The Ministry of the Environment has launched a study to evaluate the efficiency of all of its planned water protection measures, with the goal of directing their organisation in such a way that Estonia achieves desirable and natural conditions in its surface and ground water by 2015 at the latest. “The efficiency of water protection measures has yet to be systematically assessed in Estonia,” explained Indrek Tamberg, Director of the Water Department at the Ministry of the Environment. “But when you have limited funding, it is incredibly important to give priority to the kind of measures that will enable you to bring about the greatest benefit to the environment with the smallest investment.” Tamberg says that gauging the efficiency of water protection measures will be of help in the planning and implementation of future investments and in establishing priority areas. “In a situation where the costs of the work that is needed for water protection have gone up three to four times, which is to say by billions of kroons, you have to make some very reasoned and environmentally valid choices.” The cost of water protection measures for the public water supply and sewerage system alone is estimated at 10 billion kroons, but with prices rising, that amount is likely to be significantly greater. Evaluation of the efficiency of water protection measures is to be carried out in all of Estonia’s water management regions. The intention is to study all of the measures planned up to 2015 that are associated with restrictions on pollution from agricultural land, towns and cities, and regulation of the use of water resources. Evaluation of the measures is also necessary for the development of river basin water management plans and the updating of sub-basin water management plans. There are three river basins in Estonia – Western Estonia, Eastern Estonia and Koiva – and eight sub-basins. Water management plans are to be developed for all river basins and sub-basins, establishing the primary objectives of water protection and the measures designed to achieve them. For further information please contact: Agnes Jürgens |
