Monitoring, assessing and classifying the environment Classification Monitoring, assessing and classifying the environment

Why we need to classify Provides information on the environment’s quality to the Scottish public RBMP Classification allows us to define targeted objectives for the RBMPs We have to report results to the EU The Water Framework Directvie sets an enormous challenge in meeting the objectvies of the improvement and protection of the water environment and is the major driver for the sustainable management of water in the UK. The water environment includes all rivers, canals, lochs, estuaries, wetlands and coastal waters as well as water under the ground.

How was classification devised? Increasing control Increasing comparability Ecostat UKTAG (Technical Advisory Group) was set up to provide coordinated advice on scientific and technical aspects of the WFD UKTAG through its various task forces, refines rules for classification from the Directive and EU guidance

Objectives and state of the water environment in Scotland HIGH GOOD MODERATE POOR BAD No deterioration Improve to Good Status by 2027 Protected Areas R e s t o r e RBMPs has two main types of objectives. First is to protect against deterioration in quality – through authorising new activities, land use planning decisions and protecting against the spread of invasive. Second is to improve to good status by 2027 - Ambitious plan – We need to do this unless there is a very good reason not to. The plans also cover protected areas – bathing waters, drinking water, shellfish waters and conservation areas. 5. Objective setting for 2nd plans was led by the Water unit supported by SEPA sector leads and informed by external sector engagement consultation feedback ecosystems services data PA status (SAC, SPA, NVZ, UWWTD etc) confidence of classification and pressures estimated costs of improvement versus the ££ available (done through scenarios and impacts on use)

What is classification? All Scotland’s baseline water bodies have to be classified Classification based on ecological, chemical and hydromorphological data WBs will be classified as High, Good, Moderate, Poor or Bad status (GEP) Large emphasis on ecology Classification informs the setting of objectives

What do we do where?

How do we monitor and classify? Risk-based, in response to pressures Good spatial extent 3 types of monitoring Surveillance – long term change Operational – sites at risk Investigative – pollution incidents or intensive to improve confidence REVIEWED ANNUALLY

Grouping Grouping – why? Have to classify all water bodies; can’t afford to monitor them all How were the groups created? Based on risk, pressure profile and typology. Each group has monitoring in and these classification results used to classify the group

Heavily modified water body “so affected by human activity . . . that it may be unfeasible or unreasonably expensive to achieve good status . . . less stringent environmental objectives may be set” So, we assess HMWBs for “ecological potential”, not ecological status

What’s in classification? Then for each final box, varying numbers of parameters below Type of parameter varies, depending on the water category

One out all out Overall status is same as the worst parameter No averaging out Consistent across EU and UK Ask them as questions.

e.g. rivers High Good Pass Bad Bad Pass High Pass Bad Bad