CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
ECOSYSTEM APPROACH AND DREDGING
Frederik MinkInterel Cabinet Stewart
CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
EU ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
• BIRDS DIRECTIVE 1976 Species• HABITATS DIRECTIVE 1992 Habitats• WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE 2000 River Basin• MARINE STRATEGY DIRECTIVE 2008 Ecosystem
• “MARINE STRATEGY SHALL APPLY AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES…” Maintain good environmental status Maintain carrying capacity
CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
ECOSYSTEM APPROACH
• STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF LAND, WATER AND LIVING RESOURCES
• TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE
• BASED ON: Appropriate science focused on biological processes and
functions
CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and Conference of Parties (2000)
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WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED
APPROACH IN REGULATORY SPACE ?
– IS THE SCIENCE GOOD ENOUGH?
– CAN WE MODEL ECOSYSTEMS?
– CAN WE PREDICT CONSEQUENCES?
ECOSYSTEM
• “A DYNAMIC COMPLEX OF PLANT, ANIMAL AND MICRO-ORGANISM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR NON LIVING ENVIRONMENT INTERACTING AS A FUNCTIONAL UNIT “(CBD)
• ANY PART OF THE BIOSPHERE COMPRISING LIVING AND NON-LIVING CONSTITUENTS
that support a complex network of interactions is delimited in space interacts with surrounding biosphere via input/output. ”
E.P. ODUM ‘58/‘69
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Simplified ‘structure’ marine ecosystem
•
CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
Birds
Mammals
Algae&
Pelagic
Benthos
Water Column
Seabed
BIOTOPES
PHYS
SUBSTRATE
Biotic
A-Biotic
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OUTLINE OF MARINE ECOSYTEM PROCESSES
INPUT
- Energy - Water- Nutrients - Sediments - Matter - Migratory species- C / CO2
ECOSYSTEM‘FUNCTIONS’
-Production-Accumulation-Transformation-Transport
OUTPUT
- Energy- Water- Nutrients- Sediments- Matter- Migratory species- C / CO2
Impacts and pressures
Products and services
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ECOSYSTEM APPROACH (HELCOM)
Perennial plants
Fish 2
Fish 1
Zoo plankton
Birds
Mammals
Zoobenthos
Sediment
Phyto plankton
Water column
Sea bed
Contaminants
Nutrients
Human activities
Nutrients
Cont.
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ECOSYSTEM APPROACH - DREDGING
Sediment removal
Direct Resuspension Impact morphology
benthos flora
Sedimentation TurbidityOrganic material
Entrainment Light
Fish community
Habitat status
Nutrients O2 Level
Eutrophication
Hydrodyn. changes Topography
Salinity Wave climate
Habitat structures
MammalsEcosystem boundary
Chemical factors
Short-term Long-term
Physical factors
Ecological conditions
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CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (1)
• NEED TOOLS TO PERFORM “ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT”
• NEED APPROPRIATE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF INTERNAL SYSTEM ORGANIZATION
• NEED MODELS TO PREDICT IMPACT ON SYSTEM RESPONSE
• DEFINE APPROPRIATE INDICATORS
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ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (2)
Increased impact human acitvity
Ecosystem state
Pristine conditions
Good environmental
status
Degraded conditions
Reference Point
E.Q.O. Reference Point
Allowable zone
Current state?
Pressures & impacts
Indicators
Precautionary limit
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ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (3)
• ASSESS (LOWER) END-POINT OF GOOD STATUS RANGE.• DEFINE ECOLOGICAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES & PRECAUTIONARY
LIMITS.
• OUTLINE SYSTEM STRUCTURE.• DEFINE KEY PROCESSES.
• ASSESS IMPACT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS (HUMAN ACTIVITIES).• CHOOSE SUITABLE INDICATORS FOR MONITORING.
• DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT.
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ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (4)
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EXAMPLES OF DREDGING
ORESUND PROJECT (JENSEN/99)• FOCUS ON EELGRASS & MUSSELBANKS• ESTIMATE SENSIVITY FOR SEDIMENT AND SUSPENDED
MATTER• DERIVE OPERATIONAL LIMITS FOR DREDGING• MONITORING
• SINGAPORE LAND RECLAMATION ((DOORN_GROEN/07)• FOCUS ON CORAL REEFS, SEAGRASS BEDS &
MANGROVES• ASSESS SEDIMENT TRANSPORT (incl. dredging)• STUDY INFLUENCE OF WATER COLUMN• DEFINE ALLOWABLE SEDIMENTATION RATES• MONITORING
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DREDGING CASES
GOOD ECOLOGICAL APPROACHES
FALLS SHORT OF ECOSYSTEM APPROACH
DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND FEEDBACK MECHANISMS
CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008
DREDGING NEEDS
•GENERIC LIMIT VALUES FOR SEDIMENTATION AND TURBIDITY ARE TOO CONSERVATIVE
•STANDARD VALUES DO NOT RECOGNIZE RESILIENCE AND DYNAMCS OF THE ECOSYSTEM
•NEED FOR ASSESSMENT METHOD THAT ACCOUNTS FOR CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE
SYSTEM
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FINDINGS• ECOSYSTEM APPROACH OFFERS INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC
PERSPECTIVES FOR UNDERSTANDING DYNAMICS OF SYSTEMS.
• ECOSYSTEM APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW POSES REGULATORY PROBLEMS
• THERE IS NO ADEQUATE TOOLBOX FOR “ECOSYSTEM IMPACT ASSESSMENT”.
• THE SYSTEM APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IS AT ODDS WITH THE SPECIFIC SPECIES AND HABITATS PROTECTION.
• “ECOSYSTEM IMPACT ASSESSMENT” AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE.
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