PROBALT Baltic Beat

The final report of PROBALT is out!

Mia Pihlajamäki — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:08:00 +0200

Governing the blue-green Baltic Sea

Societal challenges of marine eutrophication prevention

Eutrophication is currently regarded as the most serious ecological problem for the whole Baltic Sea. Considering that the Baltic Sea has already been the focus of environmental management efforts for 40 years, it is surprising that in reality the ecological state of the Baltic Sea is not improving. This implies that protective efforts such as international and national policies and regulations, as well as their implementation, have not been effective enough.

Management of Baltic Sea eutrophication is challenged by the complex ecological characteristics of the eutrophication problem, societal differences across the Baltic Sea region, and the multitude of actors involved in governing these efforts. As a consequence, the awareness of the problem of eutrophication, as well as national and sub-national aspirations, the ability to address eutrophication in national policies and the strengthening of policy implementation, varies across the region. Furthemore, the lack of a legal arrangement of Baltic Sea protection to cover all the coastal countries makes the situation intricate.

The ultimate aim of this report is to improve Baltic Sea eutrophication protection by identifying the challenges of more effective Baltic Sea eutrophication governance at national, regional and European Union levels, and the examination of nutrient trading as an instrument to more effectively combat eutrophication. In order to improve Baltic Sea eutrophication governance, the report outlines four sets of measures that, on the basis of the case studies, are urgently needed at various governance levels - ranging from international to local.

To view and download the publication, please visit http://www.fiia.fi/en/publication/233/

Oxygen deficiency in the Baltic still severe

Paula Schönach — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:35:00 +0200

Recent measurements at the deep waters of the Baltic Proper reveal that the oxygen situation is still extremely severe, as it has been over the last decade. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute published recently the newest data of oxygen in the deep waters of the Baltic Proper. The area with severe lack of oxygen (i.e. less than 2 ml/l) has increased from the already worrisome numbers from earlier this decade, reaching now a total of 45 % of the bottom area and some 30 % of the volume of the Baltic Proper. This is more than ever during the measurement history reaching back to 1960.

Completely oxygen free conditions set free toxic hydrogen sulphide. During recent expeditions hydrogen sulphide was found in new areas and shallower waters than ever before. Hydrogen sulphide is poisonous to all higher organisms, and high levels lead to dead zones on the sea floor. Hypoxia can occur as a natural phenomenon but the recent trends indicate also strong human influence through nutrient discharges and eutrophication.

Since protection measures influence the water quality and bottom conditions only after a considerable time span, scientists have a great responsibility in mediating their findings to the public and the decision-makers. The numerous on-going programmes and action plans to combat eutrophication at national and international level highlight the fact that Baltic Sea protection is seriously recognised on the political agenda. Still more public awareness in all riparian countries is needed to put the necessary pressure on the implementation process of the current ambitious plans for Baltic Sea protection. This kind of news point out, that the turn into better has not been reached yet.

Read more about the SMHI:s oxygen survey 2010 from here.

The Challenge of HELCOM National Implementation Programmes

Maria Jokela — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:51:00 +0300

18^th June HELCOM unveiled the National Implementation Programmes (NIPs) of its member states that describe country-wise measures to be taken to reach the pollution reduction targets set in the Baltic Sea Action Plan. However, few of the National Implementation Programmes are still missing as Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian NIPs are still under development. For the German part, the NIP does not exist us such, but it is based on the National Strategy for the Sustainable Use and Protection of the Seas and other relevant national sector-wise strategies. NIPs of Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, Finland and Poland are available at the HELCOM website.

The difficult planning process of NIPs reflects the various challenges related to the implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. As the report commissioned by the WWF Finland Analysis of the status of implementation of the Baltic Sea Action Plan for WWF reveals, is the implementation of BSAP in many areas lagging behind the timetable and that the existing monitoring system need to be updated. According to the report the current system does not easily expose weather the implementation is on time or making progress as planed.

The challenge to achieve the good ecological status of the Baltic Sea by 2021 is clear also for Sweden, who will next take over the Chairmanship of HELCOM on the 1^st of July. During its Chairmanship, Sweden aims to raise the high level political attention of the implementation actions and to strengthen the role of the HELCOM as the Baltic Sea environmental focal point and relevant policy-maker.

