State Institution "Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine"

In the frames of NATO program “Science for Peace and Safety” on 26-27 February, 2014 in Cluj – Napoca (Romania) started ecological project №984440 between Romania and Ukraine “A model to predict and prevent possible disastrous effects of toxic pollution i

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Published on Tuesday, 18 March 2014 10:09

PROJECTRomania- Ukraine– nato

         In the frames of NATO program “Science for Peace and Safety” on 26-27 February, 2014 in Cluj – Napoca (Romania) started ecological project №984440 between Romania and Ukraine “A model to predict and prevent possible disastrous effects of toxic pollution in the Tisza River watershed”.  Romania takes part in the project as a NATO member state, Ukraine – as a partner state.  

            It is important to emphasize that this is the first NATO-Ukraine project, which started after the reorganization of the government of Ukraine. It indicates support for our country by this influential international organization.

            The object of the project is to create a unified monitoring system for prediction of emergences and to have agreed common format of information sharing and actions coordination to prevent pollution of transboundary rivers in Romania and Ukraine.

The results of the project will be in developing a unified methodology for inventory of sources of water pollution , coordination requirements for sampling and analysis of water samples and sediments, developing methods for comprehensive evaluation of the action of toxins that pose a risk to humans and aquatic ecosystems, expanding existing systems of hydro ecological monitoring by introducing new knowledge on key specific contaminants that are not currently controlled, improving the methodology of identification of pollution sources in emergency situations. This system will be implemented in the upper basin of the Tisza River, which will significantly improve the efficiency of management of transboundary water resources. The project will strengthen the relationship and cooperation between research institutions and public authorities in both countries.
           The project will run 3 years. The main researches will be done by the scientists of “BABES - BOLYAI” University, Romania (Cluj - Napoca) and by the specialists of the State Institution “Institute of Environmental Geochemistry” of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine (Kiev). Also to participate in the project were involved the relevant services of the public administration in both countries and their subdivisions. From Ukrainian side will be: State Service on Emergencies (SSE), Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, Central Geophysical Observatory, the Department of SSE of Ukraine in Transcarpathian region, State Ecological Inspectorate in Transcarpathian region, Transcarpathian Regional Center for Hydrometeorology.

             Romania and Ukraine have been already cooperated under the Memorandum of Understanding "Towards training Basin Management Plan River Tisza in support of sustainable development ", which was signed in December 2004 by a working group of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR ). Then for Tisza River was developed integrated management plan for Tisza River basin, which was supported by the heads of delegations of the Tisza River Basin  in December 10, 2010 and during the Second Ministerial Meeting of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River in February 16, 2011 (Hungary, Romania, Republic of Serbia, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine ). The result of this work was to create a system of hydrological monitoring on flood forecasting. The above mentioned project significantly expands the monitoring tasks by the introduction of new information on the river basin concerning specific pollutants. The study of the mechanisms of transport in the reservoir and creation of a model for assessing and forecasting changes in the water supply as possible scenarios in case of emergencies. This system will help the government of Romania and Ukraine to receive the objective information on the state of the reservoir in order to establish common action to eliminate adverse environmental and emergency situations. Methods and models can be applied to other transboundary rivers basins between Romania and Ukraine, as a contribution to solving the problem of water issues and the prevention of conflict.

            Project Coordinators:

-       in Romania – Doctor Mykhajlo Semen – Project Director, Faculty of Ecology and Engineering Sciences of “BABES - BOLYAI” University; Doctor Virginia Coman – Project co-director, Institute of chemical researches named after Raluka Ripan of the University;

-       in Ukraine – corresponding member of NAS of Ukraine, professor Georgij Lysychenko, Project Director; Acting Director of the State Institution “Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of NAS of Ukraine”; PhD in Chemistry Modest Gertsiuk  - Project co-director, the head  of the laboratory of the Institute.

  As the Project consultant was appointed advisor of NATO, Dr. Jaroslav Slobodnik, director of the Institute of Ecology of the Slovak Republic.

The obtained in the course of the project results will be disseminated among the local population on both sides of the border. It is planned to conduct three international workshops under the auspices of the NATO "Science for Peace and Safety"), with the participation of all stakeholders from the scientific institutions, governmental and others. Information is always available online at the Project’s website in three working languages (Ukrainian, Romanian and English).

Information about the events you can find in Romanian mass media (see below)

 http://www.cotidiantr.ro/proiect-romania-ucraina-nato-la-cluj-72114.php#.Uw4KzYP8tzQ