STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE BLACK SEA

PRESSURES AND TRENDS

 1996 -2000 Istanbul, 2002

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The environment of the Black Sea including its fragile and vulnerable ecosystem and recreational and aesthetic value as well as wellbeing of the coastal population shows the first attributes of recovery:

• Pollution pressure from land based sources although still intense shows the evident decreasing trends both for municipal and industrial sectors Some progress was reported for improvement of operation of priority sources of pollution
• Less number and intensity of alga blooms are reported for all Black Sea coastal states
• Some species that completely disappeared were found recovering
• Stocks of the small pelagic fish are slowly recovering
• The adverse effects of Mnemiopsis leidyi is mitigated by invasion of another exotic species Beroye ovata that feed on Mnemiopsis and so far may become a limiting factor for Mnemiopsis development.
• Expansion of protected areas was reported for all Black Sea states, including creation of marine protected areas
• The GDP growths were reported for a majority of the Black Sea coastal states

Concerted actions of the Black Sea coastal states and assistance of international communities in identifying and resolving problems is ongoing process now. It received its new momentum after Brussels Ministerial Declaration, 2001 that adopted a Black Sea basin wide approach to pollution reduction and enhancement of cooperation of coastal and non-coastal states towards strategic goal of achieving the ecological status of the Black Sea similar to the one observed in 60s – abundant in fish, clear in waters, and of natural beauty preserved for current and future generations.

The political will and commitments of the governments of the Black Sea coastal states expressed in Strategic Action Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea proved its efficiency in spite of difficulties of transitional economies the most of the Contracting parties are currently experiencing.

Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to provide policy and decision makers with a brief summary on major regional threats and changes to the Black Sea ecosystem and the environment as whole. The policy measures and management tools for further progress are analyzed in the ‘Report on The Implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan’ that presents a clear focus on coordinated regional actions. Annexes to the “Report on the Implementation of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan’ present the national answers to a set of questions related to the BSSAP implementation on the national level. In order to achieve the main objectives of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution, the BSSAP requests from the Contracting Parties a set of coordinated policies and measures that are to be implemented in order to preserve, protect and rehabilitate of the Black Sea ecosystem from further pollution and degradation. The structure of this report was based on the needs of the decision makers and requirements of the Strategic Action Plan for Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea. This Report is complimentary to the Black Sea Commission Report of the Implementation of the BSSAP for the period 1996-2000. The Report describes in brief the major trends in reduction of pollution inputs with particular attention to the high priority sources of pollution, discharges of the wastewaters that are not in full compliance with national environmental norms, and oil pollution. It also expresses some trends in biodiversity. The lack of agreed indicators and reporting formats resulted in many omissions and some not well justified conclusions. To the extent possible, these omissions are redressed during consultations with the Black Sea coastal states. A comprehensive scientific assessment of the state of the environment of the Black Sea is provisioned in the GEF Ecosystem Recovery Project, 2002-2004. Along with data of national monitoring programs, this assessment will form a basis for the State of the Environment of the Black Sea Report in 2006. The draft Report was circulated, amended and agreed by the Contracting Parties prior to the final publication.

1 Black Sea Geography and the Area of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution.

1.1 Geography and Hydrography

The Black Sea is the most isolated from the World Ocean - connected to the Oceans via the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosphorus, Dardanelle and Gibraltar straits and with the Sea of Azov in the northeast through the Kerch Strait. The ratio of its surface and its catchment area exceeds 6. For this reason, the Black Sea is very vulnerable to pressure from land based human activity and its health is equally dependent from the coastal and non-coastal states of its basin. The large European rivers, the Danube, Dnieper and Don via the Sea of Azov, flow into this sea but its only tenuous link with other seas is with the Mediterranean through the Bosphorus Strait, the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelle. The Bosphorus is essentially a narrow elongated shallow channel approximately 31 km long, with a width varying between 0.7-3.5 km and a depth of 39 to 100 m. The main rivers: Rioni, Kodori and Inguri Chorokh, Kyzyl-Irmak, Eshil-Irmak, Sakarya, Southern Bug and Dnister also flow into the Black Sea. The seabed is divided into the shelf, the continental slope and the deep-sea depression. (Fig.1) The shelf occupies a large area in the north-western part of the Black Sea, where it is over 200 km wide and has a depth ranging from 0 to 160 meters. In other parts of the sea it has a depth of less than 100 m and a width of 2.2 to 15 km. Near the Caucasian and Anatolian coasts the shelf is only a narrow intermittent strip. The thin upper layer of marine water (up to 150 m) supports the unique biological life in the Black Sea ecosystem. The deeper and more dense water layers are saturated with hydrogen sulfide, that over thousands years, accumulated from decaying organic matter in the Black Sea. Due to the unique geomorphological structure and specific hydrochemical conditions, specific organisms, basically on the level of protozoa, bacteria, and some multi-cellular invertebrates inhabit the deep-sea waters. Knowledge about biological forms of life in the deep waters of the Black Sea is very limited. The disturbance of the natural balance between the two layers could trigger irreversible damage to the people and ecosystem of the Black Sea. (Fig.2) Fig. 1 Black Sea Bathymetry [43] Fig. 2 Profile of the Hydrogen Sulfide Zone in the Black Sea [43]