However, in the end the realisation of the National Implementation Programmes depends on each countrys availability to allocate administrative and financial resources to Baltic Sea protection. In the difficult economical situation international and regional funding institutions can give an important input to support countries, but in the end the implementation activities can not be solely based on external funding. This means that more cost-effective ways of implementation and cooperation need to be found.

HELCOM's new project focuses on reduction of phosphorous loads

Maria Jokela — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:36:00 +0200

HELCOM has launched with its partners a new project to promote advanced phosphorous removal from the municipal sewage discharge. The PURE project (Project on Urban Reduction of Eutrophication) is part of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan that aims to cut down 42% (15000 tonnes) of phosphorous inputs to the Baltic Sea by 2021.

Joint implementation and joint investments are in the core of the project that demonstrates low-cost and high-impact ways of action in combating eutrophication. The project targets 8 selected municipalities and their wastewater treatment plants and supports them in reaching a phosphorous content of 0,5 mg/litter in outgoing wastewaters. Annually this will mean a reduction of 300-500 tonnes of phosphorous from the Baltic Sea.

Project is co-financed by the European Union and its implementation period is 2010-2013.

More information about the project:

HELCOMs press release

PUREs webpage

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen wants Finland to become the forerunner in the nutrient recycling

Maria Jokela — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:25:00 +0200

Following his commitment in the Baltic Sea Action Summit, Finlands Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen wants to make Finland the forerunner of the future nutrient recycling. As the Prime Minister Vanhanen writes in his blog, the aim is to establish a diversified working group whose job is to create a road map for the satisfaction of the commitment by the end of February 2011.

Successful Baltic Sea Action Summit?

Maria Jokela — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:34:00 +0200

Baltic Sea Action Summit aimed to be an everyday bee, where everyone could participate by making a commitment and where each commitment was considered to be an important step towards healthier Baltic Sea. In this sense, Baltic Sea Action Summit was a success! It gained immense 140 public and private commitments and gathered an authoritative group of participants in Helsinki. Especially private sector showed its enthusiasm for the Baltic Sea protection bee, whereas governmental commitments remain pale.

Fore more information about the commitments see the Summits webpage.

Some thoughts about the Summit also in the FIIA-blog:

Will the mysterious summit save the Baltic Sea?

Baltic Sea Action Summit true actions or empty words?

Baltic Sea Action Summit political pushover

Baltic Sea Action Summit in action

Mia Pihlajamäki — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:53:00 +0200

The Baltic Sea Action Group has summoned the heads of the states as well as corporations, governmental and non-governmental organisations to commit to concrete actions in order to save the Baltic Sea. Today, those who have made a commitment gather together in the Finlandia Hall in an event called the Baltic Sea Action Summit.

The event does not aim to a new international agreement, instead it reveals the commitments made. Only those actors who have made a commitment are allowed to participate. Those, who have not, can follow an online broadcasting at Yle Areena (http://areena.yle.fi/) and throuhg the BSAS webpage (www.bsas.fi).

Promising news from Kaliningrad

Maria Jokela — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:34:00 +0200

Just before the Christmas Manager Jaakko Henttonen from the NDEP
(Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership) had a good news to share in the Baltic Sea Action Summit press conference: The process of building a new sewage treatment plant in Kaliningrad will continue.

The process was interrupted because of disagreements and mistrust between the international financiers and Kaliningrad authorities. Disagreements started when Kaliningrad city decided to reorganize the tender contest about the main contractor of the sewage treatment plant and then chose an own local candidate to run the project. According to Henttonen by doing this Kaliningrad violated jointly agreed principles. However, now it seems that parties have again found the mutual understanding and the process will go on.

"WWF Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award" went for a Finnish farm

Maria Jokela — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:09:00 +0200

Finnish farmers Katariina Vapola and Jyrki Ankelo won the WWF Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award. The award was given in an international Baltic Sea conference in Riga for the first time. Out of eight counter competitors, the Vapolas farm was selected to be the most environmentally friendly farm in the Baltic Sea region.

Vapolas organic farm is situated in Uusikaupunki in the south-west of Finland and it is focused on beef cattle breeding. Besides the fame and honour Vapolas farm also got a pecuniary reward of 10000 which was donated by the Swedbank. The WWF Baltic Sea Farmer of the Year Award was given in cooperation with WWF, Swedbank, Baltic Farmers Forum for the Environment and national agrarian organisations.

