ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COLLECTION
WITHIN
THE BLACK SEA COMMISSION
STATUS, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS
Black Sea OUTLOOK Conference
Odessa, Ukraine
November 1-4, 2011
Volodymyr Myroshnychenko, Project Expert
Permanent Secretariat
Commission on the Protection of the
Black Sea Against Pollution
www.blacksea-commission.org
Content
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Legal framework
Institutional framework
Monitoring
Reporting
Challenges
Solutions and targets
Recommendations
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Bucharest Convention
In April 1992 six Black Sea countries (Bulgaria, Georgia,
Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine)
signed and shortly thereafter ratified the Convention
on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution
(Bucharest Convention) with its (three) integrated
protocols.
Bulgaria
Georgia
Romania
Russian
Federation
Turkey
Ukraine
Obligations of Contracting Parties
General obligation: to prevent, reduce and control the
pollution in the Black Sea in order to protect and
preserve the marine environment and to provide legal
framework for co-operation and concerted actions to
fulfill this obligation.
To protect the biodiversity and the marine living
resources;
To provide framework for scientific and technical cooperation and monitoring activities.
The Strategic Action Plan for the
Rehabilitation and Protection of the
Black Sea
• Signed on October 31, 1996
(commemorated as the
Black Sea Day)
• Adopted by all Black Sea
countries
• Updated in 2009
• Ecosystem approach
SAP-1996: Assessment and monitoring of pollutants
• A Black Sea Monitoring System, based upon biological effects
measurements and measurements of key contaminants, will be
established in compliance with the Bucharest Convention.
• A “State of Pollution of the Black Sea” report will be prepared and
published every five years, beginning 2006. It will be based on the data
collected through the coordinated pollution monitoring and assessment
programmes.
• Data regarding actual and assessed contaminant discharge measurements
for point sources, rivers, and, where possible, diffuse sources, shall be
compiled and freely exchanged beginning 2002 on an annual basis. It is
advised that the Advisory Group Control of Pollution from Land Based
Sources make these compilations in future.
SAP-2009: Develop/improve the existing monitoring system to
provide comparable data sets for pollutant loads (from direct
discharges and river inputs) and for other parameters.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
Black Sea Commission
• Intergovernmental body for promoting the implementation of
the provisions of Bucharest Convention, its protocols and
Strategic Action Plan
• The regional focal point for any aspects of the coastal and
marine environment of the Black Sea
• Made up of 6 Commissioners (one for each coastal country)
and a chairman`
• Chairmanship for one year and rotates between coastal
countries
BSC Structure
MONITORING
Black Sea Integrated Monitoring and
Assessment Programme (BSIMAP)
•Implemented since 2001.
•Build on established national monitoring
programmes
•Operational
•Last version of BSIMAP was adopted in 2006.
BSIMAP Pollution Monitoring
Network
National institutions involved
Bulgaria
Regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas
Environment Pollution Monitoring
Georgia
Department, MoEP
National Institute for Marine Research &
Romania Development; Water Directorate Dobrogea
Litoral – Constanta
Socchi Hydrometeorological Centre, Tuapse
Russian
Roshydromet Monitoring Laboratory, Southern
Federation
Branch of SIO RAS
Turkey
MoEF, Istanbul University
Ukraine
UkrSCES , State Ecological Inspection of the
North-West region of the Black Sea (MENR)
BSIMAP monitoring requirements (1)
Sampling media: water
Parameters: nutrients, oxygen, physical &
chemical parameters, petroleum
hydrocarbons, suspended solids
Frequency: 4 times per year
Sampling media: sediments
Parameters: organic contaminants, heavy
metals
Frequency: 1 time per year
Sampling media: biota
Parameters: organic contaminants, heavy
metals
Frequency: 1 time per year
BSIMAP monitoring requirements (2)
Problem: response of biodiversity on pollution and
destruction of habitats
Mandatory parameters
Chl a
Phytoplankton
Mesozooplankton
Biomass of Noctiluca
Macrophytobenthos
Macrozoobenthos
Fish landing (annually)
Fish stocks (optional, annually)
Frequency
4
4
4
4
1
1
1
1
Monitoring of pressures:
BSIMAP LBS component
Complementary to the Pollution Monitoring, the
BSIMAP LBS component includes monitoring of
pollution loads from LBS, including:
• River discharges
• Industrial discharges
• Municipal (WWTP) discharges
The emphasis is given to the
Pollution Hot Spots.
