INTEGRATED PROGRAMME ON HYDROMETEOROLOGY AND MONITORING OF ENVIRONMENT IN THE CASPIAN SEA REGION (CASPAS)

 

PROJECT: IPM & IS Integrated Project for a Monitoring and Information System for the assessment and forecasting of the state of environment and pollution in the Caspian Sea region.Priority tasks to be achieved in the interest of various end-users.

 

DURATION OF THE PROJECT: months 36.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

EXECUTING THE PROJECT: World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

NATIONAL EXECUTERS

OF THE PROJECT: Hydrometeorological/meteorological services of the Caspian Sea countries with the involvement of other interested organisations.

COST OF THE PROJECT:

2. National contributions of the Caspian Sea countries 12,140,000 Euro (in kind)

Total: 18,140,000 Euro

I. INTRODUCTION *

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION *

III. COMPETENCE OF WMO *

IV. GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT *

V. STRATEGY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION THE PROJECT. IPM & IS *

VI Proposal for a framework feasibility study and selection of priority Actions/Projects *

VII. PROPOSAL FOR AUDIT PROJECT *

VIII. MAIN AND BASIC SUB-PROJECTS WITHIN THE PROJECT: CHARACTERTISTICS, COMPOSITION, COSTS, PERIODS AND METHODS OF WORKS *

IX EXPECTED RESULTS OF THE PROJECT *

X. ECONOMIC ESTIMATES TO BE SUPPLIED BY EC *

XI. CONTRIBUTION BY CASPIAN SEA COUNTRIES *

I.1. The Caspian Sea, the world's largest inland body of water, is of great importance to the economy of the Caspian Sea countries. The sea is also unique and very vulnerable because of its unequalled variety of fauna and flora. The rise of the water level between 1978 and 1995 has led to the flooding of vast areas of land, causing serious damage and severe economic difficulties for thousands of people living in coastal regions. In addition, increased economic activities threatens the unique environment (there is some 90 per cent of the world stocks of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea) and calls for urgent measures to achieve sustainable development of the region.

I.2. The Caspian Sea countries have taken a number of measures to address these acute problems. In particular, they have established a Co-ordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Pollution Monitoring of the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM), with the support of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The Committee's Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Environment in the Caspian Sea Region (CASPAS) is aimed at the establishment of a regional system for the monitoring and exchange of pertinent information on the state and pollution of the environment, and provides a framework for comprehensive studies on changes in the Caspian Sea water level, as well as on the environmental impact in the Region.

I.3. The efforts of the Caspian Sea countries in that field have received the active support of a number of countries and international organisations, in particular, from Italy, which put forward the proposal to organise a joint WMO/EU-TACIS: “Hydrometeorological and Environmental Monitoring in the Caspian Sea basin” in order to establish priorities in the tasks to be achieved and interest of various end-users.

II.1. The Caspian Sea is the largest landlocked body of water on the planet (it has a sea surface area of about 380,000 km², a shoreline of about 6,500 km, and a drainage basin of about 3,6 million km²). This unique and fragile natural phenomenon, with its wide variety of flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world, is both unstable and in a critical state.

II.2. The Caspian is a rich source of bilogical resources and raw materials. It contains a unique variety of biodeversity. The economic system of the region is well developed.

In recent years the economic meaning of the Caspian Sea has increased due to the growth of the requirements of the world economy in natural resources. This has resulted in environmental problems, which become of very significant due to the rapid rise of sea level. These opportunities and difficulties have created a need for a sustainable development strategy for the region as the only viable way to ensure environmentally friendly economic and social progress for the local population.

The success or failure of the Caspian States – the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan - in carrying out this task, will determine the safety and prosperity of present and future generations and the preservation of the fragile and unique natural balance of the Caspian Sea.

II.3. Current policy in the Caspian States, designed to solve the acute social and economic problems prevalent in the region, is to make much greater use of the natural resources of the Caspian, especially its oil and gas resources. Large-scale investment projects are now under way for prospecting, extracting and processing hydrocarbons from the Caspian region and transporting them to world markets. Revenue from the projects, once under way, is expected to make a considerable contribution to solving the region's problems.

II.4. However, increasing economic activity in the region in recent years continues to lead to pollution of the waters of the Caspian Sea and its affluents, declining biological resources in the wake of water pollution and over-exploitation of biological resources, and degradation of ecosystems, etc.

Basic coastal sources of sea pollution are located in the cities: Aktau, Astrakhan, Atyrau, Baku, Derbent, Enzeli, Kaspiisk, Makhachkala, Sumgait, Turkmenbashi (Krasnovodsk), and others, waste waters of which pollute the Caspian sea waters. The largest among polluting enterprises are located in Baku and Sumgait. Waste water discharges from those cities lead to additional increase of pollution of waters in Sumgait water area, Baku Bay and Apsheron archipelago.

