INTEGRI-WATER PROJECT APPROVED TO IMPROVE WATER AND SOIL MANAGEMENT
The Public Scientific Research Institution “Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska”, Banja Luka, has been awarded funding for the implementation of the project INTEGRI-WATER – Integrated Indicators for Nutrient Pressure and Water Management, carried out within the framework of the European Path4Med project.
The total approved project value is EUR 100,000, and the planned implementation period is nine months. The project is led by the Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska.
The main objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of public institutions to assess, interpret and manage nutrient-related pollution of water and soil, primarily caused by nitrates and phosphates. The project will be based on the collection, integration and analysis of existing data on surface water and groundwater quality, soil condition, land use, agricultural activities, hydrological conditions and seasonal variations.
The research will cover the Vrbas River Basin within the territory of the Republic of Srpska, with a particular focus on the City of Banja Luka and the associated sub-basins. This area has been selected as a regional agro-hydrological system in which the applicability of integrated indicators for assessing the impact of agricultural activities on water and soil quality will be examined.
Special attention will be paid to linking data on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in water and soil with agricultural pressures, land-use patterns and seasonal hydrological conditions. This approach will enable a more precise identification of areas and periods with an increased risk of nutrient leaching and transfer into surface water and groundwater.
The project will be implemented through three interconnected phases:
- assessment of the feasibility of applying integrated indicators under regional conditions;
- adaptation, application and demonstration of the indicators with the participation of relevant institutions and stakeholders;
- preparation of a plan for the further application and scaling of the approach to other areas and levels of governance.
A demonstration event will also be organised as part of the project, bringing together representatives of public institutions, water management authorities, the agricultural sector, the scientific and professional community, and other relevant stakeholders.
The implementation of the project is expected to improve the integration of water, soil and agricultural data, enhance the assessment of diffuse agricultural pollution, and strengthen the technical basis for decision-making in the field of water and soil protection.
The INTEGRI-WATER project represents a continuation of the Institute’s activities aimed at developing modern, science-based and practically applicable solutions for environmental protection and the sustainable management of natural resources.