scholarly journals An Assessment of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) Using the OECD Principles on Water Governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savitri Jetoo
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Oecd Principles ◽  
National Implementation ◽  
The Baltic

This paper uses the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) water governance principles to assess the governance of the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), with a focus on the eutrophication segment. Whilst governance assessments can be used as auditing functions, this study was done with the goal of stimulating reflection, in order to investigate whether the governance systems have made any improvements. This is especially needed, since the BSAP is to be renewed in 2021, so that any assessment of it at this moment is timely. This review has focused on the 12 principles of water governance and the three complementary drivers into which the principles are grouped: Effectiveness, efficiency and trust, and engagement. This paper focuses on national implementation actions. It uses qualitative thematic analysis to analyze the content of the national implementation plans for Baltic Sea Coastal countries. It identifies gaps in water governance and makes recommendations for enhancing effectiveness, efficiency and trust, and engagement in the governance of the Baltic Sea, including improved stakeholder participation, the establishment of a permanent lead agency for the implementation of BSAP, increased funding for implementation actions, and a better governance of trade-offs.

SOKO PROJECT: DEVELOPING DETAILED OIL COMBATING PLAN FOR MANAGING ON-SHORE CLEAN-UP PROCEDURES IN FINLAND

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
pp. 373-379
Author(s):  
Justiina Halonen ◽  
Melinda Pascale
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Steering Committee ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Gulf Of Finland ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Railway Transportation ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Rescue Services ◽  
The Baltic

ABSTRACT Shipping on the Baltic Sea, especially the transportation of oil, has grown significantly over the past few years. One of the most accident risky areas for Finland is situated in the Eastern Gulf of Finland (lat. 60° 11’ long. 027° 45’ E). The Baltic Sea has officially been classified by the International Maritime Organization as Particularly Sensitive Sea Area in 2005. In Finland the Regional Rescue Services (RRS) are responsible for organising on-shore clean-up with the assistance of the Regional Environmental Centres (REC). These oil combating authorities of Kymenlaakso region in south-eastern Finland have developed a thorough preparedness for oil incidents with the help of SOKO – Management of on-shore oil combating - project (SOKO). SOKO, innovated and administrated by the Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences (KyAMK), produced a detailed guidebook for oil combating authorities and the response commander (RC). The scope of the guidebook was achieved as an interdisciplinary effort between educational institutes, rescue services, environmental centres, authorities, civic organisations and businesses. The guidebook provides detailed information on how to conduct oil combating in the case of a major oil incident where the oil reaches the shores. The guidebook is used as an action plan, as a manual for the response commander (RC) as well as for training both authorities and volunteers. It is an extensive collection of studies undertaken by further education students and specialists under the supervision of the project steering committee, formed by local oil combating authorities and KyAMK SOKO project personnel. The guidebook discusses the oil combating organisation and the management, the human resources, the communication and the financing issues. The guidebook also covers the arranging cleaning operations, the oil combating equipment and the temporary storage sites in the mainland and the archipelago and the construction specifications for the temporary storages. Transportation of oily wastes was also examined including the methods for loading and discharging oily wastes, as well as the sea, road and railway transportation methods using a database for estimating the best and most economic routes from the archipelago to the mainland. In addition, detailed operative charts were produced, with indications of the cleaning sectors and the oil waste transportation spots. The SOKO contingency plan differs from the governmental plans by focusing only on the on-shore response excluding the at-sea response. The role of the oil combating authorities in the project was to identify unresolved issues in preparedness, provide practical information, supervise and accept the outcome. The main financier of SOKO in 2003–2007 was the Finnish Ministry of Education. The SOKO concept is currently expanding to cover more coastal area in the Gulf of Finland (SOKO II -project 2007–2011).

scholarly journals Nitrogen surface water retention in the Baltic Sea drainage basin

