Strategic Environment Assessment of River Basin Management Plans: Proposal for an Integrated Assessment

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 1550029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Vicente ◽  
Gonzalo Méndez
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
International River

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) adopted an integrated approach for the management and governance of European rivers, which led Spain and Portugal to carry out coordinated hydrological planning of the international basins, considering them as unique realities from ecological, hydrological and hydrogeological perspectives. In spite of this ecosystemic basis, the Directive allowed river basin management plans (RBMPs) to cover those parts of the international river basin districts located within the territory of each member state if joint planning was not possible. Moreover, under the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (SEA Directive), both countries are obliged to submit the RBMPs for SEA and to consult the authorities and the public in other states if a plan could affect the environment in a neighbouring state. In the case of the hydrological planning of the Miño river basin and its coastal and estuarine waters, the SEA was conducted through a split SEA at the level of national sub-basins. The present study analyses the findings of the two SEA procedures on the Miño river during the recent hydrological cycle under the requirements of WFD and SEA Directive. Thus, from an integrated approach adopted by WFD that demands interdependence and interrelationship between both assessments, the reality of two separated assessments revealed disconnections concerning the methodologies used, asymmetries in the detection of cross-border effects and an uneven national and transboundary participation. Overcoming these deficiencies and improving efficiency is a challenge for the new hydrological cycle. An elaboration of joint SEA between co-riparian states that could help respond to the European Union (EU) expectations from an integrated approach is recommended.

MANAGING WATER RESOURCES: THE EURO-INTEGRATED VECTOR

2019 ◽  
pp. 6-13
Author(s):  
Mykhailo Khvesyk ◽  
Lyudmila Levkovska
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Water Policy ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans

As a result of the research, the priority tasks of water policy regarding the formation of integrated water resources management system are grounded taking into account the eurointegration vector of Ukraineʼs development. The necessity of the development of water management forecasts and scenarios for the purpose of creating an information base for choosing the optimal variant for the formation of the concept of concrete actions of water resources management of the river basin has been proved. The theoretical and methodological approaches to the development of river basin management plans in the implementation of the basic provisions of the European Union water directives in the national legislation are proposed. The main mechanisms for implementation of river basin management plans are defined and classified.

scholarly journals Managing river fish biodiversity generates substantial economic benefits in four European countries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Riepe ◽  
Jürgen Meyerhoff ◽  
Marie Fujitani ◽  
Marie Fujitani ◽  
Øystein Aas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
River Management ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans

AbstractEcosystems and biodiversity produce benefits to society, but many of them are hard to quantify. For example, it is unclear whether European societies gain benefits from experiencing rivers that host high native biodiversity. Without such knowledge, monetary investments into ecologically oriented river management plans are difficult to justify. The objective of this study was to reveal how the public in four European countries values ecological characteristics of domestic rivers and the outcomes of hypothetical river basin management plans designed to improve river ecosystems, particularly fish biodiversity. We conducted a choice experiment among the populations in Norway, Sweden, Germany and France. We found similar preference structures in all countries with high marginal willingness-to-pay for improvements of abiotic river attributes (increased accessiblity of the river banks, improved bathing water quality, decreased river fragmentation). Citizens also benefited from certain fish species occurring in a river with native salmonid species being more valued than nonnatives, particularly in Norway, and from the degree of a river’s native biodiversity. Welfare measures calculated for selected river basin management plans (policy scenarios) revealed societal benefits that were primarily derived from ecological river management whereas a scenario focusing on hydroelectricity production generated the lowest utility. We conclude that ecological river management may produce high nonmarket economic benefits in all study countries, particularly through the management of abiotic river attributes and the restoration of declining or extinct fish species. Our results help to inform decisions on restoration efforts by showcasing the benefits that these measures have for the public.

scholarly journals Agricultural aspects in river basin management plans

2012 ◽  
pp. 149-152
Author(s):  
János Fehér
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Organic Material ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Surface Water Bodies ◽  
The Impact

In the European Region agriculture is the second largest water user after power industry cooling water use. As part of the implementation of Water Framework Directive EU Member States prepared their river basin management plans by the end of 2009 or first half of 2010, In these plans impacts of agriculture on water bodies have received attention. The detailed information elaborated in the plans by countries and river basin districts were uploaded into the WFD section of the WISE system. This database provides opportunity for multi-criteria analysis for different water types. The paper discusses the effects of agriculture on hydromorphological pressures and impacts affecting surface water bodies. It was pointed out that among the pressures affecting European surface water bodies the hydromorphological and diffuse pressures represent the highest ratios (Figure 1). Within the hydromorphological pressures affecting classified surface water bodies the ratio of pressures related to agricultural activities is low,it does not exceed 1% at European level. In case of Hungary the agriculture related river management pressures effect about 80% of the surface water bodies, which is much higher than the corresponding European average. The agricultural water abstractions affect about 10% of the Hungarian surface water bodies (Figures 2 and 3). The river and lake water bodies are impacted in significant ratio by nutrient enrichments and organic material enrichments, while in case of river water bodies the impact of organic material enrichments is also significant (Figures 4 and 5).

scholarly journals How effective are River Basin Management Plans in reaching the nutrient load reduction targets?

AMBIO ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Piniewski ◽  
Sirkka Tattari ◽  
Jari Koskiaho ◽  
Olle Olsson ◽  
Faruk Djodjic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
River Basin ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract Riverine nutrient loads are among the major causes of eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. This study applied the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in three catchments flowing to the Baltic Sea, namely Vantaanjoki (Finland), Fyrisån (Sweden), and Słupia (Poland), to simulate the effectiveness of nutrient control measures included in the EU’s Water Framework Directive River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). Moreover, we identified similar, coastal, middle-sized catchments to which conclusions from this study could be applicable. The first modelling scenario based on extrapolation of the existing trends affected the modelled nutrient loads by less than 5%. In the second scenario, measures included in RBMPs showed variable effectiveness, ranging from negligible for Słupia to 28% total P load reduction in Vantaanjoki. Adding spatially targeted measures to RBMPs (third scenario) would considerably improve their effectiveness in all three catchments for both total N and P, suggesting a need to adopt targeting more widely in the Baltic Sea countries.

scholarly journals A Hybrid Multicriteria 0/1 Programming Methodology for Prioritizing the Measures of River Basin Management Plans

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 624
Author(s):  
Mike Spiliotis ◽  
Charalampos Skoulikaris
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
River Basin Management ◽  
Basin Management ◽  
Programming Methodology ◽  
River Basin Management Plans ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Water Quality Status ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Quality Status

The Programmes of Measures (PoMs) are included in the River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). They comprise the outputs on the analysis of pressures, impacts and status of the water bodies, by designating those actions that need to be employed for the amelioration of the water quality status. In this research a methodology based on the coupling of hybrid multicriteria methods, namely outranking, in which 6 criteria and 37 alternatives are integrated, with a 0/1 linear programming in which the cost of the measures is induced as a constraint, is proposed for the prioritization of the supplementary PoMs that are included in the RBMP of Central Macedonia, Greece. The results of the research demonstrated the usefulness of the methodology when financial constraints do not permit the implementation of the whole set of measures.

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