欧盟水框架指令及其执行情况

欧盟水框架指令具有法律效力,目标是保护和管理水资源.水框架指令作为一个基础性法律文件,内容丰富,涉及到保护水的各个方面,并将水域的保护与污染控制结合起来.从现在水框架的执行情况来看,由于各国的实际情况不同,水框架指令的执行又刚刚开始,效果并不明显,今后还有很多的工作要做.     

Bridging parallel discourses of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): institutional and political challenges in developing and developed countries

This paper provides a comparative review of the literature on the institutional challenges and politics of IWRM, in relation to the EU's Water Framework Directive (WFD). It reveals two parallel debates with little interaction. The extent to which IWRM is actually addressed in the WFD literature is questioned, as is the assumption that developing countries can learn from WFD experiences. Finally, the mutual benefits of connecting these parallel discussions are demonstrated, especially in terms of encouraging greater sensitivity to the contingencies and complexities of water management.     

Web Based Meta-database and its Role in Improving Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean Basin

Water is a very crucial natural resource in the world and because of its selective availability among different countries; it will be the most precious commodity in the future. In the Mediterranean basin one can find a mosaic of countries rich in water and others poor. However, the common issue for all these countries is how to improve water resources management. NOSTRUM-DSS [Network on Governance, Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Resources Management in the Mediterranean. The role of DSS (Decision Support System) tools. Contract 509158. August 2004–August 2007], which is a co-ordination action funded by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Program, aims to contribute to the achievement of improved governance and planning in the field of sustainable water management. In order to achieve this goal, DSS tools which can ease the problem of accessing information about an Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) for decision makers, scientific community, and other organizations must be created. An online database is one of these tools which can help in creating an IWRM. This tool can reduce information redundancy, eliminate unneeded expenses, and create regional cooperation in the area of water resources management. In this paper a new Web based meta-database about climate, remote sensing, and Geographic Information System (GIS) related to water resources management is introduced, and its role in improving water resources management is discussed.     

中欧水资源交流平台

中欧水资源交流平台将成为中国-欧盟流域管理项目取得的主要成果之一,旨在2012年7月中国-欧盟流域管理项目期满后,保持中国与欧盟、欧盟成员国与欧洲其他相关国家之间在水资源政策、管理、研究及技术方面的对话交流。中欧水资源交流平台将于2012年3月在法国马赛召开的第六届世界水资源论坛上正式启动。     

Mathematical Modelling for the Integrated Management of Water Resources in Hydrological Basins

Mathematical models are tools that can facilitate the instrumentation of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The first basin models to be developed were completely hydrological; today, due to the urgent need to plan the sustainable use of water resources, new models are needed that in addition to hydrology also incorporate social, economic, legal, environmental and other aspects. The objective of this work was to identify the characteristics that mathematical basin models must have in order to satisfy the requirements of IWRM. To achieve this, the conclusions of the main international conferences on water and the environment were analyzed; these were conferences in which IWRM was promoted as a strategy to face the challenges of both sectors. IWRM considers social participation as a key element in the decision-making process; consequently, the models must be accepted and applied, and their results interpreted, by those who participate in the process even if they are not modelling experts. This requires a change of perspective in the scientific community for the development of new IWRM models, in government institutions regarding their role as water administrators, and in water stakeholders regarding their role as decision-makers. The results of the analysis indicate that models for IWRM must be accessible to non-expert users, integrate different viewpoints, representing adequately the problem to be solved, in addition be flexible and have a structure focused on practical solutions.     

Water resources management and Integrated Water Resources Management implementation in Malawi: Status and implications for lake basin management

Many countries, including Malawi, are implementing integrated approaches for the development, management and use of water and other natural resources. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is, arguably, one approach considered helpful in addressing water issues effectively and sustainably. This study assesses the implementation of IWRM in Malawi to the present time, in relation to the five priority areas the country's Integrated Water Resources Management/Water Efficiency (IWRM/WE) Plan (2008–2012) sought to address, as well as the potential benefits of infusing Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) in this approach. Document reviews, key informant interviews, questionnaire surveys and site visits were the employed methods in this analysis. Considering the significant importance of lakes in the country, this study, through application of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats framework, provides insight on how lake basin management issues can best be incorporated within the existing IWRM‐based framework to promote the management and utilization of lakes for sustainable use. While acknowledging the relevance of a holistic approach, the study highlights the importance for the country to ensure that its development agenda is not negatively affected in the course of implementing IWRM.     

