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THE JOINT FINNISH-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS

THE JOINT FINNISH-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS. TRENDS IN INFORMATION EXCHANGE SIRKKA HAUNIA Finnish Environment Institute St. Petersburg, 8-10 June 2005. AREA COVERED BY THE FINNISH-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT.

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THE JOINT FINNISH-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS

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  1. THE JOINT FINNISH-RUSSIAN COMMISSION ON TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS TRENDS IN INFORMATION EXCHANGE SIRKKA HAUNIA Finnish Environment Institute St. Petersburg, 8-10 June 2005

  2. AREA COVERED BY THE FINNISH-RUSSIAN AGREEMENT • "TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS" ARE LAKES, RIVERS OR STREAMS WHICH CROSS THE BOUNDARY OR ARE LOCATED ON THE BOUNDARY"  • HENCE COASTAL WATERS AND GROUND WATERS ARE EXCLUDED  • INVENTORY OF THE TRANSBOUNDAR WATERS WAS MADE 1970-1974  • 20 RIVER BASINS •  448 LAKES; RIVERS OR STREAMS

  3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK • 1964 AGREEMENT BETWEEN FINLAND AND THE SOVIET UNION / 1992 RUSSIA • 1965 JOINT COMMISSION ESTABLISHED • 1972 AGREEMENT ON THE WATER LEVEL BETWEEN THE IMATRA AND SVETOGORSK POWER STATIONS • 1991 DISCHARGE RULE OF LAKE SAIMAA AND THE VUOKSI RIVER

  4. SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT ALL FIELDS OF WATER MANAGEMENT ARE COVERED  • WATER PROTECTION • HYDROELECTRIC POWER • FISHERIES • WATER TRANSPORT • (TIMBER FLOATING)

  5. HOW DOES THE COMMISSION WORK IN PRACTICE1) THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COMMISSION IS THE FORMAL DECISION-MAKING BODY  IN-BETWEEN THE COMMISSION MEETINGS THE CHAIRMEN TOGETHER MAKE DECISIONS IF NEEDED  WORK IN PRACTICE IS CARRIED OUT BY THE PERMANENT WORKING GROUPS AND THE SECRETARIES ACCORDING TO THE ANNUAL WORK-PLAN

  6. HOW DOES THE COMMISSION WORK IN PRACTICE2) • WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION • WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT • WORKING GROUP OF FISHERY EXPERTS THE FRONTIER GUARD ASSIST THE COMMISSION IN FIELD WORK AND BORDER CROSSING

  7. WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION1) • ANNUAL JOINT REPORT ON MONITORING RESULTS/ WATER QUALITY IN TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS • BOTH SIDES REPORT ANNUALLY ON POLLUTION LOADING AND THE MEASURES TAKEN TO REDUCE IT  • EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON RELEVANT PROJECTS, DEVELOPMENTS ETC.

  8. WORKING GROUP ON WATER PROTECTION 2) • OCCASIONALLY CONSIDERED SPECIAL WATER PROTECTION ISSUES • COMPARABILITY OF WATER QUALITY DATA (SAMPLING, ANALYTICAL METHODS, LABORATORY PRACTICES) CHECKED PERIODICALLY •  THE FINNISH SIDE GIVES A STATEMENT TO PERMIT AUTHORITIES ON PERMIT APPLICATIONS INVOLVING TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS

  9. JOINT MONITORING PROGRAMME1) • STARTED IN 1966, INITIALLY ALL MAJOR RIVERS WERE MONITORED • AS MOST TRANSBOUNDARY WATERS WERE IN NEARLY NATURAL STATE, MONITORING WAS CONCENTRATED ON THE RIVERS IN THE SOUTH-EAST WHICH ARE EXPOSED TO WASTE WATER LOADING • IN 1994 MONITORING PROGRAMME WAS REVISED, MONITORING FREQUENCY WAS INCREASED, SOME PARAMETRES WERE ADDED

  10. JOINT MONITORING PROGRAMME 2) • AT PRESENT THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME INCLUDES RIVERS FLOWING INTO LAKE LADOGA (VUOKSI, HIITOLANJOKI) AND TO THE BAY OF VYBORG IN THE GULF OF FINLAND (RAKKOLANJOKI, URPALANJOKI AND THE SAIMAA CANAL) • REGIONAL AUTHORITIES IN BOTH COUNTRIES CARRY OUT COLLECTION ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAMME AGREED ON BY THE COMMISSION. WATER QUALITY DATA ARE EXCHANGED BY E-MAIL AS SOON AS THEY ARE RECEIVED FROM THE LABORATORY.