Fig. 1 Black Sea Bathymetry

Fig. 2 Profile of the Hydrogen Sulfide Zone in the Black Sea

1.2 Climate

Geography and macro circulation processes existing in the Mediterranean Basin influence the climate of the Black Sea Basin. In a major part of the Black Sea Basin, the climate is similar to the Mediterranean climate (warm humid winters and hot dry summers). The south-eastern part, surrounded by the mountains, is characterized by a humid subtropical climate (abundant precipitation, warm winter, hot summer) Average sunny periods vary throughout the region – 2,432 hours in the Bosphorus area, 2,237 hours in Varna area and 2,223 hours per year in Yalta area. (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 Satellite Derived Water Surface Temperature

The Black Sea circulation is characterized by a cyclonic system of currents that is common for the basin. In years with intensive thermodynamic conditions, a distribution of the general dynamic system into sub-basin systems — western and eastern cyclonic whirls — can occur in the air above the sea.

The dynamic system of the Black Sea has a distinct yearly cycle. Maximum circulation intensity takes place in winter and spring when the sea accumulates potential and kinetic energy due to intensive winter thermodynamic interaction within the sea-atmospheric system. (Fig 4.) Fig. 4 Black Sea Currents [22] Total amount of precipitation from the Bosporus to Varna is about 500-700 mm per year, in the north, near Odessa – 300-400 mm, in the southern coast of Crimea (Yalta) – 586 mm. The amount of annual precipitation increases eastward – 1,600 mm between Novorossiysk and Sukhumi, to 2,465 mm – in Batumi. In general, the Black Sea Basin climate is very favorable for tourism and recreation.

 Fig. 4 Black Sea Currents

1.3 Geographical Scope of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution

The geographical scope of the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution is applied to the Black Sea proper, with the Southern limit constituted, for the purposes of this Convention, by the joining Capes Kelagra and Dalyan. The purpose of the Convention is to prevent, reduce and control pollution thereof in order to protect and preserve the marine environment of the Black Sea.

2 Pressures on the Black Sea Environment

2.1 Population

The Black Sea coastal zone is densely populated with approximately 16 million inhabitants and with 4 million tourists visiting the seacoast in summer seasons. For all Black Sea coastal zones except of Turkey, the demographic trends are negative.

Table 2-1 Population of the Black Sea Coastal Zone and Black Sea Basin 1997 - 1999

A few decades of inadequate management of marine resources and pollution from the economic activities by the population in the Black Sea basin destroyed the ecosystem of the Black Sea and drastically reduced its biological resources.

2.2 Nutrient Inputs from Land-based Sources

Based on available scientific assessments and findings of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (1995), the overall yearly input of nutrients from human activity amounts to 647,000 tons of nitrogen and 50,500 tons of phosphorus. (Black Sea Pollution Assessment, 1998). These estimates included also the river discharges. (Tab. II.2, Tab.II.3).

Table 2-2 The Estimated Input of Total Nitrogen into the Black Sea

Table 2-3 The Estimated Input of Total Phosphorus to the Black Sea [22]

The input of nutrients and other pollutants from land-based sources is reflected in sets of data presented in the national reporting to the Black Sea Commission for the period 1996-2000. The available data, although not presented in a harmonized manner, explicitly shows a steady decline in the discharges of wastewaters and individual pollutants and nutrients in the territorial waters of the Contracting Parties. The figures 5, 6, 7 and tables in the Annexes present a clear evidence of these trends.

