Integrated water management in Lithuania (LIFE SIP Water)
Duration: the project will run from 2024 to 2033.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the assessment of water bodies revealed that 63% of rivers and 64% of lakes in Lithuania do not meet the criteria for good ecological status. Agricultural activities, hydromorphological changes caused by land reclamation systems, sewage pollution, and changing climatic conditions are all contributing factors. The Ministry of the Environment is preparing National Water Plans to improve water quality in the country's water bodies. The first strategic integrated project in Lithuania, LIFE SIP Water, will contribute to the implementation of these plans.
It will create a platform for cooperation between institutions involved in river basin management to ensure a smoother exchange of information and better coordination of actions. The project will also further strengthen institutional competences and capacities to assess water quality in reservoirs and to carry out scientifically sound expertise.
LIFE SIP Water will set environmental objectives for all water bodies and align them with the objectives for protected areas. The project activities will also reduce pollution from agricultural sources, improve the ecological status of lakes and develop remote sensing tools to help identify illegal sources of pollution in water bodies.
It is important to note that the project will implement a pilot project to reduce agricultural and urban pollution in the Dovine river basin and to reduce the impact of the Simno fish farm on Lake Simno. The inhabitants of Vievis (Elektrėnai municipality) will also benefit from positive changes. Here, the ecological status of Lake Vievis will be improved by reducing pollution from rainfall runoff. "Klaipėdos vanduo” will purchase state-of-the-art new micropollutant treatment plants.
Project value: 19.7 million EUR. The ten-year project is funded by the European Union's LIFE programme and the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania.
Last updated: 03-01-2025