Central Baltic Project Database - Sustainable management of natural resources

GreenAgri reduced the leaching of nutrients from agriculture to surface water and Baltic Sea

kersti — Mon, 03 May 2021 10:49:50 +0000

GreenAgri introduced and tested environmentally-friendly management of organic fertilizers in Estonia and Latvia. The project worked in several fields:

Increased the knowledge, awareness of farmers, governmental agencies in Estonia and Latvia

Project developed a number of reviews and studies analysing manure application technologies, manure storage and also manure handling economic aspects of the various stages. The documents developed can be accessed in our programme project results database and also project partners websites.

Introduced new methods and technologies to reduce nutrient runoffs

22 farms were selected to participate in the test programme in both countries.

The opportunities for improving soil fertility, productivity and also to reduce nutrient losses were explored in test farms in cooperation with experts. The farms carried out soil, water and manure analyses, organized crop rotations and prepared manure application plans. Farmers also had possibility to be acquainted with best practices Denmark and Finland. The entrepreneurs participated also in a whole series of trainings. Manure and soil analyses were performed in demo fields from the spring of 2017 until the end of 2018.

The main finding of the evaluation of the activities of the demo farms was the fertilization plan is key to the efficient management of manure, both environmentally and economically point of view.

Improved co-operation between farmers and governmental organizations in development and implementation of environmental regulations

Interested parties (legislation creators, paying agencies, supervisors, consultants and farmers) met at joint events to cover all relevant issues.

The impact of implemented project activities to the nutrient content in the soil reveals during longer period of time. It can be concluded that in most of the pilot farms the improvements were achieved or are likely to be achieved in regard reducing the inflows of nutrients into ground water.

The project has developed and uploaded following material:

Comparative Survey of Manure Spreading Technologies
GreenAgri brochure (In Estonian)

For more information, visit the project website: www.epkk.ee/greenagri

Tags:

Agriculture and fisheries and forestry

Waterways lakes and rivers

Sustainable management of natural resources

Attachment:

GreenAgri orgaanilise vaetise keskkonnasobralik majandamine

Analysis of investment needs of farmers arising from the requirements of the Water Act (EST)

Category:

Reduction of nutrients, hazardous substances and toxins inflow into the Baltic

At a glance text:

Increased the knowledge, awareness of farmers, governmental agencies in Estonia and Latvia
Introduced new methods and technologies to reduce nutrient runoffs
Improved co-operation between farmers and governmental organizations in development and implementation of environmental regulations

Project link:

Environmentally-friendly Management of Organic Fertilizers in Agriculture

Sustainable Gateways developed a network of small boat harbours in national parks and nature reserves

kersti — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 06:19:46 +0000

The Sustainable Gateways project developed a network of seven small boat harbours located in national parks and nature reserves in the Finnish and Swedish outer archipelago.

With the project support, the harbours became more sustainable and attractive for boaters, as they are well-managed destinations that offer good quality services. The project focus was on increasing environmental sustainability, customer satisfaction and harbour operators’ business knowledge.

Environmental sustainability in the ports concerned mostly preserving nature and providing better opportunities for environmental protection. Investments implemented at ports were directly related to environmental protection (such as wastewater treatment, waste collection and improved sanitation) or indirectly contributed to it. Increased service level makes the ports more attractive for visitors who will stay longer at the well-managed ports, which in turn leaves most of the natural areas protected.

As part of the project activities, the harbour entrepreneurs’ business skills were improved, and a separate business plan was developed for each harbour. Thanks to the project, the port entrepreneurs have better capabilities to make their businesses sustainable.

Furthermore, the project learnings were gathered as a publication for wider use.
Guidelines for Sustainable Harbour Development provides necessary practical guidelines for any small boat port entrepreneur to be considered when developing a harbour for leisure time visitors.

Tags:

Sustainable management of natural resources

Tourism

Attachment:

Guidelines for Sustainable Harbour Development

Category:

Improved small port

At a glance text:

The Sustainable Gateways project developed a network of small boat harbours located in national parks and nature reserves.
The harbours became more sustainable and attractive for boaters, as they are well-managed destinations that offer good quality services.
The project learnings were gathered as a publication with practical guidelines for any small boat port entrepreneur.