Fig.5 Long-term Inputs of Nitrogen in Coastal Waters of the Russian Federation [36]

Fig.6. Total Discharges of the Waster Waters into the Black Sea, million m3/year, Ukraine [37]

Fig.7. Discharges of Organic Matter and Suspended Solids into the Black Sea, thousand tons per year, 1997-2000, Ukraine [37]

As expected, the GEF Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project will conduct a more accurate assessment of nutrient and pollutant inputs after which a corresponding report will be produced. Nevertheless, the national reporting on discharges from priority point sources of pollution shows a distinctly decreasing trend in the period of 1996-2000. The reasons for such reduction might be attributed partially to the economic difficulties in those countries with transitional economies. At the same time, the Black Sea coastal states made profound progress in developing and enforcing legislative and regulatory tools in accordance with the main principles of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan. They also managed to allocate national financial resources although still scarce and insufficient. An extended EU investment program for the accession countries – Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey is currently being implemented. The EU investment program for Georgia, the Russian Federation and Ukraine will be developed in a framework of the DABLAS Task Force set up for implementation in the Brussels Ministerial Declaration, November 26, 2001.

2.3 Priority Point Sources of Pollution

Articles 32 and 33 of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan request from the Black Sea coastal states a regular reporting on the progress made in the elimination of priority sources of pollution. The Black Sea Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, 1995 as well as the National Black Sea Environmental Studies (Turkey, 1998, Ukraine, 1998) specifically studied and ranked pressures on the Black Sea environment from land-based sources and indicated the most dangerous of them, the so called “hot spots” that required particular attention and urgent actions. The total number of priority point sources of pollution in the Black Sea coastal state was 49. In all the Black Sea coastal states, industries are, as a rule, connected to the municipal wastewater treatment systems, therefore mixed discharges from municipal sources that enter the marine environment are typical for the region. For this reason, the priority point sources of pollution, sometimes referred as “hot spots” and described in Black Sea Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, are presumably presented by municipal wastewater treatment plants or port treatment facilities. As follows from the national reporting the input of nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solid, and BOD5 decreased or were stabilized in 1996-2002. (Annex II)

In Bulgaria nine priority point pollution sources were identified as follows [5]:

The discharged harmful substances are:

Neftochim – oil, Cd, Cu, phenols, sulfides, Cr;

Oil terminal “Rosenetz” – oil, Cd, Cu, phenols, sulfides, Cr;

Agropolichim – Devnia – SS, ammonia, Cd, phosphorous, Fl ;

Sodi –Devnia – ammonia, phosphorous, SS, Cl, high pH (6-11,5).

The enterprises in Devnia discharge their wastewater in the Provadiiska River, which flows to the Black Sea. Draft IPPC permits are prepared for Agromolichim and Sodi .

Georgia reported a tenfold reduction of the BOD5 inputs, a four-fold reduction of total suspended solids, and a three-fold reduction of oil in seven “hot spots”. No information was available for the impact areas in the vicinity of discharges. Although no economic growth was reported for Georgia and industrial and pollution pressure from industrial and tourism sectors is low, the decreasing trends in pollution loads from “hot spots” also reflects an improvement of the national regulatory and enforcement mechanisms. (Table II.4) (Annex II)

Table 2-4 Total Inputs from Priority Point Sources of Pollution, Georgia, 1996-2000 [21]

At the same time the data obtained for a very limited number of parameters and with insufficient financial and technical resources available in the country for monitoring of actual discharges do not fully reflect the current situation of priority pollution sources in Georgia.

In Romania fluvial discharges, municipal waste waters discharges, industrial wastewater discharges, maritime traffic and offshore oil activities influence the water quality and environment of the Romanian coastal waters. Although six enterprises situated on the seacoast are still classified as “hot spots” decreasing trends are evident in the overall loads of nutrients, pollutants and concentrations of these substances in the Romania coastal waters:

• Petrochemical Plant Midia;
• Constanta North waste water treatment plant;
• Constanta South waste water treatment plant;
• Eforie South waste water treatment plant;
• Mangalia waste water treatment plant;
• Constanta Port.

