1. Environmental Data collection The Black Sea Commission
within
The Black Sea Commission
3rd meeting of the UNECE Joint Task Force on Environmental Indicators
Geneva, July 11-13, 2011
Volodymyr Myroshnychenko, Project Expert
Permanent Secretariat
Commission on the Protection of the
Black Sea Against Pollution

2. Content Legal framework Institutional framework Monitoring Reporting
Challenges & future plans

3. Black Sea environmental problems

4. Black Sea Enclosed water body Large catchment Unique ecosystem
The surface area of the Black Sea is 423,000 km2. The sea’s greatest width is 1,200 km, it contains a total volume of 547,000 km3 of water and has a maximum depth of 2,212 m.

5. Regional Environmental Problems
Eutrophication/Nutrient Enrichment
Chemical Pollution, including Oil
Changes in Marine Living Resources, Overfishing
Biodiversity Changes/Habitats Loss, including Alien Species Introduction
Climate Change

6. (Source: GIWA, “Eutrophication in the Black Sea region”, 2005)
The Black Sea is known to be one of the marine water bodies most affected by eutrophication in the world.
Eutrophication is a complex process, which occurs both in fresh and marine waters, where excessive development of certain types of algae disturbs the aquatic ecosystems and becomes a threat for animal and human health. The primary cause of eutrophication is an excessive
concentration of plant nutrients originating from agriculture or sewage treatment.
The enrichment of water by nutrients can be of natural origin, but it is often dramatically increased by human activities. This occurs almost everywhere in the world. There are three main sources of anthropogenic
nutrient input: runoff , erosion and leaching from fertilised agricultural areas, and sewage from cities and industrial wastewater. Atmospheric
deposition of nitrogen (from animal breeding and combustion gases and coals) can also be important.
Eutrophication levels in the Black Sea (hypertrophic – red, eutrophic – orange, mesotrophic – yellow and blue).
(Source: GIWA, “Eutrophication in the Black Sea region”, 2005)

7. The major consequence of eutrophication concerns the availability of oxygen. Plants, through photosynthesis, produce oxygen in daylight. On the contrary, in darkness all animals and plants, as well as aerobic microorganisms and decomposing dead organisms, respire and consume oxygen. These two competitive processes are dependent on the development of the biomass. In the case of severe biomass accumulation, the process of oxidation of the organic matter that has formed into sediment at the bottom of the water body will consume all the available oxygen.
Thus, eutrophication was in 80-th and 90-th so strong that it caused temporary hypoxia events on the sea bottom that resulted to the mass mortality of benthic animals in the relatively shallow northeastern Black Sea.
In the year 2000, the total area exposed to hypoxia reached 14 thousand km2 (38 % of the area of the northwestern shelf). This is much less than the 1983 figures when more than 50 % of the northwestern shelf of the Black Sea was exposed to hypoxia.

8. Algal blooms Odessa Bay Dneper-Bug liman
Nodularia spumigena – toxic blue-green algae
(biomas 8 kg*m-3).
Microcystis aeruginosa – blue-green algae
Dneper-Bug liman
Odessa Bay
Nodularia spumigena
Microcystis aeruginosa
Spirulina laxissima
The main cause of eutrophication is the large input of nutrients to a water body and the main effect is the imbalance in the food web that results in high levels of phytoplankton biomass in stratified water bodies. This can lead to algal blooms.
Eutrophication is commonly linked to algal blooms, “red tides”, “green tides”, fish kills, inedible shellfish, blue algae and public health threats.
Ref: Presentation of chair of AG CBD Dr. Alexandrov at BSC-23 meeting, Jan 2011

9. Total petroleum hydrocarbons Total suspended solids
Chemical pollution
Mean concentrations of selected parameters in water of the Black Sea, (TDA 2007)
Total petroleum hydrocarbons
Total suspended solids
Dissolved copper
Color
Dissolved copper (µg/l)
Total petroleum hydrocarbons (mg/l)
Total suspended solids (mg/l)
<1.000
<0.018
<1.550
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>13.346
>0.180
>14.853
White color corresponds to background level
Dark-green approximately corresponds to concentration exceeding background levels 2-3 folds

