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Dr. Rafael Sanchez Navarro IEWP @ Workshop on Water allocation, water economics and eflows in River...
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Transcript of Dr. Rafael Sanchez Navarro IEWP @ Workshop on Water allocation, water economics and eflows in River...
India-EU Water PartnershipWorkshop on Water Allocation, Water Economics and Eflows
In River Basin Management
14-15 September 2016, New Delhi
The experience of preserving (ecological) flows in India and EU: Legislation and implementation. Case studies,
achievements and remaining gaps. Strategies for improvement
India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP)New Delhi
14-15 September 2016
Dr. Rafael Sánchez NavarroSenior Expert on Eflows
‘In 2050, we live well, within the planet's ecological limits. Our prosperity and healthy environment stem from an innovative, circular economy where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed sustainably, and biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that enhance our society's resilience. Our low carbon growth has long been decoupled from resource use, setting the pace for a global safe and sustainable society.’
Source: 7th EU Environment Action Programme
The European policy context : the 2050 vision
New Delhi 14-15 September 2016
This vision is at the heart of European environmental policy and is inseparable from its broader economic and societal context.
Current situation and trends
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SOURCE: European Environment Agency. SOER 2015 Synthesis report.
We need relevant changes!
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SOURCE: European Environment Agency. SOER 2015 Synthesis report.
Hydromorphological pressures affecting ecosystems
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SOURCE: European Environment Agency. 2012. European waters — assessment of status and pressures, EEA Report No 8/2012. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen.
Conservation measures proposed by Member States
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Top five conservation measures ranked High for species and habitats associated with wetlands ecosystems
Source: EEA report on Art. 17 and Art. 12 of the H&B Directives
Minimum flows in the RBMP (2009-2015)
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SOURCE: Benítez, C. and Schmidt, G. 2012. Analysis of the implementation of Environmental Flows in the wider context of the river basin management plans (Report drafted in the framework of the Comparative Study of Pressures and Measures in the Major River Basin Management Plans. Task 3d: Water Abstraction and Water Use).
There is a need in many EU river basins to put quantitative water management on a much more solid foundation: namely the identification of the ecological flow
There is no EU definition of ecological flow, nor a common understanding of how it should be calculated, even though these are preconditions for its consistent application.
The second most common pressure on EU ecological status stems from over-abstraction of water.
The status of EU waters is not doing well enough!
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THE BLUEPRINT: The Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s water resources sets out to strengthen and fill the gaps in EU water policy.
Aims
This document aims to be guidance to stimulate a common uptake of ecological flows in order to support the achievement of the Water Framework Directive’s environmental objectives.
Covering the whole WFD implementation process, it develops the steps where consideration for ecological flows is critically needed.
The European Guidance on Eflows
https://circabc.europa.eu/sd/a/4063d635-957b-4b6f-bfd4-b51b0acb2570/Guidance%20No%2031%20-%20Ecological%20flows%20(final%20version).pdf
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The European Guidance on Eflows
Working definition
Ecological flows are considered within the context of the WFD as “an hydrological regime consistent with the achievement of the environmental objectives of the WFD in natural surface water bodies as mentioned in Article 4(1)”.
Considering Article 4(1) WFD, the environmental objectives refer to:
- non deterioration of the existing status - achievement of good ecological status in a natural surface water body, - compliance with standards and objectives for protected areas
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The European Guidance on Eflows
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Structure
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Let’s go to Spain!!
Mean annual runoff (mm)
Mean annual water demand (mm)
Population: 46 Millions
64 Millions of tourists.
3,5 Millions Ha of irrigated areas
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Understanding the Spanish case study
Map of reservoirs with a capacity over 10 hm3
Legal basis of Eflows in Spain
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Creation of the “Hydrological Union Confederation of the Ebro river “ in 1926.
Long tradition in basin management
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Ecological flows
The Spanish legislation establishes ecological flow requirements as a restriction to water uses.
Ecological flows are determined in the RBMPs: minimum seasonal flows, maximum seasonal flows, flow change rate and flood flows.
Importance of the harmonisation process.
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Legal basis of Eflows in Spain
Water planning
Objectives: environmental objectives of water bodies and water demand satisfaction.
Water planning is carried out through River Basin Management Plans.
Plans are mandatory (approved by Law-National- and Decrees-River Basins-) and represent basic rules for the protection of water and for providing water use rights.