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 10829-10858 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Stålnacke ◽  
A. Pengerud ◽  
A. Vassiljev ◽  
E. Smedberg ◽  
C.-M. Mörth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Retention ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. In this paper, we estimate the surface water retention of nitrogen (N) in all the 117 drainage basins to the Baltic Sea with the use of a statistical model (MESAW) for source apportionment of riverine loads of pollutants. Our results show that the MESAW model was able to estimate the N load at the river mouth of 88 Baltic Sea rivers, for which we had observed data, with a sufficient degree of precision and accuracy. The estimated retention parameters were also statistically significant. Our results show that around 380 000 t of N are annually retained in surface waters draining to the Baltic Sea. The total annual riverine load from the 117 basins to the Baltic Sea was estimated to 570 000 t of N, giving a total surface water N retention of around 40%. In terms of absolute retention values, three major river basins account for 50% of the total retention in the 117 basins; i.e. around 104 000 t of N is retained in Neva, 55 000 t in Vistula and 32 000 t in Oder. The largest retention was found in river basins with a high percentage of lakes as indicated by a strong relationship between N retention (%) and share of lake area in the river drainage areas. For example in Göta älv, we estimated a total N retention of 72%, whereof 67% of the retention occurred in the lakes of that drainage area (Lake Vänern primarily). The obtained results will hopefully enable the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) to refine the nutrient load targets in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), as well as to better identify cost-efficient measures to reduce nutrient loadings to the Baltic Sea.

A combination of species distribution and ocean-biogeochemical models suggests that climate change overrides eutrophication as the driver of future distributions of a key benthic crustacean in the estuarine ecosystem of the Baltic Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 2089-2105
Author(s):  
Mayya Gogina ◽  
Michael L Zettler ◽  
Irene Wåhlström ◽  
Helén Andersson ◽  
Hagen Radtke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Estuarine Ecosystem ◽  
Biogeochemical Models ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract Species in the brackish and estuarine ecosystems will experience multiple changes in hydrographic variables due to ongoing climate change and nutrient loads. Here, we investigate how a glacial relict species (Saduria entomon), having relatively cold, low salinity biogeographic origin, could be affected by the combined scenarios of climate change and eutrophication. It is an important prey for higher trophic-level species such as cod, and a predator of other benthic animals. We constructed habitat distribution models based occurrence and density of this species across the entire Baltic and estimated the relative importance of different driving variables. We then used two regional coupled ocean-biogeochemical models to investigate the combined impacts of two future climate change and nutrient loads scenarios on its spatial distribution in 2070–2100. According to the scenarios, the Baltic Sea will become warmer and fresher. Our results show that expected changes in salinity and temperature outrank those due to two nutrient-load scenarios (Baltic Sea Action Plan and business as usual) in their effect on S. entomon distribution. The results are relatively similar when using different models with the same scenarios, thereby increasing the confidence of projections. Overall, our models predict a net increase (and local declines) of suitable habitat area, total abundance and biomass for this species, which is probably facilitated by strong osmoregulation ability and tolerance to temperature changes. We emphasize the necessity of considering multiple hydrographic variables when estimating climate change impacts on species living in brackish and estuarine systems.

scholarly journals Nitrogen surface water retention in the Baltic Sea drainage basin

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 981-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Stålnacke ◽  
A. Pengerud ◽  
A. Vassiljev ◽  
E. Smedberg ◽  
C.-M. Mörth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Retention ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. In this paper, we estimate the surface water retention of nitrogen (N) in all the 117 drainage basins to the Baltic Sea with the use of a statistical model (MESAW) for source apportionment of riverine loads of pollutants. Our results show that the MESAW model was able to estimate the N load at the river mouth of 88 Baltic Sea rivers, for which we had observed data, with a sufficient degree of precision and accuracy. The estimated retention parameters were also statistically significant. Our results show that around 380 000 t of N are annually retained in surface waters draining to the Baltic Sea. The total annual riverine load from the 117 basins to the Baltic Sea was estimated at 570 000 t of N, giving a total surface water N retention of around 40%. In terms of absolute retention values, three major river basins account for 50% of the total retention in the 117 basins; i.e. around 104 000 t of N are retained in Neva, 55 000 t in Vistula and 32 000 t in Oder. The largest retention was found in river basins with a high percentage of lakes as indicated by a strong relationship between N retention (%) and share of lake area in the river drainage areas. For example in Göta älv, we estimated a total N retention of 72%, whereof 67% of the retention occurred in the lakes of that drainage area (Lake Vänern primarily). The obtained results will hopefully enable the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) to refine the nutrient load targets in the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), as well as to better identify cost-efficient measures to reduce nutrient loadings to the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals How unnecessarily high abatement costs and unresolved distributional issues undermine nutrient reductions to the Baltic Sea

AMBIO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Andersson ◽  
Mark V. Brady ◽  
Johanna Pohjola
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Good Health ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Side Payments ◽  
Nutrient Emissions ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Abatement Strategy

