The future of the Baltic Sea is being decided now

Unfortunately, the problems of pollution and potential ecological catastrophe of the Baltic Sea have recently faded into the background. The economic crises, political tensions and, of course, the coronavirus pandemic are to blame. But the problem remained and did not go anywhere. One of the platforms for solving the problems of the Baltic Sea water area is the Forum of Regional Parliaments of the Southern Baltic.

Climate change is the main threat to the Baltic Sea. Regularly, different countries are faced with such extreme events as droughts, heat waves, torrential rains, hurricanes and floods, as a result of which natural water resources and the biological diversity of the water area decrease.
A significant threat to the waters of the Baltic, as well as the sea creatures inhabiting them, is posed by various toxic substances left over from the Second World War in sunken warships. The absence of an international program for the disposal of harmful substances in the Baltic Sea poses a real threat to the entire marine ecosystem.
The deterioration of the ecological situation in the South Baltic region, apart from natural causes, is also associated with periodic man-made accidents in the Baltic Sea, accidents of dry cargo ships and fuel discharges into sea waters, which, as a rule, are hushed up by the national authorities.
To preserve the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea, all countries washed by its waters must cooperate closely, speak frankly about problems and help each other in solving problems and problems. A similar process has already begun at the site of the Forum of Regional Parliaments of the Southern Baltic.
As a result of the events of the Forum of Regional Parliaments of the Southern Baltic, a final resolution will be formed, the addressees of which will be the following institutions:

• European Parliament and European Commission;
• Council of the Baltic Sea States;
• Parliamentary Conference of the Baltic Sea;
• Conference of subregional cooperation of the Baltic Sea States;
• Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe;
• Commission of the Baltic Sea;
• Union of Baltic Cities;
• Euroregion Pomerania;
• Euroregion Baltic;
• national and regional governments and territorial self-government, as well as partner parliaments in the Baltic Sea Region.

Below are the key messages from the resolution of the Forum of Regional Parliaments of the Southern Baltic:

“We believe that:
a) water is not a commercial commodity, but a common good and a limited resource that must be conserved and used sustainably, both in terms of quality and quantity;
(b) Climate change is driving sea level rise, increasing the risk of flooding in coastal areas, affecting ocean acidification, contributing to droughts that cause water scarcity and limiting development opportunities in various areas of social and economic life;
(c) There is a decrease in the level of natural water retention in rural areas of the Baltic Sea Region, as well as a growing problem in cities, where inefficient rain and melt water management and drainage systems operate;
d) economic development, including rapid urban development, generates the systematic development of green areas and the compaction of urbanized areas, which impedes the effective management of rainwater and meltwater resources, in particular, through their retention, and, where this is not possible, through their safe disposal ;
f) torrential rains, causing local floods, pose a danger not only in cities, but increasingly also in suburban areas, due to their intensive development. This causes an urgent need to change the approach to the development of these territories, with special emphasis on the expansion of green areas, as well as the development of blue-green infrastructure;
f) the systematic deterioration of the state of the natural environment due to pollution of soil, atmosphere and water leads to the depletion of biological species and a decrease in the biological activity of ecosystems, which negatively affects the quality of raw materials for food production, air, as well as environmental and sanitary conditions;
(h) Increasingly, droughts occur during periods of growing crops, which reduce the volume of the crop and thus reduce the supply of people and animals with food, as well as significantly increase the price of food. Prolonged droughts can also threaten the supply of drinking water to people. ”