Towards recovery of Europe s waters Task 8.2 Advising river basin managers and sectors for the 3rd RBMPs Multiple pressures and the WFD Challenges of River Basin Managers and their expectations for MARS INTERNATIONAL DANUBE RIVER BASIN 7 th and 8 th of April 2016, Vienna, Austria Raimund MAIR, Technical Expert River Basin Management International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) Raimund.MAIR@unvienna.org
Catchment Area: 800.000 km2 80 Mio. People 19 Countries Most international River Basin in the World
Significant Water Management Issues (SWMI) Organic Pollution Nutrient Pollution Hazardous Substances Pollution Hydromorphological Alterations Priority pressures affec%ng waters and requiring joint ac2ons by Danube countries Discussed and re-defined every 6 years (2 years before deadline for River Basin Management Plan) Addi2onal pressures under discussion poten%ally to be defined as Significant Water Management Issue in the future, e.g.: - Sediment quality and quan%ty - Invasive Alien Species
Water body Risk Assessment 2013 Example data on water body level: Mul2ple current and poten2al future pressures affec2ng water status Risk 2021 Ongoing pressures Future pressures Pressures likely to appear in future (e.g., from future infrastructure projects) Source: Danube Basin Analysis Update 2013 - ANNEX
Multiple pressures affecting water status Source: Danube River Basin Management Plan Update 2015
Multiple pressures multiple quality elements Mul2ple pressures Organic Pollution Nutrient Pollution Hazardous Substances Pollution Hydromorphological Alterations Mul2ple quality elements
Measures and relevance on basin-wide scale: Example nutrient pollution Nitrogen and phosphorus Sources: Wastewater discharge (urban and industry), agriculture, atmospheric deposi%on, natural background, etc. Key basic measures, e.g.: - Measures on agriculture - EU Nitrates Direc%ve, CAP - Urban wastewater treatment - EU UWWT Direc%ve - Reduc%on industrial emissions - Industrial Emissions Direc%ve LBS Wien
From red to blue: Urban Wastewater Treatment 2011/12 2011/12
From red to blue: Urban Wastewater Treatment 2021 2021 (planned)
Measures and relevance on basin-wide scale: Example nutrients Modelling of emissions and pathways Nutrient load reduc2on for different scenarios Expectable status improvement?
Measures and relevance on basin-wide scale: Example river continuity for fish migration Long- and Medium Distance Migratory fish species Migra%on within freshwater system but also between Danube and Black Sea (anadromous sturgeons) è Fish migra%on: Issue of basin-wide relevance 120+ fish migra2on aids constructed between 2009 and 2015 (in large rivers) Addional 140+ planned un%l 2021
Example river continuity for fish migration ecological prioritisation approach Where are measures to restore river con2nuity ecologically most efficient? Mul2ple hydromorphological pressures considered for calcula2on of priori2sa2on index
Example: Future Infrastructure Projects VERBUND Future infrastructure projects in the pipeline (flood protec2on, naviga2on, hydropower,...) Expectable impacts and deteriora2on of water status? Relevant for applica2on of exemp2ons (WFD Art. 4.7)
Conclusions, Questions and Answers? Mul2ple pressures considered on Danube basin-wide scale Linkage between (mul%ple) pressures and ecological status of major relevance for è Planning the Program of Measures - Measures required beyond basic measures for achievement of Good Ecological Status? Supplementary measures needed? - Which measures are most effec%ve? - Which ecological improvements can be expected? - Effec%veness only if mul%ple pressures are addressed? è Applica%on of exemp2ons from WFD environmental objec%ves - Time extension and lowering objec%ves (WFD Art. 4.4 and 4.5) - Expectable impacts of infrastructure projects (WFD Art. 4.7)? - Which quality elements are deteriora%ng? - Data provided by countries (harmonised) na2onal approaches of key relevance for consistent basin-wide management - Basin-wide scale also Governance challenge
Thank you for your kind attention! For more information please consult the ICPDR website http://www.icpdr.org