Expert assessment on the applicability of innovative wastewater treatment solutions in pilot areas in Danube region
JRC (EC)
Following the completion in 2017 of two feasibility studies in the Danube region on the development of innovative, integrated solutions for wastewater treatment, the Joint Research Center to the EC assigned to the CEO of ABERON to conduct an expert assessment on the applicability of the wastewater solutions in the pilot agglomerations of Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo and Razgrad, Bulgaria.
Opportunities of water, energy and nutrient recovery were analyzed for a set of treatment technologies. A business model was developed with a financial assessment and a definition of revenues that make the business sustainable. Part of the survey was quantification of costs of systematic implementation of wastewater treatment, as well as the corresponding reductions of pollution loads, and the social, economic, financing, governance, capacity and cultural aspects that may hamper or favour the applicability of the different solutions.
Year 2017-2018
Environmental Assessment, Conformity Assessment and SWOT Analysis of Flood Risk Management Plans
OPE ENVIRONMENT
EPSILON BULGARIA OOD (currently ABERON) in partnership with POVVIK carried out environmental assessments, conformity assessments and SWOT analyses of the Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) in East Aegean Region and in Black Sea Region.
EPSILON BULGARIA applied the experience gained during the development of the FRMP in Danube Region to identify and analyze the strengths and potential weaknesses of the FRMPs in East Aegean and Black Sea Regions, and also the opportunities which would help to achieve the goals and to overcome the threatens.
Year 2016
BG03.02 –ECOSYSTEM SERVICES MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT, EEA GRANTS
Ecosystem services mapping and assessment of heathland and schrubs ecosystems in Bulgaria (outside NATURA 2000)
The project objective was mapping and assessment of shrubs and heath lands and their services on the whole territory of Bulgaria and outside of NATURA 2000. Ecosystems inventory was done on the territory of Bulgaria, thus the country fulfilled the provisions of the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. The process of assessment of ecosystem services (ES) included: defining their spread; collection and classification of available (inter)national databases and on-site studies; assessment of the ES condition within the polygons range, defining the stakeholders and how they’ll benefit from these services; ES mapping. The data and maps were included in the National system for monitoring of the biodiversity.
The project helped in solving problems and addressing necessities, as the integration of green infrastructure and restoration of violated ecosystems. It also contributed to the initiative that guarantees zero net loss of ecosystems and their services, and contributed to the EC commitment towards the Convention of Biological Diversity and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
Year 2015 – 2017
Development of a Flood Risk Management Plan in the Danube Region for Water Basin Management, Bulgaria
OPE ENVIRONMENT
EPSILON BULGARIA OOD, as a leader in partnership with HR Wallingford Ltd. implemented project „Development of a Flood Risk Management Plan in the Danube Region for Water Basin Management” funded by Priority Axis 1 of OP Environment 2007-2013.
The objective of the assignment was to implement the EU and Bulgarian legislation requirements for flood risk management, especially set out in Directive 2007/60/ЕС and the Bulgarian Water Act. The outputs achieved are:
- review of the relevant normative, strategic and methodological documents
- setting down of the objectives and priorities of flood risk management
- development of a programe of measures and economic analysis thereof
- development of a FRMP and its coordination with the RBMP for the Danube region for water basin management and the FRMP for the international Danube river basin
- reporting of the FRMP to EC.
Year 2015
BG02 – INTEGRATED MARINE AND INLAND WATER MANAGEMENT, EEA GRANTS
Development of analyses and scenarios under project ECRAMON “Capacity building in the exploration and management of marine non-fishery resources in the Black Sea”
EPSILON BULGARIA OOD (currently ABERON) prepared analyses and scenarios under project “Capacity building in the exploration and management of marine non-fishery resources in the Black Sea (ECRAMON BLACK SEA)”, under Programme BG 02 “Integrated marine and inland water management, FM of the EEA.
Methodological approaches for conducting a sociological survey for the purposes of the project and analyses of the socio-economic status in the territories of the Northern and Southern part of the Black Sea have been developed under the assignment.
Analyses following the studies carried out on the territory of Varna, Balchik, Burgas and Sozopol, and scenarios to evaluate the interaction of socio-economic development, climate change and the environment in the project territories were developed.
Year 2016