欧盟水框架指令初议

欧盟水框架指令（WFD）是近几十年来欧盟在水资源领域颁布的最重要指令。简要分析了欧盟水框架指令产生的背景及过程,概述了指令主要内容及法律效力,分析了其在流域管理、规划、价格激励、信息咨询等方面的主要特点,并结合现代水资源管理的特点,提出几点建议。     

Approaches to National Water Action Planning

Four years ago, in 1992, broad international consensus on a new agenda for the developmentand managementof the world's fresh water resources emerged. Fresh water was recognized as a finite and vulnerable resource, which is vital for the sustenance of life, for all development activities, health and environment maintenance. All countries agreed to the need for concerted action along the lines spelled out in the guiding principles articulated at the International Conference on Water and the Environment and Development in Rio. In the Dublin-Rio process it was suggested that countries should prepare national water action plans in attempt to translate the guiding principles to operational strategies for action at the national, sub-national and local levels. So far, little experience exists on the preparation of such integrated and cross-sectoral water action plans, and examples of actual implementation are very few. However, some developing countries have decided to face the post-Rio challenge and have initiated the process, and approaches to national water action planning have been developed in, for example, Uganda and Nicaragua.     

Water Resources Management and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Cameroon

Cameroon is blessed with abundant water resources. Rapid population increase, unplanned urbanisation, intensive industrial and socio-economic development have led to poor and unsustainable management of these resources. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a promising approach in ensuring sustainable management of Cameroon’s water resources. It entails management of water for various purposes and not for a single purpose which therefore involves different stake holders aiming at achieving sustainable water resources management. This paper seeks to evaluate recent efforts to implement in IWRM in Cameroon by examining the institutional framework for IWRM in Cameroon, conditions for the implementation of IWRM and proposes reforms for improving IWRM in Cameroon. The paper concludes that reforms such as public participation at local council levels, recognition of water as both an economic and a social good, putting IWRM within the larger context of Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) and the exploitation of mathematical models within hydrological basins will improve IWRM in Cameroon.     

Identifying Uncertainty Guidelines for Supporting Policy Making in Water Management Illustrated for Upper Guadiana and Rhine Basins

In recent years, guidelines have been developed for supporting water managers in dealing with uncertainty in integrated water resources management (IWRM). Usually such guidelines have concentrated on certain aspects of processes in IWRM, notably on uncertainty associated with the modelling process and monitoring data. While this is of undisputed importance for supporting water managers in making well balanced and informed decisions, less attention has been paid to guiding policy makers in where uncertainty may emerge when considering the whole water management process. In this paper it is assessed in what way the policy makers can benefit from support in accounting for uncertainty at various stages in the water management process. Point of departure is an analysis of a broad range of uncertainty guidelines and their categorization in the water management process using a recently developed framework. Emphasis is on linking sources of uncertainty to uncertainty guidelines from an applied point of view in water management by developing a way to assist water managers to deal with uncertainty in IWRM and make informed and robust decisions. To support this, the Upper Guadiana basin in Spain and three Rhine basins are used as cases for water management issues in which it is demonstrated how water managers potentially can benefit from uncertainty guidelines in support of policy making, for instance with respect to implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).     

Disentangling Water Usage in the European Union: A Decomposition Analysis

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) defines common objectives for water resources throughout the European Union (EU). Given this general approach to water preservation and water policy, the objective of this paper is to analyse whether common patterns of water consumption exist within Europe. In particular, our study uses two methods to reveal the reasons behind sectoral water use in all EU countries. The first method is based on an accounting indicator that calculates the water intensity of an economy as the sum of sectoral water intensities. The second method is a subsystem input-output model that divides total water use into different income channels within the production system. The application uses data for the years 2005 and 2009 on water consumption in the production system of the 27 countries of the EU. From our analysis it emerges that EU countries are characterized by very different patterns of water consumption. In particular water consumption by the agriculture sector is extremely high in Central/Eastern Europe, relative to the rest of Europe. In most countries, the water used by the fuel, power and water sector is consumed to satisfy domestic final demand. However, our analysis shows that for some countries exports from this sector are an important driver of water consumption. Focusing on the agricultural sector, the decomposition analysis suggests that water usage in Mediterranean countries is mainly driven by final demand for, and exports of, agricultural products. In Central/Eastern Europe domestic final demand is the main driver of water consumption, but in this region the proportion of water use driven by demand for exports is increasing over time. Given these heterogeneous water consumption patterns, our analysis suggests that Mediterranean and Central/Eastern European countries should adopt specific water policies in order to achieve efficient levels of water consumption in the European Union.     

