Development of a system of water quality indices as a tool for management

Información del proyecto

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: INTAS-1997-00306

Proyecto cerrado

Fecha de inicio 1 Diciembre 1998

Fecha de finalización 30 Noviembre 2000

Financiado con arreglo a

• International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993-

Coste total

Sin datos

Aportación de la UE

€ 45 500,00

Coordinado por

UPPSALA UNIVERSITY
Sweden

Objetivo

A reasonable compromise between the unavoidable necessity to use natural water resources and the possible deterioration of the water quality caused by overexploitation and anthropogenic contamination may be reached only on the basis of scientifically sound management strategy. Realisation of any management program must start from concrete definitions of usually poorly defined basic terms and concepts, such as "water quality", "indices of water quality", "goals and criteria of management". Regarding natural lakes, all partners in the process of management must accept such a system: water policy makers, water suppliers and users, and limnologists. This socio-ecological problem is especially important for lakes forming a unique natural complex, like lakes Naroch, Miastro and Batorino, which plays an important role in the economy and social structure of Belarus.

The main objective of the proposed research is:
to establish a system of water quality indices for Belarus lakes for quantitative estimations of their state, sustainability for use as natural resources and stability as regards their trophic state, nutrient loading and toxic contamination.

To reach this goal, the following scientific tasks will be addressed:
- to devise a system of water quality indices according to the requirements of water use;
- to establish normal values (corresponding to natural, reference conditions) of the chosen set of indices;
- to estimate environmental sensitivity and stability of the studied lakes by applying mathematical models of fluxes for suspended matter, phosphorus and selected metals.

To establish a system of water quality indices as a basis for development of a scientifically sound system of optimal water management for the Naroch lakes, the following stages have to be realised:
1) Identification of object of management;
2) Definition and classification of water use;
3) Establishment of goals and criteria;
4) Definition of water quality indices and their permissible ranges.

A quantitative modification of the method of "expert panel" will be used, in which experts are asked to define criteria, indices and standards of water quality for various uses of a given water resource. The experience in establishment of the system of water quality indices in Sweden and Israel will be used. The adoption of this approach to the Naroch lakes may serve to simplify the arduous task of resolving conflicts among the various divergent uses and special interest groups and to exacerbate the development of a sound management policy. The sensitivity and stability of the Naroch Lakes to external disturbances will be estimated using developed mathematical models of fluxes of cycles of key components: phosphorus and suspended matter, and some selected toxic substances (probably mercury and radiocesium). The newly developed mixed model for phosphorus and models of the cycling of contaminants in lakes will be applied.

The results of this study will be presented as recommendations to the Governmental Environmental Agencies of Belarus. To our knowledge, this will be the first endeavour to establish the system of water quality indices for the system of lakes in the Republics of the former Soviet Union (NIS), which will be an important step toward a more objective, common platform for management of natural resources. It will enable the development of ecologically relevant measures of the current conditions in the Naroch lakes relative to some desired (natural) conditions, and practically useful strategies for various, ecologically relevant and cost-efficient remedial approaches.

Ámbito científico (EuroSciVoc)

Este proyecto aún no se ha clasificado con EuroSciVoc.
Sugiera los ámbitos científicos que considere más relevantes y ayúdenos a mejorar nuestro servicio de clasificación.

Programa(s)

• IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993-

Tema(s)

• 5 - Earth Sciences, Environment, Energy
• BELARUS - BELARUS

Convocatoria de propuestas

Datos no disponibles

Régimen de financiación

Datos no disponibles

Coordinador

UPPSALA UNIVERSITY

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: VILLAVAGEN 16 ; 75236 UPPSALA ; Suecia
• Coste total: Sin datos

Participantes (3)

Belarus State University

Bielorrusia

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: F. Skorina av., 4 ; 220050 Minsk
• Coste total: Sin datos

Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research

Israel

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: 14102 Tiberias
• Coste total: Sin datos

Russian Academy of Sciences

Rusia

• Aportación de la UE: Sin datos
• Dirección: University Emb. 1 ; 199034 St. Petersburg
• Coste total: Sin datos