The NDEP's environmental challenge

The Northern Dimension area can boast vast natural resources, a unique biodiversity in its seas and rivers together with some of the last untouched European forests. But environmental degradation is causing increasing concern. Two of the region’s seas, the Baltic and the Barents, are particularly sensitive to environmental degradation due to low temperatures and, in the Baltic Sea in particular, low salinity and shallow waters.

The Baltic Sea is threatened by euthrophication which damages the health and diversity of indigenous fish, plant, and animal populations causing the spread of marine dead zones. Phosphorus and nitrogen from poorly treated wastewater and agricultural waste leads to excessive growth of algae in the sea waters (see aerial view left). Decomposing algae deprives other living organisms of oxygen producing dead zones in which living things cannot survive. The Baltic Sea has changed over the years from a clear water marine environment int a sea with noxious algal growth in most parts The narrow strait of water of the Gulf of Finland - shared by Finland, Estonia and Russia – has been particularly affected.

Great results have already been achieved in St Petersburg. Thanks to the first NDEP supported project the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant - now in operation since 2005 - the city's capacity for wastewater treatment has increased to 85%. Together with IFIs and other partners, St Petersburg is currently working on closing off the remaining points of direct discharges through its NDEP supported Neva Programme. When completed, it will allow the city to achieve full wastewater treatment by 2015 in compliance with international standards.

The sewerage system in Kaliningrad still remains a major environmental hot spot round the Baltic Sea. Presently it is the only major city in the Baltic basin without a wastewater treatment plant. However at the end of 2009, an agreement was adopted by the Kaliningrad authorities and international partners to continue with the investment following internationally accepted practices. The aim is to complete the plant by 2012.

Although improvements to wastewater treatment are of primary concern for environmental side of NDEP, other challenges regarding low energy efficieny, poor management of municipal and agricultural waste, are also included in the NDEP programme. The selection of projects is based on the sources’ environmental effects, usually having direct cross-border impacts, and on local and regional priorities.

NDEP works in close cooperation with other international initiatives in the region. Right from the start, NDEP has been drawing on the work of HELCOM and its Baltic Sea Joint Comprehensive Environmental Action Programme (JCP) which focused on tackling environmental ‘hot spots' to restore the ecological balance of the Baltic Sea.

Currently HELCOM is leading the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). Adopted in 2007, the programme strives to restore the "clear water" status of the Baltic Sea by 2021 through a coordinated approach of all stakeholder countries signing up to their own national commitment plans. These commitments are to be adopted at the HELCOM Ministerial meeting in Moscow in 2010. NDEP is a natural continuation and extension of this Programme.