Integrated Water ResourcesManagement

ICPDR Wolfgang Stalzer

Ashgabat, 6.-7.12.2010

Current European practices at national and transboundary level

• 81 M inhabitants

• 19 Countries

• 801 000 km²

9 % of Europe

• 8 250 km Length

• Main Tributary to

the Black Sea

Most international River Basin in the World

IWRM – Example Danube20 years of progress

Economic Disparities

GDP per capita (PPP) in $, 2007

05000

1000015000200002500030000350004000045000

GE AT CZ SK HU SI HR BA RS ME BG RO MD UA* 2005

*

IWRM – Example Danube20 years of progress

1990

2010

2000

Fall of Iron Curtain

1995

2005

DanubeRiver

ProtectionConvention

AT in EUCZ, HU, SK, SI

in EU

BG, ROin EU

ICPDRstarts

operations

EU WaterFrameworkDirective

Danube RiverBasin Management

Plan

Danube Declaration

ICPDR -International Commission for the Protection of the Danube RiverThe ICPDR, established by the DRPC:

based on the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of transboundary Watercourses, Helsinki 1992has the mandate to ensure conservation, improvement and rational use of surface waters and ground waterreduce inputs of nutrients and hazardous substancescontrol floods and ice hazardsreduce pollution loads to the Black Sea

Since 2000 the ICPDR is the coordinating body for implementing the EU Water Framework Directive in DRB

GermanyAustriaCzech RepublicSlovakiaHungarySloveniaCroatia

Bosnia & HerzegovinaSerbiaMontenegroRomaniaBulgariaRep. of MoldovaUkraineEuropean Union

Contracting Parties

General Objective

environmentalconsiderations

economicconsiderations

sustainabledevelopment

DRBM Plan

• Impact of environmental issues (SWMIs)• Monitoring chemical & ecological status• Water use• Joint Program of Measures (JPM)• Flood Risk Management & ClimateChange

• Public Participation

Danube Declaration

• Endorsed by ministers of all Danube countries

• Expresses commitment to reinforce transboundary cooperation on sustainable water resource management

Significant Water Management Issues

Organic Pollution

Nutrient Pollution

Hazardous Substances Pollution

HydromorphologicalAlterations

Fish Migration & Ecology

• Ensure free fish migration in entire DRB• Classification of fish regions (e.g. sturgeon)• List and map of key migration routes• Definition of priorities

Hydropower

Potential negative impacton water bodies…

…versus „green“ energyand flood protection

Inland Waterway Transport

slightly alteredstrongly alteredtotally modified

Ground Water

QualityNitrate contamination key issueEU Nitrates Directive & UWWT Directive to be implemented

QuantitySome bodies show poor quantitative statusWater abstraction needs to be monitored more efficiently

Emerging Issues

• Quality and quantity of sediments

• Invasive alien species• Micro-pollutants• Thermal pollution

Climate Change

Flood Risk Management

• Flood action plans for sub-basins• Basin-wide report on flood monitoring• FLOODRISK project• Links RMB – FRM• Hydrological Database

Public Participation & PR

ICPDR

NGOs

General Public

InterestGroups

Public Relations

Public Participation

Future Steps

• Cooperation in the Danube Strategy• Progress report on Joint Programme

of Measures• Joint Danube Survey 3 (2013)• River Basin Management Plan update

(2015)• Next ministerial meeting in 2015

Pillars for theDanube Strategy

Danube River Basin Management Plan- Significant Management Issues - Transnational Monitoring Network- Accident Early Warning System- Joint Program of Measures - Danube GIS and Information Systems

Danube Flood Action Programme- Sub-basin Action Plans- Flood Risk Mapping

Awareness Raising, Education, and Consultation- Danube Box- Danube Day- Joint Statement on Navigation and Environment

Collaboration and Coordination Mechanism

ITCH

PL

MK

AL

DEAT

CZ

UA

MD

HU

SISE

BG

ROSK

HRBA

ICPDR

Cooperation

Bilateral agreements

Cooperation

Cooperation at sub-basin level: e.g. Sava, Tisza

Bilateral and multilateral Cooperation

IT

CH

DE

AT

CZ

HU

SI

SK

Bilateral agreements

FL

Multilateral agreement

IWRM – national levelExample Austria

Development

Austrian Water Act 1934/1959Bilateral and multilateral Agreements 1956 ongoingEU Membership 1995EU Water Framework Directive 2000National Water Act according to the

EU Water Framework Directive 2003

National Water Act

- Organisation and ownership of surface- and groundwater

- Management and administration of water relatedissues including dataregistration and information

- Regulation of permissions (wateruse- andprotection, drainage and irrigation, navigation, floodprotection et c.)

