site.btaEnvironment Ministry Fulfills Conditions in Bulgaria-EC Partnership Agreement

Environment Ministry Fulfills Conditions in Bulgaria-EC Partnership Agreement

Sofia, December 28 (BTA) - The government adopted Wednesday plans for management of river basins in the Black Sea, Danubian, Western and Eastern Aegean regions in the 2016-2021 period and the national programmes for their implementation, said the government press office. Their adoption fulfills conditions in the Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, where the Environment Ministry is a lead authority (in respect for the EU-funded operational programmes Environment, Rural Development and Innovations and Competitiveness).

The river basin management plans are strategic documents setting out measures that need to be fulfilled to achieve and maintain good quality of surface and underground water.

The Ministry has also prepared flood risk management plans, which are a new instrument both for Bulgaria and the EU, the Environment Ministry says. They identify regions with potential high risk of flooding which are included in maps showing various flood risk scenarios. The maps are available on the websites of the four Basin Directorates and can be used in decision-making by investors, contractors, insurers and others.

The flood risk management plans set out measures for raising the awareness of the population and steps to build an early warning system for the areas with potential risk of floods.