1. Scheldt Pilot River Basin
Pilot River Basin Workshop
Stresa, 7-8 March 2006
Scheldt Pilot River Basin
Work programme RBMP and significant water management issues in an international river basin district
Ilke Dieltjens
Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (Flanders)
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

2. Summary of activities 2005 Scaldit action “Characterisations RBD”:
publication Scaldit report (F, D, E)
publication roof report art. 5 (F, D, E)
Scaldit action “Up to the IRBMP”:
work programme IRBMP for the Scheldt
significant water management issues
Scaldit action “Water management and spatial planning”:
publication report (F, D), brochure and cd-rom (F, D, E) on flood risks and spatial planning in the Scheldt IRBD
Scaldit action “Communication”
3 transnational boat trips: presentation of Scaldit report
3 ‘Scaldixit’ newsletters (F, D)
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

3. Work programme international river basin management plan for the Scheldt
Work programme IRBMP integrated into work plan International Scheldt Commission
Timing national/regional RBMPs:
France and Walloon Region: 2008
Flemish Region, the Netherlands, Brussels Capital Region, (Belgian Federal State): 2009
 work programme IRBMP according to stepwise approach
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

4. Stepwise approach IRBMP: declaration of intent
“In compliance with the Treaty of Ghent, all delegations will take into account the advanced timing of some delegations during the elaboration of the roof report of the river basin management plan and they will take into account the results of the analyses and of the consultations of the remaining delegations when deciding on the definitive roof report of the river basin management plan.”
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

5. Stepwise approach IRBMP: timing
31/12/2005: First draft table of contents
31/12/2006: Annotated table of contents
30/06/2007: Rough draft roof report RBMP - first version
31/12/2007: Rough draft roof report RBMP - second version
31/12/2008: Draft IRBMP
31/12/2009: Definitive version roof report RBMP
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

6. Work programme IRBMP: organization of work
Five project groups working on various items IRBMP:
Good status and monitoring coastal and transitional waters
Good status and monitoring fresh surface water
Good status and monitoring groundwater
Cost effectiveness analysis
(Floods and droughts)
Two supporting project groups:
Cartography
Communication
One coordinating working group:
Drafting roof report RBMP
Coordination programmes of measures
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

7. ISC Heads of delegation
Walloon Region
Brussels Capital Region (BCR)
Flemish Region
Belgium Federal State
The Netherlands
ISC Heads of delegation
Operational and strategic co-ordination
President: Walloon Region
France
ISC Plenary meeting
Decision-making
WG C: Co-ordination
Technical co-ordination
President: France
PA1 Communication – Flemish Region
PA2 Cartography – Walloon Region
PA3 Coastal and transitional waters – Belgium
PA4 Fresh surface water – Brussels Cap. Region
PA5 Groundwater – Walloon Region
PA6 Cost effectiveness analysis – The Netherlands
PA7 Floods - Droughts
Water quantity management – France
Safety & floods – Flemish Region
Monitoring – Flemish Region
NGOs, experts, etc.
Workshop 1
Accidental pollution
Workshop 2
Image – attractiveness
ISC-secretariat
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

8. Stepwise approach IRBMP: example project groups
Coordinated definition of good status (SW+GW) - project groups “Coastal and transitional waters”, “Fresh surface water” and “Groundwater”:
31/12/2006: first exchange of information regarding difficulties to obtain the good status
31/03/2007: first consultation regarding objectives for transboundary waters
30/06/2007: first consultation regarding exemptions
30/06/2008: second exchange of information regarding difficulties to obtain the good status
31/08/2008: definitive coordination of objectives for transboundary waters
30/10/2008: definitive coordination of exemptions
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

9. Significant water management issues of common interest in the Scheldt IRBD
Surface water quality, hydromorphological alterations, sediments
Groundwater vulnerability
Scheldt-specific pollutants
Economic analysis
Flood and drought prevention management
Governance
Data, measuring methods and assessment methodologies
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

10. Surface water quality, hydro-morphological changes, sediments
Insufficient surface water quality:
insufficient PhC quality: oxygenation conditions, nutrient conditions, other substances
insufficient BIO quality: further investigation required
Major hydromorphological changes:
dykes, straightened and canalized watercourses for flood protection and navigation: negative impact on ecological working of water system, on biodiversity, on reproduction and migration of fish
Excess sediment and insufficient sediment quality:
soil erosion  excess sediment: negative impact on water drainage and navigation
insufficient sediment quality: negative impact on water quality
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

11. Groundwater vulnerability
Groundwater quality
most GW bodies ‘at risk’ due to presence of nitrates and pesticides
further investigation required regarding definition good chemical status
Good quantitative status of groundwater
most GW bodies ‘at risk’ due to overexploitation and uncertainties regarding GW recharge
 specific tuning required for transboundary aquifers
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

12. Scheldt-specific pollutants
Cu, Zn and PCBs: transboundary impact on district level
transnational cooperation regarding follow-up and implementation of measures to reduce their discharge
Other substances can have transboundary impact on a local level
bi- or tri-lateral cooperation
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

13. Economic analysis
Further follow-up and refining of economic indicators
Cost-effectiveness analyis programmes of measures
Cost recovery: reasonable contribution of different sectors of water users
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

14. Flood and drought prevention management
Coordination of flood management approaches on the basis of European strategy
Quantitative water management: ecological and economic dimension
Preserving water resources
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

15. Governance
Each MS responsible for implementation WFD on own territory BUT also need for cooperation and coordination on IRBD level
insight into each others procedures, exchange of information, comparability of assessment methods and results, building on each others experiences and, if necessary, harmonisation
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

16. Data, measuring methods and assessment methodologies
Improvement of mutual comparability of measuring and assessment methods
enhancement of coordination and of mutual understanding of exchanged information
transboundary coordination of environmental objectives = major challenge
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

17. Summary of activities 2006 Scaldit action “Up to the IRBMP”:
information exchange and coordination monitoring programmes (SW+GW)
information exchange and coordination definition ‘good status’ (SW+GW)
evaluation expected improvement of water quality as a result of implementation of basic measures
information exchange cost effectiveness analysis
annotated table of contents IRBMP for the Scheldt
Scaldit action “Communication”:
3 ‘Scaldixit’ newsletters (D, F)
brochure significant water management issues (D, F, E)
closing event (24 October Mechelen, Belgium)
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa

18. Thank you for your attention!
PRB-workshop, 7-8 March 2006, Stresa