- Surveillance and control

IWRM - Austria

- Watermanagement based on river basinsDanube, Rhine, Elbe (natural geographical and hydrological unit)

- Ecological and chemical impacts – acceptance of objectives on European level to reach the good status

- Coordination of objectives and measures- Developement of a „River Basin Management Plan“- Public Participation

River Basin Management Plan (RBMP)

- Analysis of the current status of all waterbodies- Review of pressures and impacts- Estimation of the effect of the existing legislation- Balanced and agreed measures to fill the gap

between the status quo und the good status (within certain periods)

- Economic analysis – cost effectivness- Information and public participation – getting the

citizens involved

Result surface waterbodies - status 2009

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Öko

logi

sche

rZu

st./P

ot.

Scha

dsto

ffe

stof

flich

eBe

last

ung

(BSB

, N, P

)

hydr

omor

ph.

Bela

stun

g

% d

er W

asse

rkör

perlä

nge

gut und besser mäßig und schlechter

Status surface - waterbodies (RBMP 2009)

Ecological potential - heaviliymodified water bodies(RBMP 2009)

Perspective 2027

SWB

HMWB

Challenges- Reduction of point sources (mainly done)- Reduction of diffuse sources (mainly caused by

agriculture)- Prioritice of measures due to the time limitation- Improvement of the ecological status respective

potential due to impacts caused by hydropower, floodprotection and navigation

- Implementation of flood risk management

Appendix (Quotes)

“…welcome the fact that the European Council at its meeting in June 2009 invited the European Commission to present an

EU strategy for the Danube region before the end of 2010 and emphasize the importance of water and water related ecosystems in the Danube region. We underline the role of

the ICPDR as the major coordinating body in the region with regard to all water management issues and offer its

experience and expertise for both the preparation and the implementation of the EU strategy. The Danube River Basin

Management Plan and its Joint Programme of Measures should be considered as an integral part of the EU Strategy.”

Danube Declaration, Article 3

Appendix 2

“…reaffirm our appreciation and support for the successful steps to increase coordination and cooperation among the countries in the Sava and Tisza sub-basins of the Danube and for the evolving initiatives in the sub-basins of the Prut

and the Danube Delta.”

Danube Declaration, Article 4

Appendix 3

“…commit ourselves to implement the Joint Programme of Measures, which forms an integral part of the DRBM Plan (Part A), as well as our national programmes of measures. The Joint Programme of Measures is based on the national programmes of measures, entails some additional joint initiatives and describes the estimated effects on the basin-wide scale. The Joint Programme of Measures will be our common roadmap guiding our activities and ensuring the necessary harmonisation of actions at the basin-wide scale. We recognize that there are differences between EU Member States and Non EU Member States with regard to their legal obligations and financial resources which need to be taken into consideration.” Danube Declaration, Article 11

Appendix 4

“…see the introduction of limitations on phosphate in detergents as a particularly cost effective and necessary

measure to complement the efforts of implementing urban wastewater treatment and as Ministers of the Danube

countries commit ourselves to initiate the introduction of a maximum limit for the content of total phosphorus of 0.2 to 0.5% P weight/weight, in laundry detergents for consumer

use, if possible by 2012 and to work towards a market launch of polyphosphate-free dishwasher deter-gents for consumer

use until 2015.”

Danube Declaration, Article 18

Appendix 5

“…acknowledge the positive benefits that have been generated through partnership with business and the commitments that have been made through ‘Business

Friends of the Danube’ and continue to seek cooperation with the business sector as necessary in realizing the goals of the

Danube River Protection Convention.”

Danube Declaration, Article 36