PRESPA LAKE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN (Project Presentation ) Ivan BLINKOV1, Martina BLINKOVA2 (on behalf of the project team)
[email protected];
[email protected] University Ss.Ciryl and Methodius, Faculty of forestry – Skopje, Dept. of Land and Water - , bul.”Alexandar Makedonski “bb. 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia ,fax: +389 2 3164560 ; 2 University Ss.Ciryl and Methodius, Faculty of Natural Sciences – Institute of Biology - Skopje, 1
1. INTRODUCTION The transboundary Prespa Lake basin, situated in the Balkan Peninsula, is considered to be an ecosystem of global significance and has been identified as one of Europe’s major trans-boundary “ecological bricks”. The entire Prespa Region hosts unique habitats and species that are important from both European and global conservation perspective. However, unsustainable agricultural, fisheries, water and forest management practices are causing stresses on the ecosystem health of the Prespa Basin. There is limited knowledge on environmental protection/conservation issues among the decision makers and the general population, and lack of streamlined information available for the interested parties. As per the ToR, it has been recognized that the development of an ‘ecosystem oriented’ watershed management plan for the lake’s basin provides excellent opportunity for doing so. Three of the Prespa Basin’s four perennial streams are located in MK-Prespa. Three quarters of the Prespa Basin’s population lives in MK-Prespa and more than 75% of the agricultural land is located in MK-Prespa. Clearly, effective, ecosystem-friendly water management in MK-Prespa is central to maintaining the ecosystem health of the entire transboundary Prespa Basin. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) as project beneficiary, supported by the UNDP/GEF Prespa project is striving to develop a watershed management plan for the Macedonian part of the basin, which will also consider water and land-use management aspects in the other two co-basin states. Furthermore, the process of developing the watershed management plan already pursues in-depth and multi-faceted consultations with the key affected stakeholders including the local communities and all of the relevant stakeholders including MoEPP, Municipality of Resen, Forest Enterprise, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Farmers Association for Resen, NGO representative, Protected Area Manager(s), Fishermen’s Association for MK-Prespa, Public Water Management Authority-Resen, Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This project is a part of integral project: Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin (Project No. 00051409) carried out by UNDP and supported by GEF.
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2. AIMS and OBJECTIVES The aim of the project is to be prepared an ‘ecosystem oriented’ watershed management plan for the lake’s basin in the Republic of Macedonia.
2.1 Five (5) Project phases: -
Phase I: DATA COLLECTION and ANALYSES of EXISTING CONDITIONS which include: Natural conditions; Socio-economic conditions; - Analysis of existing hydrological conditions; - Analysis of existing water quality aspects)
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Phase II: IDENTIFICATION of the MAJOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ISSUES in MK PRESPA LAKES' WATERSHED which include: - Assessment of location of protected areas; - Assessment of existing monitoring network; - Assessment of surface water and ground water including their delineation, typology, categorization and reference conditions ; - Assessment of anthropogenic impacts of the status of surface and ground water bodies in the Basin i.e identification and assessment of point and diffuse source of pollution, estimation of pressures on the quantitative status; - Assessment and establishment of environmental objectives; - Overview of the economic analysis of water use)
- Phase III: DEVELOPMENT of PROGRAMME of MEASURES - Programme of measures for achieving environmental objectives - Measures to be adopted to apply the principle of recovery of the cost of water use - Measures to be adopted to meet requirements of water used for abstraction of drinking water - Measures to be adopted on the controls of abstraction and impoundment of water - Measures and controls to be adopted for point source discharges and other activities which have an impact on status of water 873
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Measures and controls to be adopted to prevent or reduce the impact of accident pollution incidents - Measures and controls to be adopted to reduce the priority substances - Measures to be adopted on the controls of abstraction and impoundment of water - Measures and controls to be adopted for point source discharges and other activities which have an impact on status of water - Measures and controls to be adopted to reduce the priority substances - Measures to be adopted for bodies of water unlikely to achieve good quality status - Measures to be adopted on agricultural production to minimize irrigation water use and minimize pollution by agrochemicals - Details of the supplementary measures identified as necessary in order to meet water quality environmental objectives - Register of further detailed plans and programs for the Prespa Lake basin dealing with particular water issues Other relevant analyses and assessments - Overview of the possible changes in the Prespa Lake watershed as a result of the achievement of the environmental objectives - Analyses of the main economic sector (fishery, forestry, energy, agriculture, etc.)which can be affected with the implementation of the proposed programme of measures - Preliminary assessment of the costs for achieving the proposed environmental objectives - Analyses of the activities as well as economic sectors affecting the water bodies in the watershed
