1 River Basin Management - 1.2 The EU Water Framework Directive

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

Management of large international basins, example: Danube

– Length > 2,800 km, catchment area 817,000 km², c

Question 2

Main EU-WFD Goals

Answer 2

 Protection of surface water and groundwater

 Goal: “good status” in all water bodies within certain deadlines

 Water management based on river basins

 “Combined approach” including both emission standards and emission impacts

 Water bodies classified to represent the variability of EU waters

 Cost-neutral water pricing

 Participation of stakeholders

 Consolidation of national water laws

 IWRM adopted in EU (to a large degree)

Question 3

WFD Management Options

Answer 3

 Environmental objectives are set by directive (top-down)

 Exceptions are possible for several reasons:
– Designation of artificial and heavily modified water bodies;
– Extension of deadlines due to technical, environmental and financial reasons (spread costs of implementation), max. 2*6 years;
– Setting of less stringent environmental objectives under certain conditions (e.g. measures are disproportionately expensive).

 A programme of measures has to be established, including “basic” and “supplementary” measures.

 Find the most cost-effective combination of measures.

 Take into account the recovery of costs of water uses.

 Public participation: active involvement of stakeholders (bottom-up).

Question 4

WFD Time Table & Implementation Cycle

Answer 4

See graph slide 15

Question 5

WFD Basic Measures

Answer 5

 Implement Community legislation for the protection of water

 Measures for the recovery of costs for water services

 Measures to promote an efficient and sustainable water use in order to avoid compromising the achievement of the objectives of the WFD

 Regulations for the abstraction of water, for preventing polluting from point and diffuse sources, for groundwater recharge

 Measures to ensure that the hydromorphological conditions of the bodies of water are consistent with the achievement of the required ecological status or good ecological potential

 Eliminate pollution by priority substances

Question 6

IWRM Werra: Ecological Quality Assessment

Answer 6

See graph slide 17

Question 7

IWRM Werra: Stakeholder Network Analysis: Tourism

Answer 7

See graph slide 18