  11. WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT1) • FINLAND REPORTS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DISCHARGE RULE FOR LAKE SAIMAA AND THE RIVER VUOKSI. THE OUTCOME IS DISCUSSED AND IF RELEVANT, COMPENSATION IS AGREED. • FINLAND PREPARES PROGNOSIS REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER REGIME FOR LAKE SAIMAA AND THE RIVER VUOKSI FOR THE COMING YEAR

  12. WORKING GROUP ON WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 2) • BOTH SIDES REPORT ANNUALLY ON THE REGULATION OF RIVERS HIITOLANJOKI AND JÄNISJOKI AND OF LAKES JÄNISJÄRVI AND INARI  • BOTH SIDES INFORM ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1972 AGREEMENT (RAISING OF WATER LEVEL BETWEEN THE IMATRA AND SVETOGORSK POWER STATIONS)  • BOTH SIDES INFORM ABOUT RELEVANT PROJECTS, PLANS AND DEVELOPMENTS

  13. THE DISCHARGE RULE • THE AIM IS TO PREVENT AND DIMINISH DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODS OR LOW WATER LEVELS • DISCHARGE VOLUMES CAN BE CHANGED RAPIDLY AND FLEXIBLY • WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER THREAT OF FLOODING, NORMAL DISCHARGE RATES AND NATURAL WATER LEVEL WILL BE RESUMED • IF DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY THE CHANGES OF DISCHARGE VOLUMES IT WILL BE COMPENSATED BY FINLAND

  14. The discharge rule ofLake Saimaa and River Vuoksi 1 m

  15. INFORMATION EXCHANGE RELATED TO THE DISCHARGE RULE 1) • Once a year the working group meeting is held for discussing the outcome of the implementation of the rule in the previous year. • Once a month a forecast of the water level for the next four months is sent to the Russian side. • Once a week the hydropower companies in the River Vuoksi are informed about the discharge for the coming week.

  16. INFORMATION EXCHANGE RELATED TO THE DISCHARGE RULE 2) • In case there will be a change in discharge, the Russian side and the power companies are informed. • If the discharge is expected to cause damage, the amount of discharge will be agreed on in consultation between the Parties.  • Throughout the year information on water level, precipitation and water equivalent of snow is sent to the Russian side and directly to some institutions.

  17. WORKING GROUP ON FISHERIES • BOTH SIDES INFORM ON RELEVANT STUDIES AND RESULTS OF RESEARCH AIMED AT IMPROVING FISH STOCKS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT • PLANS AND PROJECTS ARE NEEDED FOR MANAGING AND ENHANCING FISHERY • DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF FISH STOCKS  • PREPARATION OF FISHERY GUIDELINES

  18. IMPORTANT PROJECTS Several projects have been carried out in recent years which have produced a lot of useful information for the Commission's work. These have been funded from the TACIS CBC Programme and involved several local and regional authorities and organizations in both countries: RUSSFINNONPOINT  VIVATVUOKSIA  VUOKSIAGAIN

  19. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION • REPORTS OF THE COMMISSION MEETING CONTAIN A LOT OF INFORMATION (USUALLY SOME 20 ANNEXES)  • THESE REPORTS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS, BUT THEY ARE ALSO GIVEN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON REQUEST • USUALLY A PRESS RELEASE IS ISSUED IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMISSION MEETING, OCCASIONALLY ALSO AT OTHER TIMES • INTERNET SITE FOR THE COMMISSION IS BEING PREPARED, SHOULD BE READY THIS YEAR • IN FINNISH, RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH

  20. TRENDS IN INFORMATION EXCHANGE EXHANGE OF INFORMATION IS FASTER • using fax, email, telephone • automatic measuring and data transmission between the power companies

  21. MORE AND EASIER ACCESS TO INFORMATION - real-time time forecasts on water level and discharges from some measuring sites are available in the Internet The forecast of water level and discharge of Lake Saimaa and Vuoksi River on the Russian territory and two smaller rivers flowing to the Vuoksi River on Russian territory can be seen and are updated daily in the Internet.

  22. IMPROVED PREPAREDNESS FOR EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS • a plan is under preparation on how to ensure information exchange within the Commission during exceptional situations • the hydropower companies have prepared a code system for information exchange by telefax to ensure that the message is understood e.g. in case of urgent need to change the discharge

  23. WIDER DISSEMINATION AND ECHANGE • Internet pages for the Commission being prepared • Information to and feedback from local people gathered • WWW.YMPARISTO.FI

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