Up to now considerable amounts of pollutants flow into the sea from the rivers Volga, Araz/Kura, Ural, Terek, Atrax and many other smaller rivers, causing environmental imbalances, especially in the shallow water areas of the North Caspian.

It is expected that further economic development in the Caspian Sea region will lead to a considerable increase of waste water disposal to the sea from land and sea sources and will accordingly lead to an increase of the level of contamination.

The unfavourable ecological situation in the region has been aggravated due to the dramatic rise in the sea level.

II.5. Here are some examples of the most severe problems related to the sea-level rise:

Storm-surges of 2 to 3 metres high, and across a coastline at up to 20 km are flooding vast areas, including settlements in the north-west and west of the Caspian Sea.

Seashores are being destroyed at a rate of up to 10 metres per year

Flooding and rising water tables affecting settlements, agricultural land, irrigation systems, oil fields, roads, electric power lines and waste treatment plants have lead to further pollution of surface and ground water by toxic substances and oil products. There is increasing soil salinization and hydromorphization of vegetation. It is getting harder to ensure safe drinking water supplies, and the danger of infectious diseases such as cholera and the plague is increasing. More and more rich spawning grounds of valuable fish species are being lost from the deltas of the rivers Volga, Ural, Arax/Kura, Terek, Atrax, Sulak, amongst other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea; catches of such fish is declining.

There is growing concern on the degradation of the Caspian's unique wildlife reserves, which are of world-wide importance.

II.6. One major concern is that political change in the region and the rise in sea level, the former system for observing hydrometeorological parameters and monitoring pollution has been largely paralysed or destroyed. This means that a real picture of the situation cannot be provided and that any change in the natural processes operating in the Caspian Sea and its component parts cannot be monitored or forecast.

This in turn precludes the provision of vital information needed by administrative, economic, scientific and planning agencies in order to: introduce protection and compensation measures required by the change in sea-level; provide climatological data for particular areas of work in the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea; implement measures to protect the environment and biological resources; and achieve a balanced use of natural resources in the region.

II.7. The heads of the hydrometeorological and meteorological services of all Caspian States, concerned by the emergency created by the deterioration of the hydrometeorological observation network and the environmental monitoring network, and recognising their responsibility for dealing with this problem, decided in September 1994, with the active support of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), to establish a Co-ordinating Committee on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Pollution in the Caspian Sea (CASPCOM).

II.8. In order to rectify the dire situation in these areas, the Co-ordinating Committee decided to draw up and carry out an Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Environment in the Caspian Sea Region (CASPAS). Under the guidance of the Co-ordinating Committee, experts from the Caspian Sea States with the support of WMO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) prepared the conceptual bases of that programme, which was considered and adopted by the Co-ordinating Committee at its second session (Baku, 10-15 February 1997).

II.9. In order to make a contribution to the resolution of problems related to the monitoring of the state of environment and its pollution in the Caspian Sea region, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy, Senator Valentino Martelli, during his discussion with members of the Government of Azerbaijan on 9 April 1999, in particular with the Foreign Minister Mr. Tofig Zulfagarov, indicated that Italy would meet the needs expressed by the littoral states, would promote within the framework of the EU/TACIS programme and in support to various related programmes in the region, in particular the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) an Integrated Project on hydrometeorological and environment monitoring as well as Information System of the Caspian Sea, to be carried out by WMO, the UN Agency competent in this field, by mandate of its 185 Member countries.

III.1. The main task of WMO is to co-ordinate and facilitate the establishment and the operation of systems for measuring and observing meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic elements of the environment which are required on national, regional and global levels. Telecommunications arrangements for the rapid exchange of these data are also within the WMO's mandate.

III.2. The WMO's competence in establishing basin-wide water quality monitoring, flow forecasting and warning systems in many national and international river basins is demonstrated by recently completed projects in Bangladesh, Algeria, Malawi, Indonesia, Brazil, Venezuela and in the Lake Victoria basin.

III.3. The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) run by WMO is aimed at identifying pollutants likely to have effects on the climate, as well as on flora and fauna.

III.4. WMO also provide technical and operational leadership in remote sensing (satellite and SAR imagery) and satellite-based systems in support of water resources assessment and management, flood warnings, pollution monitoring, land use and soil water content monitoring and crops yield estimation.

III.5. The WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is composed of prominent scientists who have been charged with assessing the state of the knowledge and the socio-economics of the impacts of climate change and options for adapting to or mitigating it.

III.6. Through the carrying out of the regional AGRHYMET programme in the 9 Sahelian countries, WMO has acquired extensive experience and reputation in combating desertification and mitigation techniques.

III.7. Under its Education and Training Programme, WMO promoted technology transfer and capacity building in the above fields.

