Neretva River Sub-basin

1.	GENERAL INFORMATION	NERETVA RIVER (sub-basin shared by Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina)
This area, including the part of Trebisnjica river basin, which is linked by porous karst terrain with Neretva river, has an area of 10,100 km² or 81.4% of the total Adriatic Sea catchment area of BiH. Neretva river basin, including the part of Trebisnjica, spreads over 4,412 km² of area in the Herezegovina-Neretva Canton and 1,362 km² in the Western Herzegovina Canton. Intensive urban and industrial development, agriculture and hydropower plant construction and other hydro-technical structures had great impact on ecosystems in some parts of the Neretva river basin. Due to its canyon character, the river’s middle course is used for hydro-energy (5 hydropower plants with the reservoirs Jablanica, Rama, Grabovica, Salakovac and Mostar). The Neretva delta represents valuable ecosystem with some internationally recognized and protected marshes, ornithological and ichthyologic reserves. Several towns are situated along the Neretva river, the biggest being Mostar (101,249 inhabitants in 1998 and expected to rise until 2015 to 180,000). Industrial plants are mainly situated at bigger settlements (primarily food, aluminium, lumber, construction material and light industry). Most settlements and industrial capacities have no wastewater treatment and discharge their wastewater directly into the river.

Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
1.1. Geographical properties
Longitude/latitude at downstream river outlet
42 57' N 17 34' E	X 6472989.873, Y 4767299.209
Size of basin
280 km²	10,100 km²
Length and width in km
22 km / 12 km	103 /115 km
Topography, including altitude range in m
Valley surrounded with mild hills Estuary	15 – 1,200 m a.s.l.
Geology
Alluvial delta on lime substrate	Triassic and Jurassic limestones Dilluvial deposits
Rainfall, average annual and seasonal distribution, etc.
1,300 mm/y with spring and winter maxima	1,500 mm/y
River(s), with lengths and average annual flows and seasonal distribution - flood and drought incidence and impact
22 km in Croatia Qavg = 341 m³/s Spring and autumn maxima No data on tributaries	Neretva in BIH: 218 km (profile Zitomislici Qavg 233 m³/s) Total length of surface watercourses (longer than 10 km) in Neretva and Trebisnjica watershed in BIH is 887 km
1.2. Demographic properties
General location of the basin
100 km SE from Split, Southern Croatia Dubrovacko – neretvanska county.	Neretva river basin, including the part of Trebisnjica, spreads over 4,412 km² of area in the Herezegovina-Neretva Canton and 1,362 km² in the Western Herzegovina Canton.
Total population in basin
35,000	There are no exact data
Population of principal cities or towns
Metkovic 13,400 inhab. Ploce 11,220 (on the Adriatic coast) Opuzen 3,616	Mostar: 105,448 (estimation) Konjic: 30,009 (estimation) Čapljina 19,402 (estimation)
Average per capita income
NA	US$ 1,900 (2002 est.)
Industrial and agricultural GDP (Gross Domestic Product) (2003)
3,200 $/inh	1,263 USD (estimation 2001)
Population living below the poverty line
5%	Ca. 15 %
Other relevant characteristics
The most profitable agricultural basin. Big pressure on land melioration (at the expense of the water and wetland areas).	Very profitable agricultural basin
1.3 LAND USES
Canals, lakes: 20 % Forest (bushes, makia): 30 % Wetlands: 15 % Pasture: 5% Agriculture: 30% Irrigated lands (% of agriculture): 80%	The main land uses includes dray and irrigated agriculture, hydroelectricity, urban and scattered industry, fish farming, one Ramsar site (Hutovo Blato).
Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
2. WATER RESOURCES / USES AND ENVIRONMENT SITUATION
Total available surface and groundwater resources
Surface water: NA (intensive use in irrigation) Underground water: 0,8 m³/s	20 selected groundwater sources, minQd (l/s) = 9,000 (in total, Neretva and Trebisnjica watersheds together);
Net usable capacity of surface reservoirs
No artificial reservoirs	781.4 M m³
Total surface water abstractions (estimated where not measured)
No surface abstractions	N/A
Total groundwater abstractions (estimated where not measured)
Installed capacity 500 l/s	N/A
Surface and groundwater quality (in general categories only)
Surface water quality II Underground water quality I	Surface water quality I-II Groundwater quality I
Water uses (total, by sector, principal uses, current (estimated) and future (projected), include in-stream uses (fisheries, etc.) where appropriate)
Navigation: 33 km Irrigation: 5,000 ha	Due to its canyon character, the river’s middle course is used for hydro-energy (5 hydropower plants with the reservoirs Jablanica, Rama, Grabovica, Salakovac and Mostar).
