Towards good ecological status of surface waters in Europe - interpretation and harmonisation of the concept

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 169-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.-S. Heiskanen ◽  
W. van de Bund ◽  
A.C. Cardoso ◽  
P. Nõges
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
High Good

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a new legislative framework to manage, use, protect, and restore surface water and groundwater resources and coastal waters in the European Union (EU). The aim is to ensure sustainable water management and to reach good water quality by 2015. The assessment of the ecological status and setting of the practical management goals require several steps. The process has started with the characterisation of the river basins including identification of surface water bodies and types, and identification of significant anthropogenic pressures and impacts. The water bodies will be classified in five quality classes (high, good, moderate, poor, bad) based on the Ecological Quality Ratio, which is a ratio between reference conditions and measured status of the biological quality elements. The normative criteria for high, good and moderate ecological status described in the WFD need to be made operational because those will be used to set the practical quality targets for surface water management. National ecological assessment systems and classifications will be harmonised through the WFD intercalibration exercise in order to ensure an equal level of ambition in achieving good surface waters status all over Europe.

scholarly journals An environmental database for the status of freshwater in Greece

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Other Information ◽  
The Status ◽  
Freshwater Bodies ◽  
Status Data

An environmental database has been created, recording water bodies at a national level and assembling relevant data collected by various public services and institutions in charge of water resources management and research in Greece. Data consists of physico-chemical parameters, geomorphological descriptions, inventories of fauna and flora species, environmental pressures, vulnerability evaluation and other information useful for the assessment of current and future ecological status. Data gathering has proven to be a challenging task, due to the large number and the generally small size of the surface freshwater bodies as well as the numerous competent services and institutions and the multiple and sometimes conflicting responsibilities that therefore result. The latter is also partly the cause of lack of continuity of data, gaps or sometimes questionable reliability. Performing a global data overview, we note that (a) ecological status can be characterized as good for the majority of the sites, especially for small mountain streams, and (b) the general trend in most cases is degradation of current conditions, related either to anthropogenic pressures or to human activity combined with natural factors. This database, in a more completed and enriched form, could assist in the implementation of 2000/60/EC Directive in Greece and the establishment of reference conditions of surface freshwater systems.

Easy to say, hard to do: integrated surface water and groundwater management in the Murray–Darling Basin

Water Policy ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Ross
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Groundwater Management ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Integrated Water Management ◽  
Aquifer Storage ◽  
Surface Water And Groundwater ◽  
Murray Darling Basin

Integrated management of surface water and groundwater can provide efficient and flexible use of water through wet and dry periods, and address the impacts of water use on other users and the environment. It can also help adaptation to climate variation and uncertainty by means of supply diversification, storage and exchange. Integrated water management is affected by surface water and groundwater resources and their connections, water use, infrastructure, governance arrangements and interactions. Although the Murray–Darling Basin is considered to be a leading example of integrated water management, surface water and groundwater resources are generally managed separately. Key reasons for this separation include the historical priority given to surface water development, the relative neglect of groundwater management, shortfalls in information about connections between groundwater and surface water and their impacts, gaps and exemptions in surface water and groundwater use entitlements and rules, coordination problems, and limited stakeholder engagement. Integration of surface water and groundwater management can be improved by the establishment of more comprehensive water use entitlements and rules, with extended carry-over periods and legislated rules for aquifer storage and recovery. Collective surface water and groundwater management offers greater efficiency and better risk management than uncoordinated individual action. There are opportunities for more effective engagement of stakeholders in planning and implementation through decentralized catchment scale organizations.

scholarly journals Water quality assessment of the rivers of the Southern Buh Basin within Vinnytsia Region as per integral indicator of pollution

2021 ◽  
pp. 37-47
Author(s):  
Ya. I. Zalizniak
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Quality Assessment ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Anthropogenic Transformation ◽  
Natural Components

Vinnytsia Region is a region of Ukraine that attracts people by its nature from ancient times to the present day and is subject to various active economic development efforts. Natural water (aquatic) objects such rivers, lakes, as well as their floodplains and watersheds, are among the ones that are intensively affected by human activities. Therefore, the author chose the basin of the Southern Buh River within Vinnytsia Region for establishing a degree of anthropogenic transformation in the river itself and for determining the state of its left tributaries. The paper highlights the results of field and laboratory studies of chemical and organoleptic state of water of the Southern Buh and its tributaries. The study of the Southern Buh Basin was conducted within Vinnytsia Region, as it is a region of early agricultural development and it has a large number of enterprises of various industries on its territory. Since the basin occupies a large area of Vinnytsia Region, it was reasonable to explore the main tributaries of the Southern Buh flowing through the main localities, and to identify the required sampling points. Currently, the problem of ensuring rational use of water resources is severe because of such factors as growth of water consumption, irrational use of natural resources, excessive and uncontrolled economic activity. All these factors lead to disruption of relations within geosystems, degradation of natural components and decrease of natural resources productivity. Therefore, the study of a degree of anthropogenic transformation of landscape complexes, including geosystems, allows identification of a possibility to reverse anthropogenic changes and display intensity and tendencies of natural processes after transformation of the complexes, as well as display of ability of natural components of the landscape to self-restore. All these components are necessary for field researches and form a basis for the author's research. The aim of the research is to conduct an assessment of the ecological status of surface waters, which serves as one of components of the general status of water bodies, as well as to determine their chemical status based on concentrations of high-priority hazardous pollutants. It establishes the fact that the quality of surface waters of the basin depends on a degree of pollution of water bodies that are subject to economic activity affecting the transformation of the basin system.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the level of human impact on the river sediments in Russia

