ICP Waters
The programme collects monitoring data from approximately 20 countries in Europe and North America to monitor and investigate the extent to which air pollution affects lakes and rivers, particularly regarding acidification, heavy metals and pollutants.
- Project period
- -
- Funders
- UNECE og Klima- og Miljødepartementet
- External webpages
- icp-waters.no
- Research section
- Catchment Biogeochemistry
- Contact persons
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Kari Austnes
Rolf David Vogt
Cathrine Brecke Gundersen
James Edward Sample
Tina Bryntesen
Aleksandra Mjøs
Areti Balkoni
About the project
Air pollution and the associated impacts on water quality are large scale environmental problems without respect for geopolitical boundaries. In 1979, a series of meetings convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) led to the adoption of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), which provides a framework for international collaboration between researchers and policy makers, with the aim to promote clean air and reduce the negative effects of airborne pollutants. Eight protocols describe measures, emission limits and emission reduction commitments.
ICP Waters is an International Cooperative Programme under the LRTAP Convention, focusing on assessment and monitoring of the effects of air pollution on rivers and lakes. It was established in 1985 with the specific objective of assessing the degree to which atmospheric pollution has affected surface waters, particularly regarding issues such as acidification, biodiversity, heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
NIVA leads the programme and brings together data from around twenty countries across Europe and North America. Our work has been published in journals such as Nature og Science, as well as in our ICP Waters report series.
Read more about the work at our website.