

In order to maximise the economic and social benefits for many

stakeholders from the river and enhance participation, an integrated river

basin management should be applied. Best practice, tools and key elements of

a success were presented by Mikhail Durkin from Coalition Clean Baltic. More

about integrated river basin management can be found in the attached folder

[Key_notes: IRBM_EN]

The presentations about European experience in river basin area

management can be found in the attached folder with the following names of

files:

1. [presentation: Constructed wetlands_Strand]

2. [presentation: Peatlands rewetting_Kozulin]

3. [presentation: Paludiculture_Wichtmann]

4. [presentation: BestPractice_IRBM_Durkin].


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Fig. 1. Listening of the keynotes presentations

The third part of the workshop was focused on the activities undertaken by

governmental and non-governmental actors in every of the four countries to

improve the environmental situation in the Neman catchment. Barbara

Piekutowska from National Water Management Authority in Poland (KZGW)

gave an overview of measures planned to fulfil the objectives of the Water

Framework Directive in the Polish part of the Neman basin. According to the

Region Drought Plan in the Neman basin area, the restoration of wetlands,

watercourses beds, natural meanders and retention function of watercourses

was recommended. KZGW was responsible for coordination of policy area PA

NUTRI under the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

Vasily Shlyk from Grodno Regional Committee of Nature Resources and

Environment Protection, Belarus, presented the utilisation of water resources in

the area and problematic waste water treatment plants in the region. The

international projects addressing the water quality in Grodno Oblast were

mentioned.

Vytautas Kalpokas from the Water Policy Unit in the Ministry of

Environment of Lithuania presented the River Basin Management Plan for the

Neman, which defined the pressure of diffuse and point sources of water

pollution, as well as hydro morphological changes. Some measures to improve

the situation were already undertaken, e.g. removing of obstacles for fish

migration, naturalisation of the straightened rivers beds, construction of

sedimentation ponds.

Jana Kazimirskaya from the Department of Water Resources in

Kaliningrad Oblast presented statistical data about water use and its

contamination in the Neman catchment on the territory of Russia.


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The presentations about activities within the Neman catchment can be

found in the attached folder with the following names of files:

Poland [presentation: Activities_PL_Piekutowska].

Belarus [presentation: Activities_BY_Shlyk]

Lithuania [presentation: Activities_LT_Kalpokas]

Kaliningrad region [presentation: Activities_RUS_Kazimirskaya]

After the discussion following those presentations the participants selected one of thematic groups and continued work under the following topics:

Group 1: “Wetland restoration and paludiculture” was hosted by Wendelin

Wichtmann and Alexander Kozulin.

General issues:

Rewetting of peatlands is a well introduced method for GHG emissions

reduction.

Using fen peatlands for water purification is not well known, the following

effects for water quality must be further investigated:

o Resolving of organic compounds?

o Phosphorus solution under changing redox conditions?

Effect of harvesting biomass from rewetted peatlands for nutrient

removal differs with date of harvesting:

the earlier in the vegetation period harvesting takes place, the more

nutrients can be exported from sites

The later harvesting takes place, the larger the harvested area must be

to get same amount of nutrients exported

Ownership of land and drainage systems is very differently in the four

countries of the Neman basin.

Problems

Is a full inventory of peatlands in place, what is the current status quo?

Lithuania:

peatlands inventoried,

o Many are in an ameliorated status, deeply drained for agriculture

and peat extraction, many of them abandoned (less favorable land

for farming or exploited peatlands for peat extraction)

o Currently some survey activities are going on within an Aquatic

warbler (AW) Life project in BY and LT, but only in fen mires

Experiences in reed harvesting against eutrophication are in place

Curonian lagoon: in vicinity large areas with reeds are harvested for

Aquatic warbler habitat maintenance and production of pellets partly for

local boiler house or for substrate for horses (bedding material)


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Restoration activities in Augstumal are in conflict with excavation

activities in other parts of the bog complex

Restoration of degraded bogs seems to be a common activity, fens are

rather neglected

Belarus:

Inventory for peatlands is in place, there seems to be a great potential for

rewetting and paludiculture: (to specify what kind of inventory has been

done? The database of peatlands contains info only about existing mires.