Related sub-plans: Drought Management Plans and Flood Risk Management Plans
% waterbodies with mínimum ecological
flows
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Eflows in the Spanish River Basin Management Plans
Eflows in the Spanish River Basin Management Plans
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How has it been possible? Very solid legal basis, political will, gradually and with a large number of specialists
Eflows and Hydropower in the Upper Ter River
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98 hydroelectric plants identified
in 131 km of river (85 in use today)
Eflows and Hydropower in the Upper Ter River
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Environmental groups, fishermen Users: hydropower, irrigation
-No reduction of environmental flows in protected areas- Max 60% reduction HPU- Greater control over concessions- Implementation without compensation for the loss of production
- Reduction of environmental requirements- Flexible exploitation regime - extension of concessions- compensation for lost production
Eflows and Hydropower in the Upper Ter River
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Abandoned uses. Art 66.2 water low
Uses with infringements of the concession title and repeated disciplinary files (Art 66.1 water low)
Use flexibillitation with no investment required
Uses currently compatible with environmental flows
Uses that have changed the essential character of the concession title administrative modification file
Concessions in which the title reads concession allows the implementation of environmental flows
Uses in protected areas
Use flexibillitation. Moderate investment and production increase in return on investment
Extension of concesion
Use flexibillitation with high investment, in which the production does not compensate the investment
Concession partial expropriation
Expiration of the concession (Art 66 water low)
Administrative modification file (art 144.4 RD 84986)
Review concession without the right to compensation
Review concession with prejudice to the
owner
Review concession without prejudice to the owner
Eflows and Hydropower in the Upper Ter River
Tools for trading New Delhi 14-15 September 2016
Existing uses impact analysis1st Analysis of possible costs of implementing environmental flows in the upper Ter (85 active hydropower plants, 131 km of river, 118,000 inhabitants)
Implementation cost costs per person (€/hab. year)
Replacement of electricity costs (0,075 €/kWh)
1,02 M€/year(13,6 GWh/year) 9
Investment cost in performance improvement 4,45 M€ -
Compensation cost 70,198 M€ (52 year)1,35 M€/year 11
TOTAL 9 - 20
Eflows and Hydropower in the Upper Ter River
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FINAL REMARKS
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It’s posible a common understanding of Eflows
Not easy!!
The legal bases are fundamental and sometimes the level of ambition must be reduced
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Efforts to create a suitable Policy and Legal Framework
Flow regime for proper structure and functioning
Patterns Extreme conditions
Flow variability
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m3 /s
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Evolution of e-flow components
Invariable minimum flow vs. natural flows
1970-90 1990-00
2000-102010-13
Intra-annual variability and one flood
Intra-annual variability considering drought periods and one flood
Intra & inter annual variability (wet-normal-dry years) considering different flood types (flood regime)
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BAD
DEFICIENT
MODERATE
GOOD ECOLOGICAL STATUS
HIGH ECOLOGICAL STATUS1. River in natural conditions
2. Minimum loss of species
3. Rare and sensitive species can disappear
4. Co dominancy of sensitive and tolerant species
5. Tolerant species are dominant, sensitive ones are rare
Stress factor gradient
Biological condition
Natural
Degraded
Low High
1. River in natural conditions
2. Minimum loss of species
3. Rare and sensitive species can disappear
4. Co dominancy of sensitive and tolerant species
5. Tolerant species are dominant, sensitive ones are rare
Stress factor gradient
Biological condition
Natural
Degraded
Low High
6. Severe structure and function alteration
Eflow consistent with different levels of protection
2. The Directive includes a number of provisions that allow Member States to set lower environmental standards for specific water bodies where there are legitimate technical, economic, environmental or recovery constraints
1. The core objective for surface waters is to improve waters where necessary in order to achieve at least good status.
3. Heavily modified and artificial waters are expected to achieve good ecological potential, which recognizes their important uses while making sure that ecology is protected or improved as far as possible
THE BIOLOGICAL CONDITION GRADIENT
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Eflow consistent with level of protection
LLAVORSILLAVORSI
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION
HEAVILY MODIFIED WATER BODY
NATURAL WATER BODIES
GES
GEP
PA
SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION
PA
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Estimating e-flows
More than 200 methods in the world !!!!!
Existing methods for the estimation of environmental flows differ in input information requirements, types of ecosystems they are designed for, time which is needed for their application, and the level of confidence in the final estimates.
From the International Water Management Institute web page
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APPLICATIONS OBSERVATIONS TYPE EFLOW PROMISING METHODS INFORMATION REQUIRED
LEVE
L 1
Prel
imin
ary a
sses
smen
t
- Regional planning
- Preliminary standard setting
- Screening at basin scale planning, organizing and pre-analyzing information for a Level 2 approach
This approach could be appropriate for setting preliminary targets in any situation or as part of a screening process at basin scale. Credible and comprehensive initial flow recommendations can be provided when hydrologic desktop methods are combined with a review of available information for a given river system and augmented by basic understanding of river functions. Initial targets based on Level 1 analysis should be precautionary, in line with their level of confidence. Furthermore, such standards could play a strategic monitoring role, and could provide advance warning of situations where further investigation is required.
