Integrated water management in Lithuania

ongoing

The Project will implement the National Water Sector Plan, ensuring elimination or mitigation of significant impacts of prevailing pressures and contributing to achieving good status of surface and marine waters in line with the Water Framework and the Marine Strategy Framework Directives. To enhance efficiency of water resource management, the Project will increase competences and consolidate experts from environmental institutions, research and NGOs. The methods of assessing the status of surface water bodies will be improved by collecting additional data and conducting scientifically based expertise. The tools and methodology for improvement of pressures and impacts analysis will be elaborated and environmental objectives for all water bodies will be set based on ecosystem services approach and cost-benefit analyses. The Project will develop, test and demonstrate measures to address all pressures deteriorating surface waters: improved nutrient management on farms, control mechanisms for reducing negative impact of hydroelectric power plants, restoration of damaged river morphology, biomanipulation to restore good ecological status of lakes, natural water retention measures to reduce urban pollution, advanced wastewater treatment technology for reducing loads of micropollutants, innovative remote sensing techniques for identification of illegal pollution, and integrated water resources management showcase for a pilot catchment. The Project will ensure transfer of the developed solutions to other risk water bodies throughout all four river basin districts (RBD) of Lithuania by creating legal framework in synergy with agricultural policy, initiating dialogue with energy sector, by methodical guidance for replication, adopting experience for transboundary RBD, international collaboration network and awareness raising. The Project has mobilised EUR 825 million of European and national funds to leverage Project’s solutions to complementary actions of the Plan.