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

87

restorations implemented in the setting of small flowing waters

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

IMPLEMENTATION OF MEASURES BY SECTOR IN 2016-2018
SectorACHIEVED OF THE TARGET YEAR 2018
Communities52%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
Forestry45%READ MORE
Agriculture81%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
Traffic38%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.

Measure
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 toimenpide_cat_7
Promoting training for peat producers and contractors. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_4
Providing advisory services and guidance on wastewater management in scattered settlements. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_4
Promoting the siting of new activities posing a potential risk to the quality or quantity of groundwater outside groundwater areas. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_14
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 toimenpide_cat_12
Promoting the restoration of old soil extraction sites and the use of rock aggregate and substitute materials. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_9
Promoting conditions for the utilisation of fur animal manure. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_5
Implementing the Strategy for Protection and Restoration of Small Water Bodies. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_12
Exploiting the potential offered by greening measures and organic farming to promote water management. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_7
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 toimenpide_cat_7
Examining the potential of promoting nutrient recirculation and removal as a measure supplementing other water protection measures. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_3
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 toimenpide_cat_4
Providing advisory services and guidance on wastewater management in scattered settlements. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_1
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 toimenpide_cat_12
Assessing needs relating to environmental flow and developing methods for this. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_12
Implementing the National Strategy for Restoration of Waters. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_12
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 toimenpide_cat_8
Further developing the environmental permit procedure for animal sheds required by the Environmental Protection Act. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_7
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 toimenpide_cat_3
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 toimenpide_cat_8
Developing aquaculture facility types and wastewater treatment methods that promote water protection in fish farming. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_3
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 toimenpide_cat_6
Developing the opportunities offered by the Rural Development Programme for water management measures and ensuring sufficient funding for them. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_7
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 toimenpide_cat_6
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 toimenpide_cat_7
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 toimenpide_cat_2
Developing water protection measures to reduce mercury loading caused by forest management measures. Did not start Read more toimenpide_cat_6
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 toimenpide_cat_1
Implementing the National Fish Passage Strategy. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_12
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 toimenpide_cat_6
Implementing the National Risk Management Strategy for Contaminated Land. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_13
Developing the financing of restoration projects and promoting independent and voluntary restoration work. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_12
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 toimenpide_cat_2
Ensuring that the effects of acid sulphate soils and their cultivation are incorporated into national and regional programmes. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_8
Reducing nutrient discharges from agriculture by applying new methods and research data and, if necessary, by reviewing the appropriateness of cultivation. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_7
Improving the knowledge base on ecosystems dependent on groundwater and developing groundwater status indicators in cooperation between various fields. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_10
Promoting the monitoring of harmful substances and improvements in monitoring. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_10
Increasing advisory services relating to water protection in fur production. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_5
Promoting the application of the guidelines for environmental protection in fish farming. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_3
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 toimenpide_cat_1
Promoting the implementation of water service solutions that are sustainable in terms of structures, and regional cooperation between water utilities. Implementation started Read more toimenpide_cat_1
Promoting the preparation, updating and implementation of protection plans for groundwater areas and the activities of the related monitoring groups. Implemented Read more toimenpide_cat_10