Table 2-5 Total Inputs from the Three Priority Point Sources of Pollution, Romania, 1996-2000 [31]

The impressive progress in the reduction of direct industrial discharges or untreated municipal discharges into Romania coastal waters was achieved in this coastal state. None of the direct industrial discharges or untreated discharges enters into Romanian marine waters (Table II.5).

In the Russian Federation five ” hot spots “ were reported for the Black Sea and three “hot spots for the Sea of Azov, namely:

Rostov oblast

1. Municipal treatment plant / drinking water supply system in the city of Rostov-on-Don.

2. Municipal treatment plant/drinking water supply system in the town of Taganrog.

3. Municipal treatment plant/drinking water supply system in the town of Azov.

Krasnodar kraj

1. Municipal treatment plant in the town of Anapa.

2. Municipal treatment plant in Gelendzhik.

3. Municipal treatment plant in Dzhoubga.

4. Ballast water treatment plant in oil bulk plant “Sheskharis”, located in Novorossiysk.

5. Ballast water treatment plant in the port of Tuapse.

Table 2-6 Total Inputs from Priority Point Sources of Pollution, Krasnodar Kraij, the Russian Federation, 1996-2000 [36]

The overall reduction of inputs of total nitrogen, phosphorus, BOD5, suspended solids and detergents was reported for the wastewater treatment plants in Anapa and Dzhoubga. The loads of the same substances from the wastewater treatment plant in Gelendzhik increased slightly. A rising trend was also reported for ballast water treatment plant “Sheskharis” in Novorossiysk. No impacts were observed in the vicinity of the “hot spots” except for the ballast waters treatment plant in Novorossiysk.

A project for the reduction of discharges of biologically active substances and methane emissions from the Municipal Waste Water Treatment Plant in Rostov on Don is being negotiated between World Bank (GEF/WB Partnership) and the Government of the Russian Federation (19,000,000 USD).

Turkey reported insufficient data for making an assessment of overall progress with pollution reduction from priority sources of pollution:

The information on concentrations in the impact areas of “hot spots” was not presented. At the same time, the improvement of wastewater treatment facilities of Samsun and Trabzon resulted in significant reduction of loads of nitrogen, phosphorus, BOD, and suspended solids. A number of projects for the improvement or construction of wastewater treatment facilities are continuing or are in the planning stage. In the 2001 investment portfolio, there are plans for five waster water management improvement projects for the year 2001. (Annex II).

In Ukraine ten hot spots were identified including 7 municipal water treatment plants, two industrial and one port waste water treatment facilities, namely:

Table 2-6a Total Inputs from Priority Point Sources of Pollution, Ukraine, 1996-2000 [30]

 The operation of existing wastewater treatment facilities improved or stabilized in 1996 – 2000 resulting in decreasing trends of pollutant inputs for most of the indicated “hot spots” in Ukraine. The enterprise in Kamysh-Burunsk has been shut down. The concentrations of monitored pollutants in the impact areas did not show any meaningful trend in most cases and were in compliance with national water quality standards. Biological treatment facilities were built at Pivdenni Waste Water Treatment Plant in Odesa, Ukraine. The wastewater treatment facilities in the Illichivsk marine port operate efficiently. A number of smaller investments projects are being implemented. At the same time the Sevastopol and Baklaklava hot spots still create many problems for the Black Sea environment. The financial resources for further progress on pollution reduction from priority point sources are provisioned in the National Program for the Protection and Rehabilitation of the Azov and Black Sea (2001-2001), Ukraine. (Tab. II.7, Annex II).

The recently reported growth of the Gross Domestic Product in those Black Sea states with transitional economies implies increasing pollution pressures on the environment and requires from the Black Sea states full implementation of the necessary measures in compliance with the BSSAP precautionary principle in order to prevent a new wave of pollution of the Black Sea.