2019 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 01051
Author(s):  
Valentina Kurochkina
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Body ◽  
River Sediments ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Ecological Condition ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Channel Processes ◽  
The Impact

The growing race of urbanization and population growth lead to anthropogenic load on the water is increasing all the time. High population density and considerable industrial potential of the urbanized territory are becoming dominant sources of pollution of water bodies. This trend identifies progressive pollution of water bodies and the growing need for sanitary-ecological status of water control facilities. Natural chemical composition and properties of water in surface water bodies are formed depending on the hydrological, soil, climate and other features. Flowinduced suspensions in urban watercourses is one of the main ways of contamination distribution in urbanized areas. For monitoring and reducing the negative impacts on the water quality of watercourses requires estimation of anthropogenic pressures and studying its spatio-temporal variability. Analysis of anthropogenic stress on water objects allows you to set the relationship between the number of coming in the water body of pollutants and concentrations of chemicals in the water. The main aim is to determine the amounts of contaminants accumulated in the river riverbed during the period of the economic utilization of the watercourse and to assess the impact of urbanization on its ecological status. The article deals with the influence of anthropogenous load on river hydraulics and properties of channel sediments that determine the course of channel processes and overall ecological condition of water objects. The interrelation between water body condition, water quality and sediment pollution is presented. Method of estimation of anthropogenous load pollutants in river of urban area sis proposed. Comparative analysis of the load for the rivers of Russia with various water run-off is demonstrated.

Restoration of fish passage: development and results of a master plan established for the Ruhr river basin

2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Weyand ◽  
M. Redeker ◽  
E.A. Nusch
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Fish Passage ◽  
Ecological Condition ◽  
Population Diversity ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
River Continuum

According to the central aim of the European Water Framework Directive, the protection and sustained management of the aquatic ecological system, the ecological condition of a specific type of water, will be the primary parameter in future. Aiming at good ecological status in surface water bodies, population diversity and abundance of fish and macroinvertebrates is decisive. Free passage in river systems, to allow the natural migration of fish and all other aquatic organisms, is a prerequisite. To achieve this for the Ruhr River Basin a study has been commissioned in order to develop a master plan for river continuum restoration. Sustainable development aimed at promoting biodiversity in the surface water body system is a key objective. This project is complemented by investigations of the sediment – which is the nursery of the fish – in the rivers to identify river sections or tributaries which obviously provide a suitable habitat for the successful reproduction of big Salmonidae. The master plan illustrates the inherent problems of projects aimed at the restoration of fish passage in water bodies which are strongly affected by anthropogenic modifications. The results obtained may as well be transferred to other catchments with similar use patterns.

scholarly journals The Potential of Small Dams for Conjunctive Water Management in Rural Municipalities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Soares ◽  
Daniela Terêncio ◽  
Luís Fernandes ◽  
João Machado ◽  
Fernando Pacheco
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Drinking Water Supply ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Small Dams ◽  
Conjunctive Water Management

The drinking water supply to Vila Pouca de Aguiar municipality in North Portugal is based on high quality groundwater, namely on nearly one hundred artesian springs and fifty boreholes. The groundwater resources are plentiful on a municipal level, but evidence some deficits at the sub-municipal (village) level, especially during the dry period (July- August) that coincides with the return of many emigrants for holiday time. The deficits affect mostly the municipal capital (Vila Pouca de Aguiar) and a neighboring village (Pedras Salgadas), which populations nearly double or even triple during that period. The estimated annual deficits approach 55,000 m3/yr in those villages. If the anticipated increase in consumption/habitant and decrease in annual rainfall become reality in the next two decades, then the deficits may raise to approximately 90,000 m3/yr. To balance the water supply system, this study proposes its transition towards a conjunctive water management based on surface water stored in small dams and groundwater. A hydrologic modeling involving small forested catchments (< 15 km2) elected the Cabouço watershed as most suited basin to store stream water, because surface water availability is large (2.4 Mm3/yr) and forest cover is dominant (84.8%). Estimated nutrient loads are also compatible with drinking water supply.