Deficits and other resource concerns (e.g. quality, extremes, environmental degradation)
• Surface water is polluted with fertilizers and chemicals from agriculture, but main problem concerning water quality originate from upstream use in B&H. • Large parts of the area have been degraded by drainage and agricultural development. • The Neretva Delta is especially threatened by different planned activities, such as road construction, urbanization, and hunting. • Spilling of pollutants into the water has been detected and appropriate inspections were alerted. The damages were recoverable.	• Surface water (in the lower course) is polluted by fertilizers and chemicals from agriculture, but the main problem concerning water quality originates from the upstream use in B&H. • Large parts of the area have been degraded by drainage and agricultural development.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROPERTIES
Sensitive ecosystems, biodiversity and environmental impacts in the basin
• The delta in Croatia has been reduced by extensive land reclamation projects. The marshes, lagoons, and lakes have disappeared and only fragments of the old Mediterranean wetlands have survived. • This area hosts a rich collection of plants and animals • There are five protected areas with a total of 1,620 hectares, and a further two proposed protected sites covering 777 hectares • Neretva Delta has been recognized as a Ramsar site since 1992.	• Intensive urban and industrial development, agriculture and hydropower plant construc-tion and other hydro-technical structures had great impact on ecosystems in some parts of the Neretva river basin. • Protected marshes, ornithological and ichthyologic reserves. • Industrial plants are mainly situated at bigger cities (primarily food, aluminum, lumber, construction material and light industry). • Most settlements and industrial capacities have no wastewater treatment and discharge their wastewater directly into the river.
3. BASELINE INFORMATION AVAILABILITY
Observation networks
• National monitoring network of surface water quality • National hydrological network • Mediterranean sea protection convention monitoring	• Federal Meteorological Institute implements monitoring on the territory of FB&H, while Hydro-meteorological Institute does that in the Republic of Srpska. • Public companies for Watershed Areas organize monitoring of water courses.
Maps, with available scales, GIS and remote sensing imagery
No remote sensing imagery	To be acquired by on-going project “Integrated ecosystem management of Neretva and Trebisnjica River basin” (by May 2005)
Data archives and their adequacy
• Data archives at: Croatian Waters, State meteorological and hydrological service not publicly accessible. • Quality of data not verified but of limited use. Poor public data archives on hydrology, hydraulic, population, economy, planning. • Data is spread in various publications and records.	• Unclearness in legal articles, institutional, human resources and financial problems in the sector resulted, among others, in insufficiently developed, not-harmonized and non-systematic monitoring • Bosnia and Herzegovina sent data on river water quality in the year 2000 to EUROWATERNET (ETC/W) for the first time at the end of 2001 (36 monitoring stations) • Information on physical characteristics and on the State/Quality of Water of Neretva River (stations: Konjic, Jablanica, Raštani, Mostar downst., Žitomislići, Čapljina and Dračevo).
Research centres
• Croatian waters' research laboratory • Other contracted scientific institutions in Croatia • Birdlife International (Bird Areas programme)	• Federal Meteorological Institute • Hydro-meteorological Institute of Republic of Srpska • Public companies for Watershed Areas
NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS OF PERSON(S) COMPLETING THIS FORM
Prof.dr.sc. Davor Malus 10000 Zagreb Croatia mail:malus@grad.hr	Prof. Tarik Kupusovic Hydro-engineering Institute Sarajevo Stjepana Tomica 1, 71 000 Sarajevo, BIH Tel/fax:+ 387 33 207 949 E-mail: tarik.kupusovic@heis.com.ba heis@heis.com.ba URL: www.heis.com.ba

Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
4. MANAGEMENT SETTING
4.1. International agreements / conventions and national legislation
"Agreement between the Governments of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Water Management Issues" is the basic agreement (1996). It was signed by the Federation administration; Republic of Srpska did not ratify the agreement, so it is not fully in power. Memorandum on Cooperation on river Neretva between the Croatia, B&H, the Principality of Monaco and the Coordination unit of MedWet. (2003). Principal focus themes are: • Neretva's delta pollution • Hydro power utilization • Overlapping with Trebisnjica RB • Water supply Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution. In 1993 BiH became the member of the Mediterranean Action Plan.
