Part Three PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION FROM FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES

The introduction in a number of UN/ECE countries of new legislation to control and reduce water pollution from point sources was aimed at achieving stricter measures for pollution prevention at source, as well as the implementation of add-on measures such as advanced sewage treatment. In countries where such legislation has been introduced, both the relative and the absolute contribution of emissions of nutrients from point sources to the total load of inland waters has decreased. Although in these countries the formulation of measures to prevent, control and reduce water pollution from non-point sources, in particular those in agriculture, has received as much attention, perceptible results in the process of implementation have not always been achieved on a large scale. The reasons for the still unchanged large-scale impact of agriculture on water resources are manifold. It is only in recent years that the concept of sustainable agriculture has brought about substantial changes in agrarian policy and structural changes in some countries. These have promoted, inter alia, a better integration of sectoral agricultural developments into the environmental policy. However, although strategies have been developed for the environmentally sound use of fertilizers and pesticides, there are still areas where methods for further reducing their use should be developed and implemented. As a reflection of the increasing concern over the extent of the problem both at the national and international levels, the prevention and control of water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides released from agricultural sources has become one of the goals of the UN/ECE Regional Strategy for Environmental Protection and Rational Use of Natural Resources (ECE/ENVWA/5). The UN/ECE Charter on Ground-water Management (ECE/ENVWA/12), the Recommendations on the Protection of Soil and Aquifers against Non-point Source Pollution (WATER/SEM.14/3. as amended in ECE/ ENVWA/3), Waste-water Management (ENVWAI SEM.4/3), and the Protection of Inland Waters against Eutrophication (ECE/ENVWA/26) represent a collective response of UN/ECE Governments for the attainment of this goal. The prevention, control and reduction of the transboundary impact of water pollution from agricultural sources is an objective of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. According to that Convention, the Parties shall develop, adopt, implement and, as far as possible, render compatible relevant legal, administrative, economic, financial and technical measures, in order to ensure, inter alia, that appropriate measures and best environmental practices are developed and implemented to reduce inputs of nutrients and hazardous substances from diffuse sources, especially where the main sources are agricultural. Furthermore, the Convention provides for the total or partial prohibition of the production or use of hazardous substances (article 3, paragraph 2). The Convention also obliges the Parties bordering the same transboundary waters to develop concerted action programmes for the reduction of pollution loads from point and diffuse sources (particularly in agriculture) in the catchment area of the transboundary waters or part(s) thereof, subject to cooperation (article 9, paragraph 2 (f)). Taking these considerations into account, this part of the publication examines national and international experience gained in coping effectively with the adverse effects of agriculture on inland waters. Due attention is given to the need to maintain viable agricultural production. It also reviews major water pollution problems related to current agricultural practices; analyses the causes of these problems; evaluates legislative measures, regulatory instruments, and economic and technical measures to prevent, control and reduce water pollution from fertilizers and pesticides; and examines accompanying measures in the fields of economic policies, technology, education, training, awareness raising, research, and development. Particular attention has been given in the preparation of this part to recent documents on water and agriculture issued by other international organizations in the UN/ECE region. These include documents of the Food and Agriculture Or anization (FAO); the European Community: the Helsinki, Oslo and Paris Commissions on the protection of the Baltic Sea and the North East Atlantic, respectively; and reports prepared within the framework of the Mediterranean Action Plan. The 1991 EC Council Directive Concerning the Protection of Wag