Cross-scale governance and the analysis of policy implementation for water management, with particular regard to climate adaptation, industrial pollution and impacts of agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 123-142
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Information Transmission ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
National Level ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Good Ecological Status

This paper explores cross-scale governance between the European Union (EU) and Member State level arising from the identification of key policy priorities by stakeholders in six river basins across Europe and their relationship to EU policy development and implementation. Particular emphasis is given to interpretation of Good Ecological Status in implementing the EU Water Framework Directive, climate adaptation for water management, application of agri-environment measures to reduce agricultural impacts on water and control of discharges from industry. The paper also examines lessons from wider sources of information such as legal analysis of transposition of EU law at national level and the rulings of the European Court of Justice. The analysis identifies a number of different types of ‘information’ transmission between the different governance scales. Information includes a range of governance issues, including transmission of rules. These are exact ‘information’ transmission (water quality standards), national elaboration of information transmitted (adapting to climate change), national simplification of information transmitted (industrial pollution control), distributed information transmission (in national transposition), fuzzy transmission of information (interpretation of Good Ecological Status) and barriers to transmission (available funding). The paper concludes by considering the importance of cross-scale analysis in assessing policy effectiveness and argues for further analysis drawing on cross-scale research derived from ecosystems analysis.

scholarly journals Interpretation of the results of surface water quality applying multivariate analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Borko Matijevic ◽  
Djendji Vastag ◽  
Milena Becelic-Tomin ◽  
Bozo Dalmacija ◽  
Suzana Apostolov
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Chemical Parameters ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Surface Water Bodies ◽  
The Given

Monitoring of surface water, through the analysis of physical-chemical and chemical parameters is a very important factor in the control of water quality and the health of living beings. Surface water quality is largely determined by the nature (atmospherics) and anthropogenic processes (discharge of municipal and industrial waste water). The results of monitoring of surface water are usually too expensive and difficult for correct interpreting, due to the spatial and temporal variations in water quality. By applying Multivariate statistical analysis can achieve significant reductions of the ampleness of the available data and the better interpretation of the obtained results about the quality and ecological status/potential of water. In this paper, were analyzed selected results of the analysis of surface water in AP Vojvodina in 2011 year by using multivariate statistical analysis (cluster analysis and principal components analysis). These techniques allow the interpretation of the results of the monitoring program of investigated surface water bodies and simultaneous identification of registered influence and potential sources of pollution on the quality of the given water bodies. With both methods applied and the division of water bodies tested in the same manner at the origin (natural and artificial) and on the basis of territorial belonging monitoring stations (Banat and Backa). Individual variations are discussed in corresponding differences in individual measuring stations in relation to others. Application of the given method, a grouping of the examined indicators of water quality in the following factors: hydro-chemical factor, ecological factor, the factor point pollution and diffusion. The obtained results confirm the initial hypothesis that the use of different statistical methods can identify the main factors that have an impact on the ecological status and ecological potential of water bodies and to improve the existing monitoring. In addition, analysis of the extracted surface water bodies where it is necessary to implement simultaneous monitoring of the biological quality elements to determine whether chemical parameters ensure the functioning of ecosystems.

scholarly journals Integrated management of karstic waters – A case study of the Zlatibor mountain massif, Serbia

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-731 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Resource Utilisation ◽  
Public Water Supply ◽  
Karst Water ◽  
Qualitative Properties ◽  
Karstic Water

<p>The Zlatibor mountain massif has significantly changed for the past 20 years due to the&nbsp; development of tourism, which has resulted in an increase in water consumption and environmental threats. This area abounds in considerable surface and groundwater resources, which are not utilised adequately. Surface water characterized by lower quality and unstable regimes was utilised for water supply, while groundwater with better qualitative properties was utilised in a small percentage. A number of significant and gradually developing problems are the direct consequence of this concept of water resource utilisation. So far, water supply of central settlements has been based on the concept of the utilisation of surface water from the Zlatibor reservoir which was built in the year 1972, nowadays being filled up above the designed level, while the centralized water supply of other settlements has not been adequately solved generally. Previous research has indicated that this area is characterized by karstic groundwater reserves of regional character, and in most cases they are not adequately utilised, which has opened the possibility of their proper utilisation and the change to a new concept of water management in the area of Zlatibor.</p> <div> <p>A new concept of water management implies the utilisation of karstic water, primarily, to resolve the public water supply issue. In the future, a number of benefits such as: resolving of centralized water supply issues, reduction of surface water pollution, creating opportunities for the utilisation of surface water for other purposes, creating new tourist zones, reduction of environmental pollution, improvement of the general welfare of the population, etc., will be achieved by this concept. From the aforesaid, it can be concluded that a number of interconnected and integrated benefits will be gained by full implementation of the new concept of karst water utilisation. The application of the concept designed in this way, ultimately implies the establishment of an integrated management of all karst water in the area of Zlatibor. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary, primarily, to solve the problem of adequate public water supply by karstic groundwater, which implies the establishment of integrated karstic water management in this area, and that is the focus of this paper.</p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>

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