Critique of the DPSIR framework

1. Critique of the DPSIR framework Alice Newton IMAR- University of Algarve

2. DPSIR “vocabulary” Advantage: ordinary words not jargon Disadvantage: frequently misused or substituted • Drivers • Pressures • State • Impacts • Responses OECD (1993). OECD core set of indicators for environmental performance reviews. OECD Environment Monographs No. 83. OECD. Paris.

3. Pressures DPSIR + eutrophication BOD DO Nutrients State variables Responses O.E.C.D. 1993, 2004

4. DPSIR + eutrophication

5. Drivers: need to update, maybe price of oil will be a major driver with increased biofuels Pressures: need to consider “difficult” aspects such as loss of denitrifying wetlands, atmospheric deposition

6. Examples of “New” drivers • Tourism: car, plane, golf, demographics of coast • Lifestyles: joining EU!, changing economies central to market, changing diets, more meat • Agriculture (actually biomass production): biofuels, aquaculture

7. ImpactsNeed to break these down and check on all to see if there is are impacts that are: Environmental EcologicalEconomic Social Health

8. Impacts • environmental e.g. increase turbidity, • ecological, e.g. loss of biodiversity, • economic e.g. lower fish catches, • social e.g. loss of fishing jobs • health e.g. contaminated shellfish

9. Environmental Ecological Economic Social Health Poor water quality Loss of seagrass, ecosystem service nursery function Loss of fishing catch and revenues Loss of fishing jobs Contaminated shellfish Impacts

10. Biological Quality Elements Phytoplankton Other plants Benthos Fish ECOLOGICAL IMPACT Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration

11. Supporting elements: Nutrient concentrations Si:N N:P Transparency Bottom water Oxygen BQE metrics Chlorophyll a Cell counts HAB Opportunist algae biomass Biodiversity of benthos AMBI Biological Quality Elements Phytoplankton Other plants Benthos Fish STATE IMPACT (ECOLOGICAL) Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration

12. Phytoplankton Increase HABs, NABs Other plants Loss of seagrass Increase opportunistic algae Benthos Loss of sensitive taxa, Increase tolerant taxa Fish Loss of nurseries for juveniles Loss of sensitive taxa ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICIMPACT IMPACT Loss of aquaculture revenue Loss of tourism revenue Public health concerns ASP, DSP, NSP Cost of removing algae Mass mortalities Loss of shellfisheries revenue Fish kills Loss of fisheries revenue Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration

13. Responses of society, e.g. new management criteria, new infrastructure, new policy

14. Conclusions

15. Drivers: need to update, maybe price of oil will be a major driver with increased biofuels Pressures: need to consider “difficult” aspects such as loss of denitrifying wetlands, atmospheric deposition State: need to test the metrics for the physico-chemical supporting quality elements and the Biological Quality Elements and move towards INTEGRATIVE ASSESSMENT Impact: must link economic impact to ecological impacts, NOT consider them separately. Clearly shows the value of ecosystem services Response: Should address the drivers! Is building UWWT plants the only answer? What about CAP and farming practices?