The objective of the component overall is to improve living conditions for the local rural population through sustainable use of natural resources in agricultural and coastal areas. It carried out activities to 1) increase the use of environmentally responsible agricultural practices in selected demonstration watersheds and river basins; 2) develop and test mechanisms for financing and evaluating environmental investments at farm level; 3) demonstrate methods for improved recycling and retention of nutrients; 4) Undertake demonstration activities in coastal areas linking the land-based measures to reduce non-point source pollution from agriculture with the activities in the sea; and 5) strengthen the capacity of recipient countries to monitor the non-point source pollution from agriculture.

To achieve this, the project established a network involving experts from the four donor countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland) and approximately 30 contracted individuals in 12 institutes and organizations in 4 beneficiary countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Kaliningrad Region in Russia. This network included expertise in all 3 subject areas: farm environmental management and economics, water monitoring and modelling, and land-based coastal zone management. The project activities were coordinated by SLU and WWF Sweden and locally managed through the BSRP Local Implementation Units hosted by the contracted agricultural extension service institutes. Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) managed the agricultural investment part of the project. The network continues to function in the post-project period in the framework of various regional initiatives.

Activity 1 - Agricultural Interventions

This activity aimed at 1) increased environmental awareness and the use of environmentally sound practices by the farming community; 2) development of tools and mechanisms for financing and evaluating environmental investments at farm level; 3) demonstration of cost-effective interventions for improving recycling and retention of nutrients.   

At the outset, the project introduced the agri-environment credit scheme created during the preparatory phase to the local partners. This is a flexible credit scheme combining a range of financing possibilities, including GEF grant, EU funding and soft loans from NEFCO. During the project, commercial bank loans were added as an instrument of finance. Also, at the start of the project, a training package including basic environmental information for farmers as well as more advanced environmental management systems (EMS) application for farms was developed and marketed to 1200 farmers in introductory seminars in all countries. Along with addressing the farmers, nearly all active agricultural advisors in the Baltic countries were trained on farm environmental management. Eventually 20 farms entered this scheme and structured an investment plan and benefited from the BSRP credit scheme. The GEF grant part, maximum 30 000 USD was exclusively targeted for manure and slurry management. 50 other farms went on to engage in environmental investments using other parallel sources of financing.

Activity 2 - Monitoring and Assessment of Non-Point Source Pollution

The goals of this activity in the long run were to 1) strengthen decision support for water management from inland agricultural areas to coastal areas. Improve the decision making in water management sector due to availability of better monitoring data; 2) Establish a regional monitoring network on non-point source pollution; 3) Collect background data on nutrient and pesticide run-off from representative agricultural areas, in order to support national authorities in developing sustainable agricultural production systems and in meeting the data reporting requirements to various regional and international organizations (e.g. HELCOM PLC, EU, OECD); 4) provide information on the agricultural contribution to the load of nutrients, and other potential harmful substances, to the marine/coastal zone environment; 5) demonstrate the efficiency of different nutrient reduction measures; 6) motivate farmers to be active partners and “good examples” in developing sustainable and environmental sound agricultural practices; and 7) provide a basis for capacity strengthening of the research - and educational institutions. 

In anticipation of a three-phased project, in Phase 1 the project set out to join the Eastern Baltic countries in the regional monitoring network both with respect to technical capacity, as well as by linking the scientific expertise on both sides of the Baltic. The monitoring activities were implemented by local water management agencies and research institutions. Activities are implemented at different levels, such as (1) catchment monitoring programs, (2) specific demonstrations activities, (3) monitoring of contamination of drinking water in farm wells and (4) monitoring of contamination of surface- and groundwater at local “hot spots”. For this purpose Component 2 of the BSRP invested in upgrading of monitoring stations for automatic water sampling in selected watersheds in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and, additionally, constructed a new station in Jäneda in Estonia. Monitoring capacity of the responsible agency in Kaliningrad was also increased by investments in equipment. Human capacity was enhanced across the region by maintaining a series of regional workshops. Seminars were also organized to involve the higher political level and to share information to support national monitoring programs and development of national plans for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive. The monitoring and modelling activities are well integrated with university research and education in the Baltic States and to some extent in Kaliningrad oblast. The network continues to meet regularly to harmonize data collection and to further agree on joint modelling methods.

Water monitoring station on Jänijogi

Activity 3 - Land-Based Coastal Zone Management

The objective of the coastal zone management activities is to contribute to balanced and sustainable development of the selected coastal areas by means of cross-sector integration, which would improve livelihood of the local communities through better use of natural and resources. This is direct continuation of the work of the Working Group on Management Plans for Coastal Lagoons and Wetlands (MLW) established within the framework of HELCOM PITF (Programme Implementation Task Force) of the JCP (Joint Comprehensive Baltic Sea Action Programme).

The BSRP interventions on coastal zone management targeted to establish a number of real-life demonstration activities, using the BSRP partnership to share the results between countries and groups. Thus, the activities were of diverse character and were initiated by local groups and stakeholders and then developed and financed through BSRP. The projects were managed by local CZM experts contracted through the BSRP Local Implementation Units. The work consisted of selection of the demonstration areas, procurement of civil works and necessary equipment for restoration activities as well as a variety of local training and awareness-raising activities. Essentially, the project successfully aimed at raising a considerable local stakeholder group interest in the ecosystem based approach to issues touching coastal zones and habitats. An important initiative was to bring this approach on the agenda of transboundary cooperation between Lithuania and Kaliningrad on both NGO and governmental level.

The objective is to coordinate field-based data and analysis from activities related to C2 and to prepare regional based assessments and advice to support the improved land and coastal water management.
The network was expanded to include the relevant scientific institutes and experts from the beneficiary countries. This was enabled by GEF support to travel and to the organization of regional workshops and seminars. Larger seminars were also organized to review the regional monitoring and assessment framework and to address the policy level on questions related to national monitoring programs and development of plans to implement the European Union Water Framework Directive.