Water management plans were developed for three transboundary groundwater bodies in Hungary and Slovakia Ipoly River Valley, Bodrog River Region and Aggtelek-Slovak Karst. It also provided data on groundwater quality and quantity for decision makers as well as local inhabitants.
The characteristics of the river basin district and review of the environmental impact of human activity have been carried out by authorities. At the same time, physico-chemical parameters and the ecological indicators relevant for the surface water ecological and chemical status were also analyzed in Hungary-Slovakia. The physico-chemical parameters measured included mineral nitrogen concentrations, which do not suggest good status for any of the sub-catchments.
A research group also did a risk classification of Hungarian rivers according to hydromorphological risk led by Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The assessment has been carried out based on comprehensive analysis of the information available for the whole water body.
In general, the final classification of the surface water bodies in the study areas directly associated with groundwater bodies have important implications on the classification of the chemical status of groundwater bodies in central Europe.
The study signalled great need for consistent characterization of pollution spread and the risks for groundwater resources, which could be achieved by throrough sampling and perspective modelling on both sides of the border. Direct links and co-operation between regional, municipal authorities and expert organizations provide logistical advantages and save both time and financial resources, at the same time being prepequisites for successful implementation of the WFD. Particularly for management of pollution cases and in crisis situations requiring fast response and actions, the cross-border authorities should be familiar with information channels and communicating directly with their transboundary counterparts rather than appealing to high-level representatives as middle-men without practical knowledge of field conditions.