7th European RAMSAR Meeting
27 - 30 September 2011
Trnava - Slovak Republic
What does the integrated Danube
River Basin Management Plan
imply for the environment?
Raimund MAIR, ICPDR
Technical Expert on River Basin Management
[email protected]
Danube River Basin
From the Black Forest
to the Black Sea
Danube River
Protection Convention
signed 29 June 1994, Sofia (Bulgaria)
Protection of water &
ecological resources
Sustainable use
of water
Reduce nutrients &
hazardous substances
ICPDR coordinates implementation of
EU Water Framework Directive & EU
Floods Directive
Manage floods
& ice hazards
EU Water Framework
Directive (WFD)
Diversity of uses, aspirations and impacts
Legal requirement to achieve “good water status”
WFD Implementation Cycle
WFD Analysis
Reports - Pressure
and Impact
Assessment
6 Years
Mgmt.
Cycle
Program of
Measures
operational
2012 and every 6
years thereafter
2004, 2013 and every
6 years thereafter
River Basin
Management Plans
& Program of
Measures
2009 and every 6
years thereafter
Danube River Basin
Management Plan (adopted 2009)
Reflects
 Water status in the basin
 Significant Water Management
Issues
Includes
 Joint Programme of Measures
Enables
 Conclusions on investment & funding
 Evaluation on measure
implementation
Condition of the Danube
and its tributaries
No
designation
9%
Heavily
modified
and
artificial
44%
(Provisional)
Natural
47%
Water body designation
no
data
25%
status
good/+
14%
pot.
good/+ 8%
potential
moderate
/ worse
25%
status
moderate
/ worse
28%
Ecological status
Data for rivers in Danube basin with catchment areas > 4.000 km2
Significant Water Management Issues
Hydromorphological
alterations
Organic
Pollution
Nutrient
Pollution
Hazardous
Substances Pollution
River and Habitat Continuity Interruptions
Disconnection of Adjacent Wetlands/Floodplains
Hydrological Alterations
Hydromorphological
Alterations
Future Infrastructure Projects
Driver/Pressure
Flood protection
Navigation
Hydropower
Natural
HYMO alteration
Danube River Basin Management Plan
Visions & Management
Objectives
Disconnection of adjacent
floodplains / wetlands
The ICPDR’s basin-wide vision is that floodplains/wetlands in the
entire DRBD are re-connected and restored. The integrated function
of these riverine systems ensure the development of self-sustaining
aquatic populations, flood protection and reduction of pollution in
the DRBD.
Hydromorphological
Alterations
Re-connection of
Wetlands / Floodplains
NFI/Baumgartner
 612,745 ha of wetlands/floodplains identified to have
reconnection potential
 Agreement 62,300 ha to be re-connected and/or the
hydrological regime to be improved by 2015
Re-connecting Wetlands/Floodplains
Danube River Basin Management Plan
Visions & Management
Objectives
River and Habitat
Continuity Interruptions
Anthropogenic barriers and habitat deficits do not hinder fish migration and
spawning anymore – sturgeon species and specified other migratory
species are able to access the Danube River and relevant tributaries.
Sturgeon species and specified other migratory species are represented
with self-sustaining populations in the DRBD according to their historical
distribution.
Connectivity &
Fish Migration
Restoration of river and
habitat continuity
Guiding future
developments...
Future Infrastructure Projects (FIPs) can
impact and deteriorate water status,
including potential negative
transboundary effects
FIPs reported for navigation,
flood protection,
hydropower generation,
water supply and others
Balancing of interests “INTEGRATION”
socio-cultural
needs
economic
needs
environmental
needs
 From confrontation to reconciliation, cooperation and win-win
solutions
 Guiding infrastructure development that it won’t conflict with legal
requirements for environmental protection
Cross-sector dialogue 2007
on Inland Navigation
Stakeholder process
 12 Basin Governments and
22 industry and environmental
interest groups during 3 workshops
Result: New commitment
“Joint Statement” (2007)
Joint Statement
Key principles
 Integrated planning process from the
beginning to minimize impacts of
engineering interventions – use of best
practice
 Apply EIAs with public input and respect
WFD’s River Basin Management Plans
 Define goals for IWT and the
river/floodplain ecological integrity
MANUAL
on Good Practices in Sustainable Waterway Planning
 Illustrates the Joint Statement
with its principles & criteria
 Presents new legal framework
conditions for river management
 Presents new approaches in
integrated planning
 Provides a general practical
guidance for integrated planning
 Examples for ecology-oriented
waterway and river bed
engineering
Challenge: HYDROPOWER
RES-e
European Renewable Energy
Directive 2009/28/EC
EU-WFD
European Water
Framework Directive 2000/60/EC
Objectives:
to increase share of energy from
renewable sources with target
figures for 2020 for each MS
Objectives:
good ecological status
of water bodies
MS set national targets + decide on
strategy; e.g. by targets for HP
No deterioration of status
+ other relevant legislation (e.g. Flood Risk Management Directive, Natura 2000, …)
Challenge: HYDROPOWER
Generation of “green” energy…
…versus negative impact on
water environment
ICPDR was asked to prepare
Guiding Principles on
Hydropower Development in
the Danube River Basin –
ACTIVITY LAUNCHED
Future of integrated environmental policy
Danube Declaration 2010
ICPDR Ministerial Meeting, 16 Feb. 2010
Adoption of “Danube Declaration”
http://www.icpdr.org/icpdr-pages/mm2010.htm
EU Strategy for the
Danube Region
 Work of ICPDR strongly linked with different Priority Areas (i.e. 4, 5 and 6)
 Priority Area 4: To restore and maintain the quality of waters (HU - SK)
- Achieve the management objectives set out in the Danube River
Basin Management Plan;
- Elaborate a Danube Delta Analysis Report by 2013 as a step
towards completion of the Delta management Plan, which shall be
adopted by 2015;
- Secure viable populations of Danube sturgeon species.
- …
Project proposal on sediment management currently under development –
results to feed in 2nd Danube River Basin Management Plan 2015
Summary and Conclusions
 WFD Danube River Basin Management Plan 2009 – major
step towards Integrated Water Resource Management in
Danube basin
 Wetlands/Floodplains of significant relevance for River Basin
Management – habitats, potential for nutrient reduction,
sustainable flood risk management, groundwater, climate
adaptation, …
 Joint Program of Measures (JPM) currently under
implementation – environmental situation expected to improve
but further efforts needed
Summary and Conclusions
 Need for inter-sectoral cooperation - ensuring integrated
planning approaches for Future Infrastructure Projects is major
issue (navigation, hydropower, flood risk management)
 Exchange and cooperation pre-requisite for successful
infrastructure project, respecting legislation in place – benefits
for all parties involved
 However, political commitments in need to be applied and
further demonstrated in practical projects
 Danube Strategy expected to further strengthen cooperation –
now task for the countries and Priority Area Coordinators to fill
Strategy with life!
Thank you very much!
For more information please consult the ICPDR website
http://www.icpdr.org
… and the Danube River Basin Management Plan
http://www.icpdr.org/icpdr-pages/river_basin_management.htm
ICPDR Secretariat / Vienna International Centre, D0412 / P.O. Box 500 / 1400 Vienna / Austria
Phone +43 1 26060-5738 / Fax +43 1 26060-5895 / [email protected] / www.icpdr.org