Comprehensive hydrologic desktop methods
- Range of Variability Approach (RVA): Yet probably the most advanced hydrological methodology used at this level . A simplified version of RVA reducing the number of variables might be sufficient to address screening or preliminary eflow assessment at catchment scale (e.g. Initially consider only monthly minimum flows applying 10-25 percentiles on a monthly basis).
- ELOHA. The Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration (ELOHA), is a flexible, scientific framework for assessing and managing environmental flows across large regions, when limited time and resources preclude evaluating individual rivers. ELOHA combines desktop hydrologic analysis with a review of existing ecological databases and literature.
A comprehensive hydrologic desktop approach synthesizes two primary sources of information: (1) a hydrological analysis tool that is capable of assessing a range of flow levels; and (2) a literature review of the linkages between the flow regime and key riverine resources. This review should incorporate all the available relevant information for the specific river or basin augmented by broader literature on riverine processes.
LEVE
L 2
Inte
rmed
iate
ass
essm
ent
- Basin scale planning
- Organizing and pre-analyzing information for a Level 3 approach
It might apply to selected sites where more detailed environmental flow specifications are required. These circumstances require a greater level of detail in the application of eflow approaches. Basin scale planning involves the assessment of environmental flows through an entire basin. In this case assessment may begin with use of comprehensive hydrological desktop models to home-in on important sites. Then a holistic methodology would be most appropiate.
Holistic methodologies
- Building Block Methodology (BBM): Perhaps the best known holistic approach. Its basic premise is that riverine species are reliant on basic elements (building blocks) of the flow regime. The BBM revolves around a team of experts. They follow a series of structured stages, assess available data and model outputs and use their combined professional experience to come to a consensus on the building blocks of the flow regime.
- The Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformation (DRIFT), offers promising and innovative advances to interactive eflow assessment. The DRIFT Methodology is an interactive, top-down holistic approach based on the same conceptual tenets and multidisciplinary, workshop-based interaction as the BBM.
Eflow recommendations at Level 2 require new data collection or basic modelling. Synthesis of information and articulation of expert judgment into flow recommendations occurs within the framework of a flow workshop with diverse participants. At this second level of assessment, some aspects of environmental flow recommendations will be based on limited data and professional judgement, and will amount to hypotheses about flow-geomorphology and flow-ecology relationships.
LEVE
L 3
Com
preh
ensiv
e as
sess
men
t
- Examining Tradeoffs and Predicting Results of Operational Changes (e.g. designation and management of HMWB)
- Impact assessment processes
- Restoration/re-habilitation of aquatic ecosystems;
A Level-3 process is appropriate for situations that require a high degree of certainty before any operational changes can made. Such situations may include those where water is over-allocated and heavily contested (e.g. Heavily Modified Water Bodies), affected Protected Areas, presence of endangered species which limits operational flexibility, defined policies dictate processes, etc. In these situations, decision makers will require a higher threshold of rigorous analysis before initiating an environmental flow program. Analyses of a Level 3 approach can incorporate both typical environmental flow assessment techniques as well as diverse approaches for studying socio-economical impacts (e.g. on water users) and others.
Holistic methodologies with advanced modelling approaches
- Holistic methodologies: BBM / DRIFT as recommended above.
- Advanced modelling approaches: Habitat modelling is considered by many ecologists to be the most sophisticated and scientifically and legally defensible methodology available for quantitatively assessing environmental flows for rivers. In the European context, COST Action 626 “European Aquatic Modelling Network” defined and developed integrated methods and models of assessing the interactions between aquatic flora and fauna and riverine habitats on reach scale and provide transferability to a catchments scale.
Level 3 require intensive data collection and advanced modelling approaches (species/component-oriented). The research and modelling program of a Level 3 approach can be incorporated into a wider assessment framework that identifies the problem, uses the best methods and presents results to decision-makers. Assessment of technical feasibility, significant adverse effects and economic assessment methods can be applied.
Implementing methods: phased hierarchical approach
From simple hydrological estimates through to a highly sophisticated programme of research and modelling to refine environmental flow targets
Risk-based approach: for flow decisions with greater environmental, social or economic risks more sophisticated methods shall be applied
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When implementing the participation process is vital!!!
Convincing the community; Communicating the right message; Involving the interest groups; Gathering support
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Economy…. a great ally we expect great advances
One of the primary reasons for the growing shift in perceptions regarding the use of Eflows is the growing understanding of the scale of their real and potential economic benefits.
Numerous studies have looked at the economic value of ecosystem services provided by flows, including habitat creation, recreational opportunities, contribution to housing prices, groundwater recharge, contribution to water quality, and so on
SOURCE: NPS 2001; Emerton and Boss 2004.
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Big challenges in knowledge….
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… BUT THE BIGGEST ONE IS IMPLEMENTATION!!!!
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Thank you very much!!!