Christian Severin

International Waters - GEF

• Wetland classification

• Overview of projects in the Black Sea Danube region

• Nutrient reduction

• Economics

Classification of wetlands• Natural wetlands (swamps, marshes and similar

areas along edges of water bodies)

Rehabilitated Wetlands (pulling out dikes, redirecting streams and rivers, diversifying intensive agricultural practices)

• Constructed Wetlands (A modified natural or constructed shallow basin for treatment of contaminated waters by wetland vegetation)

Examples on different types of actions

Country Project Name Type of action (among others)

Albania/Macedonia (UNDP)

Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR-Macedonia and Greece

Construction of SFS/FWS systems

Bosnia-Herzegovina (WB)

Water Quality Protection Project Combination of constructed SFS, FWS and Natural wetland systems

Bulgaria (WB) Wetland Restoration and Pollution Reduction Project Rehabilitation of Natural Wetlands

Nutrient Reduction in the Danube and Black Sea Basin

Tranche Project title Status GEF $

1 Romania: Agricultural Pollution Control Approved 5.15

1 Bulgaria : Wetland Restoration and Pollution Reduction Approved 7.50

1 Moldova: Agricultural Pollution Control Approved 4.95

1/2 Turkey: Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation Approved 7.00

2Serbia and Montenegro: Reduction of Enterprise Nutrient

Discharges Approved 9.02

2/3 Bosnia-Herzegovina : Water Quality Protection Approved 4.25

3 Hungary: Reduction of Nutrient Discharges Approved 12.50

3 Moldova: Wastewater, Environmental Infrastructure Approved 4.56

3 Romania: Integrated Nutrient Pollution Control Approved 5.00

3 Croatia: Agricultural Pollution Control Pending 5.00

3 Ukraine: Odessa Wastewater Treatment Pending 5.00

Wetlands for Nutrient Reduction

• Construction of Wetlands to clean wastewater (Artificially created wetland with optimized functions for cleaning specific types of wastewater)

• Using natural wetlands to clean wastewater (Discharging directly into Wetlands, little alteration in the natural dynamics, not able to target specific types of wastewater, mainly used for tertiary treatment)

Constructed Wetlands

Horizontal

Flow System

Vertical

Flow System

Wastewater Sources

• Natural agricultural run-off (Fields, etc)• Agricultural manure, sludge• Domestic wastewater • Complex wastewater from sources such as:

• Slaughter houses• Dairies• Printing houses• Flower production• Oil Exploration water• Tanneries

Nutrient reduction: Wetlands contra Conventional

Free Water Syst. Subsurface Water Syst. Conventional

Efficiency BOD Good (80%) Good (70-80%) Very Good (≥90%)

SS Good (80%) Very good (80-90%) Very Good (≥90%)

N Mediocre (65-70%) Mediocre (70%) Very Good (≥90%)

P Limited (50%) Limited (50%) Very Good (≥90%)

ColiForm Very Good (≥90%) Very Good (≥90%) Very Good (≥90%)

Chemical/Biological efficiency of Wetlands

Nutrient reduction in % using Constructed Wetlands

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

POMAR S.A Sogamoso Sondre Thise Lake Manzala

Dairy, Colombia Slaughter house,Colombia

Domestic, Denmark Domestic andindustrial, Egypt

UNDP/GEF

N %

P %

BOD %

Social/Cultural aspects

Free Water Syst. Subsurface Water Syst.

Conventional

Area needed per PE High 2 m2 – 15 m2 High 1 - 10 m2 Is a minor issue

Animal infestation risk high Medium low

Odor nuisances high Low Low

Mosquito breeding High Low Low

Cold climate stability Mediocre High High

Inclusion of the public Crucial Crucial Important

Wetlands contra Conventional

Wetlands contra Conventional Political and financial Aspects

Free Water Syst. Subsurface Water Syst.

Conventional

OM skills needed Low Low high

Investment indexed 50-60 35-60 100

Operation US$ (1998) 7500 7200 15.200

Depreciation of invest. 20 yr 20 yr 12 yr

The Political/Economical/Social importance of Wetlands

• Local (Water security, Food, money generation, health)

• National (Impact on national water ways, health, political stability)

• Regional - e.g. Lake Vic, Black Sea (social, economical and political stability)

• International (Strategic importance for Politicians, WB, UNDP, GEF etc.)

cseverin@thegef.org