CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM APPROACH AND DREDGING Frederik Mink Interel Cabinet Stewart

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 EU ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION BIRDS DIRECTIVE 1976 Species HABITATS DIRECTIVE 1992 Habitats WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE 2000 River Basin MARINE STRATEGY DIRECTIVE 2008 Ecosystem “MARINE STRATEGY SHALL APPLY AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES…”  Maintain good environmental status  Maintain carrying capacity

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM APPROACH STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF LAND, WATER AND LIVING RESOURCES TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE BASED ON:  Appropriate science focused on biological processes and functions  CBD – Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) and Conference of Parties (2000)

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH IN REGULATORY SPACE ? –IS THE SCIENCE GOOD ENOUGH? –CAN WE MODEL ECOSYSTEMS? –CAN WE PREDICT CONSEQUENCES?

ECOSYSTEM “A DYNAMIC COMPLEX OF PLANT, ANIMAL AND MICRO- ORGANISM COMMUNITIES AND THEIR NON LIVING ENVIRONMENT INTERACTING AS A FUNCTIONAL UNIT “(CBD) ANY PART OF THE BIOSPHERE COMPRISING LIVING AND NON-LIVING CONSTITUENTS  that support a complex network of interactions  is delimited in space  interacts with surrounding biosphere via input/output. ” E.P. ODUM ‘58/‘69 CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008

Simplified ‘structure’ marine ecosystem CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 Birds Mammals Birds Mammals Algae & Pelagic Algae & Pelagic Benthos Water Column Seabed BIOTOPESBIOTOPES PHYSSUBSTRATEPHYSSUBSTRATE Biotic A-Biotic

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 OUTLINE OF MARINE ECOSYTEM PROCESSES INPUT - Energy - Water - Nutrients - Sediments - Matter - Migratory species - C / CO 2 ECOSYSTEM ‘FUNCTIONS’ -Production -Accumulation -Transformation -Transport OUTPUT - Energy - Water - Nutrients - Sediments - Matter - Migratory species - C / CO 2 Impacts and pressures Products and services

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM APPROACH (HELCOM) Perennial plants Fish 2 Fish 1 Zoo plankton Birds Mammals Zoobenthos Sediment Phyto plankton Water column Sea bed Contaminants Nutrients Human activities Nutrients Cont.

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM APPROACH - DREDGING Sediment removal Direct Resuspension Impact morphology benthos flora SedimentationTurbidity Organic material EntrainmentLight Fish community Habitat status NutrientsO2 Level Eutrophication Hydrodyn. changesTopography SalinityWave climate Habitat structures Mammals Ecosystem boundary Chemical factors Short-termLong-term Physical factors Ecological conditions

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008

ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (1) NEED TOOLS TO PERFORM “ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT” NEED APPROPRIATE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF INTERNAL SYSTEM ORGANIZATION NEED MODELS TO PREDICT IMPACT ON SYSTEM RESPONSE DEFINE APPROPRIATE INDICATORS

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (2) Increased impact human acitvity Ecosystem state Pristine conditions Good environmental status Degraded conditions Reference Point E.Q.O. Reference Point Allowable zone Current state? Pressures & impacts Indicators Precautionary limit

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (3) ASSESS (LOWER) END-POINT OF GOOD STATUS RANGE. DEFINE ECOLOGICAL QUALITY OBJECTIVES & PRECAUTIONARY LIMITS. OUTLINE SYSTEM STRUCTURE. DEFINE KEY PROCESSES. ASSESS IMPACT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS (HUMAN ACTIVITIES). CHOOSE SUITABLE INDICATORS FOR MONITORING. DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT.

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 ECOSYSTEM IN REGULATION (4)

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 EXAMPLES OF DREDGING ORESUND PROJECT (JENSEN/99) FOCUS ON EELGRASS & MUSSELBANKS ESTIMATE SENSIVITY FOR SEDIMENT AND SUSPENDED MATTER DERIVE OPERATIONAL LIMITS FOR DREDGING MONITORING SINGAPORE LAND RECLAMATION ((DOORN_GROEN/07) FOCUS ON CORAL REEFS, SEAGRASS BEDS & MANGROVES ASSESS SEDIMENT TRANSPORT (incl. dredging) STUDY INFLUENCE OF WATER COLUMN DEFINE ALLOWABLE SEDIMENTATION RATES MONITORING

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 DREDGING CASES GOOD ECOLOGICAL APPROACHES FALLS SHORT OF ECOSYSTEM APPROACH DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND FEEDBACK MECHANISMS

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 DREDGING NEEDS GENERIC LIMIT VALUES FOR SEDIMENTATION AND TURBIDITY ARE TOO CONSERVATIVE STANDARD VALUES DO NOT RECOGNIZE RESILIENCE AND DYNAMCS OF THE ECOSYSTEM NEED FOR ASSESSMENT METHOD THAT ACCOUNTS FOR CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM

CEDA DREDGING DAYS 2008 FINDINGS ECOSYSTEM APPROACH OFFERS INTERESTING SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES FOR UNDERSTANDING DYNAMICS OF SYSTEMS. ECOSYSTEM APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW POSES REGULATORY PROBLEMS THERE IS NO ADEQUATE TOOLBOX FOR “ECOSYSTEM IMPACT ASSESSMENT”. THE SYSTEM APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IS AT ODDS WITH THE SPECIFIC SPECIES AND HABITATS PROTECTION. “ECOSYSTEM IMPACT ASSESSMENT” AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE.