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Social, Environmental, Economic, Institutional and Political Aspects of Water
Management
EuroAquae Master Programme2014
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The aim of the course is to provide an overview of
key aspects of the social, environmental, economic,
institutional and political dimension of Integrated
Water Resource Management (IWRM), using the River Basin
Management Planning of the Water Framework Directive
(WFD) as a guiding principle.
Aim of the course
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The course will focus on the general framework of Integrated
River Basin Management Planning (with the EU-WFD as
example), looking at water management practices in
different regions of the world (including your case studies!).
This will cover social aspects, including problem definition
and analysis, environmental objectives versus water uses,
economic considerations, political and institutional
dimension (including regulatory framework, coordination
patterns, etc.)
Focus of the course
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Social aspects
Water resource management may be considered in
the light of driver’s considerations (industry,
agriculture, urban, tourism etc.) and their social
pressures and consequences, in the framework of which
stakeholder’s implications play a key role.
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Environmental aspects
Water management needs to be conceived in the light of
environmental (policy) objectives and
the way they are set up (typologies, chemical,
ecological and hydromorphological considerations,
ecotoxicity, etc.) in comparison to water uses (e.g.
drinking water, irrigation, cooling, etc.). Technical management
aspects also involve features such as risk assessment,
monitoring, action programmes, compliance aspects etc.
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Economic aspects
Economic considerations include the polluter’s pay
Principle (and its enforcement), issues of cost recovery of water
services, and other economic aspects of water management
(incurred costs related to e.g. action programmes and their
follow-up).
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Institutional & political aspects
Different institutional and political set-ups and regulatory
frameworks are used in water management worldwide. The
EU situation is one of the most organised as respect to
enforceable principles and international management
approaches. River Basin Management Planning principles
will be examined in the light of the WFD
settings, including issues of environmental objectives,
stakeholder participation and integration of technical and
scientific knowledge with regular reviews of the legal
framework.
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About this course….
You are invited to present case studies in teams of 5-6
students, illustrating one or several features of the course.
You should be able to demonstrate ability in designing
integrated water resource management approaches in a
given country/region, taking into account social,
environmental, economic, institutional and political
aspects, keeping in mind that we are learning by
doing…
Motto of the course: ‘think global, act local’
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Case studies= the basis forYour assignments
Case studies highlight the diversity of circumstances and various challenges and priorities facing different regions. They help to illustrate policies developed at national and regional levels and their effects, in particular how decisions taken at the local level affect the decisions of higher management.
Your assignments will be based on your own research resulting in a short (5-10 minutes) presentation during the course and a 4-pages (max.) case study report concerning a sector / region / country of your choice, describing links with IWRM (from planning to effective measures or recommendations): examples taken from your assignments will feed the course and be used in an interactive way for discussions
Two possibilities: (1) responding to questions which I will pose and presenting your views the following week (report expected later) or (2) scheduling a case study presentation of your choice
Some principles Drafting: Start from the general topic, write ideas at they come,
extract one key-word for each idea, order the key words (what is linked to what? Is there a hierarchy?), give examples
Structure: Set-up a clear structure for your talk. Do not change your plan (be “previsible”)
Timing: Periods of 20 minutes are optimal, with 3 ideas being developed. In the framework of this course, the time will be limited to 5-10 minutes, depending upon the chosen topic
Simplicity: Adapt the talk to the level of the audience. Speak in simple terms
Be persuasive: Believe in your topic, use your “persuasive strength” Self-confidence: Be self-confident (you are the best!) but without
exageration – avoid provocating your audience! Provocate interest: adapt to the centre of interest of your audience,
refer to what is known to the auditors « Body language »: Physical expression, vocal/oral expression,
possibly use humour (but no irony)
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Some tips on communication
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IWRM as a worldwide
recognised principle
As defined by the Global Water Partnership (GWP): IWRM is a IWRM is a
process which promotes the process which promotes the coordinated development coordinated development and and
managementmanagement of water, land and related resources in order of water, land and related resources in order
to maximize the resultant to maximize the resultant economiceconomic and and socialsocial welfare in an welfare in an
equitableequitable manner without compromising the manner without compromising the sustainabilitysustainability of of
vital vital ecosystemsecosystems.