Integrated Urban Water Resources Management: A Challenge into the 21st Century

The concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) was introduced in the realm of the International Water Resources Association some 30 years ago. In the context of the urban environment, IWRM requires that management should encompass not only other sectors such as transportation, housing, etc. but also the concurrence of professionals of different disciplines. This paper presents the challenges faced by two metropolitan regions, one in the developed world and one in the developing world. In both cases it is shown that demand management can play a definite role in achieving integrated water management. The complexity of managing the mega-cities of the 21st century will require the creation of a new professional who will be able to coordinate multidisciplinary team work in the water sector.     

Towards Poverty Alleviation: The Water Sector Perspectives

Given the context of diminishing water availability as a result of water pollution and inadequate development of water resources on the supply side and increasing population and expanding economic activity on the demand side, this paper reviews water-poverty interfaces and suggests ways of contributing to poverty alleviation through water sector interventions. The unequal distribution of the available water within communities and among various water users in the same country and across countries is discussed as a key issue in this context. The paper examines the causes of poverty with particular reference to the pattern of access to water supply as well as to water for various economic activities. It also considers water-related disasters such as flood, cyclone and riverbank erosion and their adverse human and natural consequences. Water deprivation is seen as both a state and a process--the former being the situation prevailing at a particular point of time and the later implying how that state has been reached and how may it evolve in future. The paper argues that the water crisis is primarily one of management, given the persisting traditional--sectorally focused and fragmented--approach. The appropriate alternative, it is argued, is integrated water resource management (IWRM), which is holistic in approach and focuses on the various uses of water and different categories of its users. It suggests ways of moving forward in terms of improved and participatory water development and management, which can contribute significantly to poverty alleviation. The second part of the paper highlights the National Water Policy of Bangladesh as a case study. The policy, adopted in 1999, broadly encompasses the various elements of IWRM. It enunciates principles and directions for water planning and utilization towards fulfilling the national goals of economic development, poverty alleviation, food security, public health and safety, decent standard of living of the people and protection of the natural environment. The policy has adopted a holistic approach and provided guidelines for participatory water management. The paper points out that a Bangladesh National Water Management Plan has been drafted within the framework of the National Water Policy with a view to improving water development and management so as to address human, economic and environmental needs of water, with special emphasis on the water needs of the poorer segments of society.     

From Marrakech through The Hague to Kyoto: Has the Global Debate on Water Reached a Dead End?

Abstract

Although the first World Water Forum was held in 1997, realization by the world community of the vast array of problems facing the water sector dates back to the seventies. Indeed, the Mar del Plata Water Conference that was held in 1977 can be considered the first world water forum. Since that time, a series of international conferences, including the three world water forums that were held in Marrakech, The Hague, and Kyoto, have been organized to discuss the existing and emerging water problems. Such conferences and forums have debated the major issues regarding management and development of water resources, and have adopted a number of resolutions, declarations, and action plans. The debate on many of those issues has sharpened in recent years and the resolutions, declarations, and action plans have multiplied. This article discusses the basic elements of the debate and the areas of differences between the various groups, and assesses the efficacy and impact of the resolutions, declarations, and action plans adopted at those conferences.

This is the first of a two-part article, the second of which will be published in the next issue of this Journal.     

Roles and perspectives of the policy‐maker,affected water sector and scientist in integrated water resources management: a case study from South Africa

Following a definition of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and who the various stakeholders are in IWRM, the roles and views of three different stakeholders are discussed from a South African perspective. The role of national policy‐maker is that of enabling/facilitating IWRM in light of principles and provisions enshrined in South Africa's National Water Act of 1998. Commercial agriculture is selected as one sector markedly affected by new legislation related to IWRM. Positives of the legislation are first outlined, but perceived ‘threats’ by the commercial agriculture sector of legislation then come under the spotlight. These are categorized into questions on water allocation, water conservation and water management. The role of the scientist, more specifically the hydrologist, in enabling/facilitating IWRM is viewed from perspectives of the scientist's being the ‘objective broker’ between stakeholders with their own agendas, to information provider, of being model developer, of pre‐empting future questions on IWRM, as communicator and as a capacity builder.     

