Research work related to the task’s implementation of work package No. 3 (abbr. WP3) entitled: "Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring" as part of the international project EU-Waterres "EU-integrated management system of cross-border groundwater resources and anthropogenic hazards" has been completed. 

The project covered two major cross-border areas, the Polish-Ukrainian and Latvian-Estonian. A result of the work carried out for WP3 was the development of proposals for the development of groundwater monitoring studies for the Polish-Ukrainian border region, among others. The summary of implementing the WP3 task was a workshop organized by the Estonian Geological Survey on September 19-22, 2022 in Tartu. The event was attended by representatives of the Polish Geological Institute-NRI, which is the leader of the international consortium implementing the EU-Waterres project.

Eu-Waterres project home page Eu-Waterres (https://eu-waterres.eu)

The source of funding for the international project No. 2018-1-0137 EU-Waterres "EU-integrated management system of cross-border groundwater resources and anthropogenic hazards" is a grant from funds provided by: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, under the EEA Fund and Norway Grants, dedicated to regional cooperation.

The aim of the project is to promote coordinated management and integrated protection of cross-boundary groundwater using the integrated geoinformation platform being developed. Nine scientific institutions from Estonia, Ukraine, Latvia, Norway and Poland are participating in the implementation of the project, representing: Geological Surveys, universities, scientific institutes, as well as geological companies and geoinformatics companies. The leader of the project is the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute.

Stakeholders of the EU-Waterres project

The EU-Waterres project's expert work includes six work packages:

• WP1:Management;
• WP2: Communication;
• WP3: Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring;
• WP4: Reinforcement of the integrated use of data;
• WP5: The elaboration of solutions for coordinated use and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater;
• WP6: Improving Capacities of Stakeholders.
  
  

The project covered two major cross-boundary areas, the Polish-Ukrainian and Latvian-Estonian borderlands.

One of the priorities of the project is to prepare proposals for the development of groundwater monitoring studies for the Polish-Ukrainian border region. The guidelines covering the development of groundwater monitoring studies for the Polish-Ukrainian border area were carried out by expert teams from Poland: from the Polish Geological Institute - National Research Institute (team leader: Tomasz Gidziński) and from Ukraine: from the Zahidukrgeologiya Geological Company (contractor team leader: Dmytro Panov) and from the Ukrainian Geological Company (team leader: Volodymyr Klos).

Research work in the subject area carried out by PGI-NRI representatives was divided into two parts, which were carried out as part of the thematically corresponding work package No. 3- WP3 Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring.

The result of the first stage of work was a study entitled: "Integrated groundwater observation network between neighboring countries for 2 transboundary aquifers. Part I". For the unified approach to the characterization of prospective areas for the development of transboundary groundwater monitoring studies in the border zone, the Polish team of contractors proposed a new proprietary method of multi-criteria validation, the results of which were subjected to additional expert evaluation of decisive importance.

The result of the second stage of work carried out in task WP3 was a study entitled: "Program of cross-border groundwater monitoring for Polish-Ukrainian and Estonian-Latvian transboundary areas," which was a continuation of the subject matter undertaken in the earlier phase of the task. The scientific editor of the above-mentioned studies was Tatiana Solovey, PhD of PGI-NRI, acting as coordinator of the EU-Waterres project.

Work related to the preparation of the study entitled. "Program of cross-border groundwater monitoring for Polish-Ukrainian and Estonian-Latvian transboundary areas" for the Polish border zone was carried out by a team of contractors from the PGI-NRI Groundwater Monitoring Department: Tomasz Gidziński, M.Sc., Małgorzata Stojek, M.Sc., Michał Galczak, M.Sc., in cooperation with the staff of the Groundwater Reconaissance and Protection Department: prof. Tatiana Solovey, PhD, Małgorzata Przychodzka, MA, and with the additional participation of Hanna Kolos, MA (currently working at PGI-NRI), representing the state-owned "Ukrainian Geological Company". The work was carried out in January-June 2022.

The authors have prepared a review of international law acts and EU methodological manuals relating to the issue of groundwater monitoring in border areas, as well as relevant documents and criteria for legislation on groundwater protection and monitoring that are in force in Poland and Ukraine.

The development of a transboundary groundwater monitoring research program for the Polish-Ukrainian area is the first attempt to approach the implemented issue in such a comprehensive manner, taking into account both the recommendations of European Union law and the guidelines of national law. Part of the study also dealt with the characteristics of the types of groundwater monitoring, their tasks, the methodology of conducting measurements and monitoring studies and the interpretation of their results, taking into account the guidelines for accreditation and with a detailed description of the quality control program, which are used in conducting measurements and groundwater studies carried out by the Polish Hydrogeological Survey (from pol. Państwowa Służba Hydrogeologiczna - PSH).

Both the Polish and Ukrainian sides maintain the position relating to the need to continue international cooperation in the development of guidelines for groundwater monitoring studies using ongoing exchange of information and data, as well as the results of a detailed assessment of anthropogenic pressures on the quantitative and chemical status of groundwater in a transboundary context, the characterization of which will be the subject of work carried out in one of the next work packages of the EU-Waterres project.

The summary of the WP3 Harmonization of transboundary groundwater monitoring part of the project was a workshop organized by the Estonian Geological Survey in Tartu on September 19-22. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, with some experts participating in the deliberations via a remote connection.

Przedstawiciele PIG-PIB przygotowali następujące prezentacje:

• Tomasz Gidziński, Małgorzata Stojek, Michał Galczak: "Polish experience in assessment of the state of groundwater",
• Tatiana Solovey: "Harmonizing the methodologies for the groundwater body status assessment - experience from the PL-UA area",
• Hanna Kolos: "The legislation and agreements in Ukraine concerning the assessment of the status of GWBs",
• Michał Wyszomierski: "Harmonizing the methodologies for analytical research and field groundwater monitoring - experience from the PL-UA area".
  
  

UParticipants of the EU-Waterres project workshop in Tartu, Estonia)

EU-Waterres workshop

EU-Waterres workshop, field part

Presentations given during the EU-Waterres workshop

Presentations given during the EU-Waterres workshop

Presentations given during the EU-Waterres workshop

Video from the workshop

Disclaimer: The project No.2018-1-0137 “EU-WATERRES: EU-integrated management system of cross-border groundwater resources and anthropogenic hazards” benefits from a € 2.447.761 grant Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation. The aim of the project is to promote coordinated management and integrated protection of transboundary groundwater by creating a geoinformation platform.

Text: Tatiana Solovey, PhD, associate prof. of PGI-NRI, Tomasz Gidziński, M.Sc.
Translated by: Tomasz Trzpil