10. Land Based Sources of Pollution
River loads
Industrial discharges
Municipal discharges
Atmospheric deposition

11. Vulnerability of the Black Sea
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.
Black Sea catchment
Strong currents of the Black Sea is an important factor in transporting of dissolved substances, floating matter, and living organisms throughout the sea thereby causing transboundary dissemination of pollution, invasive species, marine litter etc.
An important feature of the Black Sea is an unusually high river discharge into the relatively small semi-enclosed Sea. The Black Sea drainage basin covers almost a third of Europe; the largest river is Danube flowing through 10 European countries.
The Black Sea catchment (BSC) includes 23 countries with a total surface of 2’414’691 square kilometers.
Seven countries have more than 90 % of their surface included in the catchment. The population for the whole catchment calculated using the global dataset “Landscan” (Budhendra et al., 2002) for the year 2007 is approximately of 183 millions of persons.
The total area of the drainage basin of Azov Sea is approximately 570,000 km2.
Black Sea currents

12. Need for regional approach
Sea possess no physical borders!
Most marine problems are transboundary and require collective action
Environment, the easiest area of cooperation

13. Legal framework

14. 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.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the Black Sea countries have started to co-operate on a regional level in promoting sustainable use of transboundary water and living resources.
Signed in April 1992 in Bucharest, Romania
The Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against
Pollution (Bucharest Convention) with its (three) integral protocols is
the basic framework of agreement between the coastal Black Sea
countries for marine and coastal environment of the Black Sea
Bulgaria
Georgia
Romania
Russian
Federation
Turkey
Ukraine

15. Protocols to the Convention
Protocol on the Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment against Pollution from Land Based Sources (1992)
Protocol on Cooperation in combating pollution of the Black Sea Marine Environment by Oil and Other Harmful Substances (Emergency Protocol)
Protocol on the Protection of the Marine Environment Against Pollution by Dumping
Black Sea Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Protocol
Protocol on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Black Sea from Land-Based Sources and Activities (2009)

16. 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 co-operation and monitoring activities.

17. Obligations of Contracting Parties (2)
In particular, to prevent pollution:
by hazardous substances or matter;
from hazardous wastes in transboundary movement and the illegal traffic thereof
To prevent, reduce and control the pollution:
from land-based sources;
from vessels;
resulting from emergency situations;
by dumping;
caused by or connected with activities on the continental shelf, including exploration and exploitation of natural resources;
from or through the atmosphere;
Article XV
Scientific and technical cooperation and monitoring
1. The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in conducting scientific research aimed at protecting and preserving the marine environment of the Black Sea and shall undertake, where appropriate, joint programmes of scientific research, and exchange relevant scientific data and information.
5. The Contracting Parties shall, inter alia, establish through the Commission and, where appropriate, in cooperation with international organizations they consider to be competent, complementary or joint monitoring programmes covering all sources of pollution and shall establish a pollution monitoring system for the Black Sea including, as appropriate, programmes as bilateral or multilateral level for observing, measuring, evaluating and analyzing the risks or effects of pollution of the marine environment of the Black Sea.

18. 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
Thus measures are needed at two levels: (1) Local regulations within a defined “conservation area”, and (2) Wider regulations to limit threats from the outside. Quite often the local regulations are within national boundaries whereas the wider regulations require international co-operation. This is why the Black Sea Action Plan is so important. It provides a mechanism for enabling conservation measures irrespective of national boundaries.

19. 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 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.
Strategic Action Plan for the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation of the Black Sea
SAP (51) Develop/improve the existing monitoring system to provide comparable data sets for pollutant loads (from direct discharges and river inputs) and for other parameters.

20. SAP Ecosystem Quality Objectives
EcoQO 1 Preserve commercial marine living resources through:
Sustainable use of commercial fish stocks and other marine living resources
Restore/rehabilitate stocks of commercial marine living resources
EcoQO 2 Conservation of Black Sea Biodiversity and Habitats through:
Reduce the risk of extinction of threatened species
Conserve coastal and marine habitats and landscapes
Reduce and manage human mediated species introductions
EcoQO 3 Reduce eutrophication through:
Reduce nutrients originating from land based sources, including atmospheric emissions.
EcoQO 4. Ensure Good Water Quality for Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic Biota through:
Reduce pollutants originating from land based sources, including atmospheric emissions.
Reduce pollutants originating from shipping activities and offshore installations

21. SAP Ecosystem Quality Objectives
EcoQO 3 Reduce eutrophication through:
Reduce nutrients originating from land based sources, including atmospheric emissions
EcoQO 4. Ensure Good Water Quality for Human Health, Recreational Use and Aquatic Biota through:
Reduce pollutants originating from land based sources, including atmospheric emissions.
Reduce pollutants originating from shipping activities and offshore installations

22. Institutional Framework

23. 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
All environmental problems to be consulted with BSC

24. BSC Structure

25. SAP implementation Conducted by countries Regional monitoring program
Annual reporting to BSC
Periodical assessment (5 years)
State of Environment Report
Assessment of SAP implementation and SAP revision

26. MONITORING

27. 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.
The BSIMAP is addressed to the main transboundary environmental problems in the Black Sea region: eutrophication, water pollution and water quality, biodiversity change and decline, habitats destruction.

