scholarly journals An Assessment of the Performance of the PLUS+ Tool in Supporting the Evaluation of Water Framework Directive Compliance in Scottish Standing Waters

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 391 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Donnelly ◽  
Rachel C. Helliwell ◽  
Linda May ◽  
Brian McCreadie
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
High Good ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Standing Waters ◽  
Good Ecological Status

Phosphorus is one of the main causes of waterbodies in Scotland being at less than good ecological status (GES) in terms of the water framework directive (WFD). In Scotland, there are more than 8000 standing waters, defined as lakes and reservoirs that have a surface area of more than 1 hectare. Only about 330 of these are monitored routinely to assess compliance with the WFD. The export coefficient tool PLUS+ (phosphorus land use and slope) has been developed to estimate total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the unmonitored sites; modelled values are then compared to WFD target concentrations for high, good, moderate, poor, and bad status to assess compliance. These type-specific or site-specific targets are set by the regulatory authority and form part of a suite of physical, chemical, and ecological targets that are used to assess GES, all of which must be met. During development, the PLUS+ tool was applied to 323 monitored catchments and 7471 unmonitored catchments. The efficacy of the tool was assessed against TP concentrations observed in 2014 and found to perform well in the rural catchments. 51% of standing waters had the same modelled and observed WFD class (i.e., High, Good, Moderate, Poor, Bad), and a further 40% of standing waters had a modelled WFD class that was within one class of observed water quality. The tool performed less well in catchments with larger inputs of TP from urban sources (e.g., sewage). The greatest deviations between measured and modelled classes were explained by the shortage of information on wastewater treatment works, fish farms, migratory birds, levels of uncertainty in TP measurements, and the amount of in-lake re-cycling of P. The limitations of the tool are assessed using data from six well documented case study sites and recommendations for improving the model performance are proposed.

Hurdles for implementation of constructed wetlands as Nature-based Solutions in Sweden

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián Andrés García Murcia ◽  
Fernando Jaramillo ◽  
Sofia Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Status ◽  
Natural Wetlands ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
Background Context

<p>Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea has been one of the major environmental issues during the last century partly due to extensive land-use change, loss of natural retention systems, and insufficient management. European legislation such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) attempts to guide the recovery of good ecological status from freshwater to the sea, and suggests wetlands as ecosystems that can potentially contribute to achieving this goal. Wetlands are considered remarkable Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for improving water quality by diminishing the nutrient loads. This study aims to set a background context of the WFD implementation in Sweden, determine the status of constructed wetlands, and evaluate the stakeholders’ perspectives to identify the main administrative hurdles of wetland implementation in Sweden. For this purpose, we conducted a narrative review, database analysis, and semi-structured interviews with members of the institutions involved in water management. Our results show that it is essential to find synergies among the WFD and other directives to expand cross-sectoral cooperation, implement adjustments on the funding scheme that includes restoration and maintenance of natural wetlands, and increase compensation periods and cost ceiling. Likewise, it is crucial to perform significant improvements in the monitoring system, including more frequent data collection, as well as exploring new strategies to capture landowners’ interest in the implementation of NbS, such as the Catchment Officers program. Finally, we suggest paludiculture as a promising farming practice to increase proprietors’ attention on novel market alternatives, and in turn, to provide benefits for climate, water, and biodiversity.</p><p><strong>Keywords </strong>Wetlands management · Water Framework Directive · Nature-based Solutions · Eutrophication · Semi-structured interviews · Sweden</p>

scholarly journals A rule-based modelling concept to simulate hydromorphological measures – a tool for the design of programmes of measures for the EU Water Framework Directive

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 101-105
Author(s):  
H. Nacken
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Eu Water Framework Directive ◽  
Rule Based ◽  
European Water ◽  
Promising Solution ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Abstract. Hydromorphological deficits are of real concern regarding the goals of the European Water Framework Directive to reach a good ecological status. The effects of measures that change the morphological structure of a river is hard to predict. Existing methods to simulate this process in a traditional numerical model can not be applied to whole river systems. Using a rule-based modelling concept to find feasible measures and predict the impact of those measures is a very promising solution.