The inventory of drained peatlands (especially under agricultural use)

may be required – in the context of nutrients flows and retention bodies

construction)

o 165.000 ha destroyed peatlands (Neman river catchment),

o 30.000 extraction sites, 17.000 ha of these are not efficiently used

in Neman river catchment.

o Another 1.000.000 ha peatlands are degraded by drainage (whole

BY) for agriculture

o Abandoned from agricultural use: 250.000 ha

an inventory on amelioration system is necessary to be done

assessment for natural peatlands already done

After assessing potential for agriculturally used peatlands land use must

be defined

Agricultural use of most excavated (bogs) peatlands did not make sense

because of low nutrient status

o A general regulatory document was elaborated for the transfer of

land to rewetting

o Excavated areas nowadays must be rewetted by peat companies

after use

o There still is a problem with excavated areas which have been

abandoned earlier

Significance of wetland restoration for water purification (depends very

much on Fe and Ca!) must be more considered (risk of phosphorus

release)

Kaliningrad

Coastal part in semi natural conditions-no measures are necessary here

Drainage system rather complicated – problem for rewetting and

reconstruction

Many abandoned peatlands can be found in the catchment of Neman

river

o Often these formerly agriculturally used areas rewetted by

themselves as drainage system has not been maintained

Especially raised bogs need rewetting


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Poland

Purification of waters from agriculture by rewetted peatlands seems

promising (We should focus rather on nitrogen, as the phosphorous

mobilisation might occur under certain conditions)

Most peatlands are drained and under agricultural use as grasslands

The Polish catchment of Neman river is a hilly region, fen peatlands are

common, bogs are also in place. River courses have been straightened

at their higher watercourses in the Neman catchment, many natural

rivers and lakes are in place

Possible solutions:

Lithuania:

Mechanisms of new farming concepts must be shown (best practice

examples)

First pilot rewetting measures in Gruda river catchment area (Neman

catchment tributary, fen peatland ~ 500 ha)

o Pilot for realisation of an integrated water basin management plan

o Constructed wetlands is a part of the water basin management

plan under EU Water framework directive (WFD)

Summary of status quo of peatlands (inventory) must be worked out

(maybe data available, question is where and how to obtain them)

o Many different registers in place…needs to be gathered

o In respect AW – there will be strategic proposal elaborated for the

network of ‘stepping stone’ habitats in 2017

Belarus:

Sustainable development strategy has been elaborated recently which is

the basis for further activities

Projects for rewetting and paludiculture can be implemented

Scientific investigations of efficiency for water purification necessary,

same as for GHG emissions reduction

Inventory of peatland melioration system used for agriculture and forestry

should be done soon

Special scheme has been decided: all natural wetlands are given to

nature conservation

All drained peatlands can be continued to extract peat until 2030

Kaliningrad:

Inventory necessary to be done soon

Focus should be given to areas which are abandoned and cannot be

used in any other way or which expose risks to surroundings

To fight fire risks potential rewetting activities on abandoned peatlands

needed


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Poland:

Restoration of Wetlands will be most promising measure here

River restoration would be an effective measure (re-meandering) which

benefit fens as well as most straightened watercourses are in areas of

organic soils (peatlands)

Further activity should take into account possible nutrients release after

rewetting

Methods for identification of river water bodies which are under hydro-

morphological pressure should be elaborated

system for preventing of flooding should be elaborated

Development of road map

First steps:

o Revision and formulation of goals for the whole system

PL, LT: Neman river management plan under WFD, in LT recently

elaborated, in PL adopted

PL/LT commission meetings once per year on base of agreement

8th of December last meeting with BY and PL resulted in preparation

of agreement to be signed in near future on common development of

transboundary waters -outcomes promising

Coordination meeting between ministries of PL/LT/BY would be

helpful. In this respect, role of KG region is not clear

NGOs and international organisations can play a role in this process

Local environmental authorities can show how problems can be

solved

o Elaborate a strategy, who is in charge for this?

Analyse the conditions of peatlands under the water basin

management plans in different countries

Face the problem that people who are dealing with water are not

aware on problems of peatlands and other way round

integrated management plan is necessary that considers all

relevant issues

To be realized by:

Responsible administration; BY: Ministry of Natural Resources;

LT: Environmental protection agency; PL: Min. of Environment

(strategy), regional water management authority (RZGW) in

Warsaw / National Water Management Authority (KZGW) is

responsible for implementation; KG: Neva Ladoga Basin Water

Authority in St. Petersburg, Ministry of Natural Resources of

KG Oblast is only responsible for some functions related to

peatlands

o Key pilot areas for rewetting must be identified, who is responsible?