Project link:

Small ports - sustainable gateways to coastal national parks

Project BALTACAR made unique underwater heritage more accessible

ester.miiros — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 10:56:30 +0000

The well-preserved wrecks in the Baltic Sea waters are unique in the world. The underwater landscape is a special environment resulting from a long seafaring history and good preservation conditions. The remains of shipwrecks in Estonian, Finnish and Swedish waters often sit upright with masts and rigging still intact. In this aspect, the Baltic Sea is a giant underwater museum waiting to be visited.

The project "Baltic History Beneath Surface: Underwater Heritage Trails In Situ and Online" developed safe ways for tourists visiting some well-preserved underwater sites in the Baltic Sea. People interested in maritime history, shipwrecks, and diving can now make a digital visit or come in real life close to the wrecks on or beneath the water surface.

In project BALTACAR, partners responsible for the management and preservation of sensitive underwater cultural heritage (UCH) from three neighbouring countries worked together with partners in tourism. Together the partners made the underwater cultural heritage more visible, more accessible and safer.

The selected UCH sites in Finnish, Swedish and Estonian waters were properly documented. The collected historical information, 3D and photogrammetry images, and wreck cards can be used when planning and preparing for the dive. It provides divers and non-divers a virtual diving experience. For many potential visitors, the first contact with the dive park will be digital. That is why the produced materials and the interactive website are so important.

The new underwater infrastructure to selected wreck sites consists of mooring buoys for the boats bringing visitors to the sites and underwater information signs along the dive trails with basic information about the wrecks. The signs include a map displaying the location of the visitor, which makes it safer and easier to orientate under water.

The project results, publications and handbooks are free of use for all interested. The website contains materials, information on the developed attractions, the diving destinations of the region, and on what you need to know for travelling.

The project has already served as an inspiration to others planning to establish dive parks in their region.

Tags:

Sustainable management of natural resources

Cultural Heritage and Arts

Tourism

External link:

Project Baltacar website

Category:

Joint tourist attraction

At a glance text:

17 wrecks/sites in three countries more accessible
Handbook on how to create a dive park
Baltic History Beneath Surface - an editorial publication of research and underwater tourism tools

Project link:

Baltic History Beneath Surface: Underwater Heritage Trails In Situ and Online

Waterchain - prevention of nutrients inflows in the Baltic Sea

Elisa Bertieri — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 12:24:13 +0000

Project Waterchain tackled the prevention of water pollution by using spatial planning and source-specific cost-effective technological solutions for water treatment including both science-based ones as well as practical knowledge. The cross-border co-operation partnership set up in the framework of Waterchain project, enabled by the wide complementary expertise of Finnish (incl. Åland), Estonian, Latvian and Swedish partners within the fields of water treatment led to the successful development and implementation of several practical innovative actions to prevent and reduce nutrients and hazardous substances inflows into the Baltic Sea. The project, focused on the main local problems and considered the feedbacks of the local target groups.

The technological methods used to reduce the inflow of nutrients and hazardous substances from inland waters were implemented during the project in participating countries as pilot investments. Crucial hotspot areas for nutrient loading were identified in pilot watersheds. Reduction activities were carried out in hotspot areas by installing and implementing a small scale innovative nutrient reduction systems on the nutrients sources as pilot measures: 4 pilots in Finland and 2 in Latvia. The seventh pilot was carried out in a laboratory.

In addition, the project identified three groups of hazardous substances based on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) Directive 39/2013/EU and Baltic Sea Action Plan: pharmaceutical residues, pesticides and perfluorinated compounds. Activities to reduce the inflows into the watershed were initiated with a pilot in Swedish and Estonian pilot watersheds.

Tags:

Sustainable management of natural resources

Water management

Waterways lakes and rivers

Attachment:

Report_ Validation of Piloted Nutrient Removal Technologies

External link:

Waterchain website

Category:

Reduction of nutrients, hazardous substances and toxins inflow into the Baltic

At a glance text: