River basin management
measures
River basin management measures refer to measures which are directly aimed to surface and groundwater and measures affecting their river basins to reduce the negative effects of human activities on both surface and groundwater.
Learn more about river basin management programs of measures ›Monitoring of the measures
Finland is divided into eight river basin districts for the planning of water protection, each of which has been the subject of river basin management plan.
The river basin management plans summarize the programs of measure drawn up by the Centers for Economic Development for their own areas of activity.
In river basin programmes of measure
233 measures
679
new agricultural wetlands and setting basins
Completed groundwater protection plans
22
they cover 261 groundwater areas
For preventing the forestry erosion disadvantages it has been built
931
water protection contructions
View regional measures by sector
Regional measures for river basin management are defined in the river basin management plans. As the plans were drawn up the costs of all measures were estimated, which gives an overview of the importance of the different sectors in the overall cost of river basin management. Please note that these are not the actual costs of water protection. The table below gives you a view of surface and groundwater measures by sector and you can also view the implementation of measures in different regions of Finland within the sector.
ESTIMATED SHARE OF THE SECTOR OF TOTAL RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT COSTS
| Sector | ACHIEVED OF THE TARGET YEAR 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Communities | 52% | READ MORE |
| Scattered settlement | 55% | READ MORE |
| Industry and mining | 49% | READ MORE |
| Fish farming | 13% | READ MORE |
| Peat production | 57% | READ MORE |
| Fur production | 80% | READ MORE |
| Forestry | 45% | READ MORE |
| Agriculture | 81% | READ MORE |
| Land use | 100% | READ MORE |
| Acidity control | 50% | READ MORE |
| Soil extraction | 64% | READ MORE |
| Protection plans and reports for groundwater areas | 53% | READ MORE |
| Traffic | 38% | READ MORE |
| Restoration, regulation and hydraulic engineering | 43% | READ MORE |
| Contaminated land and sediments | 32% | READ MORE |
Review the national measures (instruments)
A total of 91 national measures have been defined in the river basin management plans. These include laws and strategies, financial control, measures raising awareness as well as research and development. The implementation of the measures is widely distributed among the various actors.
| National measure | State of implementation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Promoting farm-specific practical planning for water protection measures (environmental survey) and farm-specific advisory services. Preparing an action plan and guidance for advisory and communication services on the selection of the most important measures in terms of water resources management | Implementation started | Read more
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| Promoting training for peat producers and contractors. | Implemented | Read more
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| Providing advisory services and guidance on wastewater management in scattered settlements. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting the siting of new activities posing a potential risk to the quality or quantity of groundwater outside groundwater areas. | Implemented | Read more
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| Improving the conditions for the implementation of flood water retention projects when developing flood risk management and land use, taking into account objectives relating to ecological status and biodiversity. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting the restoration of old soil extraction sites and the use of rock aggregate and substitute materials. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting conditions for the utilisation of fur animal manure. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Implementing the Strategy for Protection and Restoration of Small Water Bodies. | Implemented | Read more
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| Exploiting the potential offered by greening measures and organic farming to promote water management. | Implemented | Read more
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| Studying the impact of climate change on agricultural loading in different parts of Finland and adaptation to the impact of climate change. | Implemented | Read more
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| Examining the potential of promoting nutrient recirculation and removal as a measure supplementing other water protection measures. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Conducting special studies on mercury and, if necessary, other metals leaching from peat production areas, and imposing monitoring obligations and restrictions on the leaching of metals if necessary. | Implemented | Read more
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| Providing advisory services and guidance on wastewater management in scattered settlements. | Implemented | Read more
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| Examining the remediation needs and opportunities of sediments contaminated by substances that are hazardous or harmful to the aquatic environment in each river basin district. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Assessing needs relating to environmental flow and developing methods for this. | Implemented | Read more
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| Implementing the National Strategy for Restoration of Waters. | Implemented | Read more
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| Sufficiently comprehensive mapping of acid sulphate soils and identifying loading risks posed by such soils using consistent methods, and supplementary studies on adverse effects to obtain an adequate overall view. | Implemented | Read more
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| Further developing the environmental permit procedure for animal sheds required by the Environmental Protection Act. | Implemented | Read more
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| Developing feeds and feeding methods used on fish farms and promoting good practices to ensure good health and welfare of farmed fish. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Enhancing the reduction of the adverse effects of acidity loading by incorporating water protection measures relating to acid sulphate soils into the support schemes for agriculture, forestry and drainage. | Implemented | Read more
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| Developing aquaculture facility types and wastewater treatment methods that promote water protection in fish farming. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Enhancing and developing the use of geographic information tools and data, such as laser scanning data, in the planning of water protection measures in forest management. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Developing the opportunities offered by the Rural Development Programme for water management measures and ensuring sufficient funding for them. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Developing water protection measures in forestry, especially those related to regeneration in peatland areas, to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus emissions to water. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Promoting the appropriate and sustainable use of plant protection products and biocidal products in agriculture by providing training and information. Environmental restrictions relating to such products (prohibition of use in groundwater areas, buffer zones along water bodies, restriction on repeated use in the same area of field during consecutive years) are reviewed as part of surface water and groundwater monitoring carried out by authorities. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Assessing the opportunity to apply as uniform permit conditions as possible to such activities for which no emission levels have been established in BAT conclusions. With respect to emissions and in the monitoring of water bodies, particular attention will also be paid to substances that are harmful or hazardous to the aquatic environment. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Developing water protection measures to reduce mercury loading caused by forest management measures. | Did not start | Read more
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| Developing preparedness for special situations in water services, by introducing WSP (Water Safety Plan)/SSP (Sanitation Safety Plan) risk management tools in risk assessment and management. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Implementing the National Fish Passage Strategy. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Targeting support for sustainable forestry (Kemera) at the planning and implementation of water protection structures, such as settlement ponds, flow regulation structures, overland flow fields and wetlands to the extent necessary. | Implemented | Read more
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| Implementing the National Risk Management Strategy for Contaminated Land. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Developing the financing of restoration projects and promoting independent and voluntary restoration work. | Implemented | Read more
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| Enhancing the exchange of information on the best available techniques, ensuring the appropriate application of BAT conclusions in permit procedures and encouraging the development and introduction of new techniques. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Ensuring that the effects of acid sulphate soils and their cultivation are incorporated into national and regional programmes. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Reducing nutrient discharges from agriculture by applying new methods and research data and, if necessary, by reviewing the appropriateness of cultivation. | Implemented | Read more
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| Improving the knowledge base on ecosystems dependent on groundwater and developing groundwater status indicators in cooperation between various fields. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting the monitoring of harmful substances and improvements in monitoring. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Increasing advisory services relating to water protection in fur production. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting the application of the guidelines for environmental protection in fish farming. | Implemented | Read more
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| Promoting the introduction of good practices in wastewater sludge treatment, use and disposal. Promoting the bioeconomy and the requisite cross-sectoral cooperation. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Promoting the implementation of water service solutions that are sustainable in terms of structures, and regional cooperation between water utilities. | Implementation started | Read more
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| Promoting the preparation, updating and implementation of protection plans for groundwater areas and the activities of the related monitoring groups. | Implemented | Read more
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