Could the ecosystem services framework play a role in the FD implementation? Michael Munk Sørensen (COWI) 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Development of guidance to on how to considerer Ecosystem Services in WFD and FD implementation Objectives of the guidance It should provide RB planners with the necessary knowledge of how the ecosystem service considerations can be applied to river basin planning. It should be based on the implementation process of the WFD and the FD. It's aim is to supplement the implementation process with an Ecosystem Service Approach (ESA), which will ensure that benefits and co-benefits are integrated in the analysis in a more coherent manner. 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Structure of the guidelines 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

What are Ecosystem Services? Provisioning services: All nutritional, material and energetic outputs from living systems. Regulation and Maintenance services: All the ways in which living organisms can mediate or moderate the ambient environment including services that indirectly as well as directly affect human well-being. Cultural services: All the non-material, and normally non-consumptive, outputs of ecosystems that affect physical and mental states of people. 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

How does the Ecosystem Services (ES) and FD interact? 2 October 2013 How does the Ecosystem Services (ES) and FD interact? Aquatic ecosystems can provide natural flood management as an ecosystem service WFD measures might have flood protection as co-benefit (measures that increase retention capacities) Alternative flood mitigation measures=> different impacts on Ecosystem Service provision Increasing retention capacity in the RB => reducing surface flow => reduce pollution inputs Flood defences – hard engineered solutions (weirs, canalising, flood walls etc.,) => negative impacts on hydro-morphology and/or physical-chemical status 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Link between ES and FD? Risk mapping FRMPs Consider if there are ESs affected by flood events FRMPs Consider each FD measure and identify whether there are ESs being impacted by the measure 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Guidance by ES For each key ES being identified: Examples of indicators for quantification and how to apply them Examples of valuations and valuation approaches and how to apply them 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

How to integrate the valued ES into the FRMP? How to integrate the ES assessments into the FRMPs depend on the FRMPs are being developed If a full CBA is used then ES assessment could aim for monetary valuations where possible Otherwise, more qualitative assessment will be sufficient for example as part of a MCA Assessment level of ES Assessment level of FRMP Qualitative Quantitative Monetised X 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Level of accuracy for ES assessments Levels of accuracy required depending on the final use of the valuation exercise 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

How to integrate the valued ES into the FRMP? 2 October 2013 How to integrate the valued ES into the FRMP? If CBA is applied for the FRMPs: Adjusted cost estimates for each measure with Ecosystem Service co-benefit or costs Leading potentially to different ranking of the measures 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Questions for consideration/discussion Experience from risk assessment: Would ES approach support the identification and assessment of the effects of flooding events? Experience from FRMPs: Are co-benefits/costs being taking into account the assessments? Would an ES approach support the systematic accounting of all co-benefit/costs? What types of methodologies are being applied (CBA with financial or economic costs or less quantitative approaches)? 17 October 2013 WG Flood's Meeting

Thank you for your attention Michael Munk Sørensen MMS@COWI.DK