1. Planning process in river basin management
Manuel Menéndez
Centro de Estudios Hidrográficos del CEDEX
Ministry of Public Works- Ministry of Environment (Spain)
The implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the European union and beyond
Athens 19 June 2003

2. Contents
Introduction: Water planning scope. From the theory to the practice.
Main steps in the water planning process as it is established in the Water Framework Directive
Tools for taking decisions and to facilitate the public involvement

3. Introduction: Water planning scope. From the theory to the practice

4. General scope of water planning
Water planning is generally understood as the process aimed to define strategies for a sound management of water resources.
Water planning is a mean and not an objective by itself.
Water planning would culminate when all the relevant information has been considered and a course of action has been decided.

5. Planning process main output
PLAN: Instrument for making decissions in order to influence the future
Who should do What and When?

6. Water planning functions
Water planning is not only a strategic approach
Aditional functions:
To increase transparency and legitimacy for water management
To facilitate interaction and discussion for conflicts resolution
To provide a framework for developing institutional arrangements and coordination with other planning schemes

7. Towards an Integrated river basin management
Water is a very complex issue that affects many essential activities.
It is necessary to propose only possible measures (considering restrictions)
The search of measures with the aim of improving the water use to achieve certain goals requires the knowledge of their impacts in other spheres

8. From the theoretical to the operational management
Potential measures
Possible measures after
legal and institutional
restrictions
Sound measures considering socio-economic and environmental implications

9. Main steps in the water planning process as it is established in the Water Framework Directive

10. Classical approach: Main steps in the cycle
Problem definition
Identification of the system
Definition of objectives
Definition of quantitative measurements and evaluation criteria
Formulation of strategy
Putting measures into practice
Evaluation of the process

11. Water planning as it is understood in the WFD
Problem definition
Identification of the system
Definition of objectives
Definition of quantitative measurements and evaluation criteria
Formulation of strategy
Putting measures into practice
Evaluation of the process
Setting the scene
Assessment of current status
Setting up of envir. objectives
Establishment of monitoring programmes and evaluation criteria
Development of RBMP and PM
Implementation of PM
Evaluation of the process

13. Tools for taking decisions and to facilitate the public involvement

14. Core part in the decision process
The decission process
Problem definition
Identification of the system
Definition of objectives
Definition of quantitative measurements and evaluation criteria
Formulation of strategy
Putting measures into practice
Evaluation of the process
Core part in the decision process

15. Alternatives definition
(They must be possible according legal and institutional frameworks)
Evaluation of alternatives
Simulation methods
Optimization methods
Selection of the best alternative
Decision approach (example: Cost and benefits analysis)
Multicriteria decission analysis
Or just...decision maker... (one person, one collective)

16. Evaluation of alternatives
Simulation methods
Relies on trial and error
The value of each decision variable is set and the objective values are evaluated
Optimisation methods
Sometimes a procedure can be constructed to identify plans close to the optimum (maximum value of the objective)
Lagrange multipliers
Linear and dynamic programming
.....

17. Water resources

18. Water demands distribution

19. Main Input: Water stocks in aquifers and reservoirs, flows in rivers and abstractions.
Main Output: System fail probability

20. Multicriteria analysis: scenario-based policy planning procedure
Figure from Stewart and Scott: Multicriteria decision analysis

21. Selection of the best alternative
Hard business:
Water resources planning must take into account multiple users, purposes and objectives
Increased water use has produced new conflicts between stakeholders
Water is not another resource...Subjectivity

22. Selection of the best alternative
Different spheres:
Technical
Political
No single definition of public interest
Objectives and priorities are changing

23. Selection of the best alternative
It is unclear the concept of “optimal plan”
The role of public participation and the need of defining sound mechanisms:
Transparency: How made easily available for general understanding very complex issues?
Legitimacy: Who can represent the public interest?