The general objective of the Project IPM & IS is to provide a practical contribution to:

Modernisation, enhancement and further development of the network of marine, coastal and delta monitoring stations and posts, the secular and standard section network, the ship-station network, the network of exchange of observational data and information between the participating countries on environmental pollution and observation of the sea from the air and space;

Establishment of a special Info-System for the collection of data from the observation networks and for their storage, processing and dissemination to external users.

Enhancement of the human resources and implementation of infrastructures and logistics in order to guarantee the permanent management of technical tasks and Projects as well as the sustainability of The Integrated Project IPM & IS;

The Project will serve as an obvious example of the catalytic role played by the European Union in the solution of problems dealing with socio-economic development and nature protection on the European continent and beyond.

The Project, promoted by Italy within the framework of the EU-TACIS assistance, and as a part of the CASPAS Programme, will make a contribution to the provision of information on hydrometeorology, as well as on the Caspian Sea environment contamination of the following end-users: the public living in the coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, coastal engineering protection agencies, surface and sea transport, energy, tourism and nature protection agencies.

In this connection the EU-TACIS assistance will make it possible to provide the required level of information support to specific regional and national programmes and projects, such as:

the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP), initiated by the World Bank, UNDP and EU-TACIS;

the Programme of the CIS Interstate Council for developing co-operation in the field of Hydrometeorology;

the activities of the Russian-Iranian Centre "Khazar";

the Kazakhstani-Danish project: "Protection of the Atyrau district from floods";

the National action plan of Azerbaijan for the protection of environment;

the system for coastal zone management, currently under development in the Islamic Republic of Iran;

the Federal Programme on "Integrated development of the Russian Federation territory, adjoining the Caspian Sea" at present being developed and implemented in the Russian Federation;

investment and nature protection projects and programmes dealing with the development of oil deposits in the northern and central parts of the Caspian Sea, for example, the actual or projected Caspian Sea countries national plans on oil spill prevention, preparedness and response;

Projects on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) within the framework of oil extracting, transporting and refining in the Caspian Sea region, amongst others.

 

V.1. The efforts of the Caspian Sea countries, aimed at the establishment of an Integrated System for monitoring, observation, assessment, forecast and dissemination of scientifically-based hydrometeorological and environmental characteristics, as well as information on dangerous natural and technogenic phenomena and processes in the Caspian Sea ecosystems, create appropriate conditions for taking optimal management decisions on socio-economic development in the region with due account being paid to environmental aspects.

V.2. The Caspian Sea countries formulating the CASPAS Programme, amongst other projects and programmes, came to the conclusion that the strategy for achieving their objectives should be based on the consecutive resolution spread over several years of a number of major tasks including the:

Task 1. Establishment of a regional system for providing meteorological and hydrological data and information, as well as the information on environmental pollution to the following end-users: the public living in the coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, coastal engineering protection agencies, surface and sea transport, energy, tourism, recreation, and nature protection agencies;

Task 2. Modernisation and enhancement of databases on the state of the environment in the Caspian Sea region, establishment of a regional information system for storage, processing, and dissemination of real-time and delay-mode hydrometeorological data and information, as well as provide information for end-users such as the general public living in the coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, tourism and nature protection agencies;

Task 3. Conducting comprehensive studies to determine the cause of the dramatic rise in the sea-level in the Caspian Sea and developing forecasts of sea-level fluctuation using different lead times, including forecasts of dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena and processes (storm-surges, external floods, waves, currents, etc.);

Task 4. Conducting comprehensive studies of the present environmental contamination in the Caspian Sea region, as well as developing forecasts of possible negative changes in its environment and in the mouths of major rivers as a result of combined impact of water contamination and sea-level change.

V.3. The operational reference scheme to achieve the previously established tasks 1 to 4, is mainly consisting of the implementation of an integrated project, involving all the coastal countries, referred to the following functional aspects and items:

Monitoring sector, including remote sensing techniques, automatic gauging stations, systematic observations at sea, etc;

Telemetry sector, including data transmission and data gathering, information dissemination procedures to the end-users, etc;

Informatic sector, including data storage and data processing, reporting, exchange of procedures among partners, etc;

Scientific and environmental sector, including data assimilation and analysis, data treatment by modelling, application of “decision support systems – DDS”, transfer and implementation of procedures and tools, etc.

These sectors are related and connected each other according to an integrated pattern (see Fig. 1), which is the garantee for a correct information exchange among Caspian countries as well as for the correct implementation of the organisational structures.

Indeed the implementation of the procedure presumes the availability of human resources as well as technicalities and logistics, in order to achieve the proposed objectives.

V.4. In order to achieve the tasks 1 to 4 and to implement the organisational and structural scheme of Fig. 1, an Action Plan – Sequential Program of Actions and Projects – SPAP has to be developed.

