Water is a crucial medium for human life and living quality. Groundwater resources will be of increasing significance for the domestic economy in the future because surface waters – the main water source used by humans over ages – become progressively more contaminated. Now in Poland, 70% of water use is based on groundwater and it is a significant factor of water management.
Transboundary water cooperation
The history of interest in water management issues on the transboundary scale is a relatively new phenomenon, which kept growing during the last few decades. Transnational cooperation is a key issue in the implementation process of Water Framework and Groundwater Directives and to minimise the disparities in the status in national water management. Water occurring in areas separated by conventional administrative boundaries can also be a reason for conflicts with a very different medium. It is important to realize that in the world there are 268 major rivers flowing through more than one state. Record of events occurring in the areas of transnational waters indicates the superiority of cooperation in relation to conflicts, but the seeds of potential conflict can be very diverse. Simply recall the disputes carried out in Turkey, Iran, and Syria on the Tigris-Euphrates basin, India, and Bangladesh on the Ganges and the most famous, with the military actions in the background, in the Jordan Valley.
Protection of transnational water resources
Poland is east border country of UE and divides Bug and San river basins between Ukraine and Belarus. Both neighbors use different definitions and terms applicable to the issues of water protection and management. In 2006 the new Science for Peace and Security NATO Pilot Study project “Sustainable Use and protection of Groundwater Resources – Transboundary Water Management – Belarus, Poland, Ukraine” has been launch. The main principle of SPS NATO project is to prepare an expert platform for discussion about rational groundwater management and the efficient way of protection of transnational resources in Central and East Europe. First of all, it was very important to strengthen out the knowledge about water management systems in riparian countries. Very helpful in this case there was the experience of other projects which have been done in that area. The monitoring system is essential in a process of analyzing factors influencing water medium. The importance of building united transnational groundwater monitoring system was emphasized while many of project discussion.
The Bug river basin challenges
The Bug river basin, comprising significant areas of Ukraine and Poland, has been recognized by the international community as the area under the serious ecological stress. Working on transnational groundwater system could not be complete without taking into a count the whole water circulation medium especially surface waters. It is a great challenge for the scientist to work out the unified system of water issues monitoring as well as introducing the whole future management structure and activities procedures. The Bug river basin can be treated a test area and in future, the project should evaluate into a regional one covering the entire transborder area of the European Community along with neighboring countries (which stretch from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea). Encouraging different groups of scientists from many European countries embroiled in close-subject issues to exchange their experience will also be one of the important benefits of undertook activities. There is no doubt that joint research is a challenge on a scientific, social and economic level, but on the other hand, addressing such activities provide opportunities to cope with the negative impact of climate change occurring in the environment, disrupting the natural water cycle. Developing of groundwater research will be a great opportunity for the region to strengthen the environmental protection activities as well as prevent many local conflicts, which sometimes may also require the commitment at the government level.