- Phase IV: FORMULATION of a DRAFT WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN, which includes: - Review of information concerning management and planning and gap assessment for WFD implementation - Filling the gaps: Meeting the main interested parties, carrying out own investigations and assessments - Identifying and presentation of the main issues on the water management to relevant authorities and stakeholders - Preparation of a Proposal of Working Programme and time-schedule for the elaboration of Watershed Management Plan (WMP) - Preparation of a draft WMP - Proposing of Programmes of Measures - Development and presentation of the draft WMP, including workshops Phase V: FINAL WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN, which includes: - Assessment of alternatives produced in Phase IV, using the SEA approach - Appointment of the most effective alternative using above described approaches and methodologies thus to incorporate all the stakeholders opinions and recommendations - Development of the Final Watershed Management Plan - Preparation of the Manuel on Watershed Planning
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Preparation and performance of the closing Workshop to present the Final Watershed Plan and the Manuel to the stakeholders
2.2. Additional Project obligations Beside the up mined project phases , the project team is obliged to prepare Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Study (in accordance with the current Law on Environment -Official gazette of RM, 87/05). Beside it. Lead by experience during the project implementation. Project team is obliged to prepare a manual for preparation watershed management plans in Macedonia.
3. PROJECT TEAM: Project is implement by team organized by GTI – doo – Skopje. Project team consist of 21 persons: project manager, project administrator, team leader, 2 deputy team leaders and various experts for different topic. These topics are as follow: hydrology, hydraulic, hydro-monitoring, geology and hydrogeology, land use, agriculture, irrigation, finances, water quality monitoring, chemistry, biology (algae, fish, macrozoobenthos, macrophytes), WFD principles; legal and institutional, soc-economy, environment issues, watershed management planning. The whole team is from the Republic of Macedonia except the foreign expert responsible for preparation of watershed management plan. Beside the experts, a significant number of students that obtain their master or bachelor thesis are included in the project activities especially in the on-filed activities. Working scale of the cartographic items is 1:25 000.
4. IDENTIFIED CONSTRAINS This is the first WMP that is realizing according to the new rules – Water Framework Directive that is incorporated in the current Law on Water (2008). Complete rulebook for preparation of watershed management plan according to WFD doesn’t exist in Macedonian legislation. There are rules dominantly related to the water quality aspects. Project team faced with some barriers during the implementing period. WFD needs are not fully in accordance with the situation in the Republic of Macedonia. In the WFD guidance documents is noticed that some issues can be adopt to the country need but because these issues are not involved in the legislation they are not necessary.
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WFD , guidance document nr.11- Planning process
Those topics are: drought, irrigation needs, erosion and torrents. Agriculture is a back-bone of economy of the Republic of Macedonia. Drought is a significant phenomena that generate a lot off problems in various sectors. Cca 72& of accumulated water in Macedonia is used for irrigation, but crop requirement are larger and there is a need of water for this purpose. Erosion is one of the mayor problems that caused various damages including sedimentation of natural lakes and reservoirs.
WFD , guidance document nr.11- Planning process
The highest attention in WFD is paid to water quality including aquatic ecosystems. The WFD enable flexibility.
WFD , guidance document nr.4- Heavily modified and artificial water bodies
The project team was faced with some problems during the implementation of the I and the II phase. More of the EU countries have already realized some necessary previously activities as follow: - Prepared basic GIS database, - Coding of water bodies and other issues according to the GIS guidance, - Prepared typology of water bodies on national level, - Established Long-term monitoring network very close to WFD needs,
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Proclaimed protected areas according to WFD needs (around springs, in nitrate sensitive areas, around captured springs for water supply, around bathing areas etc)
No one of up mentioned needs exist in Macedonia.
