1. Principles and Key Issues
Identification of Significant Human Pressures and Impacts, According to Annex II of the WFD.
Principles and Key Issues
Dave Foster, WFD Manager,
Environment Agency for England & Wales

2. Main Elements of Discussion Paper
Developed as a result of Belfast Workshop
UK / Germany, plus 6 other MS
Not intended as substantive guidance on the subject
This is the role of CIS project on “Pressures & Impacts”
Set out Requirements of the WFD
Principles Relating to Identification of Significant Human Pressures and Impacts
Further breakdown of categories of Pressures
Sources of information on Pressures & Impacts
Determining what is “Significant”
Making an assessment of impact
Level of detail of information on Pressures & Impacts
Availability of appropriate tools
Links to other elements of the WFD

3. WFD Requirements Set out in Article 5 and Annex II
Analysis to be completed within 4 years

4. Further Breakdown of Categories
Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures & Impacts
Further Breakdown of Categories
WFD provides little further breakdown
e.g. urban, agricultural, industrial
Additional sub-division of categories is important
Paper to be discussed this afternoon gives further breakdown (along with broad indicators / indices) for determining “significance”
Based on work of German strategy paper

5. Sources of Information
Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures & Impacts
Sources of Information
Other existing EC legislation, e.g. UWWTD
Existing national requirements
“State of the Environment” reports
National classification schemes
Inventories from national legislation
Operational information
e.g. “pollution incidents”

6. Determining what is “Significant”
Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures & Impacts
Determining what is “Significant”
“Significant” can be considered in various ways:
Broad indices / indicator approach
Absolute size / magnitude, e.g. STW >5,000 p.e.
Relative size / magnitude, e.g. STW’s contributing X% of total load to river basin
Pressure is subject to specific EC legislation, e.g. GW Directive
Significance limits should be chosen so that results provide a practical solution
Future trends in pressure should be considered (in broad terms only)

7. Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures & Impacts
Determining Impact of a Pressure
Impact of pressure - likely to cause failure of WFD objective
Impact of pressure - contributes to upward trend
Impact of pressure - contributes to / causes failure of existing standard (national or EC)
Should take account of sensitivity of the water body
Should take account of additive / synergistic effects

8. Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures
Level of Detail Required
A variety of existing information will be available
How much extra data should be obtained?
Possible approach:
1st RBMP - maximum use of existing data, with limited additional data gathering
2nd RBMP - more detailed data will be available from monitoring required by WFD, and review of outcome of first Programme of Measures
N.B. Data used most be robust enough to derive appropriate Programme of Measures

9. Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures
Availability of appropriate tools
Not all tools / techniques needed to identify pressures may currently exist, e.g. for GW
Three broad categories currently identified:
Monitoring data (environmental/discharge/abstraction)
Models, especially linking land use to water status
Pollution inventories, e.g. under IPPC Directive
Also what role for “expert judgement”
Members States may have additional examples

10. Impact assessment framework
Common strategy project
Significant pressures
Available information
about ecological status
Initial understanding
of ‘good status’
Article 5 - Impact Assessment (2004)
-->Identify bodies at risk
Environmental objectives
---> Derogations??
Optimise operational
monitoring programme
RBD plan

11. ? Common Strategy project guidelines on initial pressure assessment
Available information
on Impacts
Categories:
(e.g. existing classification
system, morphology,
additional
monitoring information)
Available information on Pressures
Categories:
( e.g. point source,
diffuse source,
abstraction / regulation)
Sources:
(e.g. emissions inventories, licence records, incident reports)
Current
EC Directive
compliance reports ?
Common Strategy
project scope EU
Significance Thresholds ?
Initial impact review
-known impacts
-model pressures --> impacts
-expert judgement
? Sufficient
information available?
Member States
optional collection of further
data on pressures / impacts
Final impact assessment

12. Principles Relating to Identification of “Significant” Human Pressures
Links to several other elements of WFD:
Design / implementation of monitoring programmes
Use of derogations / designation of HMWBs
Development of RBMPs and Programmes of Measures
Economic analysis of water use
The other half of Art 5 characterisation
Scale issues
Forecasting future trends

13. Other Issues Issues which need to be address in guidance
What is “significant” (relation to environmental risk)
Methods for data interpretation
Methods of identifying direct and indirect pressures
Pressures from past activities, e.g. contaminated land
Forecasting future trends in pressures, e.g. population
“Other” pressures, e.g. introduced species
Combinations of pressures
Common data management / reporting