Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2017 (97. évfolyam)
2017 / 3. szám - MANAGING WATER QUALITY (ONGOING PROJECTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES) - Heilmann Diana - Fehér János: Strengthening cooperation between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention to enhance the status of the waters of the Tisza River Basin (JOINTISZA)
38 Hidrológiai Közlöny (Hungarian Journal of Hydrology) 2017. 97. évf. 3. sz. the Tisza Basin decided to develop a flagship project to support and strengthen the cooperation among the water management and relevant sectors in the Tisza River Basin (ICPDR MoU, 2011). As a result of the cooperation, , the JOINTISZA project proposal was developed in 2015- 2016, which was deemed to be successful and received funding from the Danube Transnational Programme. The JOINTISZA project will be introduced in the following pages. THE JOINTISZA PROJECT AND ITS OBJECTIVES A key conclusion of the Tisza Analysis Report (ICPDR 2008) is that water quantity is a relevant water management issue and the integration of water quality and quantity in land and water planning is essential for the ITRBMP. At the Danube River Basin District level four significant water management issues (SWMI) were identified that impact the quality of both surface and groundwater: organic pollution, nutrient pollution, hazardous substance pollution and hydromorphological alterations. The ITRBMP addresses the same SWMIs but the assessments are targeted to specific elements in the Tisza. The Tisza countries next to organic and nutrient pollution, hazardous substances and hydromorphological alteration defined that management issues related to water quantity needed special attention and are therefore treated as an additional relevant water management issue. Water scarcity and droughts, as well as flood and excess water are major challenges in the TRB. Climate change is expected to further influence the water cycle. Floods and droughts impact biodiversity and water quality and thus exacerbate previously mentioned problems (Heilmann 2012). The first ITRBMP identified that flood and excess water, drought and water scarcity as well as climate change can influence and inhibit to reach the good status of different water types in the Tisza River Basin. The integration of water quality and water quantity aspects in the Tisza River Basin is of crucial importance. The JOINTISZA project - Strengthening cooperation between river basin management planning and flood risk prevention to enhance the status of waters of the Tisza River Basin - focuses on interactions of two key aspects, the river basin management (RBM) and flood protection. It takes into account relevant stakeholders, who play a key role in the Tisza RBM planning process. The main aim of the project is to further improve the integration of the water management and flood risk prevention planning and actions in the next RBM planning cycle, in line with relevant EU legislation. The project fully addresses the Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) objective to strengthen transnational cooperation on water management and flood risk prevention aiming at creating a new and updated plan for water management and flood risk prevention / protection elements using a common umbrella including relevant partners in the region. The project has many innovative approaches, such as integrating water and flood management objectives into the river basin management planning process; applying shared vision planning to involve stakeholders; setting up ground for drought and climate change issues in river basin management planning; improving methods for urban hydrology management purposes; simulation of dike failure with a transboundary effect and preparing a manual for the Joint Tisza Survey. The project will ensure better embedding of flood risk management planning into the RBM planning process and aims to encourage the involvement of relevant sectors (such as flood risk management, water resource management, urban hydrology management, drought management) and interested stakeholders. In 2011, Ministers of the Tisza countries committed themselves to the continued efforts to achieve integrated river basin management in the Tisza River Basin via facilitating dialogues among sectors. The main focus of the JOINTISZA project is the development of the updated Integrated Tisza River Basin Management Plan (ITRBMP) based on the methodology of the EU WFD (2000/60/EC) and outlining the following main technical work packages (WPs) outlined: • Characterization of the basin and assessment of water quality - focus on surface waters • Water quantity issues and groundwater characteristics (quantity and quality) • Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) elements integration into river basin management plan (RBMP) • Synthesis of the outcomes of the above three work packages and drafting the updated ITRBMP. As a first step towards the development of the management plan, the work package on basin characterisation (WP3) focuses on collecting and analysing information about the surface water, which would be integrated into the management plan (synthesis part). A specific task of this WP is to develop a Manual for the next Joint Tisza Survey. Water quantity is identified as a significant water management issue in the Tisza River Basin due to the overabstraction of groundwater (GW), the increase in irrigation and surface water (SW) abstraction and key integrated water management issues (excess water, droughts, and climate change). In addition, achievement of good status for both GW and SW is hindered by different sources of pollution. Due to these connections between water quantity and water quality, management issues are identified within the TRB. The main objective of the work package related to water quantity (WP4) is to evaluate water demand, GW status and design measures that will sustain balanced water quantity management and help to achieve good water bodies status. A specific output of the water quantity WP will be a pilot activity on urban hydrology. Urban sites are the second largest water consumers after agriculture, and pilot activities on urban hydrology management are implemented on the basis of a developed spatial decision tool that provides a framework for a sustainable urban water management strategy that can be employed by stakeholders and authorities. The results of this WP will also be integrated