BY: Academy of Sciences, NGO´s can contribute, international

organisations


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LT: academic institutes, NGO’s

PL: academic institutes, NGO’s

KG: federal authority would be in charge, organisation dealing with

drainage (public organisation: Regionalmeliovodkhoz), for forested

sites the forestry department of Ministry for Natural Resources and

environmental protection of KG Oblast

o How institutions can be convinced to deal with these activities

Best practice examples

Fire is a good incentive – maybe show examples on damages caused

by fires and costs for fire control

KG: Make awareness on GHG emissions – fulfill requirements of

Paris convention - uniform measures in whole Russia

o for concrete areas measures must be planned

PL: The Small Retention Plans driven by the Direction of National Forest:

construction of small reservoirs and ponds

PL: The Neman Water Region Drought Plan made by the Regional

Water Management Authority in Warsaw contains retention measures

related to restoration of rivers and wetland

Kaliningrad

After concrete planning decision for rewetting of selected sites can be

done

o Can be realized in different ways in KG:

Waste water treatment plants for 80 % reduction of N and P

by two pond system (sedimentation pond and vegetated

pond) for household sewage is in planning stage

Can be added by peatland rewetted system to retain

remaining nutrients

o Use Russian/German days in each autumn (October) to make

excursion to such sites. Participants are invited as speaker or

participant, limited access

o Include waste water treatment plants into water basin management plans

o In KG new treatment plants are planned, mainly in bigger cities. In smaller

villages wetland type treatment could be more attractive

Belarus

By chance one example for wastewater treatment (discharge waters of a

big pig farm) already exists nearby Saligorsk (outside Neman catchment

area)

o Monitoring not in place

o Filter function obvious

Poland


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Monitoring on transboundary waters is in place (commission between

PL and LT)

Plans are prepared for transboundary water management

Flood risk management plans are planned

Construction of small reservoirs for provision of agriculture in Poland

Lithuania

Identification of data relevant for peatland rewetting

Coordination and updating information about the river basin management

plan under WFD

Funding schemes: find actors for implementation

Analyse funding options if they can be used also for peatland rewetting

and paludiculture (Interreg LT/PL, Life, other EU funds)

Incentives to apply paludiculture by farmers

Priority action framework under the Life program in PL in place, in LT

under revision

Fig. 2. The group on rewetting and paludiculture

Group 2: “Waste water treatment in constructed wetlands and reed beds”

was hosted by John Stand and Yury Serikov.

Initial discussions on problem identification identified 2 different areas:

1) Waste water treatment solutions for small-scale point-source pollution

(households/waste corresponding to 1 – 1000 persons).

2) Constructed wetlands for diffuse pollution from agriculture


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Discussions were focused on waste water treatment (point source) solutions.

Both in Kaliningrad and Belarus it has been tested with small scale waste water

treatment solutions (in terms of reed beds, sand filters, wetlands) and major

advantages have been identified:

- Simple to construct

- Only small investment needed for construction and maintenance

- Clear positive environmental effects.

In Kaliningrad as well as in Belarus it is important to be able to show that the

solutions comply to the very strict rules of pollution limits. Only with reliable data

on different pollution parameters it will be possible to get the facilities accepted

and included in the federal list of Best available technologies (basis for state

expertise).. In Kaliningrad suitable locations for further construction of waste

water treatment solutions have already been identified. Also in Lithuania it is

important to be able to show, by for example in pilot projects, that the solutions

give good environmental effects.

Several examples from Poland were presented on different small-scale waste

water treatment solutions.

Possible solutions

It was stated in the group that an important solution to the problem was

knowledge exchange (both theoretical and practical) between colleagues and

countries, particularly between Poland and Kaliningrad but also including

Belarus, Lithuania and Germany. A joint application for knowledge exchange

and construction and monitoring of pilot projects was suggested. This would

also help to identify knowledge gaps.

Road map

1) Kaliningrad Technical University took responsibility to contact the experts

of the list of Best available technology to find what concrete information

is needed from the facilities/solutions in order to be able to join the list.

This will be done by February 2017.

2) From this gathered knowledge the next stage is to disseminate within the

group what data and knowledge already exists.

3) This procedure will give information of how to succeed with adding the

technology to the official list of best available technologies.

4) Finally, the identified knowledge and knowledge gaps will be the base for

a joint application (Poland suggested as lead partner?) for site-specific

pilot project in Kaliningrad which might also include Belarus and

Lithuania.