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The basic problems that were identified are: An absence of GIS data, An absence of water quality data. GIS techniques are relatively new in the Republic of Macedonia. Some basic data can be found as topography maps (including all layers) in a scale 1:25 000. Other relevant data can’t be found in a relevant scale. Some data (land cover/use, geology, soil, hydrogeology, water objects, etc) doesn’t exist in a scale of 1:25000 nor in a paper format. Water quality data was the biggest problem. According to the WFD principles, there is status of the water quality and the monitoring during the process of preparation of the watershed management plan show does previously planed and implement activities improve the situation. Unfortunately, there is no data for water quality in a form nedded for WFD. There is data from the monitoring of water quality but only for the need of national Ministry of health (basic chemical and microbiological status). The worsen situation is related to the groundwater quality.
5. PRESENTATION OF PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS (small part) At the moment, the project is in a phase 3. Up to now are delivered several 6 inception, interim, progress and final phase reports acompaigned by various annexes. After the finishing of the phase II – IDENTIFICATION of the MAJOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ISSUES in MK PRESPA LAKES' WATERSHED, the logical step is GAP analyze that will enable possibilities for planning achievable measures and activities. The highest achievements were realized by the “GIS/database” team and the “water quality” team. Both teams stared from “zero”.
5.1. GIS/database achievements GIS team prepared GIS database in a format to be used later for “data query” and for modeling works. Main attention was paid to the creation of a relevant database. Up to now are developed more then 100 layers in a vector format.
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There are few domestic or foreign documents (directive, guide, rulebooks) that are related to this matter as follow: - WFD (Water Framework Directive) – GIS guidance nr.9 (EC, 2003) - INSPIRE directive (EC, 2007) - Few rulebooks for: methodology for preparation watershed management plans; for preparation programme of measures; for content and way of preparation of cartography information for presentation of water monitoring activities (MKD, 2009). To describe the specifications, the GIS-layers are divided in three main groups: 1. Basic information and characteristics of the watershed district; 2. Monitoring network; 3. Status information of surface- and groundwater bodies and protected areas. In the simple approach presented here, features are represented as simple features only (i.e. points, lines, or polygons). Optionally, the same set of real world features could be modeled as a simple or complex network. Table 1- List of maps and layers related to watershed management planning. Theme Name
Theme Name Basic layers Administrative Country boundaries Basemap Villages Heights Settlements Contours Lakes Watershed border Climate Current & Historical weather records Annual runoff Annual precipitation Annual temperature Annual humidity Other climate elements Relief SRTM 90m DEM Dem 20m Slopes Exposure Hillshade Imagery Landsat 7TM 2000 Orthorectified Aerial Photographs
Land Use / Land Cover Corine Land Cover Arable Land-irrigated Arable Land-nonirrigated Human activities Industry Transportation Various cultural elements Tourism Other Protected areas NP Galicica NP Pelister SPR Ezerani Pedology and Geology map Basic geology map Engineering geology map Hydrogeology map Soil map
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Hydrography – Surface water Rivers Streams Pumping stations Springs Water depository
Specific layers Hydrometeorlogical monitoring Climatic monitoring Precipitations gauge stations Hydrometric stations
Ground water Public water supply wells
Special monitoring Surface water pollution monitoring Groundwater monitoring Lake monitoring
Wetlands Wetland vegetation (Broadleaves) Wetlands
Erosion and Torrents Erosion map Erosion control structures
Monitoring Ecosystem Liquid Wastes spilling Pollution from livestock units Solid waste areas (hazardous) Solid waste areas (no hazardous) Village touristic room Pollution from liquid waste Pollution from agricultural activities
Flooded area Water control structures
Planed activities Other
General land cover map was developed using analyses of satellite image, but ortorectified aerial images were used to be mapped in detail ina scale 1:25000 the agricultural and urban area because of their significance for water resource quality and quantity. Land cover changes in forest and semi-natural areas are neglected and are not significant for this type of plan Part of developed output maps are presented in the following part.