As the director of the international WWF Baltic Sea Programme Lasse Gustafsson describes, the purpose of the award is twofold: it is to disseminate information about the best practices of environmentally friendly farming and to highlight individual farmers that have introduced new effective and advanced ways to do so. According to the international jury the Vapolas farm has shown a strong commitment to the environmental protection by introducing several new innovative methods to reduce nutrient releases. Besides, their methods and best practices are also easily deliverable to other farms of the region. The prevention of water pollution starts from small individual actions and as the winner Katariina Vapola pointed out, its important that everyone would do one's bit.

WWF news-sheet (in Finnish)

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region has been adopted

Mia Pihlajamäki — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:56:00 +0200

The Council of the European Union has adopted the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region on 26 October 2009. The Commission was invited to coordinate the implementation and follow-up of the strategy. It was also stressed that the implementation of the actions and projects should start without a delay. The Commission will report to the Council on the progress made and results achieved by June 2011.

The strategy aims to make the region: i) environmentally sustainable, ii) prosperous, iii) accessible and attractive, and iv) safe and secure. The annexed Action Plan elaborates on the strategic actions and flagship projects needed to reduce nutrient inputs to the sea, which thereby contributes to the environmental sustainability. These include, for example, actions highlighted in the Baltic Sea Action Plan and the promotion of best practices in order to reduce nutrient input from farming.

Council Conclusions on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (PDF, October 2009)

The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (PDF, June 2009)

Action Plan (PDF, June 2009)

The EU Integrated Maritime Policy - a challenge for the next Commission

Mia Pihlajamäki — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0300

On October 15th, the European Commission published a progress report on the EUs Integrated Maritime Policy. The report outlines the progress made and sets out strategic policy orientations for the future, which include:

Integration of maritime governance
Development of cross-cutting policy tools
Definition of limitations to maritime activities as necessary in order to guarantee sustainability
Development of sea-basin regional strategies
Development of the international dimension of the Integrated Maritime Policy
Renewed focus on sustainable economic growth, employment and innovation

At the same time, the Commission presented proposals on two major IMP issues the integration across sectors and countries of maritime surveillance and the international dimension of Europes maritime policy.

"The first time ever launch of an ambitious integrated maritime policy is a key achievement of the present Commission. It is also a challenge for the next Commission."commented the Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso. "For the sake of a responsible and useful development of the oceans and the sea, we must develop maritime spatial planning; integrate maritime surveillance across borders and across countries; and build a marine observation and data network.".

EU Court of Justice of the European Communities dismissed the Commissions demand for more effective nitrogen removal in Finland

Maria Jokela — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:18:00 +0300

EU Court of Justice of the European Communities rejected the Commissions demand regarding the more effective nitrogen removal of Finlands population centers sewages. According to the court order Finland doesnt need to carry out more effective nitrogen removal of all up to 10000 inhabitants sewage treatment plants. Earlier this year Commission saw that Finland offended Urban Wastewater Directive (91/271/ETY) by not removing more effectively nitrogen from population centers sewages.

The court order pointed out that the need for more effective nitrogen removal is connected to the local conditions and therefore each member state can individually estimate the need for relevant sewage treatment actions. Other essential question was to what extent sewage treatment plants located into the catchment basins negatively influence lower vulnerable water bodies.

As Finland adduced, more effective nitrogen removal is not needed, when the nitrogen load does not have a negative effect on receiving waters or when the nitrogen naturally vanish from the water system before ending up into the eutrophic parts of the Baltic Sea. The natural nitrogen removal is a common phenomenon in lakes and rivers that capture nitrogen emissions and turn them into harmless gases. Thereby the capacity of catchment basins to remove the nitrogen is highly dependent on areas lakes and rivers. As Finland has an extensive lake and river capacity, support these local conditions also natural nitrogen removal.

The court order (in Finnish)

New survey of North-West Russian nutrient releases

Maria Jokela — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:31:00 +0300

The new survey of Finlands environmental administration ordered by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment reveals that the biggest nutrient pollution from North-West Russia into the Gulf of Finland originates from St. Petersburg and its neighbouring cities. According to the survey the sewage treatment mechanisms still need to be improved in most of these surrounding cities.