The time-frame was suggested to submit an application already in June 2017,

perhaps then a smaller project from some local, regional or EU funding and to

have this as a base for a larger application to Interreg later. Interreg applications


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are time consuming but the purpose of Interreg fits very well with the groups

intentions.

Diffuse pollution from agricultural land

Parallel to these discussions it was also discussed on the possibility of a joint

project between Sweden, Poland, Belarus and maybe also Lithuania regarding

constructed wetlands for nutrient leakage from farmland. The colleagues from

the different countries will continue contact and knowledge exchange after the

Kaliningrad meeting, with the aim of applying for funding for a concrete, joint

project.

Group 3: “Integrated River Basin Management” was hosted by Mikhail

Durkin.

The Neman/Nemunas River is the 14th largest in Europe and the fourth largest

in the Baltic Sea basin. The river drains the territories of Belarus, Lithuania,

Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), and Poland; originating in Belarus and flowing

through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the

Baltic Sea. The quality of the water is influenced by a number of factors,

primarily linked to industrial and agricultural production and inadequate

household wastewater treatment. The implementation of the EU Water

Framework Directive has revealed that most streams within the Neman river

basin did not qualify for “good ecological status” and that a reduction of both

nitrate and phosphorus pollution is required. Transboundary pollution

management is absolutely critical in this basin as half of the total pollution load

reaching the Baltic Sea through the Neman River originates in Belarus. Similar

issues affect the smaller, adjacent Pregola River basin which drains the

territories of Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) and Poland. The river originates in

Poland and flows through the city of Kaliningrad before discharging to the

Vistula Lagoon and the Baltic Sea.

Public participation in water management, that can deliver optimal decisions

that are more acceptable and better implemented on the ground, is one of the

key elements introduced by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Taking

into account that catchments of major rivers flowing into the Baltic are

transboundary and in many cases originating from upstream non-EU states

(Russia, Belarus and Ukraine), this issue becomes even more important. In

2010 the transboundary waterborne nutrient inputs originating from non-

HELCOM countries constituted 3% of total nitrogen and 5% of total phosphorus

inputs to the Baltic Sea.

For the time-being, attempts to arrange joint water management at inter-

governmental level in all major transboundary river basins within BSR have

been stalled due to differences in EU/non-EU governance and legislative

approaches, lack of agreement on common methodology, lack of commitment

etc. Currently, merely exchange of monitoring data occurs. At the same time,

Russia and Belarus have adopted national River Basin Management Plans


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(RBMPs) that are largely equivalent to those under EU WFD, also encouraging

public consultations on draft RBMPs/Programmes of Measures and possibilities

for performing public water monitoring.

On the basis of the above, the breakout Group 3 discussed the way forward for

integrated river basin management in Neman catchment.

One of the challenges is how civil society could be engaged in integrated river

basin management as a key element in reaching Good Ecological Status of

rivers and hence contributing to achievement of the Good Environmental Status

of the Baltic Sea as stipulated by the HELCOM BSAP and the EU MSFD. CCB

will run in 2017 a Project funded by NCM and EU LIFE to focus on development

and testing of tools for public participation, namely Public Advisory River Teams

(PARTs). Such informal bodies will be formed by civil society organizations

operating within the same river catchment, with involvement of other

stakeholders, and will address issues that are not yet resolved through

intergovernmental cooperation. The role of PART in Nemunas would be to

- act as an informal platform to boost transboundary cooperation within

shared river basins and expand cooperation and exchange of experiences

among several river basins

- comprise of civil society representatives (NGOs, individuals) working within

specific catchment area with water/river basin management related issues

- regularly meet to discuss actual water management agenda,

- establish thematic working groups to address relevant issues e.g. flood

protection/emergencies, nature conservation, water pollution, etc.

- invite for its meetings representatives of national water management

authorities,

- cooperate actively with relevant research institutions,

- provide broad dissemination of information on its activities,

- facilitate public awareness and capacity building for local residents on the

state of river basins.

The Group also discussed and outlined several outstanding ideas for the way

forward with PARTs establishment, as follows:

Strategic objectives and goals

• Drafting group to be established

• Vision “Neman 2030”

Who does what? • Decide upon responsibilities of actors to be involved

Timeline ideas / milestones • Short- and long-term planning

• 2021 HELCOM/MSFD GES (Also WFD goals)

• 2030 SDGs

Stakeholders (authorities, academia, NGOs, business, sectors, youth)


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Coordination / Platform

• Coalition Clean Baltic / Eco-Chronos? / [Public Advisory River

Teams]

• Relevant stakeholders (e.g. EU)

Pilots • Smaller-scale projects (e.g. polder management, small WWTPs)

• Joint events, e.g. Neman Day / Festival

• Joint Neman/Nemunas/Niemen product branding (e.g. meadows

grazing beef, bees/honey)

Fig. 3. The group on Integrated River Basin Management

Day 2: Tuesday, 13th December 2016

On the second workshop day the work in groups continued and results

were presented and discussed on the common session with all workshop

participants.