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5.2. Water quality monitoring achievements Following the provisions of the new Law on water which is fully harmonized with the EU legislation and has transposed all the relevant Directives associated with the management of the water resources, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) with its provisions prescribe the main principles and guidelines for overall water resources planning and management including deterioration prevention of the water bodies, promoting sustainable water use and ensuring enhanced protection and improvement of the aquatic environment. 881
The Directive calls for achieving of at least good ecological status for the surface and ground waters by implementing a programme of measures to be prescribed and implemented in the River Basin Management Plans. The ecological status of a water body is an expression of the quality of the structure and functioning of its aquatic ecosystem and an water body classified being with high or good ecological status means meaningless or slight deviation of the conditions of its biological components called biological quality elements compared against conditions without any kind of anthropogenic disturbance, so called reference conditions. The WFD strongly emphasize the importance of the biological quality elements as main components of the water bodies based on which the ecological status should be described, leaving the physicchemical and hydro-morphological components as supporting elements towards more comprehensive description of the ecological status class boundaries and ecological classification of the water bodies in general. The WFD requires four biological quality elements to be considered when assessment and identification of ecological status is to be made on various water body categories (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc.). Phytoplankton, aquatic flora, benthic invertebrate fauna and fish are the key biological elements to be assessed and monitored for designation of ecological state to certain water body. Phytoplankton is obligatory biological quality element (except for the rivers) which has to be assessed including assessment of composition, abundance and biomass of the algal communities. Assessment of composition and abundance of macrophytes/macroalgae are the key parameters associated with the aquatic flora as biological parameter. Benthic invertebrates are essential biological quality element which has to be assessed for all water body types based on composition and abundance of the benthic invertebrate fauna. Fish fauna species composition, abundance and age structure are the key parameters for assessing the fish as biological quality element. Representative monitoring network of sampling sites includes: 5 lakes`, 4 rivers` and 7 ground water facilities (wells) sampling points. Lakes` sampling points is the most representative one where the lake is influenced by continuous pressure of various anthropogenic activities. The following figure describes the sampling sites:
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Table 2. Parameters and frequencies that are subjects of monitoring during the 12 month period in Macro Prespa Lake watershed. Parameter Rivers Lakes Sediments Biota Phytoplankton Annually/12x Benthic Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x macroinvertebrates Fish Seasonally/2x Seasonally/2x Phytobenthos Annually/12x Annually/12x Macrophytes Seasonally/2x Seasonally/2x Flow Annually/12x Depth Annually/12x Annually/12x Annually/12x Annually/12x Temperature (profiling) (profiling) Transparency Annually/12x Annually/12x Suspended solids Annually/12x Annually/12x Annually/12x Dissolved oxygen Annually/12x (profiling) Annually/12x pH Annually/12x (profiling) Annually/12x Conductivity Annually/12x (profiling) Alkalinity Annually/12x Annually/12x Ammonium (NH4) Annually/12x Annually/12x Nitrate (NO3) Annually/12x Annually/12x Nitrite (NO2) Annually/12x Annually/12x Total Nitrogen Annually/12x Annually/12x Seasonally/4x Inorganic nitrogen Annually/12x Annually/12x Organic Nitrogen Annually/12x Annually/12x Ortho-phosphate (PO4) Annually/12x Annually/12x Total phosphorus Annually/12x Annually/12x Seasonally/4x Sulfate (SO4) Annually/12x Annually/12x Calcium (Ca) Annually/12x Annually/12x Magnesium (Mg) Annually/12x Annually/12x Chloride Annually/12x Annually/12x COD Annually/12x Annually/12x BOD Annually/12x Annually/12x Cadmium (Cd) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Lead (Pb) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Mercury (Hg) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Nickel (Ni) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Arsenic (As) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Cooper (Cu) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Chromium (Cr) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Zink (Zn) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Iron (Fe) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Pentachlorobenzene Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Hexachlorobenzene Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x DEPH Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Nonylphenols Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x 4-tert-Octylphenol Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Naphtalene Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Floranthene Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x DDT (6,7) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x DDD (6,7) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x DDE (6,7) Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x Total Microcystins (Cell Annually/12x Seasonally/4x Seasonally/4x and free)
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Conducting analysis of physic-chemical parameters, priority substances, phytoplankton and phytobenthos quality parameters require a representative water and biological material sample to be collected, preserved and prepared for laboratory analyses. After collection, materials are transported to Laboratory for Ecology of Algae and Hydrobiology at Institute of Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences in Skopje. On the field few parameters were directly ed as water temperature, pH, Secchi depth, conductivity and concentration of dissolved oxygen with proper equipment. Other chemical parameters will be analyzed in Laboratory. Several types of materials will be collected: 1. Water for chemical analyses, heavy metals and priority substances were collected by Ruttner bottle and put in clean plastic bottle. 2. Water for cyanotoxin analyses will be collected by Ruttner bottle from various depths per sampling points. 3. Water for chlorophyll analyzes. One to ten litters of water will be filtered through planktonic net and concentrated to 50 ml. 4. Planktonic algological material for phytoplankton analysis of species composition and abundance were collected with planktonic net. 5. Benthic algological material for phytobenthos analysis of species composition and abundance were with Van Veen bottom sampler.
