Integrated water management in Lithuania

Introduction

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.

Objectives

To enhance the efficiency of water resource management, the Project will:

1. Increase competences and consolidate experts from environmental institutions, research, and NGOs.
2. Improve methods of assessing the status of surface water bodies by collecting additional data and conducting scientifically based expertise.
3. Elaborate tools and methodology for the improvement of pressures and impacts analysis.
4. Set environmental objectives for all water bodies based on an ecosystem services approach and cost-benefit analyses.

Measures to Address Pressures

The Project will develop, test, and demonstrate measures to address all pressures deteriorating surface waters, including:

• Improved nutrient management on farms.
• Control mechanisms for reducing the 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.
• Integrated water resources management showcase for a pilot catchment.

Transfer of Solutions

The Project will ensure the transfer of the developed solutions to other risk water bodies throughout all four river basin districts (RBD) of Lithuania by:

• Creating a legal framework in synergy with agricultural policy.
• Initiating dialogue with the energy sector.
• Providing methodical guidance for replication.
• Adopting experience for transboundary RBD.
• Establishing an international collaboration network and raising awareness.

Funding

The Project has mobilised EUR 825 million of European and national funds to leverage the Project’s solutions to complementary actions of the Plan.