SPAP’S operational objectives are focused on:

Organisation of infrastructure, technical and human resources of the Caspian Sea countries, able to manage the IPM & IS Project in the mean –long time, becoming progressively autonomous from donors supports;

Improvement of knowledge of mechanisms and environmental process, controlling the state of the physical Caspian environment, the trends of different components, the impact on the anthropogenic sectors;

Identification of realistic “preventive actions”;

Set-up and implementation of the “System capability” of forecasting environmental risk situations (storm surge, erosion by wares, combined flooding events in the coastal zone, sea level fluctuations and pollution, including oil spills dispersion) as well as of mobilising the human resources and technical means during critical events.

 

V.5. SPAP’s scheme implementation consists of the following steps:

Transfer of technologies for monitoring, telemetry, informatic;

Organisation and training of human resources in terms of tools implementation and transfer of scientific methods;

Organisation of infrastructures and logistics, to get the best technical and economic return from the Project.

 

V.6. As a consequence the Project IPM & IS cannot be considered as a supply of instrumentation and tools, but as the implementation of a Sequential Program of Actions and Projects, interconnected each other and including:

Transfer of methodologies and innovation technologies

Supply of instrumentations

Training in specific sectors

Permanent support during implementation of the management phase

Audit of the reliability of the Actions/Projects proposed and developed.

V.7. Implementation of IPM & IS, through the SPAP’S development, has to be separated in different phases due to the complexity of the problems concerned and the interaction among different Caspian partners.

The following steps are identified:

A feasibility analysis, concerning the set-up of SPAP’s technical/economic details, the identification of opportunities of financial supports, as well as priorities selection and timing for projects implementation;

The sequential implementation of SPAP, according to groups of “homogeneous projects” and selected financial supports achieved;

The development of an Audit Project, concerning the SPAP’s progressing, verification of project sustainability, links and transfer of main results to the programs/projects developed by CEP.

The plans and programmes of the Caspian Sea countries to achieve the above objectives were formulated in such a way as to ensure that they are self-sufficient and self-sustaining at every stage. They would thus provide the maximum effectiveness of financial resources used for the solution of those tasks.

Within the framework of that strategy, the WMO/EU-TACIS project under consideration proposes a number of sub-projects, including the implementation of high priority works, aimed at the achievement of the ultimate goals of the CASPAS and other programmes and projects in the region dealing with socio-economic and environmental problems.

The proposed Feasibility Study intends to offer the Co-ordination Committee on Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Environment in the Caspian Sea region (CASPCOM) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a substantial support for the optimum implementation of IPM & IS project and most effective use of resources and funds.

This will be done through the following steps:

Exam of present environmental and hydro-meteorological situation of the Caspian sea, including:

Definition of individual mechanisms and processes actually playing a key role in the evolution of sea aspects of the Caspian Sea;

Assessment of environmental but mainly of socio-economic impacts derived from increasing pollution and changes of hydro-meteorological regime in the Caspian Sea, at regional and national level. Special emphasis is to be given to damages/effects produced by periodical flooding and storm-surges to settlements in northwest and west regions as well as sea pollution from oil industry.

Analysis and evaluation of expected effects produced by the implementation of CASPAS Program;

Critical examination of previous interventions carried on as part of CEP program, or by initiative of each Caspian country in terms of costs and social/economic/environmental benefits achieved. This will include a critical analysis of social, political, institutional, technical and financial reasons which are actually impeding the optimum development of CASPAS program, and the achievement of expected results in the due time and form. Overlapping between CASPAS and CEP/TACIS program, or voids left, will be examined in particular detail.

At present the problem of overlapping become of very urgent in the region. In specific condition in the Caspian Sea region overlapping can lead not only to the dispersal and non-effective use of resources, but also to the abolishment of the leading role, which NHMSs and WMO play in the field of hydrometeorology and monitoring of Caspian environment. The above negative consequences can arise in the case of realization the CASPHYCOS project, which is planned within CEP.

Based on the above, prepare a comprehensive short, medium and long term preliminary Action Plan (Sequential Program of Actions/Projects) for hydrometeorology and monitoring of environment in the Caspian sea region, to be developed at regional and country level.

Feasibility study for the Action Plan, reviewing objectives, strategies and priority interventions (main and basic sub-projects) actually proposed for implementation. This feasibility study will include a series of specific technical, economic, financial and environmental evaluations, concerning all sub-projects whose implementation is recommended as part of the present WMO/TACIS intervention.

Financial planning and timing for implementation.

For the different sub projects, solutions of financial support will be analysed and identified among

different alternatives coming from bilateral cooperations, structural EU funds. Timing for different subprojects will be set-up, taking into account the internal relationships.