Institutional Arrangements for International Cooperation in Water Resources

Three papers were specially commissioned for a Special Session on 'Institutional Arrangements for International Cooperation in Water Resources' during the 8th World Congress on Water Resources in Cairo, Egypt, in November 1994. The Session also include a Panel discussion in which Presidents or senior officials from six major water-related professional associations made brief presentations on the desirability of establishing a World Water Council. This paper is a summary of the entire Special Session .     

Lake management in Italy: the implications of the Water Framework Directive

This paper constitutes the first consideration of the implications of the lake management in Italy arising from the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), in comparison to the provisions of existing national legislation. As a matter of fact, the Italian decrees anticipated the principles of the WFD and have substantially modified the legislation in the field of water in Italy. Important changes were introduced, both in the monitoring systems and in the classification methods for surface waters. The environmental quality status will be determined not only by monitoring the aqueous matrix, but also the sediment and the biota. The new WFD is the major piece of European Union (EU) legislation with environment at its core; it will guide the efforts for attaining a sustainable aquatic environment in the years to come. In the WFD one can see elements from all the different forces that guided the reform of EU water policy: environmental protection, deregulation and subsidiarity. Moreover, elements of the economic instruments approach (introduction of the cost recovery principle), quantitative concerns (setting of minimum flow objectives for rivers and abstraction limits for ground waters) and the quest for integration (river basin management with representation of all stakeholders) are all reflected in the WFD. The paper summarizes the present condition of the most important lakes in the Italian lake district and also highlights the case of Lake Varese, representing a unique case of lake management in Italy. Preliminary results show that there are very few examples dealing with the elements thought appropriate to lake water assessment as required by the WFD. The application of the objectives of the type specified is a largely unknown issue.     

Estimation of Cost Recovery Ratio for Water Services Based on the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water

This paper proposes a methodology to compute a cost recovery ratio directly from the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-Water) standard tables. The methodology is applied to the Guadalquivir River Basin in southern Spain. Results illustrate that it allows cost recovery analysis in line with Water Framework Directive Article 9. Wider adoption of the methodology would enhance comparability and knowledge sharing between regions, countries and sectors both in the European Union and worldwide.     

Water Resources Modelling under Data Scarcity: Coupling MIKE BASIN and ASM Groundwater Model

The Water Framework Directive calls for strategic water resources planning at a catchment level, yet data and information are scarce in the areas where they are most needed: in the new EU Member States and Third Counties trying to assess the impact of EU environmental legislation in their water resources management policy. The research presented here proposes the coupling of a strategic scale water resources management simulation model (MIKE-Basin) and a finite difference groundwater model (ASM), as a tool to support decision making in data scarce environments. The models were applied in a particularly data scarce region, the Vrbas River basin, in Republic Srpska (RS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the results are presented and discussed. It is argued that the approach adopted is valid and useful as an initial knowledge development and optioneering step, which can guide a national data collection exercise to support detailed modelling, and inform a strategic decision making process relevant to the application of the water framework directive.     

Suitability of Water Quality Indices for Application in Lakes in the Mediterranean

Water quality indices (WQIs) are efficient and powerful tools for evaluating, organising and communicating information on the overall quality of surface water bodies. The use of these indices may be very helpful in evaluating the water quality of aquatic systems in relation to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). In this study, two well-known water quality indices have been selected for evaluation: the CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) and NSF (National Sanitation Foundation). These WQIs were applied in the Polyphytos reservoir-Aliakmon river in Greece where monthly water quality data were available for the period June 2004 to May 2005. The available dataset included values of the following parameters: water depth, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, pH, transparency (Secchi disk depth), BOD₅, COD, total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrite (NO₂ ^?) and nitrate (NO₃ ^?), and total Κjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). The application of the two WQIs was made using specialised, freely available software-tools. A comparison of their performance and a qualitative judgement on their suitability on expressing the quality of a surface water body is presented. The classification results were compared with those obtained by the WFD-ECOFRAME approach of the EU. Based on the applicability and drawbacks of the examined indices, useful conclusions were derived and discussed. Among others, it is concluded that the NSF-WQI is a more robust index and produces a classification nearer that of the WFD-ECOFRAME approach when compared to the CCME-WQI.