INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin (EPDRB) is to strengthen the operational basis for environmental management in the Danube River Basin. The international community agreed to assist the countries develop a three year programme of pre-investment activities, data collection, studies, and fact finding missions to support the development of a Strategic Action Plan. Among others, the main actions were focused on the development of international systems for monitoring, data collection and assessment, and emergency response systems. Two special projects were set up:

• Monitoring, Laboratory and Information Management and the;
• Accident Emergency Warning System.

The work has been carried out with financial assistance from the Commission of the European Communities under the Phare Multi-Country Environment Programme, and is coordinated by the Danube Programme Coordination Unit.

MONITORING, LABORATORY AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

The work has been designed and carried out by the MLIM-SG with the technical support of the WTV (WRc-UK, TNO-NL, VKI-DK) consortium. The overall objective of the MLIM-SG (Support Group) is to create a strengthened and more strategic approach to environmental information management for the Danube River Basin. In this respect, the following objectives were identified:

• Assist in the improvement of environmental management through the strengthening of existing environmental networks;
• Improve the comparability of sampling techniques and laboratory analysis;
• Develop and implement compatible information management systems capable of providing for the needs of managers at the national level as well as permitting the exchange of information at international levels.

In order to achieve the above mentioned objectives, the following tasks were implemented:

• Establishment of three Working Groups (WG) to carry out the specific tasks coming from the Implementation Plan;
• Implementation and consolidation of the Trans-national Monitoring Network (TNTM), including data collection for the main tributaries;
• Technical support for equipment procurement;
• Technical support for the Integrated Training Programme;
• Exchange of information, and liaison with other similar systems from other areas.

Three MLIM-Working Groups (WG) were established. The main task of the Monitoring WG was to develop a Transnational Monitoring Network. The Laboratory Management WG established links with National Reference Laboratories and helped coordinate their work. While the Information Management WG was oriented towards the establishment of links with National Information Centres through responsible data managers.

The following activities have therefore been undertaken:

• Creating a National Reference Laboratory Network with equal technical and methodological capabilities;
• Creating a National Information Centres Network for the exchange of data between countries;
• Supporting reliable and consistent trend analysis for concentration and loads of priority pollutants and for the evaluation of transboundary transport;
• Supporting the assessment of water quality for water use and identification of major sources of pollution;
• Development of data quality control systems at all levels.

Resources

• Phase I: A network of 70 monitoring stations; consisting of 11 Meteorological Stations, and 59 Water Quality and Quantity Stations (including 43 for Sediment Monitoring);
• Phase II: A network of 114 monitoring stations; consisting of 21 Meteorological Stations, and 93 Water Quality and Quantity Stations (including 59 for Sediment Monitoring).

The recommended number of stations for the TNTM currently exist as part of the respective national monitoring networks. The current Phase I should be implemented within two years and the Phase II during the following years.

A list of data elements (including physical, chemical and biological components) was agreed and the subsequent calculation of contaminant loads implemented. Assistance to laboratories in providing equipment and improving analytical quality control management, including the inter-calibration of laboratories and performance testing is currently being undertaken.

A Data Exchange File Format (DEFF) was agreed by the Danube countries for interfacing with the existing National Information Systems. The DEFF is used in the collection, exchange and management of TNTM data. DEFF enables the export of data in an appropriate format such as time-series data for statistical analysis in an AARDVARK (Analysis Any Routine Data; Visually Acquire Real Knowledge) environment software package. This software was distributed in 1996 to assist Danube riparian countries. The AARDVARK is used to process data into useful information, i.e. trend and decision support analysis. The organisation and information flow is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Organisation and Information Flow Diagram of Transnational Monitoring Network.

THE ACCIDENT EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEM

The concept of the system was developed by the AEWS Sub-Group with support from Delft Hydraulics in collaboration with the Dutch Institute for Inland Water Management and Waste Treatment (RIZA). The experience gained within the Rhine river system and also the recently developed Elbe alarm system has provided a sound basis for the set-up of the Danube AEWS. It should be stressed that the initial design and implementation of the Danube AEWS focuses on the organisation and operation of international and national alerting procedures which are activated once notice of an accident has been received. The main objective of the System is to increase the safety of the population from emergencies, and to protect drinking water resources in particular, should accidents which have an impact on the Danube River or its tributaries occur. The system also exists to protect the environment against the effects of such incidents. Especially in those cases where incidents have a transboundary character, there is a clear need to improve the flow of information concerning the event.

The main requirements agreed to in the setting up of the AEWS are that:

• The system should communicate information about sudden changes in water characteristics (for example, caused by accidental pollution or unpredictable changes in water level), particularly where a significant adverse transboundary impact threatens;
• All riparian countries and in principle, all tributaries within the river catchment are incorporated.

A fundamental element of the proposed AEWS is the establishment of Principle International Alert Centres (PIAC) in each of the Danube riparian states. Such a PIAC will be the sole responsible operational unit, in charge of all (international) communications. PIAC operations are triggered by the reception of a message about a potentially serious, sudden pollution event or accident.

In the Danube AEWS, the riparian country PIAC's are at the top of an organisational structure formed by the various national, regional and district levels. The main tasks of the PIAC are:

• Communication concerning a sudden reported pollution event of the Danube River Basin waters;
• Expert involvement to assess the effects or impact of the reported accidental pollution;
• Decisionmaking on the action to be taken.

A PIAC operates when a message about a sudden potentially serious pollution event or accident is received. The initial message may be received from:

• The national, regional or district authorities if pollution was observed on the Danube River or its tributaries within the PIAC's country borders;
• A PIAC in one of the other riparian countries.

A crucial function of the PIAC is to coordinate emergency warning at an international level. This should also cover the regional, district and local levels in cases of transboundary impact on all tributaries as well as for the Danube River. This cannot be achieved effectively at the lower levels only. Within an integrated approach it is assumed that information flows based on existing regulations or alarm plans will remain effective, including the transboundary information flow. However, additional reports will be made to a country's own PIAC in case of major incidents, or incidents with an unknown impact. The PIAC must receive and handle without delay messages on a 24 hour basis using a reliable communication system.

Resources

Therefore the following phases for the development of the Danube AEWS were adopted: Phase I: AEWS implementation; Phase II: development of DBAM; Phase III: extension of the AEWS.

The financial support from the Phare Multi-Country Environment Programme funded:

• Satellite equipment and provision for its maintenance over a 3 year period;
• Databases of hazardous substances and related data-processing;
• Training for PIAC units, testing, and operations manual;
• Development of the Danube Basin Alarm Model (DBAM);
• Continued consultancy support to the AEWS Sub-Group;

The inauguration of the AEWS took place in April 1997 in Vienna. The systems, even on a minimal start-up level, already contributes to a reduction of the risks from spills of hazardous substances. At such a level, the system also shows its potential effectiveness and demonstrates the need to extend it to a fully operational AEWS. The organisational structure and information flow are shown in Figure 2. The current and future development of the AEWS includes: operational improvement and calibration of DBAM; pilot AWQMS; risk inventories; accident prevention measures; exchange of experiences; and coordination with hydro-meteorological systems.

Figure 2. Structure and Information Flow of the Accident Emergency Warning System.