Transboundary water co-operation between Russia and Finland

Seppo Rekolainen

Finnish Environment Institute

Member of the Transboundary Water Commission between Russia and Finland

●Early sixties: large water quality problems, hydropower regimes, flood management problems

●Common understanding of risks, benefits and costs in the broad sense: knowledge and understanding of the neighbours’ situation

●Open atmosphere in both sides: willingness to face the problems

●Legal basis: Agreement, signed 1964

●One agreement: all transboundary rivers and lakes (>400, about 20 significant, large/significant issues)

Finland and Soviet Union: needs for joint management of transboundary waters

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

2

Signing ceremony in 1964

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

3

The agreement

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

4

Norway

FinlandSweden

Russia

LakeSaimaa

River Vuoksi

LakeLadoga

f

River Paatsjoki

FINLAND – RUSSIA TRANSBOUNDARY WATER COOPERATION

Location of Finland with Rivers Vuoksi and Paatsjoki crossing the Russian border

THE LAKE SAIMAA - RIVER VUOKSI SYSTEM

●Catchment 69 500 km2

○ Finland 77 %, Russia 23 %

●Lake Saimaa

○ surface 4 460 km2

○ precipitation ~ 600 mm/a

●River Vuoksi natural discharge

○ mean 600 m3/s

○ max 1170 m3/s

○ min 220 m3/s

FINNISH - RUSSIAN AGREEMENT ON THE UTILISATION OF TRANSBOUNDARY WATERCOURSES (1964)

●Regulations on:○ Water flow and structural measures○ Floods and water scarcity○ Timber floating and navigation○ Fisheries and fish migration○ Pollution and water quality○ Frontier guard issues (related with water)○ Even public health and economic considerations

JOINT FINNISH – RUSSIAN COMMISSION (1965)

●Each Party appoints 3 members (including chair), 3 deputy members, experts, secretary

●Annual meetings with reports from joint working groups according to common annual plan

●Decisions are made unanimously, binding on both parties

●If mutual understanding is lacking, the Commission may take the issue to the governments○ not occurred so far

●The Commission has Annual meetings (50th meeting in 2012, 50th anniversary in 2014)

●Permanent working groups

1) the integrated water management group 2) the water protection group 3) the frontier guards group, and 4) the chairpersons group

Additionally: fisheries group

The Structure of the Commission

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

9

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

10

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

11

LAKE SAIMAA AND RIVER VUOKSI DISCHARGE RULE

●Hydropower and flood risks main challenges at the starting point in 1970s

●Management challenges – Russia

○ Low flows in winter, spill discharges at high flows - problems for hydro○ Other interests: fisheries, abstraction, recreation○ Two hydro power units in river Vuoksi

●Management challenges – Finland

○ Repeated floods (1899, -24, -36, -55, -62-63, -74-75) - losses to settlements, industry, agriculture

○ Interests: hydro power, navigation, fisheries, recreation, endemic species○ Low waters - problems to navigation, recreation in Lake Saimaa ○ Two hydro power units in river Vuoksi

●Initiative of the Russian Party at the Joint Transboundary Commission 1973

LAKE SAIMAA AND RIVER VUOKSI DISCHARGE RULE

●Development targets at the outset

○ Increase winter discharge and minimum flows in River Vuoksi○ Prevent exceptionally high and low water levels in Lake Saimaa○ Prevent exceptionally high and low flows in River Vuoksi

• First plan 1979 accepted by Joint Commission○ Counterarguments in both countries -> further planning and discussions

with stakeholders

●Several alternatives jointly investigated

○ Impacts on livelihoods, fisheries, hydro and other industry, habitation, navigation, water quality

• Joint discharge rule accepted 1989, implemented since 1991

• Main aim: minimise overall losses in Saimaa-Vuoksi basin

LAKE SAIMAA AND RIVER VUOKSI DISCHARGE RULE

• Natural water level and discharge in normal circumstances

• When water level forecast goes beyond normal zone discharge may be increased or reduced

• Natural discharge resumed when flood or drought threat ceases

●Common monitoring programmes○ Intercalibration of chemical analysis (present results

excellent)○ Common reports on water quality

Water quality and water protection

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

15

Vuoksi – COD Вуокса - ХПК

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

16

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

CODMn mg/l FICODMn mg/l RUSmoving average (6 sampes), FImoving average (6 samples), RUS

Vuoksi

Kemiallisen hapenkulutuksen pitoisuudet (CODMn) Vuoksella Suomen ja Venäjän puolella vuosina 1994–2010.

Химическое потребление кислорода (ХПКMn) на р. Вуокса в российском и финляндском створах в 1994–2010 гг.

Chemical oxygen demand (CODMn) in the River Vuoksi in the Finnish side (blue) and the Russian side (red) 1994–2010.

●Common reports on loads and other pressures as well as all protection and mitigation measures done and planned

Water quality and water protection

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

17

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0

50

100

150

200

250

19

72

19

74

19

76

19

78

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

Vuoksen-Saimaan alue BOD7 t/dKiintoaine t/dCODCr t/dTuotanto 100 t/dJätevesien määrä x1000 m3/d

t/d100 t/d

m3/d

BOD, COD and Solids to the River Vuoksi

Remaining challenges

●Climate change ○ Increased occurrence and variability of

heavy precipitation and drought periods○ Shorter snow period, more abundant

autumn and winter floods, less severe spring floods

○ Alterations in ice conditions

• Ice and snow cover essential for

Saimaa seal nesting

●Forecasting and optimal flow control become crucial

-> improved real-time data on hydrology and meteorology

●Flood risk management tools: mapping and planning

●Some waste water issues (redirecting)

●Identification of shared interests and goals

●Analysis of multiple interests disregarding state borders

●Finding an optimal solution for sharing costs and benefits

●Participatory approach: involve stakeholders to identify their needs, problems and priorities

●Long-term commitment

●Being open and transparent has increased the trust between partners

FINLAND - RUSSIA COOPERATION: CONCLUSIONS

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

19

13.

04.

23S

eppo

Rek

ola

inen

, SY

KE

20

Thank you!