1. Pierre Strosser – ACTeon On behalf of all NWRM study partners
Pilot Project - Atmospheric Precipitation - Protection and efficient use of Fresh Water: Integration of Natural Water Retention Measures in River basin management
WG PoM -
25 & 26 November 2013
Titre de la présentation
Pierre Strosser – ACTeon
On behalf of all NWRM study partners

2. The different issues addressed
a) Definition and policy relevance of NWRM (building on drafting group outcome) – see presentation by Martina Mlinaric
d) Feedbacks on the proposed project deliverables (database, practical guidance...)
f) Implementation challenges for NWRM: feedbacks from the regional workshops 2

3. Feedbacks on the proposed project deliverables
Pilot Project - Atmospheric Precipitation - Protection and efficient use of Fresh Water: Integration of Natural Water Retention Measures in River basin management
Feedbacks on the proposed project deliverables
Titre de la présentation
Pierre Strosser - ACTeon

4. The source of information
Feedbacks from WG PoM members
Input from Regional Network members/workshop participants
Input from web-forum 4

5. On the catalogue of measures (1)
Too many measures
Needs for “regrouping”
Needs for more explicit links between individual measures and the WFD (e.g. Specific pressures)
Candidates for the list:
Inter row grass / green covering during wet season (fall-winter)
Adequate crops and agricultural practices to land slope
Rural SuDS
Small ponds and wetland areas in agricultural land (only mentioned under the natural area category);
Artificial (and temporal) watering of forests and peat land and run-off regulation of the same areas
Specific measures for addressing “snow issues” (in particular in rural areas) in the Northern European Member States
Improving water course regulation practice
Flexible gabion weirs for river training. 5

6. On the catalogue of measures (2)
Key questions to members of the WG POM?
Any comments on the initial suggestions made to account for feedback on the NWRM catalogue?
Possibility to clearly “disregard” some measures to be coherent with the policy/resource document definition developed by the NWRM drafting team?
Additional reaction that could guide further work on the NWRM catalogue to enhance its scientific coherence & policy relevance? 6

7. On the structure of the database (1)
Better define the “objectives” of the database (support to decisions, integration into WISE...)
Very comprehensive database... that:
Increases the risk of very partially filled database in particular with “real applications”
Questions its regular updating and maintenance
Might lead to a disappointing result (see experiences from past projects)
=> Suggestion: Better to have a limited number (20-25) of well illustrated case studies and sound evidence-based syntheses on key issues!
Possible ways to simplify? => Suggestion to replace the governance fields by some textual fields 7

8. On the structure of the database (2)
Q1. What is the biophysical impact of NWRMs?
Q2. How effective are NWRMs in contributing to the achievement of different EU policy objectives?
Q3. Which methods and tools can be used to assess the effectiveness of NWRMs?
Q4. What are the (multiple) benefits of NWRMs?
Q5. What are the costs of NWRMs?
Q6. How cost-effective NWRMs are?
Q7. Which methods and tools can be used to assess costs and benefits of NWRMs?
Q8. What are the "windows of opportunities" for NWRMs?
Q9. What are the main barriers and success factors for implementing NWRMs?
Q11. Which integration of NWRMs with different European Directives?
Q12. How can NWRMs be financed?
The proposed response by the consortium – to focus on “end products” that will “serve the purpose”...
Evidence on key questions
NWRM fact sheets
Case study fact sheets
... the database being the intermediary step for collating and structuring evidence/available knowledge 8

9. On the structure of the database (3)
Key questions to members of the WG POM?
Are there other key questions that should be addressed in the study?
Is the proposed format for the NWRM fact sheet adequate? Proposed adaptations?
Is the proposed format for the Case Study fact sheet adequate? Proposed adaptations?
Additional “products” that the study could deliver based on the knowledge base developed in the study? 9

10. On the practical guidance (1)
General comments on the guidance
Be practical
Support the access to the different products of the study
Give more emphasis to implementation (challenges, preconditions for successful implementation...
Target practioners and policy makers
Bring clear messages in particular on the effectiveness of individual measures
Stress the multiple benefits
Stress regional specificities
Limited suggestions for adapting the structure 10

11. On the practical guidance (2)11

12. On the practical guidance (3)
Key questions to members of the WG POM?
Any additional suggestions on key issues the guidance should target?
Is the link between the policy/resource document and the practical guidance clear? (answers after point e) presented by Jan)
Other comments and issues? 12

13. Implementation challenges for NWRM
Pilot Project - Atmospheric Precipitation - Protection and efficient use of Fresh Water: Integration of Natural Water Retention Measures in River basin management
Implementation challenges for NWRM
Titre de la présentation
Pierre Strosser - ACTeon

14. Main stakeholder groups
The source of information
Workshop
Date and Venue
Main stakeholder groups
No. of participants
Western Workshop
January , Brussels (BE)
Researchers, public authorities (EC, ministries, local administrations), practitioners 32
Danube Workshop
January , Szentendre (HU)
Public authorities (ministries, water agencies, local administrations), researchers; some practitioners and NGO’s representatives 43
Mediterranean Workshop
January , Madrid (ES)
Practitioners, public authorities (EC, Member State water authorities, river basin authorities), international organisations, researchers, consultants, representatives from other regional networks and from other EU-funded projects and initiatives. 39
Baltic Workshop
January , Riga (LV)
Researchers, NGOs, practitioners, public authorities in charge of water management 45 14

15. Issue 1 - Financing
A challenge: the long-term planning horizon of these measures
Need to account for maintenance costs for long time periods, that might require specific long-term agreement and/or specific funding mechanisms
Develop “adapted” funding mechanisms for measures that bring multiple benefits 15

16. Issue 2 – The scale of application
The spatial scale of implementation (where, for how many hectares...): key to effects/effectiveness
Finding the right combination of measures at the catchment scale: the challenge of integrating different planning processes? 16

17. Issue 3 – Assessing NWRM performance
Difficult because of the “combination of measures”, widespread benefits, benefits taking place “elsewhere”
The challenge of multiple benefits => being cost-effective overall, but never cost-effective for individual objectives (policy)
Do not forget “negative impacts” 17

18. Issue 4 – Bringing additional evidence for making the NWRM/WFD link explicit
Multiple benefits & their values... Not under design conditions but under real conditions
Cost-effectiveness and benefits for the WFD..
... But also for other directives (Bird and habitat, adaptation, scarcity & drought...) 18

19. Additional implementation issues identified?
In particular that should be dealt with in the “policy/ressource document” or practical guidance
Issue ... 19

20. Additional comments on the study?
Pilot Project - Atmospheric Precipitation - Protection and efficient use of Fresh Water: Integration of Natural Water Retention Measures in River basin management
Additional comments on the study?
Titre de la présentation
Pierre Strosser - ACTeon

21. Additional comments on the study?21

22. Many thanks for your attention!
Pilot Project - Atmospheric Precipitation - Protection and efficient use of Fresh Water: Integration of Natural Water Retention Measures in River basin management
Many thanks for your attention!
Titre de la présentation
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