28. BSIMAP Goals
The main purpose of the BSIMAP is to provide data for the state of the environment (SOE) reporting, impact assessments of major pollutant sources, and for transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA).
BSIMAP seeks to maximize the use of historical data from previously established monitoring sites for trend analysis, supported by new additional sites to improve the assessment of the current chemical/ecological status of the Black Sea.
The sites, parameters and monitoring frequencies also reflect data requirements for compliance with relevant national and international legislation and agreements.

29. BSIMAP Pollution Monitoring Network

30. Monitoring network: spatial coverage
Territorial waters
Pollution Hot Spots
Sampling Sites
Coastline (km)
Average distance (km) represented per sampling site
Bulgaria 9 5
300 60
Georgia 6
310 62
Romania 21
(9 transects)
225 25
Russian Federation 4
475 95
Turkey 10 63
(21 transects)
1400 66
Ukraine 14
1628
116

31. National institutions involved
Bulgaria
Regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas
Georgia
Environment Pollution Monitoring Department, MoEP
Romania
National Institute for Marine Research & Development; Water Directorate Dobrogea Litoral – Constanta
Russian Federation
Socchi Hydrometeorological Centre, Tuapse Roshydromet Monitoring Laboratory, Southern Branch of SIO RAS
Turkey
MoEF, Istanbul University
Ukraine
UkrSCES , State Ecological Inspection of the North-West region of the Black Sea (MENR)
GE: Ministry of Environment Protection
UA: Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine

32. BSIMAP monitoring requirements
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
Why it is important to monitor sediments The water as sampling media is very changeable. If hazardous substance will get somewhere into water it will be quickly dissolved in water masses and transported to other location with sea currents. So localization of pollution sources on base of sea water analysis is rather difficult. On the other hand, sediments and biota accumulate contaminants, so it is possible not only identify both areas affected by pollution and parameters of exposure to pollution.
Sampling media: biota
Parameters: organic contaminants, heavy metals
Frequency: 1 time per year

33. BSIMAP monitoring requirements (1)
Problem: Eutrophication. Sampling media: Water
Mandatory parameters
Frequency
Optional parameters T° 4
pH (site-specific)
Salinity
BOD5 (site-specific)
O2 (saturation and dissolved)
TOC
TSS (filter 0.45 µm)
H2S
Secchi
P (PO4)
P total
N (NH4)
N (NO3)
N (NO2)
N, Total
SiO4

34. BSIMAP monitoring requirements (2)
Problem: Pollution. Sampling media: Water
Mandatory parameters
Frequency
Optional parameters
Oil pollution
TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) 4
Oil slicks
Heavy Metals Cd 1 Fe Cu Zn Hg
Cr, Co Pb
Mn, Ni
Pesticides, Phenols
Detergents
PAHs, PCBs
137Cs, 90Sr , Tr

35. BSIMAP monitoring requirements (3)
Problem: Pollution. Sampling media: Sediments
Mandatory parameters
Frequency
Optional parameters
Particle size 1
Granulometry
Description of BS
Calcination losses
Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb
Al, Co, Cr, Fe, Ni, Zn
DDT, DDD, DDE
TOC
Lindane
P total
PCBs
Phenols
Hydrocarbons Total
137Cs, 90Sr
PAHs
Total radioactivity

36. BSIMAP monitoring requirements (4)
Problem: Contamination of Biota
Media: Bivalves, Anchovies, Sprat, Turbot, Horse mackerel - meat
Mandatory parameters
Optional parameters Cd
Phenols Cu Co Hg Zn Pb Fe
DDT Ni
DDD Cr
DDE
PAHs
Lindane Cs
PCBs Tr Sr
Total radioactivity

37. BSIMAP monitoring requirements (5)
Problem: response of biodiversity on pollution and destruction of habitats. Sampling media: Biota
Mandatory parameters
Frequency
Chl a 4
Phytoplankton
Mesozooplankton
Biomass of Noctiluca
Macrophytobenthos 1
Macrozoobenthos
Fish landing (annually)
Fish stocks (optional, annually)

38. Mean concentrations of selected parameters in sediments
Chemical pollution
Mean concentrations of selected parameters in sediments
of the Black Sea,
(TDA 2007)
Hexachlorocyclohexanes

39. 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.

