The Project MUNIMAP
Baltic Sea Munitions Remediation Roadmap
The historical pollution of the Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak by chemical and conventional munitions poses a serious threat to the marine ecosystem and an obstacle to the maritime economy. The authorities responsible for managing the marine areas face numerous obstacles in cleaning up these munitions. The first major obstacle is the irregular and sometimes contradictory legal regulations and policies related to dumped munitions. This is particularly the case in locations where environmental impacts can occur across borders or where the munitions contain chemical warfare agents. Responsibilities are either not allocated or are spread across different ministries. Combined with limited resources and high clean-up costs, this prevents proactive, long-term management of dumped munitions.
Furthermore, the authorities responsible for marine management need sound knowledge of the actual environmental risks in order to plan, prioritise and implement remediation measures. A corresponding data basis, such as the monitoring of munitions over a longer period of time, is currently lacking for the Baltic Sea region. In addition, methodologies for the monitoring, remediation and safe destruction of munitions have not yet been tested under the specific conditions of the Baltic Sea. Testing practicable, safe, effective and environmentally friendly methods would make it easier for decision-makers to assess important factors such as the time and cost of remediation.
Germany is the first country in the Baltic Sea region to set up a national programme for the clean-up and destruction of dumped munitions. The clean-up of the Bay of Lübeck is scheduled to begin as early as 2024. Poland is also planning a national pilot action programme for 2024. Although all countries in the Baltic Sea region are pursuing different approaches to remediation, this can only be carried out or at least controlled in a transnational, cooperative manner supported by several interest groups due to the cross-border extent.
