1 / 17

The Water Framework Directive: Challenges, Threats and Opportunities

The Water Framework Directive: Challenges, Threats and Opportunities. Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Athens, June 2003. WFD: The new opportunities. Restructuring administration Establishment, for the first time, of a single legislative framework

teodorac
Download Presentation

The Water Framework Directive: Challenges, Threats and Opportunities

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Water Framework Directive:Challenges, Threats and Opportunities Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Athens, June 2003

  2. WFD: The new opportunities • Restructuring administration • Establishment, for the first time, of a single legislative framework • Long term planning in Water Resources Management • Decentralization of management to the River basin units • Rationalizing water costs • Promoting economic sustainability

  3. WFD: The new opportunities • Sustainability in water management and use • Prevention of further deterioration and achievement of good status for all waters • Involving the greater public in the protection of the environment

  4. River Basins Identification of River Basins Establishment of competent authorities Analysis and Review Analysis of characteristics Review of impact of human activity Economic analysis of water use Implementation in Greece: The key issues

  5. Public Participation Encouragement of active involvement of all interested parties Development and publication of draft RBMPs Pricing - Penalties Providing adequate incentives for efficient use Achieving cost recovery Imposing penalties Effective, proportionate and dissuasive Implementation in Greece: The key issues

  6. Implementation in Greece:The Challenge • The harmonisation of the National Legislation • Clarification of complex actions and implementation processes • Scientific, practical and technical issues requiring further elaboration • Unprepared administrative structures • Lack of technical data and experience • The achievement of the WFD objectives, adjusted to the particularities of the Greek region

  7. A major constraint: Strict time schedule

  8. Particularities of the Greek region • Unequal distribution of resources • Extensive coastline • River Basins of small size • Over-exploitation and salinization of groundwater • Transboundary river basins

  9. Particularities of the Greek region • Unequal distribution of population • Seasonality of demand • Large number of regions with water scarcity problems • Increased irrigation demand

  10. Particularities of the Greek region • Capacity shortage in managing water resources • Fragmentation of roles, according to existing administrative structures • Insufficient legislative framework, not implemented to a large extent • Limited public awareness on water issues

  11. New and Scheduled Interventions for the WFD Implementation

  12. Actions in progress • Greek Experts’ Participation in the Working Groups • Committee assigned to the task • Restructuring of the Water Quality and Quantity Monitoring Programs • Interregional water issue management strategic planning

  13. Actions in progress • Development of a National Water Policy • Updating of the National Qualitative and Quantitative water data bases • Pilot implementation of the Directive in a river basin • Categorization and determination of Reference Conditions of aquatic bodies

  14. International cooperation and coordination • Bilateral Agreements between Greece and Bulgaria, for the river Nestos in 1996, concerning: • Issues of water sharing (also for the river Ardas ) • The amount of water used annually for the irrigation purposes • Collaboration Protocols with Bulgaria for: • Integrated monitoring of water quality • Application of the necessary measures for water protection • Initiatives: • Between Greece and F.Y.R.O.M. for the protection of the Lakes Megali Prespa and Doirani • Between Greece, Albania and F.Y.R.O.M. for the creation of a trounsboundary National Park aiming at the protection of the Prespa Lakes

  15. Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Operational Programme “Environment” Water Quality Monitoring: €12.000.000 Special interventions in the sector of sewerage: €10.200.000 Wastewater Treatment Plants and Sewerage Projects: Submitted projects: €273.030.000 Scheduled projects: €626.054.000 Special Projects (scheduled) €65.340.000.000 Ministry of Development Operational Programme “Competitiveness” Development of systems and tools of water resources management: €6.453.500 Recording and evaluation of Water Resources: 14.061.000 € Moreover, actions will result from the INTERREG Program which is to open to call for proposal soon Scheduled Actions

  16. The new Administrative Structure • National Water Committee • National Water Council • Central Water Service • Water Region Directorates • Water Region Councils

  17. Conclusions • Effective implementation remains the key challenge • Ambitious but legally binding objectives and measures, in a tight timetable

More Related