Wetland restoration in Persina, Bulgaria

General

National Id:

Bulgaria_01

Site name:

Persina Nature Park, protected site "Kalimok-Brashlen"

Summary:

The project was carried out in the period 2002 – 2008 by the Ministry of the Environment and Water in Bulgaria and the main donor was the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The performance was the restoration of two wetlands along Danube River by construction of engineering facilities, including sluices, channels, dykes to protect the adjacent land, as well as access roads. The project aimed to enable water flow into former wetlands, provide options for controlled flooding, optimized trapping of nutrient elements, and restoration of biodiversity and fish populations.

The in-depth description of the case study:

cs-bg-01-final_version.pdf

NUTS Code:

Северен централен (Severen tsentralen)

RBD code:

BG1000

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Jovanka Ignjatovic REC

Source(s):

Bulgaria: Wetland Restoration and Pollution Reduction Project - component of Danube/Black Sea Strategic Partnership: Nutrient Reduction Investment Fund

Wetlands Restoration - Pollution Reduction GEF Project

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Wetland restoration and management

Longitude:

26.0

Latitude:

43.88

Site information

Climate zone:

cool temperate dry

Mean rainfall:

540

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

11,6999998092651

Mean evaportranspiration:

0,270000010728836

Mean evaportranspiration unit:

mm/hour

Mean runoff:

6000

Mean runoff unit:

600 - 750 mm

Average runoff coefficient:

0,150000005960464

Type:

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?:

In-depth

Depth groundwater:

0,25

Average slope range:

0.015

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Monitoring location:

Edge of Field/Plot

Administrative annual costs:

3600000

Administrative annual cost information:

Protected sites management planning, Capacity building, Monitoring

Monitoring parameters:

Biodiversity, surface and ground water quality

Performance

Performance impact estimation method:

Catchment outlet

Performance impact estimation information:

N and P monitoring on annual basis. Biodiversity database carried out in the period 2001-2008

Biophysical impacts

Retained water:

Retained water unit:

mio m3/month

Information on retained water:

In total both sites

Information on increased water storage:

The space for flooding is wider, with the selected situation of the dykes, with an area of 4035ha

Runoff reduction:

Runoff reduction unit:

% Percent

Information on runoff reduction:

Runoff control by controlled flooding regime of the restored wetlands.

Peak flow rate reduction:

Peak flow rate reduction unit:

Information on Increased Evapotranspiration:

Evaporation in the wetland will be as max about 1 m3/sec.

Information on Restoring hydraulic connections:

80% of the former wetland restored

Water quality overall improvements:

Positive impact-WQ improvement

Information on Water quality overall improvements:

NWRM has impacted the overall water quality by nutrient reduction and capture (N, P) and capture of organic pollutants. Preliminary analysis indicates that the total nutrients reduction could reach 2.200 tons/year nitrogen and 284 tons/year phosphorus.

Soil quality overall soil improvements:

N/A info

Information on Soil quality overall soil improvements:

No info available

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

When plenty of stakeholders are involved, it would be appropriate to provide longer groundwork. Participatory approaches to wetland restoration design were critical for Project success, which hinged on changing people's perceptions of wetlands, and gaining the full support for restoration among authorities and stakeholders. PA Local Consultative Councils and public awareness campaigns effectively supported stakeholder involvement. Controlled restoration is a step in the right direction and is allowing large- scale experimentation and studying of nutrient trapping processes. Solid knowledge on the baseline and the desired ecosystem status should be embedded early in project design phase.

Financing difficulties:

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Attitude of relevant stakeholders		The intensive stakeholder involvement during design and implementation created strong ownership and sustainable Project outcomes
Attitude of relevant stakeholders		Established local Park administration, responsible for the maintenance and future operation of the NWRM
Existing staff and consultant knowledge		Bank and Gobernment cooperation was in timely attention to critical implementation issues.
Financing possibilities		The overall co-financing proveded by government substantially exceeded amounts agreed at appraisal.

