CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Activities for first RBMP Information exchange on a climate check of the first Programme of Measures

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Questionnaire To collect best practice methods and existing approaches on climate checking the 1 st PoMs To identify gaps and needs for further work Distributed to SSG on 4 April 2008 with return deadline of 1 July 2008 Responses from 16 MS and Norway during July/August Spain not included in summary because response arrived too late

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 1: Specific national or regional studies on CC relevant to River Basin Planning 15 responses – yes 1 response - no (BG) Detailed references given in Appendix 2 Background documents sent by SE, SI and UK On CIRCA

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 2: Issue of CC reported in 1 st RBMP? Undecided –DE probably not because of uncertainties on regional extent and effect of CC on water bodies –SE probably would –CZ depends on results of research

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 2a: If yes, content and level of detail Adaptation implicitly, but not explicitly, addressed in BE and NL In DK dealt with in general terms because of absence of scientific basis to be more explicit In NL objectives and measures are multipurpose and other policies are involved CC Mitigation, until recently, dominated discussions in AT

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 2c. Specific chapter on CC? Integration across other aspects/issues of RBMP e.g. –Drought –Floods –Water quantity issues –Impacts on ecosystems –Soil erosion –Establishment of wetlands

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 3: Climate check of PoMs? Comprehensive methodologies (BE- Flanders, UK) General check (FI) Included in SEA/economic analysis of PoMs (SE) Expert judgment/knowledge used (BE, SI, UK)

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 4a/4b Specific involvement of stakeholders in discussing CC adaptation/inclusion in WFD procedures? Specific stakeholder consultation/participation on CC adaptation in 6 MS (AT, CZ, FI, NL, RO, UK) Part of the WFD Article 14 procedures in 8 countries (AT, BG, FI, FR, HU, NL, NO, RO)

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Categorisation of measures in relation to adaptation to Climate Change

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 5: Win-win measures – 12 countries provided information Example of benefits Water use efficiency: reduction of water use; avoiding water scarcity and crisis situations, more sustainable use of available resources. Flood management: reducing diffuse pollutant and soil erosion loads, alleviating floods, decrease risk of flooding in urban areas, decrease flood peaks and reduce frequency of extreme events (floods and droughts). Land use management: alleviation of flooding by increasing water retention in catchments, reduce emissions of CO 2 by rehabilitation of wetlands and reforestation. Reduction of diffuse pollution: keep nutrient loads low, improving water storage in catchments and reducing CO 2 emissions. Reduction of hydromorphological pressures: improve robustness of aquatic ecosystems and help in adapting to CC related floods and droughts.

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 6: No-regret measures – 13 countries provided information Majority of measures are likely to be “no regret” (DE, FI and UK) Most common measures in relation to point sources, diffuse source and hydromorphological pressures Measures to control point sources adaptable to a reduced carrying capacity and changing pollutant concentrations in water bodies

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 7: Counter-productive measures – 9 countries provided information No measures identified with a high risk of being counter productive (DK, FR) A few areas of risk identified (e.g. UK: increased failures of infrastructure from increased flooding) Majority of measures with low risk of being counter- productive, most either neutral or beneficial Reduction of impact of hydromorphological pressures – increased flood risk Construction projects: infrastructure without sufficient capacity to cope with future rainfall may cause failures of infrastructure and other measures

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Question 8: Specific measures for adaptation to CC? Examples of measures Pricing of water, landscape and land use management (BG) Emergency reservoirs (HU) Water Company Water Resource Plans in England and Wales must consider the impacts of climate change

CIS SSG Climate Change and Water – 5 September Concluding comments Thank you for your valuable contributions Returns on CIRCA Comments on summary paper? Next steps