Recommendations developed for Norway and Sweden!

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Groundwater protection is neglected if compared to surface waters. Especially complex is the management of transboundary aquifers. New project study analyses the national groundwater management systems in Norway and Sweden and gives recommendations for authorities and policy-makers on how the transboundary groundwater management should be improved.

Insufficient and fragmented management of transboundary aquifers (TBAs) might affect sustainable development both within and beyond a country’s borders. Moreover, it may lead to the worsening of water safety on the other side of the border and even cause international conflicts. Examples of such conflicts include the dispute between Mekong riparian states over Laos’ mainstream hydropower dams, the conflict between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and many others. This study analyses the national groundwater management systems in Norway and Sweden and their implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. Emphasis has been placed on international river basin districts and transborder cooperation. The findings offer recommendations for authorities and policy-makers on how they could improve the long-term management and ensuring transparent decision-making of transboundary groundwater management.

Highlights from the study:

  • Obligations under international law on groundwater have not been complied.
  • National/transnational water management must be transparent.
  • Norway and Sweden should delineate groundwater bodies in horizons.
  • Joint Norwegian – Swedish mapping project on groundwater should be established.

More in the open access article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2022.101216

Do you want to know more? Full article is available on EU-WATERRES project’s homepage  https://eu-waterres.eu/2022/08/09/drought-in-the-south-of-poland/

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