Furthermore the survey indicates high nutrient contents of manure of the domestic animal husbandries in the North-West Russia. Especially problematic are large and regionally concentrated production units, like henneries that through their manure production release nutrients into the local water systems. After all the nutrient load towards Gulf of Finland is not alarming high, because mainly the manure is laid in restricted soil dumping areas instead of distributing it to the fields. As the survey emphasizes, more information about the nutrient pollution of large animal husbandries is needed as well as information about the ways of how to prevent the current situation.

Results of this survey will be further used in new research cases launched by the Helsinki Commission and Swedish environmental protection agency. There the aim is to further survey the nutrient pollution from North-West Russia and Kaliningrad into the Gulf of Finland.

For more Information (in Finnish): www.fimr.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/itameri-tiedotteet/2009/fi_FI/luoteis-venajan_ravinnepaastot/

The whole survey (in English): Identification of Priority Measures to Reduce Eutrophication from North-West Russia into the Gulf of Finland

New survey specifies German contributions to Baltic Sea eutrophication

Tom Schumacher — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0300

Being responsible for about 8% of annual anthropogenic nitrogen inputs Germany contributes significantly to the excessive nutrient loadings of the Baltic Sea. However, in contrast to all other coastal states nitrogen from German sources is mainly discharged to the Baltic Sea through atmospheric deposition (75 %) whereas only one fourth is discharged through rivers. This is a consequence of the fact that Germany only has a very small share in the Baltic Sea catchment area while most of the country´s rivers are either part of the North Sea´s or the Black Sea´s drainage basins.

A new survey by PROBALT researcher Tom Schumacher from the University of Kiel specifies the varying proportions which major German emission sources have on the countries total nitrogen inputs. By far the most important single emission source is agriculture which is responsible for 66% of the inputs followed at a distance by the transport (17%) and energy sectors (8%).

Regarding phosphorus inputs Germany is much better off, being responsible for only 2% of the annual anthropogenic loads to the Baltic Sea. This is due to a comprehensive supply of effective waste water treatment plants in Germany as well as to the introduction of phosphate-free detergents since 1986.

One interesting observation is the fact that a change of the relative proportions of various German emission sources has taken place during the last decades. Whereas nutrient emissions from the transport and energy sectors as well as from municipal wastewater have decreased continuously, emissions from agriculture have remained rather stable on a high level. Thus it could be concluded that any German efforts aiming at a further reduction of nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea should primarily address the agricultural sector.

The complete survey (in German) can be downloaded via this link.

A Stern Report for the Baltic Sea

Mia Pihlajamäki — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:53:00 +0300

In 2006, Nicholas Stern (et al.) published a Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. The review demonstrated that combating climate change is essential for the world economy. PROBAPS, an international project, aims now to carry out similar environmental protection cost-benefit analysis to the Baltic Sea.

"Inefficiency of protection measures also costs money, and doing nothing is not cost-free either," says Professor Anni Huhtala of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, who is in charge of the project. PROBAPS aims to establish who the net beneficiaries of protection are and will be.

The Project is funded by the Advisory Board for Sectoral Research (Finland) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Naturvårdsverket, both of which have granted 1 million Euros for the 3 year project.

For more information: Baltic Stern report is protection worth it?

Pre-study assessing the feasibility of a cost-benefit analysis of protecting The Baltic Sea ecosystem

The Baltic Sea countries still lack the tools for effective protection of the Baltic Sea

Mia Pihlajamäki — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:21:00 +0300

WWF has published the third Baltic Sea Scorecard, which aims to assess the efforts of the Baltic Sea countries to protect and manage their joint sea by asking do the enabling conditions for a more integrated approach to planning and management in the Baltic Sea exist?.

As a result of the analysis, the countries are given grades from A (the highest) to F (the lowest). None of the countries received an A. Germany got the highest grade (B) out of all the countries, because of its experience and accomplishments in actually drafting maritime spatial plans. Grade C was given to four countries (Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Poland) as a result of their plans to begin Integrated Sea Use Management or Maritime Spatial Planning. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia were given Ds due to the non-existence of the Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Sea Use Management.

The results of the Scorecard show that the riparian countries are still far away from an integrated approach to planning and management in the Baltic Sea, which according to WWF is essential to solve urgent problems of the Baltic Sea.

