Common use of Monitoring Networks Clause in Contracts

Monitoring Networks. The WFD implies that water monitoring activities provides a coherent and comprehensive overview on the state of waters. A regional monitoring programme must be designed. Monitoring should include surveillance monitoring, operational monitoring and, where needed, investigative monitoring. Surveillance monitoring is intended to provide a representative overview of the status of the water bodies in the river basin district. Surveillance monitoring provides information about natural waters as well as those that are affected by human activity and long-term changes, such as climate change. Surveillance monitoring includes a variety of biological and physical-chemical factors. Operational monitoring is designed to follow up on effects of human activity in waters. Operational monitoring is carried out to establish the environmental status of those water bodies identified as being at risk of failing to meet their environmental objectives. Operational monitoring is also used to follow up on water bodies that potentially do not meet their environmental objectives and that have measures appointed in the programmes of measures. Investigative monitoring may be carried out if there is a need to ascertain the causes for an abnormal status of the water bodies, as well as to ascertain the magnitude and impacts of accidental pollution. The regional monitoring programme is a combination of the monitoring activities by the authorities and, where appropriate, the operators according to the laws for the protection of the environment and waters. The local and temporal variability is taken into account in monitoring by selecting the monitoring sites as well as the type of representative sites and the sampling times so that it will minimise the variation caused by seasonal changes. The monitoring programme is aimed to further develop a comprehensive and diverse picture on the status of the waters. A so-called ‘grouping method’ is used in classification of water bodies. This means estimating water body status using results of a nearby, comparable water body, usually in the same type (chapter 6). The aim of the grouping is to enable the inclusion of smaller water bodies for the water management activities and add more coverage on water classification. Similarly, monitoring activities in water bodies have to be selected and organised in such a way that they are reliable for the whole group of water bodies. The national surface water monitoring programmes were updated in Finland and Norway in 2013. The new programmes include a more variable set of water bodies and types with different pressures, and aims to meet with the demands of Water Framework Directive. At the moment, no common international monitoring programme exists in the river basin district area. There is a long history of common water monitoring activities on transboundary rivers between Finland and Norway. Water quality has been monitored in the ▇▇▇▇ River for decades already in co- operation between Finland and Norway. Chemical parameters have been measured a longer time, and during the latest years biological monitoring has also been carried out. Maps providing an overview of existing and planned monitoring activities on both sides of the border can be found in annex II. A common map for monitoring in the Finnish-Norwegian river basin district has not yet been made. This is due to a difference in approach between the two countries. The map for the Finnish side of the river basin district shows existing monitoring, while the maps for the Norwegian side show planned monitoring.