Problems with the reconciliation of good ecological status and public participation in the Water Framework Directive

2012 ◽  
Vol 433 ◽  
pp. 482-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Valinia ◽  
H.-P. Hansen ◽  
M.N. Futter ◽  
K. Bishop ◽  
N. Sriskandarajah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Good Ecological Status

scholarly journals Assessment of the ecological status of Sicilian coastal waters according to a macroalgae based index (CARLIT)

2020 ◽  
pp. 519-528
Author(s):  
Giancarlo Bellissimo ◽  
Benedetto Sirchia ◽  
Vincenzo Ruvolo
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
European Water Framework Directive ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Ecological Quality ◽  
Local Factors ◽  
High Good ◽  
First Time

In the frame of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC), a macroalgae based index (CARLIT) was applied along the Sicilian coastal water bodies (WBs) in order to assess for the first time their ecological status and collect accurate information on the distribution and abundance of shallow-water communities, especially of those most sensitive. The ecological quality ratio values, sensu WFD, showed “high”/“good” levels in all WBs with lushy forests of Cystoseira amentacea except two with “moderate” level due to the presence of stress-tolerant species related to local factors.

Environmental benefits of reclaimed water: an economic assessment in the context of the Water Framework Directive

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Alcon ◽  
J. Martin-Ortega ◽  
J. Berbel ◽  
M. D. de Miguel
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Contingent Valuation Method ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Valuation Method ◽  
Good Ecological Status

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) prescribes that all water bodies in Europe should achieve ‘good ecological status’ (GES). Maintaining a certain water flow is a pre-condition for the achievement of GES in areas of water scarcity. In such areas, reclaimed waste water is seen as a promising measure to keep river flow at a sufficient level. The contingent valuation method is applied here to estimate the non-market environmental benefits of using reclaimed water to maintain river flow levels in the Segura River Basin in south-eastern Spain. The assessment of the economic benefits of specific measures gives policy makers more information than a cost-effectiveness analysis alone, which is currently the most commonly used tool to assess potential measures under the WFD. The results show that the implementation of this measure produces significant non-market benefits that are larger than the investment and operational costs of reclaimed water treatment plants.

scholarly journals Legal framing for achieving ‘good ecological status’ for Malaysian rivers: Are there lessons to be learned from the EU Water Framework Directive?

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 251-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasyikah Md Khalid ◽  
Mazlin Bin Mokhtar ◽  
Faridah Jalil ◽  
Suhaimi Ab Rahman ◽  
Christopher Spray
Keyword(s):  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Eu Water Framework Directive ◽  
Good Ecological Status ◽  
The Eu

Development of tools for ecological quality assessment in the Polish marine areas according to the Water Framework Directive. Part IV — preliminary assessment

2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Osowiecki ◽  
Elżbieta Łysiak-Pastuszak ◽  
Lidia Kruk-Dowgiałło ◽  
Magdalena Błeńska ◽  
Paulina Brzeska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Transitional Waters ◽  
Assessment Index ◽  
Coastal And Transitional Waters ◽  
Marine Areas ◽  
Good Ecological Status

AbstractA set of classification methods was developed for the Polish coastal and transitional waters regarding the biological quality elements — phytoplankton, macrophytes and macroinvertebrates as required by the EU Water Framework Directive. Mean summer chlorophyll-a and total summer biomass of phytoplankton were proposed as indicators in the phytoplankton assessment. Macrophytes were assessed by the Macrophyte Quality Assessment Index, including biomass and percent bottom coverage of the selected taxa. Macroinvertebrate assessment was based on a biotic index comprising abundance, dominance structure, taxonomical richness and species sensitivity/tolerance to eutrophication. A preliminary assessment of the ecological status revealed that the coastal and transitional waters failed to reach a ‘good’ ecological status.

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