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Adapting to climate change
in the Niemen River basin
Vladimir Korneev, Central Research Institute for Complex Use of Water Resources, Belarus
T
he project ‘Management of the Niemen River basin
taking account of adaptation to climate change’ is part
of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) programme of pilot projects. Thus, it can use the
UNECE platform to enable exchange of practices and experience
between this project and other similar initiatives aimed at the
development of cooperation for adaptation to climate change in
transboundary basins. The project on the Niemen is implemented
within the framework of the Environment and Security initiative
(ENVSEC) through the United Nations Development Programme.
In the context of climate change adaptation, it is important to improve
the integrated management of water resources in the transbound-
ary basin of the Niemen River, which flows through the territory of
Belarus, Lithuania and the Russian Federation and into the Baltic
Sea. The Niemen River plays an important role in the
socioeconomic life of all these countries. Over recent
decades, the issue of estimates and the forecasting of
water resource formation in the river’s transboundary
basin, as well as the quality of such water resources based
on agreed methodology, have become especially impor-
tant due to climate change.
There is active water use in the Niemen River basin due
to a great number of industrial and agricultural enterprises
as well as oil and product pipelines. The project addresses
the problems of water use in the river basin, including the
socioeconomic problems related to different sectors of the
economy, such as drinking water supply, water supply for
industry and hydroelectric power stations, recreation, and
wastewater cleaning and removal.
W
ater
Image: Vladimir Korneev, 2012
The Niemen River, approximately 20 km upstream of Grodno city