The study will be conducted in a 6 months calendar period, for an estimated overall cost of 300,000.EU

The feasibility study of the Action Plan SPAP will be reviewed and agreed upon with WMO, EC and Member countries, and will represent the reference document for any further action to be undertaken in the region, as hydrometeorology and monitoring of environment are concerned.

The complexity of the Action Plan requires the implementation of a permanent Audit procedure, which will take into account:

The correct and progressive implementation of the Sub-Projects;

The capability of achieving the proposed objectives;

The evaluation of the expected links and relationship among sub-projects as well as local resources involved by Caspian coastal countries;

The correspondence with the proposed timing and expenses, estimated within the feasibility study;

The capability of attaining the expected result in terms of reliability as well as sustainability of the Action Plan.

Audit Project will be implemented by following the rules of Quality Assurance and Quality Control, by involving experts in environmental field as well as quality certification and audit.

Cost of the project will amount to ~ 100.000 EU, involving quarterly contacts and meeting with the Caspian Sea countries and Institutions charged of the responsibility of the different Sub-Projects, included the Action Plan.

Sub-project 1

Development and justification of a system for urgent, medium-term and long-term measures to modernise the network for the observation of hydrometeorological characteristics and contamination of environment in the Caspian Sea region.

Within the framework of this sub-project, an assessment will be carried out of the state of the hydrometeorological observation network in the coastal areas of all Caspian Sea countries (including the analysis of the existing programmes for hydrometeorological observation); a plan for the network's reconstruction and development (including the determination of the required additional points of observations and determining their best location) will be worked out; a plan will be prepared for conducting special studies and works to make more exact the river inflow to the Caspian Sea (the objective of these studies is to define computation characteristics of the sea-level, needed for justification of locating permanent and expensive measuring structures on the Caspian Sea); scientifically-based observation technologies will be developed for the network of marine coastal and buoy stations including their automatic meteorological stations and radars, as well as technologies for using air, space and vessels' information and data; a specification will be drawn up for required equipment and the requirements in trained personnel will be identified, as will the scientific-methods literature used to create the system for hydrometeorological provision to end-users in all Caspian Sea countries.

A scheme will be developed for locating water quality observation stations, in conjunction with the scheme for locating hydrometeorological observation stations; formulated requirements to the sub-system for environmental contamination observation, including the requirements for stationary, sea-based, air- and space-based points; developed recommendations on locating laboratories for quality of water, air and sea-floor sediments; prepared a specification of equipment and devices, required for equipping a network for observation over environmental contamination and for laboratories for quality of water, air and sea-floor sediments; revealed the requirements in trained personnel and scientific-methods literature for the solution of tasks dealing with the establishment of the regional system for monitoring and warning on environmental contamination of the Caspian Sea.

Two working groups composed of NHMS representatives under the supervision of the WMO will be established to implement works within sub-project 1. Its work will be geared toward optimising the observation network and to improve the data on river inflow to the Caspian Sea.

Duration of works: 1 year

These works will approximately cost: 220,000 Euro.

On the basis of the completed work a report will be prepared giving a detailed description and assessment of the existing possibilities of the NHMS's to: develop forecasts on sea-level changes; assess contamination of the environment; recommendations for optimisation and modernising the network for observation of hydrometeorological characteristics and contamination of environment in the region will be worked out; and a medium and long-term plan for integrated studies and works in that field will be developed.

Sub-project 2

Implementation of the construction, reconstruction and repair works (including the renewal of equipment, devices, resolution of telecommunications problems) in observation points in the Caspian Sea region.

Within the framework of this sub-project 2, plans have been made for the design and estimated expenditures, implemented construction, reconstruction and repair works, as well as renewed equipment and devices in points of observation network in the Caspian Sea countries, including:

1. Republic of Azerbaijan:

Sea hydrometeorological stations: Lencoran

Astara

Baku

Sumgait

Kyzyl-Burun

Construction, reconstruction and repair works on the above (the definitive choice of the station will be decided at a later stage by Azgoscomhydromet) observation stations will include the construction or relocation of mareographs, meteogrounds, putting into operation and equipping observation stations with additional needed devices and equipment, establishment and restoration of communication, etc.

These works will approximately cost 275,000 Euro.

2. Islamic Republic of Iran:

Hydrometeorological stations: Bandar-Anzali

Ramsar

Noushehr

Bandar-Turkmen

Resht

Construction, reconstruction and repair works on the above observation stations (the definitive choice of these stations will be decided at a later stage by IRIMO) will include the construction or relocation of mareographs, meteogrounds, deconservation, putting into operation and equipping observation stations with further required devices and equipment, establishment and restoration of communication, etc.

These works will approximately cost 275,000 Euro.

3. Republic of Kazakhstan:

Hydrometeorological stations: Peshnoi Island

Atyrau (Guriev)

Ganinskino

Aktau

Kulali Island

Shevchenko

Construction, reconstruction and repair works on the above observation stations (the definitive choice of these stations will be decided at a later stage by the NHMS of Kazakhstan) will include the construction or relocation of mareographs, meteogrounds, putting into operation and equipping observation stations with further required devices and equipment, establishment and restoration of communication, etc.

These works will approximately cost 275,000 Euro.

4. Russian Federation:

Hydrometeorological stations: Astrakhan

Olja

Karaisky Majak

Lagan

Makhachkala

Derbent

Construction, reconstruction and repair works on the above observation stations will include the construction or relocation of mareographs, meteogrounds, putting into operation and equipping observation stations with further required devices and equipment, establishment and restoration of communication, etc.

These works will approximately cost 275,000 Euro.

Hydrometeorological stations: Bekdash

Kara-Bogaz-Gol

Turkmenbashi

Kuuli-Majak

Ogurchinsky Island

Construction, reconstruction and repair works on the above observation stations (the definitive choice of these station will be decided at a later stage by the NHMS of Turkmenistan) will include the construction or relocation of mareographs, meteogrounds, putting into operation and equipping observation stations with further required devices and equipment, establishment and restoration of communication, etc.

These works will approximately cost 275,000 Euro.

Total approximate cost of works within sub-project 2 is 1,375,000 Euro.

Sub-project 3

Purchasing, installation and putting into operation of a Data Collection Platforms (DCP) in the Caspian Sea region.

Data Collection Platforms (DCP) are the major elements in the system being created for information service in the field of hydrometeorology and pollution monitoring of the Caspian Sea.

A set of DCPs should meet the following requirements:

- Provide measurements of the parameters: temperature and humidity of air, velocity and direction of wind, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, and water conductivity, and sea water level;

- Provide automatic transmission of the above parameters through METEOSAT satellites as well as through Russian meteorological satellites to the appropriate centres for collection and processing of information in each Caspian Sea country.

Approximate cost of 1 DCP set: 27,000 Euro.

A set of DCPs will be installed in the following points of the observation network in the Caspian Sea countries:

Republic of Azerbaijan:

Stations of: Lenkoran

Platform m/r "28 May"

Zhiloi Island

Neftyanye Kamni

Svinoi Island

2. Islamic Republic of Iran:

Stations of: Bandar-Anzali

Ramsar

Noushehr

Babolsar

Bandar-Turkmen

Republic of Kazakhstan:

Stations of: Kurmangazy

Atyrau

Emba River mouth

Bay Komsomolets area

Semi-island Busachi area

Russian Federation:

Stations of: Astrakhan

Olja

Karaisky Majak

Lagan

Derbent

5. Turkmenistan:

Stations of: Bekdash

Kara-Bogaz-Gol

Turkmenbashi

Kuuli-Majak

Ogurchinsky Island

The total cost of purchasing, supply, installation and putting into operation of 25 DCP sets in five Caspian Sea countries is about 675,000 Euro.

 

Sub-project 4

Purchasing, supply installation and putting into operation of anchored automated buoy stations in the Caspian Sea.

The Automated Buoy Stations (ABS) should meet the following requirements:

- Provide measurements of basic hydrometeorological and oceanographic parameters;

- Provide automatic transmission of the above data through radiochannel to the system for collection, processing and dissemination of information in each Caspian Sea country.

Approximate cost of one ABS set is 16,500 Euro.

ABS sets will be installed in the following areas of the Caspian Sea:

Republic of Azerbaijan

buoy stations in: Nabran Area

Oil Rocks Area

Lenkoran Depression Area

Islamic Republic of Iran

buoy stations in: Bandar Anzali

Feridoon Kenar

Bandar Torkaman

Republic of Kazakhstan

3 buoy stations (to be specified at a later stage).

Russian Federation

buoy stations in: Sandbank Zhemchuzhnaya area

Chechen Island area (15 km East)

Derbent depression area

Turkmenistan

3 buoy stations (to be specified at a later stage).

Total approximate cost of works within the sub-project 4 is 247,500 Euro.

Notes: NHMSs of the Caspian Sea countries will determine specific areas of buoy stations installation.

 

Sub-project 5

Metrological provision of hydrometeorological measurements in the Caspian Sea region through intercomparison of methods used in the measurements of atmospheric precipitation and evaporation from sea surface.

Within the Sub-project 5 the following two tasks will be solved:

1. Organising the calibration of precipitation equipment in each of the Caspian Sea countries to ensure that the gauges used in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as those used in automated hydrological stations, comply with the WMO standard intercomparison procedures.

Approximate cost of works, including supply and installation of equipment is 66,000 Euro.

Duration of works: 1 year.

2. Establishment in each Caspian Sea country of water evaporation plots for intercomparison of evaporation measurement means with a WMO standard.

Approximate cost of works is 55,000 Euro.

Duration of works: 1 year.

Note: It is important that the works on metrological provision of hydrometeorological measurements to be organised on a permanent basis.

Sub-project 6

Within the framework of sub-project 6 the following works will have to be done:

- Conducting reconnaissance, geodesic levelling and investigation works to define locations for benchmark stations of GPS levelling for further levelling of observation stations and posts in the Caspian Sea region;

- Conducting GPS levelling for benchmark stations and posts in all Caspian Sea countries;

- Implementing works to the zero levels of the observation stations and posts to the levels of benchmark stations and basis platforms of GPS levelling.

As a result of implementing these works, the levelling of the following benchmark points will be carried out in the following places:

Republic of Azerbaijan

Sumgait, Baku, Lenkoran, Astara, and Zhiloi Island.

Islamic Republic of Iran

Bandar-Anzali, Ramsar, Noushehr, Bandar-Turkmen, and Resht.

Republic of Kazakhstan

Peshnoi Island, Atyrau, Ganyushkino, Fort-Shevchenko, and Kulaly Island.

Russian Federation

Astrakhan, Olja, Karaisky Majak, Lagan, and Tuleny Island.

Turkmenistan

Bekdash, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Turkmenbashi, Kuuli Majak, and Ogurchinsky Island.

On the basis of the benchmark observation points, in each Caspian Sea country, the works will also be implemented to establish a land-marine experimental proving ground with the following objectives:

- Validate and test satellite information;

- Develop new principles for establishing a system for the collection and processing of hydrometeorological and oceanographic data, as well as on the pollution of the Caspian Sea;

- Conduct field testing of the devices and equipment being installed on the network, and determine their inherent characteristics;

- Develop new methods for observing and forecasting the condition and pollution of the Caspian Sea environment, including the development of metrological characteristics of the technical observational means in field conditions.

These works will approximately cost 205,500 Euro.

Note: NHMSs of the Caspian Sea countries can (if necessary) correct the above benchmark points for geodesic levelling.

Sub-project 7

Certification and equipment of chemical analysis laboratories.

Within the framework of sub-project 7, work on equipping each one of the Caspian Sea countries with chemical analysis laboratories will be implemented. These laboratories will be equipped with modern analytical equipment, devices and consuming material, in order to make those laboratories capable of assessing the quality of water, air and sea-floor sediments.

Approximate expenditures to equip the above 5 laboratories are 550,000 Euro.

Sub-project 8

Resumption of long-time series of vessel observations on secular and standard sections of the Caspian Sea.

Within the framework of sub-project 8, the following works will be carried out:

- A regional programme for vessel observation stretching over 4 seasons will be developed;

- The observation equipment in each Caspian Sea country for one vessel, displacement up to 300 tons, will be modernised.

These works will approximately cost 330,000 Euro.

Sub-project 9

Reconnaissance flights to observe the water/ice conditions of the Caspian Sea.

Long-term plan for reconnaissance flights will be organised to observe the water/ice conditions on the Caspian Sea, flooding zones in storm-surges periods, areas of possible sea water pollution, determining sea water temperature, etc.

These works will approximately cost 111,000 Euro.

Sub-project 10

In the framework of sub-project 10, an inventory of 7 aerological stations in the Caspian region (Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Lenkoran, Baku, Atyrau, Turkmenbashi, Gasan-Kuli) is a matter of priority, and make repair of sounding means, in order to make 2 sounding per day, provide the stations with a required amount of expendable materials and with the means for transmitting information to the system of collection, processing and dissemination of information.

At the same time it is necessary to develop out a medium and long-term programme for the development of the aerological and radiosounding network in the Caspian Sea region.

These works will approximately cost 550,000 Euro.

Sub-project 11

Within the framework of sub-project 11, the following sub-systems and works will be developed and implemented:

1. A feasibility study for the establishment of a regional automated system for the collection, processing and dissemination of real-time and delay-mode information on the state and pollution of the Caspian Sea environment, including carrying out a feasibility study for the establishment of databases in five Caspian Sea countries, and working out a technical design for a regional specialised information/reference system.

An Ad-Hoc team of specialists, representing NHMSs of all Caspian Sea countries, will be established to implement the above-mentioned work; activities which will be defined by an appropriate agreement.

2. A sub-system for the collection and dissemination of information will be created, on the basis of the existing WMO GTS system and national systems to meet the telecommunication needs of hydrometeorological stations in the Caspian Sea countries. The appropriate measures will be implemented including modernising the existing telecommunications centres in Baku, Tehran, Alma-Ata, Astrakhan and Ashkhabad.

3. A regional sub-system will be created for the assimilation of meteorological, satellite and oceanographic data and forecasting the state of the Caspian Sea environment. This sub-system includes forecasting dangerous natural hydrometeorological phenomena, as well as the hydrometeorological provision of such situations, including dealing with emergency oil spill contamination of marine environment.