For further information: http://www.wwf.fi/wwf/www/uploads/pdf/balticseascorecard2009.pdf

The Russian State University has published the first number of The Baltic Region

Dmitry Nechiporuk — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:35:00 +0300

The Russian State University named after Immanuel Kant and St. Petersburg State University have published the first issue of the magazine «The Baltic Region». The main goal of magazine is the publishing of current research results about sustainable development in Baltic Region. The magazine is addressed to the wide range of scholars who are interested in the studies concerning Baltic area. Among the members of editorial board is Dr.Christian Wellman from the University of Kiel, one of the main participants of PROBALT project. Primarily, the articles published in Russian, but the abstracts and key words are available in English. Next year the magazine will be published bimonthly.

For more details see

http://www.kantiana.ru/publish/baltregion/index.php

Coping with Uncertainty - A Multidisciplinary Research Conference on Risk Governance in the Baltic Sea Region will be held in Stockholm 15-17.11.2009

Mia Pihlajamäki — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:17:00 +0300

Complexity, uncertainty and socio-political ambiguity are key challenges in modern environmental governance. Integrated approaches are needed in order to foster collaboration between diverse sets of actors, over wide ranges of issue-areas, emphasizing sustainability, human health and ecosystem integrity.

The conference will combine keynotes by leading scholars and practitioners with presentations and discussions in thematic workshops. The aim of the conference is to discuss implications of uncertainty at science-policy interfaces connected with environmental, social and economic risks in the Baltic Sea Region. Authors are invited to submit abstracts for oral presentations relating to coping with uncertainty in general and to individual workshops in particular, covering the fields of:

i. Climate change and climate policy in the Baltic Sea region

ii. Environmental risks in the Baltic Sea

iii. Health and population crisis in Eastern Europe

iv. Risks and CSR

v. Risks and urban planning

The aim is that a selection of the presented abstracts will be invited to participate in a special issue of an international journal. Extended deadline for submitting abstracts: 21 September 2009. Deadline for registration: 15 October 2009.

Scientists, experts, practitioners and stakeholders interested in science-policy interactions are invited to participate in the conference. Platform presentation is not a requirement for attendance. Total number of attendants will be limited to 120.

Please visit www.sh.se/uncertainty09 and see attached Call for Papers for more details.

EU takes a major step towards saving the Baltic Sea

Mia Pihlajamäki — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0300

On June 10^th the European Commission published its Communication on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and the relative Action Plan. The strategy provides an integrated framework for combating eutrophication in the eight EU Member States bordering the Baltic Sea, and calls for close operation between EU and Russia.

The aim to reduce nutrient inputs to the sea to acceptable levels is one of the 15 priority areas of the Action Plan. Poland and Finland share the coordination responsibility for implementing this particular priority area. The Plan calls for two strategy actions: 1) implementing actions such as removing phosphates in the detergents to reduce nutrients and 2) to promote measures and practices which reduce nutrient losses from farming and address eutrophication.

The effective implementation of the Strategy requires the highest level political commitment says Anita Mäkinen, the Head of Marine Programme, WWF Finland. WWF further points out that the Strategy provides an opportunity for the governments to save the Baltic Sea and hopes that Sweden plays an active role in promoting the Strategy as it takes over the EU Presidency in July.

Communications on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region

Action Plan

WWF statement (only in Finnish)

More agricultural point source hot spots to be listed

Mia Pihlajamäki — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:46:00 +0300

On May 22, 2009, the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) announced that four major pollution hot spots in Lithuania and Russia have been removed from the list of the Baltic Seas most significant pollution sources.

The trend of diminishing of the municipal point source hot spots in the Baltic is constant, and puts the further reduction pressure mainly on agriculture. At their latest meeting, the HELCOM Land-based pollution Group has reached a key agreement on the criteria for agricultural hot spots and on the timetable for establishing the list of new agricultural point-source hot spots, which are not in compliance with the HELCOM requirements. The coastal countries agreed to submit the initial national information containing the total number of large farms, as well as their environmental performance and indications for potential sites to be nominated to the Agricultural Hot Spot List by September, and to adopt the List itself by December says the Professional Secretary of HELCOM, Mikhail Durkin.

Read the entire press release