Ruttner bottle
Van Veen bottom sampler
direct measuring of parameters
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All chemical and biological parameters were analyzed in the laboratory. Table below describes the type of analysis to be applied for appropriate parameter. Parameter Flow Depth Temperature Transparency Suspended solids Dissolved oxygen pH Conductivity Alkalinity Ammonium (NH4) Nitrate (NO3) Nitrite (NO2) Total Nitrogen Inorganic nitrogen Organic Nitrogen Ortho-phosphate (PO4) Total phosphorus Sulfate (SO4) Calcium (Ca) Chloride COD BOD Magnesium (Mg) Cadmium (Cd) Lead (Pb) Mercury (Hg) Nickel (Ni) Arsenic (As) Cooper (Cu) Chromium (Cr) Zink (Zn) Iron (Fe) Pentachlorobenzene Hexachlorobenzene DEPH Nonylphenols 4-tert-Octylphenol Naphtalene Floranthene DDT (6,7) DDD (6,7) DDE (6,7) Total Microcystins (Cell bound and extracellular)
Type of analysis Field Measurement Field Measurement Field Measurement Field Measurement Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Field Measurement Field Measurement Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis Laboratory Analysis
Type of method Van Veen bottom sampler Tintometar Senso Direct 150 Secchi Disk Analytical Oxy meter - Tintometar Senso Direct 150 pH meter - Tintometar Senso Direct 150 Conductivity-meter - Tintometar Senso Direct 150 Analytical Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-spectroscopic Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-AAS Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Analytical-GC Immunological-ELISA
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Benthic invertebrates from the Prespa Lake and its main tributaries were collected according to the requirements of EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC. From the Prespa Lake itself, the collection of bottom fauna samples was performed by several different devices: Ekman grab, sediment corer, triangle bottom dredge and hand net. Macroinvertebrate standard methods applicable to lakes were used (ISO 9391:1995 and ISO 7828:1985). Concerning to the main tributaries of Prespa Lake, benthic invertebrates samples were collected with a Surber sampler or hand-net following standard methodology for collection of bottom fauna (ISO 8265:1988 and ISO 7828:1985). For preservation of biological samples 70 % ethyl-alcohol or 4% formaldehyde were used. Samples were properly labelled. Further processing of the collected and conserved material was conducted in the laboratory. In the laboratory, the animals were flushed with tap water through a standard sieve (280 μm pore size). Material were divided by groups, for further determination, mainly to the lowest taxonomic level (genus/species). Generally, determination to the species level is recommended because the species level logically provides most detailed and sound information about autecological demands of a certain animal species. Determination was performed using identification manuals. Based on WFD principles data informing on the communities taxonomic composition, abundance, diversity and sensitive taxa were taken into consideration, both for Prespa Lake and its tributaries. Biotic indices that are suitable for Prespa Lake and its watershed monitoring purposes were used.
Field sampling
Laboratory analyses
Standard methods for assessment of the biological status were used (in a case of macroinvertebrates is EPT index). After preliminary categorization of the status of each expert (chemicals, algae, fish, macrophytes and macrozoobenthos), final step is merging of unit categorization and final common categorization of the water body.
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5.3. Creation of ID card of water body One of innovation of the project team is preparation of so called ID card of each delineated water body. Each ID card contain maps, graphics and the following information - Geographical features - Hydrological characteristic: - Land use - Typology system A - Hydromorphological and morphological elements supporting the biological elements - Typology system B – optional data - Connection with other water bodies - Quality elements – Rivers – Biological elements - Chemical and physicochemical elements supporting the biological elements - general - Chemical and physicochemical elements supporting the biological elements – specific pollutants. ID card enable fast facing with the problems of each water body, is a base for further analysis and file could be hyperlinked in a GIS environment.
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PROJECT FACTS: UNDP Project: DEVELOPMENT of PRESPA LAKE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN Reference No.: RFQ 50/2009 Programme: Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin (No. 00051409) Project Beneficiary: Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning Project implemented by: Geotehnicki Inzenering doo, Skopje (GTI) Project duration: 18 months (October 2009 – April 2011)
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