4.2. Institutions / distribution of responsibilities
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management with the State Water Directorate and Croatian Waters are the institutions responsible for river basin management. On the local level there are county and town departments for water management.	In both the Federation of BiH and RS the agency with primary responsibility for the water sector is within their respective Ministry of Agriculture, Water management and Forestry (MoAWF). Within MoAWF, each entity has a Department of Water Management (in RS it is the Directorate for Water) responsible for the water strategy and policy, the issuing of agreements and permits, setting of standards and regulations; ensuring compliance with laws and regulations through licensing and inspections; and overall control of Public Companies for Watershed Areas.
4.3. Planning / Decision making processes
For the time being a master plan does not exist. All actions are based on the most urgent pro-blems that origin from everyday life. Signals and actions that would lead to integrated planning and decision-making do not exist. Common planning and decision-making in the basin is poor although considerable efforts on problem definition are undertaken.	Under the Water law (1998), in the Federation of BiH the MoAWF delegates the main responsibility of preparation of strategic decision and planning to two Public Companies of Watershed Areas, one for the River Sava and the other the Adriatic Sea. Republic of Srpska has only single authority in charge for both main river basin districts. The new Law on Water Protection, based on EU WFD, calls for a river basin approach in water administration and establishes new bodies responsible for water protection based on river basins.
4.4. Finances
Any investment policies do not exist nor the management plans that policies would follow.	According to the Water Law (1998), Article 168, financing of water management is based on the following principles: • Resources for financing water management are provided from general water fees, special water management fees, fees from conces-sions and funds provided by special law, as well as from other resources defined by this law; • General water fees; special water manage-ment fees and fees from concessions are to be used for all beneficiaries on the territory of the Federation and/or main watershed areas, unless otherwise defined.
4.5. Past and present major projects (including listing of donors’ interest)
Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
HR Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, Stability Pact Commitment Project: Development of Integrated Manage-ment and Environmental Protection for the River Neretva Catchment (4.63 Mio US$). UNDP/GEF Integrated ecosystem manage-ment of the Neretva – Trebisnjica River Basin Project In 2001, the REC sponsored five studies of the Neretva Delta (carried out by selected experts). Final versions of the reports were distributed to the HR Ministry of Environment, experts, NGOs and others stakeholders. The studies included: • a survey of existing water rights; • the identification of relationships between hydrological dynamics and biodiversity; • a socio-economic analysis; • a review of impacts of major economic activities; and • a survey of awareness of environmental issues among key groups • In 2002 and 2003 the same sponsor initiated the following projects: • Action plan for sensitive wetlands in the Neretva Delta • Development of joint rural tourism strategy • Training local people in organic agriculture • Schools network in the Neretva Delta • Neretva Delta Forum (NDF) • Field research on household water use 2003 • Toxicological analysis of heavy metals in the Neretva Delta • Action plan for priority measures for sensitive wetlands. In 1997 under the Ramsar convention and a MedWet-initiative, a project was financed by EU-LIFE on the Neretva delta area in HR (including a seminar about socio-economic aspects of using the Neretva valley by local communities). RAMSAR organized in 2002 a workshop: Transboundary management of the lower Neretva valley.	• LIFETCY 1999/BiH/035: Development of the new management policy for the Hutovo blato wetlands, BiH. • EC (CARDS 2002) - Development of a national environmental monitoring system (started in September 2003). • World Bank/GEF: Integrated management of the Neretva and Trebišnjica River Basins (expected to start in 2005).
