The basin approach for water resources management in Ukraine: the SWOT analysis

Abstract

This review article aims to increase our understanding in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of implementing the basin approach for water resources management in Ukraine. To this end, this article implements that SWOT analysis for discussing the transition from the administrative approach towards the basin approach. The SWOT analysis consists of the four main aspects: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weakness include strong and weak points of implementing the basin approach, respectively. Opportunities are windows for implementing actions to facilitate the basin approach and increase the effectiveness of this approach. Threats include risks for implementing the basin approach. In order to better understand opportunities, the main drivers and causes of water pollution are also discussed in the article. Results of the review show that climate change affects the availability of water resources strongly. Human activities namely the poultry production are important polluters of water resources. The article summarizes the correct water resources management approaches and proposes four main strategies for implementing the basin approach within the SWOT analysis. The first strategy deals with the successful transition from the administrative management towards the basin management of water resources. The second strategy deals with an increase in the access of the public to the water resources information including water quality. The third strategy deals with integrating the European Union water-related directives in the national environmental policies. The fourth strategy deals with reducing pollution levels in water systems through improved technologies. Next steps are to develop an integrated approach to account for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the four strategies. It is important to develop water indicators to facilitate an integrated assessment of water resources for different water uses while accounting for water quality. Future research can focus on future scenarios to project water quality under global change and to assess effects of the national policies on reducing future water pollution from urbanization and agricultural sectors.