The EIP Water "auction" - connecting water innovation demand and supply

Four EU Member States Water Directors (Spain, The Netherlands, Slovenia, UK) present their water management challenges and EIP Water Action Groups and the audience respond with innovative proposals.

5 November 2014

Barcelona, Spain

Spanish water challenges

Concepción MarcuelloGeneral Directorate for Water

Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Food and the Environment

5 November 2014

Barcelona, Spain

1. AS MUCH RELIABLE AND AVAILABLE NEAR DATA AS POSSIBLE: Technologies from multiple sources; help improved assessments of water resources and uses thus better drought identification and characterization (incl. in a changing climate). Better knowledge of efficiency of demand-based measures.

2. SECURING HYDRAULIC INFRASTRUCTURE: O&M of the structure in normal and risk scenarios; water and sediment management for improved water quality and ecosystem status in order to prevent major drought impacts.

3. REINFORCING ALTERNATIVE WATER RESOURCES: Inter-connecting water from different sources in the same network; more intensive use of by innovative technologies providing safe quality standards according to the use and with a low energy requirement.

4. MAKING WIDER USE OF ECONOMIC POLICY INSTRUMENTS: In particular right pricing mechanisms; extended agricultural insurance; water trading

5. TOWARDS A HYDROECONOMIC WATER ACCOUNTING SYSTEM: Improving the use of the capabilities of DSSs in order to allocate water to uses and the environment under different scenarios taking into account the economic value of water.

INNOVATION ADRESSING DROUGHTS

Dutch water challenges

Jan BusstraWater Director, The Netherlands

5 November 2014

Barcelona, Spain

1. Still major challenges to comply to Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the Netherlands

• High density of waterways and high pressure from agriculture• Many innovations (M€ 70) but large scale implementation is major bottleneck….

2. Sophisticated balance between carrot and stick!• Combined forces of government and sector (mainly by covenants)

• No discharges of nutrients and CPP’s by greenhouse horticulture in 2027• Deltaplan Agriculture and Water management

• But, also law enforcement

3. E = MC2:• New clever and feasible Measures for farmers and horticulturists are available

• Creating urgency for implementation by Communication: What is in it for me? • Dialogue at the kitchen table• Demonstration sites and charismatic front runners accepted by mainstream farmer• New economic incentives• Farmers and horticulturists must see Effects, of their efforts

Slovenian water challenges

Ms. Darja Stanič RacmanWater Director, Slovenia

5 November 2014

Barcelona, Spain

1. Monitoring as a vital element of effective water management• Monitoring pressures and impact analysis • Consistency of different monitoring streams (emissions, drinking water, HM,

meteorology, etc.)• Optimal monitoring? MMM

2. Adequate confidence and precision of monitoring data• Status pressures impact

• Still developing methods to monitor all pressures (HM, pollutants…)• Multiple stressors significant pressure effective measure

3. Technical challenges• Methods, equipment, cost reduction and efficiency enhancement, etc.

4. Data management• Loads of data informing right target groups, the right way at the right time• From paper reports to IoT

Water monitoring – challenges from the perspective of the river basin authority

Water challenges of the UK

Sonia PhippardWater Director, United Kingdom

5 November 2014

Barcelona, Spain

Challenge presented by difficult-to-treat chemical

micropollutants in wastewater from domestic sources;

Sewage treatment is essential utility but much relies

on old technology;

As well as meeting sanitary and nutrient standards, we

need sewage treatment which is:

Affordable, energy-efficient, minimises hazardous

waste streams, effectively treats chemical

micropollutants…

…and which may need to address antimicrobial

resistance if wastewater found to be important route.