4.6. Stakeholder Participation
REC Local Initiatives Programme sponsored a dozen of little projects (3,000 – 5,000 EUR) in HR and B&H. This programme aimed at the institutional development of NGOs and other non-profit organizations, strengthening their commitment to nature protection and cross-border cooperation. Neretva Delta, and Busko Blato in B&H are RAMSAR points with intensive activity. negotiations through political lobbies.
The loudest stakeholders in HR are land owners in the delta (farmers are against restrictions in agricultural production). NGO's are also engaged for preserving the environmental uniqueness of the Delta. Industry owners are afraid of imposing high standards for waste disposal and try to para-lyze bilateral negotiations through political lobbying.	Stakeholder participation in the Neretva river basin is rather poor. Civil sector is still developing in BiH, but the NGO sector is a very active player in the environmental sector.
4.7. Awareness / Communication
Thanks to the international interest in Neretva river, the level of awareness rises also in HR. Issues concerning Neretva delta are often in the media. Tourism is also an activity that stimulates public involvement in environmenttal problems. At this moment the most positive role in awa-reness-raising and education has national TV with different contributions of journalists spe-cialized in the field of environmental problems and also documentary (scientific) program (domestic and foreign).	Bosnia and Herzegovina has not signed the Aarhus Convention, but the Entities have laws on access-to-information, as one way for its implementation. At this moment the most positive role in aware-ness–raising and education is with different local and mass media.
5. CONCLUSIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Identification of critical problems (transboundary situation) - problems related to the resource - problems associated to uses, needs and demands - problems affecting ecosystems
Croatia	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mostar (aluminum industry), Capljina, Ljubuski, Jablanica, solid waste dumping, and system of hydropower plants have dominant influence on water quality in the upper Bosnian part and the Croatian part of the basin. In Croatia main problems are intensive agriculture in the delta, and transformation of natural wetlands into arable land. Critical issues are also navigation, the dense network of roads, railroad, new highway (in preparation), other infrastructure and the settlements Metkovic and Opuzen. New initiatives to enlarge detention volumes in the Trebisnjica hydropower system are a real threat to the delta (lessening the Neretva recharge from Trebisnjica can cause deeper penetration of salt water into the delta).	The most critical problems are: • Wastewater generated by 90% of the population is discharged directly without any treatment into the closest water bodies or into karstic holes, which are connected to groundwater; • Water supply systems cannot meet the needs of the consumers during the dry season due to a combination of inadequate availability of water resources and inadequate capacity of the infrastructure; • Dumping sites where the waste is disposed are mostly placed near the river, and in most cases are used without special protective measures.
5.2. Main achievements
The domestic and international community knows the problem of Neretva river, but the actions in the basin are not adequate. Foreign influence at this moment is stronger than bilateral negotiations.	The current reforms of Water Sector in B&H. Project entitled "River Basin Management Program", launched in November 2003, and to be finished in 2005.
5.3. Key challenges
• Start projects with B&H side. • Environmental research in the basin (all components). • Realization of RBMP • Capacity building • Involvement of local community • Mobilization of all kinds of capital for suitable economic projects. • Building strategy for stakeholder participation	• Establishment of a River Basin management approach • Drafting secondary legislation • Training of Staff of River Authorities • Drafting an appropriate financing model • Public participation strategy of River Auth.s for policy formulation, approval of policy documents and plans, implementation and monitoring • Introduction of GIS • Mapping of water bodies • Developing internet page dedicated for each river basin
5.4. Donor interests
Overall ability to mobilize domestic and private capital and ODA is poor, because the general strategy for RB development and management is missing. Donor interests are quite good.	Donor interests will largely depend on concrete results obtained through water sector reforms in BiH
5.5. Recommended priority actions
• Make agreement in water uses (el. power, water supply, and irrigation. • Preserve protected areas • Investigate the basin (hydrogeology, hydrology, biology, non-point pollution sources).	• Preparation of primary and secondary water-sector legislation • Establishment of a new organizational set-up of the water sector for the main managerial levels (State, Entity and River Basin) • Preparation of public participation programs; • Human capacity building • Preserve protected areas • Investigations in the basin (hydrogeology, hydrology, biology)
6. MAIN REFERENCES, BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
Data from State Water Directorate, Croatian waters, Internet, REC-Zagreb, private sources.	Data from HEIS documentation, Internet, private sources.