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Water and governance
Water governance is sometimes equated with the actual
water policy in place, but governance is more: it is
about the exercise of power in policy-making and
whether or not to implement particular policies. Which
actors were involved in developing the policy? Was the
policy developed in a transparent and participatory way?
Are financial and human resources sufficient to implement
the policy? There are some of the questions indicating that
governance is about the process of decision-making, its
content and the likelihood of policies and decisions to be
implemented.
What is river basin management? River basin: geographical area determined by the watershed
limits, including surface and underground waters, flowing into a common terminus. Includes interactions between groundwater and surface water, water quantity and quality, and between land and water, upstream and downstream, turning river basins from a geographical area into a coherent system.
An outline of RBM: four different levels may be distinguished: (1) operational management (directly affecting river basins), (2) planning (to improve/support operational management), (3) analytical support (supporting both steps) and (4) the institutional and legal framework (influencing all steps).
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Integrated river basinmanagement concepts
Institutional structure: different levels of formal and informal working rules, including e.g. setting up of emission standards, policy directives.
Three models: Hydrological model based on hydrological boundaries, water
management in the hands of a single entity: the “river basin authority”.
Administrative model opposite to the hydrological model, in which water management is the responsibility of provinces, municipalities and other bodies not based on hydrological boundaries.
Co-ordinated model falling somewhere between the hydrological and the administrator model: water management performed by river basin commissions with a co-ordinating task.
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Integrated river basinmanagement concepts
Reducing uncertainty: improve and apply system understanding
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Base sketch from Meade (1996) and DPSIR from EEA
D
D
P P
S
S
SP
SI
bio-physical systembio-physical system
R
societal systemsocietal system
River Basin ManagementRiver Basin Management
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RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN
Identification of planning needs, taking into account technical and scientific information (possibly involving preliminary research) on
the river system and socio-economic aspects
Analysis of institutional framework for RBM
Identification of different operational decisions that can be taken,the bodies responsible and their management capacity
Identification of other stakeholders and other interested parties
Preparation of draft plan, describing different phases, the groupsto be involved at each phase, the organisation of the work,
taking into account technical and socio-economic feasibility
Public consultation prior to adoption of the plan (possible review)
Implementation
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Danube river basin: 18 countries, 817.000 km2 catchment area
© World Bank
Geographical coverage: cooperation at different levels: national, European, International = beyond EU
Cooperation = administrative arrangements at River =basin District level
International river basins
Water characteristics Physical characteristics Chemical characteristics (micro-)biological and bacteriological characteristics Ecological characteristics
Environmental vs. uses Ecological water quality criteria Quality criteria related to water uses (drinking water, irrigation,
animal watering, industrial uses)
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Reminder about water quality
Quality criteria Quality standards: limit value for a specific parameter, which may
only be exceeded incidentally, if at all Linked to dose-effect relationships, technological, socio-economic
considerations Design of protection regime to be adapted to the above
considerations, taking account technical and economic feasibility
Types of standards Emission standards (linked to quality of water in production,
treatment settings) Imission standards (linked to quality of receiving waters)
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Water quality criteria
Pollution means the direct or indirect introduction, as a result of human activity, of substances or heat into the air, water or land which may be harmful to human health or the quality of aquatic ecosystems or terrestrial ecosystems directly depending on aquatic ecosystems, which result in damage property, or which impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment.
Pollutant means any substance liable to cause pollution.
(definitions given in the EU Water Framework Directive)
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Types and sources of pollution
Diffuse pollution Dispersion of pollutants over large surface areas, e.g. spreading of
fertilizers (related to eutrophication risks), urban pollution, large historical contaminated sites etc.
Point source pollution Well identified (localised) amounts of polluting substances spread over well
defined areas
Natural ‘contamination’ High concentrations of substances which are naturally present, e.g. heavy
metals originating from leaching of rocks [note that this is not a pollution sensu stricto (environmental quality # quality-related uses)]. Example of double-source “pollution”: saline intrusion (maybe natural but generally largely induced by over-abstraction of groundwater)
Thermal pollution Use of water for cooling (electric plants, steel, paper, petroleum industries)
with temperature rises which may be harmful to aquatic ecosystems
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Types and sources of pollution
Besides ‘classical pollutants’, growing concern about the impacts of personal care products (e.g. laundry detergents, skin lotions, deodorants, shampoos etc.) and pharmaceuticals (e.g. antiobiotics) on water quality and the productivity of aquatic systems and ecological functioning – through the disruption of endocrine systems in fish, for example.
