WP 1 – Management

The overall project management is provided by the project manager and financial officer. The project management team (PMT) consists of Project Manager (PM), Financial Officer (FO) and Communication Officer (CO). The objective of the PMT will be to ensure that the project is implemented efficiently and meets is objectives in the given time frame.

PC will be appointed by LP. PC will follow the PC principle which means top-down approach in administration and financial management. The PC will keep close relationship with the Fund Operator (FO) to ensure that the project full strategic potential is deployed as well as with the WP leaders to ensure that project activities and outputs are aligned with the overall goals of the project. PC will be responsible for the day-to-day management and co-ordination at the Project and Lead Partner (LP) level, coordination of work between Project Partners (PPs), monitoring of administrative data from PPs, regular progress reporting and submitting interim reports on behalf of the Consortium as well as sound risk management.

FM will be responsible for the financial administration, monitoring of eligibility of the incurred expenditures and of monthly updates of the incurred costs, preparation and submission of the interim and final financial reports to FO on behalf of the Consortium.

CO will be responsible for the Work Package Communication to provide proper internal and external communication.

WP2 – Communication

The Communiction work package will set-up and deploy all useful and relevant tools (website, social media, print materials, articles and press releases, meetings at events, etc.) to inform and engage the project’s stakeholders on EU-WATERRES functionalities, operation and developments, and to disseminate the project’s outputs (reports, best practices’ guidelines, policies, standards, methodologies, technical and operation information, guidance documents, (video) tutorials, etc.).

Internal communication activities:

1. Organizing information flow between the Leader and project partners and between partners themselves;
2. Ensuring that partners identify with the main objectives of the project;
3. Making all partners think of themselves as part of a larger whole (project) and not just as group of people, who have to accomplish their tasks.

External communication plan:

1. One conference or seminar annually with the interested parties on the progress, achievements and results of the projects.
2. Media event once a year, including press releases.
3. Providing information about the project on the special website.
4. Publication of fliers.
5. Publication of 2 sponsored articles in international scientific journals.
6. Coordination of the actions related to promotion and management of the project by a person responsible for the implementation of information activities.

The project conference (seminar) will be held: in Poland (kick off, period 1), in Ukraine-Lviv (period 3), in Latvia (period 5), in Ukraine-Kiev (period 9).

Target groups of communication activities:

• policy makers at the national / regional / local level (Ministries, Water and Geological Agencies, state administration);
• institutions of the water management and environmental protection sector,
• local government units;
• managers in the water management and environmental protection sector;
• municipal enterprises providing water supply services;
• geological companies;
• scientists.

The developed project external communication plan will precise the aims, target groups including stakeholders on national/regional/local levels, the strategy and content of the information and communication measures, the planned public information events, the web information measures and  the communication officer responsibilities.

WP3 – Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring

The WP3 component aims at strengthening the quality control and the degree of depletion of groundwater transboundary resources through the creation of cross-border monitoring of groundwater in each target area.

For this purpose, WP3 develops methodological and organizational foundations for the creation of a joint monitoring of groundwater cross-border in each target area, operating on the basis of unified standards and procedures. The analysis of hydrogeological conditions together with the assessment of transboundary groundwater resources was carried out on all four target areas. Hydrodynamic modeling was used to assess and verify local hydrogeological conditions. Each partner contributed a full set of hydrogeological databases to the project as their own contribution. As a result of the assessment of cross-border groundwater resources, an integrated cross-border monitoring network was designed dedicated to control of cross-border flows and assessment of their quantitative and chemical status in the light of EU regulations. The monitoring network at partners from outside the EU has been equipped with analogue equipment to that used in the EU. The program of cross-border network operation in the whole project scope has been unified in the scope of monitoring methodology, rules for interpretation and presentation of results, flow management rules and data quality control (with particular consideration of data exchange between partners – during and after the project).

A study visit of the project partners’ representatives in the Norwegian Geological Survey was planned in order to evaluate, cross-check, calibrate practices and results in the field of groundwater monitoring.

The implementation of cross-border monitoring of groundwater in each border area has created an effective tool for providing information on the chemical and quantitative status of transboundary groundwater flows, tracking its changes and threat signaling, for managing the transboundary resources of groundwater and assessing the effectiveness of protective measures.

The widespread and effective use of monitoring data in terms of the quality and quantity of groundwater in cross-border areas is possible through the geoinformation platform. Geological services and other state institutions responsible for environmental protection and water resources management have, apart from general data, also access to a number of specialist tools for interpreting monitoring data.

The implementation of WP3 activities will contribute in a longer time horizon (until 2030 – in line with the WFD) to the improvement of groundwater quality and the reconstruction of water resources in anthropogenically transformed areas.