In the second part of the day the presentations were focused on the

biosphere reserves (BR) as a framework for coordinated thematic work. Valery

Neronov, from the Committee for MAB Program in Russia, presented the

concept of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. He showed the experience of BR

establishment in Russia and prospects for Kaliningrad region. More in the

attached paper [Key_notes: Biosphere Reserves_EN]. Anna Lukonina

presented the situation and activities conducted on the Volga floodplain BR in

Russia, whereas Anke Hollerbach presented German experience on the

Middle Elbe River BR with a focus on river basin management.


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The presentations about biosphere reserves can be found in the attached

folder:

[presentation: BR and Ramsarsites_Neronov]

[presentation: BR Volga_Lukonina]

[presentation: BR Elbe_Hollerbach]

Afterwards, the funding opportunities for coordinated work in the Neman

river basin were summarised and presented by Liana Maximova with a focus

on involvement of Russian partners in EU funded activities like Interreg. The

presentation was attached [presentation: Funding_Maximova].

Two working groups were formed to discuss the issue of Biosphere Reserve

and potential for the lower Neman River and of funding opportunities in detail:

Group 1: The BR possibilities on the Neman catchment area:

Lower Neman:

1) Several initiatives have already taken place with respect to a potential

lower Neman Biosphere Reserve, and a technical documentation in

preparation of this Biosphere Reserves is readily available. There needs

to be an initiative from the region now to push this further. The NGO

Green Front agreed to take this role and prepare next steps.

2) Mr. Akinin suggested the staff of the new department of OOPT could also

help to do the trick.

3) A local OOPT is currently prepared.

4) The Delta Neman is best suited for the establishment of a Biosphere

Reserve – it is an anthropo-natural complex.

Vishtnesky Nature Park (Rominter Heide)

5) We need some documents here. (MSS has done a lot and prepared

good documentation)

6) There is a new addition to the regional law on protected areas on

important wetlands. However, there are no steps towards international

status.

7) So the Lithuanian delegation could send a letter on the Vishtnesky Park

(Rominter Heide) to the Russian authorities.

8) Question about transboundary status: Suggestion to start a working BR

in one country, and only than think about transboundary contacts.

Wetlands

There is a list of potential future Wetlands in Russia.

Group 2: Funding. Options for proposals


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Different ways of funding were discussed; main focus was how to involve Russian and Belarusian partners into EU funded projects. Experiences from running transboundary Life Nature projects were shared. Peter Torkler from baltcf explained funding sources from private sources and how they can be used as co-funding to get larger public funded projects.

Fig. 4. Discussing of the funding possibilities


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Day 3: Wednesday, 14th December 2016

On the third workshop day, a field trip to the Gromovsky nature reserve in

delta of the Neman River was organised. The workshop participants could visit

the largest mire in Kaliningrad Oblast – Bolshoye Mokhovoye bog.

Fig. 5. Map of the Kaliningrad Oblast and site of the field trip

Walking on the nature trail, the experts noticed the degradation of some

parts of the mire due to human activities and discussed the possible measures

to restore the sites. They also visited a polder pumping station which was

functioning and discussed with local people the wetlands management issues.

Fig. 6. View on Bolshoye Mokhovoye bog


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Fig. 7. Water pumping station in the polders of Neman delta

More about the field trip can be found on the web-page of the NGO

“Prirodnoye nasledie” that organised the excursion (in Russsian):

https://pnak.ru/news/eksperty-po-vosstanovleniyu-bolot-posetili-gromovskiy-

zakaznik

Workshop participants: Country Name Organisation Contact

BY Boris Adamovich Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Belarussian State University

[email protected]

BY Alena Bahadziazh Center of Hydrometeorology and Control of Radioactive Contamination and Environmental Monitoring of the Republic of Belarus

[email protected]

BY Dima Belush NGO "Bahna" [email protected]

BY Mikhail Kalinin Eco-Chrones - Association of River-Keepers, IPO Ecoproject

[email protected]