The major elements of the sub-system will include the establishment of 5 regional centres (the location of those centres will be determined by NHMS's of the Caspian Sea countries) for the collection, processing and dissemination of real-time hydrometeorological information, as well as modernising meteorological telecommunications lines (national and WMO GTS), and the infrastructure and potential of the WMO World Meteorological/hydrometeorological centre of Russia, which has a supercomputer CRAY at its disposal.

4. A regional fund database will be created for the accumulation, exchange and safe keeping of data and information on the state of environment.

5. A regional satellite system will be established for the monitoring the state of the Caspian environment and its contamination (using the data from satellites "Meteosat 5” and Russian meteorological satellites, through LRIT or HRIT stations).

These works will approximately cost 500,000 Euro.

Sub-project 12

An Integrated Analysis Centre (IAC) will be established, physically located in one of the littoral states, but under the direct control of CASPCOM, to develop pilot research service by combined use of:

! Geostationary satellite sensors (Meteosat, satellites)

! Microwave sensor satellite (SSM/1)

! Airborne SAR active sensor (HISAR)

! Sea WIFS satellite sensors

The combined use of these sensors implies the development of techniques of image processing, super imposition of fields, integration of data from different sources.

Once completed, the IAC will be replicated inside the five regional centres mentioned in subproject 11.

This pilot subproject and IAC by the combined exploitation of the above sensors is expected to contribute to the resolution of the principal problem currently experienced in the Caspian Sea region:

The contribution of IAC to this problem will derive from a better estimate of rainfall rate by means of IR-MW techniques. This output will be introduced into an independent system of sea level forecasting or will co-operate to the system of forecast mentioned in sub-project 11.

Remote-sensing techniques for coastal management are different from satellites-based techniques ones since the space resolution is the critical issue. HISAR, a SAR radar, onboard an aircraft is the appropriate tool.

The images show the possible applications directly, namely dynamic high-resolution mapping.

Possible applications of HISAR are:

! Monitoring of river flow and floods;

! Monitoring or land-sea border at different sea levels;

! Management of dikes and coastal defences;

! Oil spillage on sea surface (see following point c)

! Small movement of terrain detected by interferometric techniques;

! Forestry, crop identification and growth stage.

Also, tributary river monitoring is performed using the same HISAR techniques resulting in improved river and coastal management.

The Integrated Analysis Centre (IAC) - pilot sub-project will develop the techniques and capabilities to make the best use of HISAR images.

Sea surface contamination can be monitored using airborne HISAR and Sea WIFS satellite.

As for HISAR there is the capability of monitoring oil on the sea surface and sources of pollution can be backtracked.

Sea WIFS satellite, in turn, using instruments that are more sensitive than the human eye can carefully measure the array of colours of the ocean, revealing the presence and concentration of phyto plankton, sediments and dissolved organic chemicals.

The IAC PILOT sub-project will promote combined technologies of sensor data processing.

The cost of this part of sub-project 12 is 440,000 Euro.

There is a need for intense training and transfer of technologies, not included in training sub-project, specifically for sub-project 12, that will take form of regular academic year attendance, special two-weeks seminars and missions to European laboratories.

The cost of this part of sub-project 12 is 110,000 Euro.

Approximate cost of works within the sub-project 12 is 550,000 Euro.

Sub-project 13

Within the framework of the sub-project 12 a series of training courses, seminars, symposia, conferences, will be organised.

These works will approximately cost 165,000 Euro.

IX.1. Improved regional network for meteorological and hydrological services to the following end-users: the public living in coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, coastal engineering protection agencies, surface and sea transport, energy, tourism, nature protection agencies.

IX.2. Improved regional network for monitoring and issuing warnings on the contamination of the Caspian Sea environment to national services and end-users such as the general public of the coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, tourism and nature protection agencies.

IX.3. Modernised and enhanced databases on the state of environment in the Caspian Sea region (including bases of hydrological, meteorological, hydrochemical data and data on environmental contamination) to support various management decisions.

IX.4. Improved regional information system for the collection, processing, storage and dissemination of real-time and delay-mode hydrometeorological data and information. This system will also provide information on the environmental contamination for the general public living in coastal areas, oil and gas production structures, fisheries, tourism, and nature protection agencies.

In thousands of Euro

Contribution of the Caspian Sea countries are made in kind through participation of personnel as well as submitting the existing infrastructure, research vessels, equipment and devices, the results of studies, etc., available in NHMSs of the Caspian Sea countries.

An approximate contribution in kind of NHMSs of the Caspian Sea countries is estimated to come to 12,140,000 Euro.

The approximate total cost of the project is estimated at 18,140,000 Euro.

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