PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
LIFE SIP for WATER paves the way for the full implementation of the Western-Estonian River Basin Management Plan (WE RBMP) for 2022-2027, upscaling the implementation of water framework directive in the largest of three river basins of Estonia. The overall objective of the WE RBMP is to protect and improve the ecological status of surface waters and groundwaters, improve sustainable water use and support mitigation of drought and flood hazards. Aligning with the RBMP objectives, the current project proposes solutions to reinvent both the river basin governance system as well as boost uptake of novel methods and decision support solutions for improved river basin management. Such novel methods, holistic decision support systems and collaborative management efforts are mostly required to optimize the routine river basin management related challenges all over Estonia. Beyond upscaling the governance, concrete actions are foreseen to validate novel solutions proven successful in water management in other EU countries, but until now not tested in Estonia. Such solutions will be implemented in the focus areas most relevant for the WE RB management, which are water smart rural policy, catchment scale ecosystem restoration and pollutant control. The project will be transforming governance, empowering best practice implementation and fostering awareness. Ten interconnected work-packages are planned that allow to solve a significant number of practical challenges. The WE RBMP plan includes 163 different measures, of which 105 measures will be (partly) implemented in LIFE SIP for WATER. At the end of the project, we have planned to implement 62% of planned WE groundwater actions and 25% of WE surface water actions. Also, 62% of crossbasin activities will be conducted. Project steps up the existing routines and aligns different complementary funding to achieve this.