40. Hot spots

41. Parameters BOD5 Total Nitrogen (TN) Total Phosphorus (TP)
Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Flow (Q)
Heavy metals
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons

42. Reporting

43. 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.
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

44. Users: scientists, decision-makers, public
Data flow
Implementing agencies and laboratories
National ministries and agencies
BSC focal points
BSC PS
BSIS (Black Sea Information System)
Users: scientists, decision-makers, public
Standardized format

45. Analysis of official data reporting

46. Usage of monitoring data & information
Transboundary diagnostic analysis
State of Environment reporting (SoE)
Impact assessments of major pollutant sources
Monitoring data & information
BSIS
Assesment of SAP implementation and SAP revision
Trend analysis
GIS, mapping

47. State of Environment Report 2006/7
More than 60 scientists involved
12 chapters addressed to different environmental problems as well as socio-economic pressures and impact
Last chapter – overall assessment of the state of the Black Sea Ecosystem
An assessment of the state of the Black Sea ecosystem, recently carried out by scientists and experts for the BSC shows a steady improvement of the marine ecosystems during the last years in comparison to previous periods of investigations.

48. Challenges, Recommendations, Future Plans

49. Challenges (monitoring)
Gaps in countries’ monitoring programs: the monitoring is mainly not integrated.
Mandatory parameters are often not covered
Recommended frequency of observations is not always observed
Difference in sampling and sample analysis techniques
Different approach in assessment of environmental status
Pure coordination between responsible authorities
Insufficient financial support of monitoring

50. Challenges (reporting)
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)
Insufficient data for indicator-based assessment (datasets are not consistent)
Insufficient time-series data for trend analysis

51. Data availability & needs in details
Indicator group
Indicators/Parameters
In BSIS
Outside BSIS
Eutrophication
Nutrients Y
Chl-a (in-situ)
limited
Transparency
Hypoxia (dis. oxygen)
Alga blooms
Macroalgae
Contamination
Concentrations in sea water
-:- in biota -
-:- in sediments
Biological effects
not considered yet
Biodiversity
Species composition (zooplankton, phytoplankton, benthos, fish, seagrass)
Population abundance & biomass
Non-indigenous species Y*

52. Major targets in improvement of monitoring
Strengthening of existing program: mandatory parameters covered, monitoring frequencies observed
Further harmonization – to meet requirement of new SAP and LBS protocol, common understanding of Good Environmental Status (GES) and indicators, further development of guidelines, inter-comparison exercises, etc.
Improving the “List of Black Sea-specific priority pollutants”
Standardization of sampling and sample analysis techniques
Proper geographical coverage, networks development
Sustain stations and transects with long-terms observations
Sustainable quality control and assurance

53. Supporting activities
Utilization of the capacities of all Institutes dealing with monitoring in the region
Avoiding overlapping of activities and efforts
Partnership with international organizations – EEA, IMO, ESA, EMSA, HELCOM, utilizing their experience
Capacity building – regular trainings, bringing BAP to the region, strengthening the collaboration between different authorities engaged in monitoring
Sharing data and metadata. Further development of BSIS to make its data and metadata services accessible online, and to make sure that the special information needs of stakeholders are met.
(which is in line with INSPIRE directive)
The work carried out within the BS monitoring should be transparent.

54. Near-term tasks
Development of the Regional Database on Pollution with GIS based Web interface providing public access to metadata and data products (maps, charts)
Elaboration of the Black Sea reference and target concentration levels of eutrophication parameters
Elaboration of a regional methodology on identification of water quality classes for eutrophication
Development of implementation plan on setting up a modelling tool, linking pollutants triggering eutrophication in the Black Sea with requirements for reducing input of nutrients, including riverine loads
Such modeling tool will require data of water quality not only in the sea but also in rivers of the Black Sea catchment in order to identify drivers and their contribution into pollution of the Black Sea.
This is one of areas of possible future cooperation with JTF of UNECE.

55. Thank you for your attention