Hot spots
Parameters
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BOD5
Total Nitrogen (TN)
Total Phosphorus (TP)
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Flow (Q)
Heavy metals
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
REPORTING
Reporting
Who: National Focal Points / Members of Advisory
Groups
What: Different parameters of the Black Sea ecosystem
state, pressures, impacts, measures, changes in
legislation/policy, programs, investments, etc.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
PMA (pollution in water, sediments, biota)
LBS (pollution loads)
CBD (phyto- and zoo-plankton, conservation status…)
ESAS (ship traffic, oil spilled during accidents, fines…)
ICZM (state of the coast and management)
FOMLR (stocks, landings, fishing fleet, measures…)
When: annually (in Autumn), data for previous year
How: in standardized formats
Data flow
National ministries
and agencies
BSC focal points
Standardized
format
Implementing agencies
and laboratories
BSC PS
BSIS (Black Sea
Information System)
Users: scientists,
decision-makers,
public
Usage of monitoring data & information
Transboundary
diagnostic
analysis
Impact
assessments of
major pollutant
sources
Trend
analysis
State of
Environment
reporting (SoE)
BSIS
Assesment of SAP
implementation
and SAP revision
Monitoring
data &
information
GIS,
mapping
CHALLENGES
Analysis of official data reporting
Item/State
How many
Institutions are
responsible for
reporting?
BG
RO
RU
TU
UA
3
6
7
3
5
Major gaps in
reporting
Pollution data –
water, sediments,
biota
No gaps
Pollution data –
water, sed.
biota; Biodiv.
and Fishery data
Biodiver. and
Fishery data;
Pollution in
sediments and
biota
Biodiver. data
Pollution in
sediment and
biota
Major reason for
gaps in reporting
Poor coordination
N/A
Financial
Poor coordination
Poor coordination
Financial
good
excellent
good
good
excellent since
2005
excellent
N/A
By stable
financial assist.
for monitoring
By improved
coordination
between
Ministries,
Agencies and
simplified
organization of
monitoring
By improved
coordination
between MoEF
and scientific
institutions
By stable
financial
assist. for
monitor.
Only for water
quality, biodiv.,
etc., not suitable
to EA
Yes
Only for water
quality, biodiv.,
etc., not suitable
to EA
Only for water
quality, biodiv.,
etc., not suitable
to EA
Only for water
quality, biodiv.,
etc., not suitable
to EA
Only for water
quality, biodiv.,
etc., not
suitable to EA
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Quality of data
How can be the
reporting improved?
Can the data be
used for scientific
ecosystem
analyses in TDA
and SoE reports?
Can the data be
used for SAP IR?
