purposes (navigation, water supply, power generation, wastewater discharges, fishing, and
hunting). Within a river basin or sub-basin, some
water users (energy industries, industry) can
objectively create problems for others (agriculture, fishing, hunting organization). In economic
theory, this situation is labeled as negative
externality. This can be expressed in lowering the
water level, the deterioration of water quality,
reducing stocks of fish and fowl, etc. Another
problem is in fact that bordering subjects of
Russian Federation set up different rules of water
usage. For example, Klyaz'ma River, separating
the Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir regions, now
has a different mode of the small boats equipped
with motors usage: in the Nizhny Novgorod
region is prohibited from 15 April to 31 May,
and in the Vladimir region prohibition set until
April 15 (Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor
2010; Vladimir Region Governor 2007).
Many rivers of the Nizhny Novgorod region
flow through the territory of several adjacent
municipalities, which makes the intermunicipal
basin councils of small rivers especially important (Fig. 8.2). Figure 8.2 demonstrates the
administrative structure of Nizhny Novgorod
region, including the borders of municipal districts (in black), with the main hydrographic
arteries according to Table 8.1 (in color). Blue
color highlights rivers, which flow within and
beyond the territory of Nizhny Novgorod region.
Rivers, colored red, are situated in Nizhny
Novgorod region entirely. In our opinion, the
rivers under consideration can serve as a basis for
the organization of intermunicipal basin councils
in Nizhny Novgorod region and the neighboring
regions.
Basin small river management principles
allow to reconcile the interests of water users and
to minimize the possibility of negative externalities. An important step in the Basin Council
work is the development of the basin water
management and protection program, which,
after approval, should be given the status of
interregional or intermunicipal target program.
Basin program is a program of actions, which are
aimed at achieving the appropriate water quality
targets and the necessary volume of water
simultaneously with the sustainable and environmentally safe development of the water
complex. The program is the main activity of the
basin councils (Zherelina 2005).
Another important task of intermunicipal
basin councils is the formation and approval of
the river basin budget. The budget of the river
basin is cash used not only to finance the
governments but also to solve the existing
problems of water of the river basin and to
provide co-financing of municipalities and water
users, who contribute to the achievement of the
basin council goals. In addition, the opinion of
intermunicipal basin councils on the feasibility
and priority of investment projects should be
considered when deciding on the funding of
such projects from the federal and regional
budgets.
8.4 Conclusion
Intermunicipal basin councils can deal with the
elaboration of agreed decisions on strategic
issues and on the use and protection of water
bodies within a river basin. Under the reduction
of public services, which deals with the protection and management of water objects, involvement of the direct river resource consumers (local
authorities, the public, which are directly interested in improving water quality and living
conditions of the environment) seems to be the
most effective. Increasing the autonomy and the
significance of local authorities creates objective
prerequisites for the improvement of approaches
to water management. Thus, local initiatives and
projects, aimed at solving water protection
problems, require comprehensive support.
Currently, basin agreements are concluded
only for interregional water objects, i.e. catchment area that is located within several subjects
of the Russian Federation, it does not take into
account the cross-border nature of the water
objects, located in the territory of one subject of
the Russian Federation, but covers the boundaries of several administrative areas. This group
makes a significant portion of medium and small
rivers of Russia.
8 River Basin Councils: Evidence from Russia
107
hunting). Within a river basin or sub-basin, some
water users (energy industries, industry) can
objectively create problems for others (agriculture, fishing, hunting organization). In economic
theory, this situation is labeled as negative
externality. This can be expressed in lowering the
water level, the deterioration of water quality,
reducing stocks of fish and fowl, etc. Another
problem is in fact that bordering subjects of
Russian Federation set up different rules of water
usage. For example, Klyaz'ma River, separating
the Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir regions, now
has a different mode of the small boats equipped
with motors usage: in the Nizhny Novgorod
region is prohibited from 15 April to 31 May,
and in the Vladimir region prohibition set until
April 15 (Nizhny Novgorod Region Governor
2010; Vladimir Region Governor 2007).
Many rivers of the Nizhny Novgorod region
flow through the territory of several adjacent
municipalities, which makes the intermunicipal
basin councils of small rivers especially important (Fig. 8.2). Figure 8.2 demonstrates the
administrative structure of Nizhny Novgorod
region, including the borders of municipal districts (in black), with the main hydrographic
arteries according to Table 8.1 (in color). Blue
color highlights rivers, which flow within and
beyond the territory of Nizhny Novgorod region.
Rivers, colored red, are situated in Nizhny
Novgorod region entirely. In our opinion, the
rivers under consideration can serve as a basis for
the organization of intermunicipal basin councils
in Nizhny Novgorod region and the neighboring
regions.
Basin small river management principles
allow to reconcile the interests of water users and
to minimize the possibility of negative externalities. An important step in the Basin Council
work is the development of the basin water
management and protection program, which,
after approval, should be given the status of
interregional or intermunicipal target program.
Basin program is a program of actions, which are
aimed at achieving the appropriate water quality
targets and the necessary volume of water
simultaneously with the sustainable and environmentally safe development of the water
complex. The program is the main activity of the
basin councils (Zherelina 2005).
Another important task of intermunicipal
basin councils is the formation and approval of
the river basin budget. The budget of the river
basin is cash used not only to finance the
governments but also to solve the existing
problems of water of the river basin and to
provide co-financing of municipalities and water
users, who contribute to the achievement of the
basin council goals. In addition, the opinion of
intermunicipal basin councils on the feasibility
and priority of investment projects should be
considered when deciding on the funding of
such projects from the federal and regional
budgets.
8.4 Conclusion
Intermunicipal basin councils can deal with the
elaboration of agreed decisions on strategic
issues and on the use and protection of water
bodies within a river basin. Under the reduction
of public services, which deals with the protection and management of water objects, involvement of the direct river resource consumers (local
authorities, the public, which are directly interested in improving water quality and living
conditions of the environment) seems to be the
most effective. Increasing the autonomy and the
significance of local authorities creates objective
prerequisites for the improvement of approaches
to water management. Thus, local initiatives and
projects, aimed at solving water protection
problems, require comprehensive support.
Currently, basin agreements are concluded
only for interregional water objects, i.e. catchment area that is located within several subjects
of the Russian Federation, it does not take into
account the cross-border nature of the water
objects, located in the territory of one subject of
the Russian Federation, but covers the boundaries of several administrative areas. This group
makes a significant portion of medium and small
rivers of Russia.
8 River Basin Councils: Evidence from Russia
107