Financing:

Type	Comments
Other	GEF
National funds	Government of Bulgaria
Other	EU PHARE
National funds	Austrian Government

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
Other	secondary barrier	Not defined target ecosystem status (favorable conservation status) at the project start
Attitude of the public	secondary barrier	Administrative difficulties, related to land ownership / statute resulted in project delay
Limited staff and consultant knowledge	secondary barrier	Difficulties with technical design due to insufficient national expertise in wetlands restoration

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Legal obligations	main driver	The Environmental Program for the Danube River Basin as a `preemptive measure to prevent river Danube and Black Sea water pollution from reaching catastrophic proportions`
Legal obligations	main driver	Danube Pollution Reduction program (DRP)

Financing share:

Share type	Share	Comments
European funds	79
National funds	21

Socio-economic

Direct benefits information:

Protection of the Danube river basin from nutrient pollution inccreasing and improving the water quality.

Ancillary benefits information:

Increased economic beneffits due to fishery and biomass production and farming practices.

Costs investment:

5480000

Costs investment information:

Cost of restoration of Belene Island and K/B Marshes

Costs capital:

3660000

Costs land acquisition:

31000

Costs land acquisition unit:

€ (total value)

Costs operation maintenance:

10000

Costs operation maintenance:

Operation of the facilities for regular flooding

Costs total:

9700000

Costs total information:

Cost of restoration of Belene Island and K/B Marshes and other additional sites

Economic costs additional:

661000

Information on Economic costs additional:

Restoration of additional sites

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

As water quality improves, local species have already benefited. Fish have returned to spawn and with the retorned fish spawn, also have a return of an increase of rare bird species such as the white-tailed eagle and the Dalmatian pelican.

Ecosystem provisioning services:

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:

Tourism development in the region, new employment opportunities, economic benefits due to fishery and biomass production.

Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No information available

Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation:

No info available

Policy, general governance and design targets

Policy description:

Over the years, the wetlands and floodplain have been drained or dyked to create arable land and to reduce malarial mosquito habitats. Now the wetlands area is about 10 percent of its original size at the turn of the century, reducing the capacity of its ecological function of water purification.

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
National	Environment & Biodiversity	GEF Black Sea/Danube Strategic Partenrship-Nutrient Reduction Investment fund	Bulgaria's strategy for nutrient reduction, biodiversity and agriculture and rural development.

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Increase Water Storage
Pollutants Removal
Improved Biodiversity

Design & implementations

Application scale:

River

Installation date:

2007-09

Lifespan:

Age:

Performance timescale:

11 - 20 years

Area (ha):

4035

Design capacity description:

50-60 days flood anually; The technical design of the project for Persina site includes inflow and outlet facilities with the following dimensions: - 3 Inflow sluices 2.0/1.5 m and maximum runoff capacity 17.3 m3/s. - 1 Outlet facility †“double sluice with dimensions 2 x 2.0/1.5 m and max. capacity 34.6 m3/s. The technical design for Kalimok-Brushlen includes inflow and outlet facilities with the following dimensions: - Inflow sluice with dimensions 2x1.5/1.00 m and max. capacity 18.6 m3/s - Inflow sluice 2.0/1.5 m and capacity 20.5 m3/s. - Outlet 2 x2.0/1.5 m and capacity 37.3 m3/s.

Constraints:

Possible appearance of disease because of mosquitoes

Favourable preconditions:

Due to the hydrogeological conditions of the sites, parts of the wetlands continued to exist and have a high potential for restoration.

Peak flow rate:

Public consultation:

Contractural arrangements:

Design contractual arrangement:

Arrangement type	Role	Responsibility	Name	Comments
Contractual agreement			Global Environmental Facility Trust Fund Grant Agreement

Design consultation activity:

Activity stage	Name	Key issues	Comments
	Public and media outreach		The aproach ensure public awarenes
	Training and consulting of local		Local consulting in Belene, 30th of June, 2002, 25 participants and in Slivo Pole, 31th of June, 20.
	Project promotion		Public support as well as support of public institutions and donor community in the country.
	Environmental education

Design land use change:

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Local water authority	Monitoring	Persina NP Directorate	Long-term maintenance and monitoring of impacts
Regional / sub-national water authority	Monitoring	Dabube River Basin Directorate	Monitoring of WFD compliant quality elements, integration into RBMP
National water authority	Implementation	Government of Bulgaria, Ministry of Environment and Water	and Financing

Last updated: 23 Jun 2015 | Top

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Wetland restoration in Persina, Bulgaria

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