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Technical Assistance for Water Quality Management of Arda River


Project Number: PHARE BG 2003/005-630.05
P4266722ZZ779159C6ZZ67A1D3DCZZ6867E70C


Country: Bulgaria

Contracting Authority: The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works

Contractor: ARCADIS (Netherlands)

Beneficiaries: Municipality of Kurdzhali and Arda River Basin stakeholders

Contract Value: 475,000 Euro

Project Start Date: 12 December 2005

Project Duration: 18 Months

Overall Objectives:
  • To promote co-operation between the affected border regions and thereby to contribute to the establishing of co-operation networks among counterpart organisations and entities on both sides of the border.
  • To continue implementation of the acquits with particular emphasis on water quality in respect of the Directive 2000/EEC for the establishing of framework for Community action in the field of water policy; Convention on protection and use of the cross-border water currents and the international lakes signed on 13.03.1992 with a decision of the Council of Ministers
  • To establish a working partnership between the stakeholders of Bulgaria and Greece based on European standards for integrated management and pollution prevention of Arda River waters in the affected border regions in compliance with: a) the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and other EU water directives;- b) Bilateral agreements between Bulgaria and Greece in the field of water management and national legislation.
  • To continue strengthening administrative, monitoring and enforcement capacity at the regional and local level.

Project Results and Outputs:
  • Establishing and training of a transboundary Arda River Basin Board comprising of representatives from all relevant stakeholders in Bulgaria and Greece;
  • Assessment of the status of the surface water within the Arda Basin including additional investigations with a focus on reservoirs within the Basin;
  • Assessment of the present Monitoring Systems and development of an approach for putting of the Arda River water quality monitoring network into compliance with the requirements of the WFD;
  • Training on biological monitoring;
  • Raising Awareness on WFD related issues amongst stakeholders and the general public within the Arda basin;
  • Documentary Film about the Arda River Basin (including the Ardas in Greece) and its future management structures was involved in the PR campaign part of the Project.
  • Modern Arda Basin Board website providing information and facilitating public access to databases with updated monitoring data.

Reports Produced for the Contracting Authority - Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Bulgaria:
  • Monitoring Report
  • Assessment Report
  • Biomonitoring Report
  • General Physico-Chemistry
  • Depth Profiles in Reservoirs
  • Bacteria and Chlorophyll A (Graphs)
  • Priority and Other Substances
  • Benthic Macroinvertebrates
  • Fish Fauna
  • Phytoplankton Studies of Reservoirs
  • Phytobenthos in Rivers
  • Assessment of River Habitiats
  • Hydromorphology Report
  • Report on the Ardas River in Greece
  • Physico-Chemical Quality Elements - Historical Monitoring Data
  • Historical Biological Monitoring Data