1. Transboundary Priorities in the
Wider Black Sea Basin

2. Drainage basin :
420,000Km 2
;1/3 of
Europe; 17 countries
Europe's 2 nd
3rd
and 4 th
biggest rivers (Danube,
Dnipro, Don) and others
Water balance
river flow
350 Km 3
/year
flow in Istanbul Strait
300 Km 3
/year flow out
Istanbul Strait 600
Km3
/year
retention time high
isolated from ocean

3. Major Problems
Eutrophication
Untreated sewage
Oil pollution
Toxics eg.pesticides
&heavy metals
Solid waste
Radioactive substances
Exotic species
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis 1996
Nutrients (nitrogen & phosphorus cpds)
70% from coastal countries
30% from non-coastal ones
70% through major international
rivers, mainly Danube
±0xÌÌdsw wtw`q A qdydqv3tx
te %#iwv vcdvËhwd rd`vxÌdv
xËvwÌd`r 1`sxad' cdvËhwd dbtstrh
btqq`Ëvdu
±0xÌÌdsw ËgtvËg`wd qdydqv
%#iwv va`s ts C cdwdÌfdswv
±d‚Ëdbwdc wté onom vby ec ic de e

4. Natural characteristics
mixing of fresh salty
water is low; planktons die
and decomposed by
bacteria; oxygen in bottom
is used up ; some bacteria
use O2 from sulphate of sea
water; H 2S produced ; 87 %
0f volume of Black Sea is
anoxic
Coastal Countries
Total N Total P
Bulgaria 14% 5%
Georgia 1% 1%
Romania 27% 23%
Ukraine 12% 20%
Russian Federation 10% 13%
Turkey 6 % 12%
Danube Riparian Countries
50 % from agriculture
25% from industry
25% from domestic discharges into
the river

5. òin water transparency (m) 50% ò
ñ in hypoxic zones (Km 2
) ñ x1 000
ñ in planktonic Dinoflagellates
(cells. l -1
)
ñ
x15 000
Dinoflagellates /Diatoms
(%)
ñ x2
ò area of Phyllophora fields (Km 2
) ò
0,005%
ò biomass of Phyllophora
(biocoenosis 100inv fish)
ò
4%
Perennial brown algae
Cystoseira barbata (biocoenosis
50inv fish)
ò
lost
ò total biomass of Mytilus
galloprovincialis (t)
ò
0,02%
ò total biomass of oyster Ostraea
edulis (t)
ò
1,4%

6. Anthropogenic Eutrophication
of coastal waters of the
Black Sea has been the most
damaging influence both in
terms of its scale and its
consequences ; it has
limited species composition,
reduced biodiversity and
resulted in economic losses
Nutrient supply èmostly
monosp pl nkton lecific a bè
k om ss n r si a i c ea eètr nsp r na a e cy
l t p n tr t on righ e e a i decè tseffec
onm rop t lac hy ic a gae
èp topl nktonk oopl nkhy a z a
ncha geè pox n nox ohy ia a d a ia
s l r onshe f egièloss o t tsf habi a
o o nos sbi c e ièqu l t t v na i a i e a d
qu nt t t v stru tura i a i e c e
ommun t s v nc i ie ha e cha g
olo l loss s twbi gica e be ee
r st m t s kk m lla e e i a ed a i i
o s kf fi h

7. • Loss of habitats (shelf areas and wetlands) supporting
biotic resources
• Decline in fisheries (combined with expansion in fishing)
• Loss of endangered species
• Replacement of indigenous species with exotic ones
• Loss of recreational amenities
There is evidence of partial recovery of coastal
ecosystems due to the recent decrease in nutrient loads
resulting from economic failure of agriculture and
industry in some coastal upstream countries, as well as
some nutrient reduction programmes upstream. However,
economic failure is only temporary and there is a window
opportunity for taking proper management actions.

8. • Convention for the Protection of
Black Sea Against Pollution
(Bucharest, 1992) (r.1994)
• Odessa Ministerial
Declaration, 1993
• GEF support for Black Sea
Environmental Programme
• TDA Strategic Action Plan
for the Protection and
Rehabilitation of the Black Sea,
1996
• EU GEF support for
Environmental Programme for
the Danube River Basin
• Danube River Protection
Convention (Sofia, 1994)
(r.1998)
• Strategic Action Plan, 1994
(rev.1999) ; TDA Danube
Pollution Reduction Programme
Joint ad hoc Technical Working
Group ICPDR-ICBS ''The long term
goal for all Black Sea basin
countries is to take measures to
reduce nutrient levels and other
hazardous substances to such a
level to permit Black Sea
ecosystems to recover to similar
conditions as those observed in
the 1960's'' and ''as an intermediate
goal, urgent control measures
should be taken by all countries in
the Black Sea basin , in order to
avoid that discharges of nitrogen
and phosphorus to the Black Sea
exceed those levels observed in
1997''
Draft Memorandum of
Understanding ICBS-ICPDR

9. Addressing basin-wide eutrophication through
Reform of agricultural policies to reduce non-point source run-off
of fertilizers and manure (buffer zones, erosion control, organic
agriculture, manure storage clamps etc..
Improved industrial and municipal wastewater treatment to
capture nutrients (alternative technologies with low OM costs:
advanced integrated ponding systems, constructed wetlands etc..)
Rehabilitation of key basin ecosystems to enhance their capacities
as nutrient sinks (wetland restoration)
Strengthening legislative framework and enforcement, enhancing
public awareness, changes in consumer practices (including
phosphate free detergents).

10. Addressing basin-wide eutrophication through
Reform of agricultural policies to reduce non-point source run-off
of fertilizers and manure (buffer zones, erosion control, organic
agriculture, manure storage clamps etc..
Improved industrial and municipal wastewater treatment to
capture nutrients (alternative technologies with low OM costs:
advanced integrated ponding systems, constructed wetlands etc..)
Rehabilitation of key basin ecosystems to enhance their capacities
as nutrient sinks (wetland restoration)
Strengthening legislative framework and enforcement, enhancing
public awareness, changes in consumer practices (including
phosphate free detergents).