River Basin Management Plans
Encyclopedia
River basin management plans are a management tool in Integrated Water Resources Management
. They generally contain descriptions of the water resources
in a drainage basin
and water allocation plans.
and a means of achieving the protection, improvement and sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. This includes surface freshwaters (including lakes, streams and rivers), groundwater, ecosystems such as some wetlands that depend on groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters out to one nautical mile.
The Directive requires member states to aim to achieve at least good status in each water body within their river basin districts. Each member state
must produce a plan for each of the river basin districts within its territory.
Plans must include: objectives for each water body; reasons for not achieving objectives where relevant; and the programme of actions required to meet the objectives.
River Basin Management Plans were published for several member states on 22 December 2010.
Integrated Water Resources Management
Integrated Water Resources Management has been defined by the Technical Committee of the Global Water Partnership as "a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land...
. They generally contain descriptions of the water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
in a drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and water allocation plans.
Europe
River Basin Management Plans are a requirement of the Water Framework DirectiveWater framework directive
The Water Framework Directive is a European Union directive which commits European Union member states to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies The Water Framework Directive (more formally the Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23...
and a means of achieving the protection, improvement and sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. This includes surface freshwaters (including lakes, streams and rivers), groundwater, ecosystems such as some wetlands that depend on groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters out to one nautical mile.
The Directive requires member states to aim to achieve at least good status in each water body within their river basin districts. Each member state
Member state
A member state is a state that is a member of an international organisation.The World Trade Organization has members that are sovereign states and members that are not, thus WTO members are not called member states.- Worldwide :...
must produce a plan for each of the river basin districts within its territory.
Plans must include: objectives for each water body; reasons for not achieving objectives where relevant; and the programme of actions required to meet the objectives.
River Basin Management Plans were published for several member states on 22 December 2010.
River basin management in a changing climate - a Guidance document
On 30 November 2009, Water Directors of EU Member States issued a guidance document on adaptation to climate change in water management. The document is the first result of numerous actions included in the European Commission White Paper Adapting to climate change; Towards a European framework for action. The document includes guidance on how to take climate change into account in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive and the Strategy on Water Scarcity and Droughts.See also
- Environment Agency The Water Framework Directive in England and Wales
- River basin management in a changing climate - a Guidance document (pdf ~2,1MB) http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents/management_finalpdf/_EN_1.0_&a=d
- River basins
- Riskbase
- Water Framework DirectiveWater framework directiveThe Water Framework Directive is a European Union directive which commits European Union member states to achieve good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies The Water Framework Directive (more formally the Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23...