WP 3 – Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring is coordinated by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

WP4 – Reinforcement of the integrated use of data

The WP4 component focuses on increasing the ability to manage transboundary groundwater resources by creating a common internet platform for the exchange of knowledge and data from webGIS and dedicated GIS tools for modeling and creating digital hydrogeological maps and simulations of the quantity and quality of transboundary groundwater.

For this purpose, within the framework of WP4, IT infrastructure for the integrated geoinformation platform and source data handling procedures will be developed. Then, efforts will be made in the field of mutual evaluation of databases and their comparison for the development of the concept of unification of hydrogeological databases of border areas of target countries. For all four target areas unified spatial databases containing hydrogeological data and information on anthropogenic impacts on groundwater in boundary zones will be created according to common principles. Bearing in mind that for key stakeholders representing institutions for management and protection of groundwater as well as the public, business and academic sectors, the map will be undertaken to develop a concept and methodology to create a homogeneous hydrogeological map and map of anthropogenic impacts on groundwater. As a result, digital versions of hydrogeological maps and maps of anthropogenic impacts on groundwater in the 1: 200,000 scale will be created for the target border areas.

At the headquarters of the Polish project partner – PGI with the participation of trainers from Intergraph Poland, workshops will be organized to learn the specifics and capabilities of the integrated geoinformation platform tools for modeling and creating digital hydrogeological maps and simulations of the quantity and quality of transboundary groundwater. The key challenge is to apply the EU’s WATERRES Platforms to strengthen integrity of transboundary groundwater management.

The implementation of an integrated knowledge and data exchange platform based on webGIS will create a tool to improve the integrated use of data for the coordinated use and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater resources. Digital hydrogeological maps based on integrated spatial data will serve as a long-term basis for water management plans.

WP5 – Elaboration of solutions for coordinated use and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater

Component 5 focuses on providing a common program to protect transboundary groundwater against pollution and depletion of resources to strengthen environmental integrity in the eastern border of the EU. This result helps to achieve an operational balance between the EU’s Water Framework Directive requirements from two perspectives – firstly, cross-border cooperation, and secondly, the environmental integrity of cross-border bodies of groundwater.

Its aim is to compile the best practices and activities relevant for this purpose, mainly cross-border procedures for the coordinated use and integrated protection of groundwater in each target area, and to develop a coherent regional innovation pool of knowledge to properly strengthen the environmental integrity of transboundary groundwater bodies.

The program for the protection of transboundary groundwater against pollution and depletion of resources will be developed jointly by the project partners. In the process of developing the Program, not only the best experience from the EU-WATERRES project will be used, but also from other cross-border cooperation projects in other European countries. The program is based on two key assessments: assessment of the impacts of exploitation and pollution centers on the groundwater status. The program also includes the designation of areas susceptible to pollution and exposed to depletion or deficit of transboundary groundwater resources, as well as an action plan aimed at improving or maintaining good quality and quantity of groundwater resources.

Best practice measures to maintain the environmental integrity of cross-border bodies of groundwater will be used in the design course at the Estonian partner’s premises. During the visit, the participants will be able to acquire EU standards. Findings from a more advanced area will be tested in other, less advanced border areas to confirm the transferability of best practices.

Actions under Component 5 are also aimed at establishing lasting and close cooperation with partners and key international decision-makers based on the creation of an institutional network of cooperation between the EEA countries, countries of the Baltic Sea basin and Ukraine.

WP 5 – Elaboration of solutions for coordinated use and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater is coordinated by the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Combustible Minerals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

WP6 – Improving Capacities of Stakeholders

The objective of Component 6 is to increase the capacity of stakeholders to coordinate management, integrated protection of transboundary groundwater resources and maintain the environmental integrity of transboundary water bodies.

The key challenge of Component 6 is to create adequate capacity of authorities, enterprises and civic institutions in the strategic assessment of anthropogenic impact on transboundary groundwater reservoirs as a key condition for strengthening environmental integrity, with particular regard to the EU Water Framework Directive provisions.

Building capacity of regional authorities, enterprises and non-governmental organizations to manage and maintain the environmental integrity of all cross-border regions is based on training on the use of tools and resources of the EU-WATERRES integrated platform and protection of cross-border groundwater against pollution and depletion.

Based on the knowledge available from the Program for the protection of transboundary groundwater against pollution and depletion of their resources, various target groups, in particular institutions responsible for management and water protection, enterprises of the geological sector, local and regional authorities dealing with environmental protection, non-governmental environmental organizations, are trained to actively participate in the protection of transboundary groundwater bodies of the four regions. They strengthen their skills during interactive training sessions, and most importantly, during visits to other areas.

Therefore, the component 6 facilitates the implementation of the WFD requirements by informing the public and integrating it in the integrated process of protection of groundwater in border areas, which is important for the cross-border approach in the management of groundwater.

WP6 – Improving Capacites of Stakeholders is coordinated by the University of Latvia.