Life Vuoksi - Role of the littoral area as a part of an optimal model for environmental monitoring and the involvement of the local people

The project produced a cost-effective, broadly applicable, integrated monitoring system for the littoral areas of the Vuoksi River basin, making the monitoring of lakes more efficient and fulfilling the legal requirements of the WFD. Aspects of the littoral zone were analysed, together with data on the quality of the pelagic waters, enabling the assessment of the ecological status of the entire water-body. Key components of the project were: (1) planning of a pilot structure for a cost-effective ecological monitoring system concentrating in the littoral zone; (2) survey of the pressures on the littoral zones of lakes and the connection between these pressures and land use; (3) evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and usefulness of the monitoring methods; (4) development of an optimised monitoring model using certain target areas in the Vuoksi River basin; and (5) involvement and participation of local people, industries and other stakeholders in the monitoring.