2.4 Insufficiently Treated Wastewaters

All Black Sea coastal states, in particular, those countries with transitional economies, do not have sufficient economic power to resolve the existing problems in the municipal sector to which most of the priority sources of pollution belong. In a majority of the Black Sea coastal states the construction of wastewater treatment facilities is not sufficient for eliminating pollution from priority sources of pollution. Their sewer systems, built in 1960 -1970s, also need upgrading. For example, in Ukraine over 25 % of sewer and water supply pipelines are completely worn out which results in two accidents per year for every 1 km of sewer pipelines. As a result, frequent accidental discharges of untreated wastewaters occur and/or technological requirements for discharged waters are not fully met. A similar situation was reported for Georgia. Regardless of the reported progress with the reduction of pollution from the priority sources, non-compliant wastewater discharges with respect of national water quality standards were reported for the most of the Black Sea coastal states. The discharge of wastewater not fully meeting compliance requirements was reduced in Georgia by 1.5, in Russian Federation by 1.33, and in Ukraine by 1.98 in 1996-2000. No trend for discharging of insufficiently treated or untreated wastewaters was reported for Romania but it still occurs (Annex II). Developing national legislative and regulatory tools to control the discharges by the Black Sea coastal states includes the basic principles of the BSSAP, such as permits and the polluters pay principle. In addition, being accession countries, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey transpose the relevant European Directives for the municipal and industrial sectors. The sustainable progress in this sector is hampered by current economic conditions in all Black Sea countries. Therefore, investment programs in the municipal sector should also be directed at the development and modernization of the municipal infrastructure.

2.5 Inputs from Diffuse Sources of Pollution

The greatest sources of diffuse pollutions are related to agricultural activities, to households not connected to sewer systems, and to atmospheric depositions Inadequate land use and the excessive application of mineral and organic fertilizers result in high nutrient inputs into the rivers and ultimately into the Black Sea. The quantities of inorganic fertilizers used in those Black Sea states with transitional economies were drastically reduced due to high prices and to the inability of population involved in agricultural sector to pay for fertilizers. For example, in Georgia the quantity of inorganic fertilizers used in the Black Sea catchment area constituted 300 000 - 370 000 t annually before 1989. In 1999, the applied volume of nutrients (N and P) amounted to 39.1 thousand tons of N and 36.9 thousand tons of P. Demand for mineral fertilizers in Ukraine is estimated at 7 million tons a year. Even in the most successful year demand for mineral fertilizers was not covered by local productions. Currently, though three Ukrainian plants (Vynitsa, Sumy, Donetsk) produce approximately 600,000 tons of phosphorus fertilizers a year, this is not sufficient to meet the country’s needs. Total application of pesticides was reduced from 62.3 thousand tons in 1993 to 46.5 thousand tons in 1994. The high prices for fertilizers and pesticides and inability of the population to pay were major causes of reduced loads of discharges from diffuse pollution sources. Additional improvement arises from the enforcement of the Nitrates Directive in the EU countries and from the transposition of this Directive in the accession countries. As a result, improvement of water quality the in Bulgarian and Romanian coastal waters were reported. There are estimates that atmospheric inputs of total nitrogen to the Black Sea amount to 400 thousand tons per year and is comparable in magnitude to the total input of this nutrient from rivers, domestic and industrial sources (647 thousand tons per year). If these estimates are correct, the air emissions are significant sources of nitrogen input into the marine environment. Adequate policies and measures have to be introduced by the Black Sea coastal states in order to control emission sources. As expected, an accurate assessment of airborne pollution inputs will be carried out in the second phase of the Black Sea Ecosystem Recovery Project. Meanwhile, the countries reported an overall decreasing trend in atmospheric emissions. (Annex II). Assessments of the pollution inputs from diffuse pollution sources in the Black Sea will be carried out in the second phase of the GEF Ecosystem Recovery project in the agreed methodologies and unified reporting formats.

2.6 Inputs from Other Pollution Sources

The intensive marine traffic and offshore exploration of oil and gas constitute additional sources of marine pollution. Incidental oil spills pose particularly high risks for the Black Sea due to its isolated position. The general trend indicates a reduction of incidental oil spills. At the same time, an expected increase of oil transport from Georgia will poses an additional threat from oil pollution. (Fig. 8)

Fig. 8 Oil Spills in the Black Sea, 1996-2001 [11, 14, 17, 29, 33, 37 ]

Dumping of the dredged spoils, originating from routine operations in harbors, creates additional sources of trace metals and oil pollution.. The concentrations of these pollutants at dumping sites could exceed the background values. The current number of dumping sites for dredged spoils is about 12-15 and will grow with increasing intensity of marine traffic. The volume of dumped dredged spoils exceeds 2000 th.m3 per year.

Table 2-8 Dredged spoils dumped into the Black Sea between 1996-2000, th m3 [38, 21, 31, 33, 17, 29]