7
GE
Improved
coordination
between
Ministries and by
stable financial
assistance for
monitoring
Source: ‘Diagnostic Report’ to guide improvements to the regular reporting process on the state of the Black Sea environment”
Suitability of data for
calculating indicators
Indicator
group
Indicators/Parameters
Nutrients
Chl-a (in-situ)
Transparency
Eutrophication
Hypoxia (dis. oxygen)
Alga blooms
Macroalgae
Concentrations in sea water
-:- in biota
Contamination -:- in sediments
Biological effects
Biodiversity
Species composition (zooplankton,
phytoplankton, benthos, fish, seagrass)
Population abundance & biomass
Non-indigenous species
In BSIS
Y
limited
limited
Y
Y
limited
Y
limited
limited
not considered
yet
limited
limited
Y
Outside
BSIS
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
limited
Y
Y
Y
Y
•Insufficient time-series data in BSIS for trend analysis
Source: ‘Diagnostic Report’ to guide improvements to the regular reporting process on the state of the Black Sea environment”
Reasons for data gaps (1)
• Mandatory parameters of BSIMAP are often not
covered
• Recommended frequency of observations is not
always observed
• Gaps in countries’ monitoring programs: the
monitoring is mainly not integrated
• Different approach in assessment of environmental
status
• Pure coordination between responsible authorities
• Insufficient financial support of monitoring
Reasons for data gaps (2)
• Gaps in data availability (i.e. data have not been
collected due to some reasons)
• Gaps in data reporting (i.e. data are available in the
country but due to lack of inter-agency coordination
did not became available to AG members for
including in reports)
• Besides, the Focal Points have no dedicated time in
their ToRs officially to work for the BSC
Suitability of data for
calculating indicators
Indicator
group
Indicators/Parameters
Nutrients
Chl-a (in-situ)
Transparency
Eutrophication
Hypoxia (dis. oxygen)
Alga blooms
Macroalgae
Concentrations in sea water
-:- in biota
Contamination -:- in sediments
Biological effects
Species composition (zooplankton,
phytoplankton, benthos, fish, seagrass)
Biodiversity
Population abundance & biomass
Non-indigenous species
Time-series data in for trend analysis
In BSIS
Y
limited
limited
Y
Y
limited
Y
limited
limited
not considered
yet
limited
limited
Y
limited
Outside
BSIS
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
limited
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
SOLUTIONS AND TARGETS
Improvement of monitoring
• Strengthening of existing program: mandatory parameters
covered, monitoring frequencies observed
• Further harmonization of monitoring program:
–Meet requirement of new SAP and LBS protocol,
–Coherence with MSFD and WFD
–Common understanding of Good Environmental Status (GES) and
indicators
–Further development of guidelines, inter-comparison exercises, etc.
• Proper geographical coverage, networks development
• Sustain stations and transects with long-terms observations
• Sustainable quality control and assurance
Utilizing capacities of all marine
organizations in the Region
BSIMAP Monitoring Institutions
Marine Organizations
in the Black Sea region*
*Black Sea Scene website
The network of reporting institutions in the Black Sea should be further developed
Utilizing capacities of data exchange
networks – BlackSeaScene
All Nutrients
SeaDataNet standards of
interoperability
34 data providers
~160,000 measurements
> 40 data categories
Water column
temperature and 126969
salinity
Dissolved gases
33659
Nutrients
25468
Carbon, nitrogen
24907
and phosphorus
Nutrients for period 2006-2010 (2725)
Utilizing capacities of data exchange
networks – EMODNet
EMODNet – European Marine Observation and Data
Network
Preparatory Actions:
• Hydrography1
• Geology
• Chemistry1,2
• Biology2
• Habitats
New portal:
• Physical Parameters1,2
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1Based
on SeaDataNet standards of interoperability
2Includes Black Sea
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for improving
data management within BSC
• The regional data base (BSIS) should become fully
operational on-line, GIS-enabled, interoperable and
linked with other marine/environmental data and
information networks (EMODNET, BlackSeaScene etc)
• The work carried out within the BSIMAP should
become transparent through renewed BSIS
• BSIS should be proposed as the permanent domain
for any data in the region produced by projects
• Data policy should be developed and sustained by the
BSC in relation to major data-holders in the Black Sea
region
Steps undertaken
• The regional Mnemiopsis Database hosted by BSC PS
is part of the BlackSeaScene infrastructure since
2010
• The interoperable GIS enabled Regional Pollution
Data Base is being developed in framework of the
Baltic2Black* project by the RAC PMA
• The MONINFO system based on OGC interoperability
standards (WMS, WFS…) for sharing spatial data
Further data need
For wider assessments (sensu MSFD, Annex III)
BSIS has to be extended with data on:
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physical oceanography;
sedimentology;
marine geology;
erosion, etc.
Further data needs (2)
Black Sea catchment
Due to large catchment area
as compared to its own area,
the Black Sea is very
vulnerable to pressure from
land based human activities
and its health is equally
dependent from the coastal
and non-coastal states of its
basin.
Due to the same reason Black
Sea is vulnerable to climate
change.
Identifications of drivers of pressures on the Black Sea
environment from LBSA requires knowledge on
processes in watershed  this require cooperation and
data exchange with relevant programs and projects:
ICPDR, SEIS, EnviroGRIDS.
Accessibility to all available
data and information
is
a priority issue
Thank you for your attention
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