BY Olga Kaskevich NGO "Bahna" [email protected]

https://pnak.ru/news/eksperty-po-vosstanovleniyu-bolot-posetili-gromovskiy-zakaznik

https://pnak.ru/news/eksperty-po-vosstanovleniyu-bolot-posetili-gromovskiy-zakaznik

mailto:[email protected]



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BY Alexander Kozulin Scientific-practical center for bioresources of the National Academy of Science

[email protected]

BY Aliaksandr Pakhomau Central Scientific Research Institute of Water Management

[email protected]

BY Natallia Parechyna Center for Environmental Solutions

[email protected]

BY Vasili Shlyk Grodno commettee for environment

[email protected]

BY Natallia Tupitsyna Mogilev State University

[email protected]

BY Dmitry Vintcheuski APB-Birdlife Belarus [email protected]

DE Uli Gräbener Michael Succow Foundation

[email protected]

DE Anke Hollerbach Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve

[email protected]; [email protected]

DE Jan Peters Michael Succow Foundation

[email protected]

DE Heinrich Schmauder Federal Agency for Nature Conservation

[email protected]

DE Peter Torkler International Baltic Sea Foundation for Nature Conservation

[email protected]

DE Wendelin Wichtmann Michael Succow Foundation

[email protected]

DK Arne Grove expert [email protected]

FI Marjukka Porvari John Nurminen Foundation

<[email protected]>

LT Edmundas Greimas Lithuanian Fund for Nature

[email protected]

LT Vytautas Kalpokas Ministry of Environment

[email protected]

LT Zymantas Morkvenas Baltic Environmental Forum

[email protected]

LT Ricardas Paskauskas Nature Research Center

[email protected]

LT Nerijus Zableckis Lithuanian Fund for [email protected]


























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Nature

NL Weitse Hermanns Hermanns Consultancy

[email protected]

NL Ernst Oosterveld Ecological consultant [email protected]

PL Marina Abramchuk Michael Succow Foundation

[email protected]

PL Barbara Piekutowska National Water Management Authority

[email protected]

PL Maria Staniszewska Polish Ecological Club Gdansk

[email protected]

PL Maria Weber Polish Ecological Club Gdansk

[email protected]

RU Aleksandr Akinin

RU Felix Alexeev Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

RU Boris Chubarenko Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

[email protected]

RU Oleg Divakov Kaliningradmeliovodhoz

RU Dmitry Domnin Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

[email protected]

RU Elena Ezhova HydroBios [email protected]

RU Gennadiy Grishanov Kant Baltic Federal University

RU Inna Hadan Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources

[email protected]

RU Oleg Ivanov NGO "Greenfront" [email protected]

RU Jana Kazimirskaya Department of Water Resources in Kaliningrad Oblast

RU Anna Kazina Friends of the Baltic [email protected]

RU Vyacheslav Kent

RU Ivan Kesoretskih [email protected]

RU Ekaterina Klimova NGO "Greenfront" [email protected]

RU Boris Komovnikov ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected]

RU Tatiana Komovnikova ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected]

RU Sergey Kondratenko

RU Olga Krylova Green Planet

RU Natalie Kurcheva













https://e.mail.ru/compose/?mailto=mailto%[email protected]








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RU Anna Lukonina Committee of Nature Resources and Ecology, Volgograd Oblast

[email protected]

RU Maxim Napreenko NGO "National Heritage"

[email protected]

RU Valery Neronov Deputy Chairperson of Russian MAB Committee

[email protected]

RU Victor Oleinik NGO "Greenfront" [email protected]

RU Irina Poterukhina

RU Dmitry Filippenko Green Planet [email protected]

RU Julia Ruigite

RU Vitaly Sadkov

RU Olga Senova Friends of the Baltic [email protected]

RU Juriy Serlaev

RU Natalia Shcagina Shirshov Institute of Oceanology

RU Olga Sheshukova ECAT-Kaliningrad [email protected]

RU Juriy Shitikov Ministry of Ecology in Kaliningrad Oblast

RU Andrey Sulenko [email protected]

RU Tatiana Taleckaya [email protected]

RU Ruslan Teuvazhukov

RU Alla Veselova

RU Roman Voropaev

SE Maria Basova Coalition Clean Baltic [email protected]

SE Mikhail Durkin Coalition Clean Baltic [email protected]

SE John Strand Halmstad University [email protected]









minutes of workshop improving water quality in the neman ...region drought plan in the neman basin...

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