Indirect impact may also affect the environment through e.g. leaching of chemicals from chemical wastes, from mobilization of pollutants to groundwater (‘leachate plumes’), eventually reaching a stream, or atmospheric deposition of chemicals distributed through air (e.g. dioxins and furans) and rain pollution (e.g. sulphur and nitrogen compounds, SOx and NOx).
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Human impacts –Pollution
Exacerbated when combined with extended natural dry periods. Linked to agriculture and municipal use, deforestation, and basic lack of control over exploitation of the actual surface and groundwater sources.
Increased pumping from aquifers (in particular for irrigation) leading to negative side-effects (changes to local water regimes with related impacts, e.g. lowering of water tables and soil subsidence, entire depletion of aquifers in some areas, reduction of spring yields, drying up of rivers, saline intrusions, increased stress for dependent terrestrial ecosystems such as wetlands etc.)
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Human impacts –Over-abstraction
Human pressures on aquatic ecosystems have caused a severe decline in the condition of species, with more freshwater species threatened with extinction than in either terrestrial or marine environment.
Invasive alien species (IAS): second most important cause of biodiversity loss in freshwater species after habitat loss and degradation (competition, predation etc.). Introductions either intentional e.g. through introduction of ‘exotic’ plants and organisms into gardens or waterways, or unintentional, as a result of the escape of aquaculture operations or the accidental transport of organisms attached to boards, structures, garbage or ballast water.
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Human impacts –Pressure on biodiversity
Expected impact on agriculture and food production patterns through three major factors: global warming, change in rainfall patterns and increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere. Depending upon the temperature increase (more or less than 2 °C), the adaptation capacity will obviously be different from regions to regions (with higher impacts in drought prone rural areas).
Knowledge gaps related to the water sector, in particular on understanding of how changes in variability affect the water environment and related adaptation/mitigation strategies. Increased droughts and floods, and increasingly frequent extreme events are all anticipated, with major implications on water resources and aquatic ecosystems (e.g. shifts in species diversity, reduction of upwelling of nutrients due to changes in currents etc.).
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Climate change impacts
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Information utilisation
Water management
Laboratory analysis
Data handling
Data analysis
Assessment and reporting
Information needs
Sample collection
Assessment strategy
Monitoring programme
Water Management cycle
Lesson learnt from the past:
Dioxins in fly ashesMean +/- SD
Time
F118
F119
F121F130
45 : 00 50 : 00 55 : 00
Lab. 5
(a) New type of chromatographic column (lab.5)
+ thorough validation
F118
(+F119)
F121F130
( b) Other chromatographic columns
All laboratories (b) except one found a value for F118 (hexaclorodibenzofurane)
20 % too high. Only Lab. 5 was right. WHAT ABOUT MODELS? ARE WE SATISFIED WITH
A COMPARABILITY OF 5 MODELS OUT OF 15?
European LegislativeFramework
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Economic & Social Committee (EESC)
DirectiveRegulationDecision
European Commission
(EC)
Council of Ministers
European Parliament (EP)
EU Agencies
Committee of the Regions (CoR)
Lobbyists
Main EU Institutions
European Investment Bank (EIB)
Court of Auditors
European Court of
Justice (ECJ)
European Central Bank (ECB)
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27 Members of the Commission
36 Directorate Generals and Services
CabinetsInfo and contacts
European Commission
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Diversity of regions: different hydrogeological conditions, different cultures
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Water Framework Directive key elements
• protecting all waters, surface and groundwaters;
• covering all impacts on waters (risk analysis and design of appropriate programmes of measures);
• good quality (‘good status’) to be achieved, as a rule, by 2015;
• water quality comprehensively defined in terms of biology, chemistry and morphology;
• water management based on river basins;
• monitoring programmes for surface and groundwaters, both as a planning tool and as an assessment instrument;
• economic instruments: getting the prices right - to promote prudent use of water;
• mandatory public participation;
• … and complemented/guided by an unprecedented cooperation on implementation.