AbstractThis paper systematically reviews the literature on how to reduce nutrient emissions to the Baltic Sea cost-effectively and considerations for allocating these costs fairly among countries. The literature shows conclusively that the reduction targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) could be achieved at considerably lower cost, if countries would cooperate to implement the least costly abatement plan. Focusing on phosphorus abatement could be prudent as the often recommended measures—wastewater treatment and wetlands—abate nitrogen too. An implication of our review is that the potential for restoring the Baltic Sea to good health is undermined by an abatement strategy that is more costly than necessary and likely to be perceived as unfair by several countries. Neither the BSAP nor the cost-effective solution meet the surveyed criteria for fairness, implying a need for side-payments.

scholarly journals IMPACT OF BLUE GROWTH ON BALTIC SEA REGION PORTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
Astrida Rijkure
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Growth Strategy ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
Blue Growth ◽  
Smart Specialization ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Port Infrastructure

There is little attention in the Baltics dedicated to the research of ports as economic subjects and their impact on environment. It is vital to strengthen the links between the ports and the Blue Growth while raising awareness of the Blue Growth and making it a cross-cutting issue of the sea-oriented priority areas by creating a special mechanism to support Blue Growth which so far has had insignificant links to port operations. The aim of the article is to analyze the trends and summarize the measures already taken for promotion and integration of the Blue Growth in the Baltic Sea region, and to develop guidelines for ports based on the general and the Baltic Sea Blue Growth strategy, to draw conclusions and to submit proposals for improvement and increase of the Blue Growth. Latvia needs to develop an action plan in order, without unnecessary errors, to quickly implement sustainable port infrastructure and reduce pollution of the sea. The task is to identify the best practices for usage of marine/coastal resources for economic development, and for identification and testing of new smart specialization measures.

scholarly journals Projected change in atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the Baltic Sea towards 2020

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 21533-21567 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Geels ◽  
K. M. Hansen ◽  
J. H. Christensen ◽  
C. Ambelas Skjøth ◽  
T. Ellermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Total N ◽  
Ship Traffic ◽  
Projected Change ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Projected Changes

Abstract. The ecological status of the Baltic Sea has for many years been affected by the high input of both waterborne and airborne nutrients. The focus is here on the airborne input of nitrogen (N) and the projected changes in this input, assuming the new National Emission Ceilings directive (NEC-II), currently under negotiation in the EU, is fulfilled towards the year 2020. The Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) has been used to estimate the development in N deposition based on present day meteorology combined with present day (2007) or future (2020) anthropogenic emissions. By using a so called tagging method in the DEHM model, the contribution from ship traffic and from each of the nine countries with coastlines to the Baltic Sea has been assessed. The annual deposition to the Baltic Sea is estimated to be 203 k tonnes N for the present day scenario (2007) and 165 k tonnes N in the 2020 scenario, giving a projected reduction of 38 k tonnes N in the annual load in 2020. This equals a decline in N deposition of 19 %. The results from 20 model runs using the tagging method show that of the total N deposition in 2007, 52 % came from emissions within the bordering countries. By 2020 this is projected to decrease to 48 %. For some countries the projected decrease in N deposition arising from the implementation of the NEC-II directive will be a considerable part of the reductions agreed on in the provisional reduction targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. This underlines the importance of including projections like the current in future updates of the Baltic Sea Action Plan.

scholarly journals Toward the Baltic Sea Socioeconomic Action Plan

AMBIO ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 1377-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markku Ollikainen ◽  
Berit Hasler ◽  
Katarina Elofsson ◽  
Antti Iho ◽  
Hans E. Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Policy Alternatives ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper analyzes the main weaknesses and key avenues for improvement of nutrient policies in the Baltic Sea region. HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP), accepted by the Baltic Sea countries in 2007, was based on an innovative ecological modeling of the Baltic Sea environment and addressed the impact of the combination of riverine loading and transfer of nutrients on the ecological status of the sea and its sub-basins. We argue, however, that the assigned country-specific targets of nutrient loading do not reach the same level of sophistication, because they are not based on careful economic and policy analysis. We show an increasing gap between the state-of-the-art policy alternatives and the existing command-and-control-based approaches to the protection of the Baltic Sea environment and outline the most important steps for a Baltic Sea Socioeconomic Action Plan. It is time to raise the socioeconomic design of nutrient policies to the same level of sophistication as the ecological foundations of the BSAP.

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