SARIB

Call identifier: FP6-2002-INCO-WBC-1

Proposal FP6-509160

Title: Sava River Basin: Sustainable Use, Management and Protection of Resources

Acronym: SARIB

Period: 2004-2007

Budget: 1.200.000,00 EUR

Co-ordinator: Radmila Milačič

1. Objectives

The Sava River (945 km) is the biggest tributary to the Danube River. The 95551 km2 large catchment is extended over Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro. In the development of the river basin management plan all countries are already collaborating under the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) guidance. Although the methodological bases for data collection have been reasonably unified, data on the ecological character of the river basin, inventory of pollution sources, dangerous substances, socio-economic parameters, cost and benefit implications are still lacking due to insufficient financing and recent warfare. In the project specific tools based on combination of chemical analysis and biological effect methods will be developed and validated for the estimation of the pollution of sediments and impact on water biota. Geographical distribution of pollution will be identified and historical trends defined. Integrated prediction model about the behaviour of hazardous chemical substances will be combined with the socio-economic prediction model to serve as a base for the elaboration of scenario, remediation measures and best practice techniques. For that purpose an expert data and information management system will be developed.

2. Activities

To establish integrated tools based on a combination of chemical analysis and biological effect methods in order to assess the geographical distribution and historical trends in sediment contamination of the Sava River Basin (estimation of the extent of pollution by the identification of the most hazardous highly mobile metal fractions and anthropogenic inputs of metals to sediments using advanced analytical methods, characterization of persistent organic pollutants, assessment of the total toxic potential of pollutants in sediments using biological effect methods, characterization of the health status of indigenous fish species). To build harmonised, reliable and efficient set of data and information on the Sava River catchment with the purpose to model and analyse state of the Sava River water and ecological quality and trends. To create an integrated decision support tool based on GIS, dynamic modelling and risk assessment for “hot spots“. To develop common criteria for assessment of remediation techniques of “hot spots” and to propose the alternatives for the prevention of pollution. To achieve sustainable economic development of the society in the Sava River Basin. To disseminate information to users of water resources throughout the Sava River Basin and to perform proposed remediation of the contaminated sites.

3. Expected results and outcomes

The developed and validated specific tools for the estimation of the extent of chemical pollution of sediments and biological effect methods will represent a model tools for other river catchments. On the basis of the geographical distribution of pollution, “hot spots” will be identified and historical trends of pollution defined. An integrated decision support tool based on GIS, dynamic modelling and risk assessment for “hot spots“ will be created. Integrated prediction model about the behaviour of hazardous chemical substances will be combined with the socio-economic prediction model to serve as a base for the elaboration of scenario, remediation measures and best practice techniques. The expert data and information management system developed in the project will serve as a model for other river catchments. International joint scientific publications will result from the project and guidelines for the improvement of the environmental quality of the river basin will be given.