Workshop on Transboundary Issues Budapest March 31st April 1st "Transboundary coordination according to the FD Directive in the shared river basins of Greece Katerina Triantafyllou, ECOS Consulting S.A. Technical Consultant, Special Secretariat for Water Hellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change
International River Basin Districts and Transboundary River Basins in Greece (1/3) Greek territory is divided into 14 RBDs, 5 of these are identified as International International RBDs are with Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey (non-eu countries) and Bulgaria a MS of EU
International River Basin Districts and Transboundary River Basins in Greece (2/3)
International River Basin Districts and Transboundary River Basins in Greece (3/3) Greek international RBDs are: GR05 EPIRUS : RB of Aoos/Vjosa river, shared with Albania GR09 WESTERN MACEDONIA : sub-basin of lakes Prespa (shared with FYROM and with Albania) and part of the upstream catchment of Axios/Vardar river, shared with FYROM GR10 CENTRAL MACEDONIA : downstream part of the RB of Axios/Vardar river, shared with FYROM GR11 EASTERN MACEDONIA : downstream part of the RB Strymon/Struma, shared with Bulgaria (RBD BG 4000) GR12 THRACE : RB of Nestos/Mesta, shared with Boulgaria, and RB of Evros/Maritza/Meric, shared with Boulgaria (RBD BG 3000) and Turkey
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (1/6) Aoos river basin: no APSFR, catchment on the Greek side located upstream
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (2/6) Prespa lakes sub basin a riparian area on the East of the lakes Axios river basin : upstream (GR09) the lowlands of the basin downstream (GR10) almost the entire Axios catchment on the Greek side
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (3/6) Strymon river basin all the lowlands of the catchment on the Greek side from the border up to the mouth of the river Nestos river basin the lower parts of the catchment
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (4/6) Evros river basin all the lowlands along the river from the border with Bulgaria to the mouth of the river
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (5/6) We note that: In all the cases of APSFR shared catchments with other countries are located upstream and only in Evros river basin shared catchments (with Turkey ) are also side by side Greek transboundary river basins shared with Member States of the EU are those of Strymon, Nestos and Evros, shared with Bulgaria which cover the upstream part of the river basins In the case of Axios, Strymon and Evros identified APSFR are extended up to the border line. In the case of Nestos APSFR are far away from the border. According to FD (Article 8.1) Member States shall ensure coordination for Flood Risk Management Plans at International River
APSFR in transboundary River Basins in Greece (6/6)
Coordination according to the Floods Directive 2007/60/EC Coordination for FD with Bulgaria 2010 Joint Declaration Joint Expert Working Group for the cooperation on water and environment in transboundary basins Joint Sub Working Group for the exchange of technical data and experience on the implementation of the requirements of Directives 2000/60/EC and 2007/60/EC Cooperation also with Turkey in the management of the transboundary river of Evros 2010 Joint Declaration Joint Committee for the cooperation for the Evros river Joint Working Group for exchange of information and data on the river Evros
Preliminary Floods Risk Assessment (1/4) Exchange of views on data, applied methodologies, criteria for risk evaluation and identified APSFR Exchange of data. Greece submitted to Bulgaria texts uploaded to CIRCA in English and shape-files with historical flood events and APSFR Very limited available time for coordination. Analysis to finish by the end of 2011 and data to CIRCA by March 2012
Preliminary Floods Risk Assessment (2/4) Different criteria for risk classification non corresponding APSFR at the border Greece conservative approach all urban settlements and almost all cultivated land of high risk in case of flooding; Bulgaria risk classification for each flood location after public consultation Greek side identified 4 APSFR at the border with Bulgaria in the river basins of Evros and its tributaries Ardas and Erythropotamos and in the river basin of Strymonas. Bulgaria side identified only one APSFR close to the border in the main branch of Evros river.. FRMP shall be coordinated also in the case of non corresponding APSFR at the border?
Preliminary Floods Risk Assessment (3/4) to : Different methods for delineation of APSFR Greece delineates ASFRP as polygons (broader areas riparian to the river) ; Bulgaria as river stretches of water bodies Differences in the width of the identified area on both sides of the river technical and not critical problem as flooded areas are identified with accuracy at the stage of flood hazard maps Important to agree on the classification criteria for risk evaluation and this is not easy as there are differences in priorities between the two countries
Preliminary Floods Risk Assessment (4/4) to : Differences in public information and consultation Both sides made PFRA data available to the public Greece consultation of AFRP with authorities Bulgaria open presentations of ARFRP to the public
Floods hazards and risk maps (1/6) Exchange of views and information on flood scenario, terrain data, hydrological data and analysis, flood routing models, flood risk evaluation Very limited available time for coordination. Analysis to finish by the end of 2013 and data to CIRCA by March 2014 Elaboration of FHRM is a complicated new process no previous experience difficulties to apply coordinated approaches at least at the 1 st cycle of FD implementation
Floods hazards and risk maps (2/6) : Differences in Hydrological Analysis Return period of flood scenarios : high probability 50 years in Greece, 20 years in Bulgaria; both return periods on the border segment of Evros to be considered Hydrological data and methods of analysis. Greece synthetic flood hydrographs (rainfall data up 2011) and runoff computation (models supported by GIS). Discharge and river water level data model calibration (except in the case of Evros river where hydrometric measurements are used) Bulgaria processing of hydrometric measurements (period 1961-1990)
Floods hazards and risk maps (3/6) : Differences in Hydrological Analysis Different measurement stations, Different measurement periods, Different methodologies Different flood events on the border. Need for future coordination on flood measurements (maybe shared stations) + Maximum discharge spatial distribution and hydrographs composition assumptions? + Influence of upstream existing retention works on flood hydrographs and peak discharge? important in Ardas tributary of Evros where three upstream dams exist on Bulgarian territory
Floods hazards and risk maps (4/6) : Differences in Terrain Data Greece existing DTM + bathymetrical measurements for river cross sections (except Evros river where DTM supplemented by satellites images) ; Bulgaria DTM models based on LiDAR and geodetic surveys Used cross-sections at the segment of the Evros river forming the borderline with Bulgaria will be exchanged between the two parties Each country works according to relevant past investments and financial possibilities. It s very difficult in the first cycle of FD implementation to adopt a common approach
Floods hazards and risk maps (5/6) : Differences in flood routing modeling Greece quasi-2d hydraulic simulation models equivalent to LisFlood + scenarios with potential levees failure. Evros river MIKE-FLOOD model of DHI Bulgaria 1D and 2D models according to terrain slope Establishment of Flood Risk Maps Methodology for Flood Risk Maps under development very difficult to establish coordination before developing sufficient experience on the subject
Floods hazards and risk maps (6/6) : Case of Evros river basin cooperation with Bulgaria (upstream) in line with the requirements and milestones of the Floods Directive cooperation with Turkey (sharing river segment) with exchange of hydrometric measurements (both countries give much emphasis on jointly addressing the problem of floods)
1 st cycle of FD implementation in the shared RBs basins (1/2) : Floods Directive opportunity for common approaches in FRM on the level of international RBDs (concrete context and implementation schedule) risk reduction by coordinated measures Greece 4 neighboring countries (1 Member State of EU) + coordination issues many and complex 1 st cycle of FD implementation FRMPs for the parts of the International RBDs within its territory + coordination as far as possible at the level of the international RBDs
1 st cycle of FD implementation in the shared RBs basins (2/2) : Coordination crucial for flood risk reduction. Case of RB Evros activities in each part influence flood events and risk. Open issues: upstream reservoirs operation design standards of flood protection works riparian lands and activities on flood plains risk reduction priorities
Thank you for your attention