How effective are River Basin Management Plans in reaching the nutrient load reduction targets?
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
How effective are River Basin Management Plans in reaching the nutrient load reduction targets? Mikołaj Piniewski , Sirkka Tattari, Jari Koskiaho, Olle Olsson, Faruk Djodjic, Marek Giełczewski, Paweł Marcinkowski, Marta Ksie˛z_ niak, Tomasz Okruszko
Received: 17 June 2020 / Revised: 13 August 2020 / Accepted: 1 September 2020
Abstract Riverine nutrient loads are among the major causes of eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. This study applied the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in three catchments flowing to the Baltic Sea, namely Vantaanjoki (Finland), Fyrisa˚n (Sweden), and Słupia (Poland), to simulate the effectiveness of nutrient control measures included in the EU’s Water Framework Directive River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). Moreover, we identified similar, coastal, middle-sized catchments to which conclusions from this study could be applicable. The first modelling scenario based on extrapolation of the existing trends affected the modelled nutrient loads by less than 5%. In the second scenario, measures included in RBMPs showed variable effectiveness, ranging from negligible for Słupia to 28% total P load reduction in Vantaanjoki. Adding spatially targeted measures to RBMPs (third scenario) would considerably improve their effectiveness in all three catchments for both total N and P, suggesting a need to adopt targeting more widely in the Baltic Sea countries. Keywords Baltic Sea Best Management Practices Nutrient load River Basin Management Plans SWAT model Targeting of measures
INTRODUCTION Aquatic eutrophication caused by excessive loads of nutrients transported by rivers to the Baltic Sea remains the primary environmental issue despite investments aimed at Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01393-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
the reduction of pollution from both point and diffuse sources within its drainage basin. The Baltic Sea is particularly vulnerable to waterborne nutrient loads as a result of the following factors: (1) large size of the basin compared to the sea area; (2) long freshwater renewal time; and (3) limited water exchange with the North Sea. In 1974, the Helsinki Convention established an organisation called the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). All the Baltic Sea coastal states are parties to HELCOM and the Helsinki Convention, together with the European Union (EU). A program for regular data collection has been set up within HELCOM, and official hot-spot ‘‘problem areas’’ have been identified. Until the 19800 s, the share of point sources, primarily from wastewater treatment plants, was high in many countries. Therefore, the focus was on reducing such sources. While point sources have been successfully addressed, diffused sources of nutrient pollution related to e.g. large-scale animal farm production and other agricultural activities and are yet to be resolved. In 2007, the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) was adopted by HELCOM’s contracting
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