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Principle of WFD River Basin Management Planning
One plan for each river basin in Europe;
River Basin Management Plan as main instrument for planning, reporting and evaluation of success;
Publication 2009, updates every 6 years;
Contents: characteristics of river basin; environmental and economic analysis; monitoring network; established environmental objectives (‘good status’ made operational); results of public participation; programme of measures
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Environmental objective (1)“good status”
• For surface waters defined in terms of
- biology (aquatic flora and invertebrate fauna – composition and abundance; fish fauna – composition, abundance and age structure);
- chemistry; and
- hydromorphology;
• For groundwater defined in terms of
- chemistry (compliance with numerical quality standards; no saline or other intrusions); and
- quantity (balance between natural recharge and abstractions)
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Risks of pollution from diffuse/point sources (urban, agriculture, industrial): Art. 5 WFD (“bodies at risk”)
Quality standards /Thresholds linked to chemical status
Interactions with aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Links with SW status and EQS
Prevent / Limit measures
Drinking waterAbstractionArt. 7 WFD
Run-off
Example: the EU legislative framework for groundwater protection
Groundwater= natural resource to be protected against pollution and deterioration, in particular for dependent ecosystems and for use in water supply (links with Article 7 of WFD about Drinking Water Protected Areas)
When approaching risk assessment, the widely-used Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) analytical framework is relevant
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DriverAn anthropogenic activity that may have an environmental effect (e.g. agriculture, industry)
Term Definition
PressureThe direct effect of the driver (for example, an effect that causes a change in flow or a change in the water chemistry)
StateThe condition of the water body resulting from both natural and anthropogenic factors (i.e. physical and chemical characteristics)
ImpactThe environmental effect of the pressure (e.g. ecosystem modified)
ResponseThe measures taken to improve the state of the water body (e.g. restricting abstraction, limiting point source discharges, developing best practice guidance for agriculture)
RISK ASSESSMENTDPSIR Principle
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Driving Forces Pressure State Impact
Agriculture
Industry
Energy
Transport
Services
Households/
Consumption
Discharges
Landuse
Resource use
Environmental
conditions:
physical chemical ecological
Nature and
environment
Health
Response
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D P S I
DPSIR Principle
38Base sketch from Meade (1996) and DPSIR from EEA
D
D
P P
S
S
SP
SI
bio-physical systembio-physical system
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societal systemsocietal system
River Basin ManagementRiver Basin Management
Understanding the system: Needs for multi-disciplinary (natural, socio-economic sciences) and
sectoral cooperation: integrated knowledge
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Risk assessmentSummary of tasks
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Project preparation
Notification to CompetentAuthority
Screening
Scoping
Environmental studies
Submissionof environmental informationTo Competent Authority and
Review of its adequacy
Consultation with Environmental Authorities,
other interested partiesand the public
Consideration of informationbefore making consent decision
Announcement of decision
Post-decision monitoring ifproject is granted
The developer prepares the proposal
In some countries, requirement for the developer
To notify the CA in advance
The CA makes a decision on whether an EIA is required
Mandatory or not: identiification by CA of matters to be covered
Studies by developer to collect and prepare the information
The developer submits the information to the CA together with
the application for development consent. In the EU, the info is
presented in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement and
Formal requirement for independent review if appropriate
Environmental information made available to authorities, parties
and public with possibilities to comment before a decision
is made
The environmental information and results of consultations
to be considered by the CA in reaching their decision
Decision made publicly available with description of measures
Requirement to monitor may be requested once the
Project is implemented
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Clear structure with logical sequence, e.g. describing baseline conditions, predicted impacts (nature, extent, magnitude), scope for mitigation, etc.
Table of contents at the beginning of the document Reads as a single document with appropriate cross-referencing Concise, comprehensive and objective Written in an impartial manner without bias Includes a full description of the development proposals Makes effective use of diagrams, illustrations, photos Uses consistent terminology with a glossary References all information sources used Contains a clear explanation of complex issues Describes methods used for the environmental studies and covers each
environmental topic according to its importance Provides evidence of good consultations Includes a clear discussion about alternatives Makes a commitment to mitigation (with a programme) and to
monitoring Has a non-technical summary which does not contain technical guidance
Quality of a good EIA
See Guidance on EIA + Checklists
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