1. 7 augustus 2019
Working Group C Climate Change Impacts on Groundwater: Concrete recommendations for RBMPs 25 March 2014, Brussels Sophie Vermooten (Deltares, the Netherlands)
Groundwater aspects in the Guidance No.24 on River Basin Management in a Changing Climate
which issues which are not covered with respect to groundwater?
What issues should be taken into account in RBMP’s
Team:
Hans Peter Broers (Eurogeosurveys), Elisabetta Preziosi (IRSA-CNR, Italy), Klaus Hinsby (Geus, Denmark), Johannes Grath (Uba, Austria), Ronald Kozel (Bafu, Switzerland), Anna Hall (Environment Agency, UK), Rob Ward (BGS, UK), Sophie Vermooten (Deltares, The Netherlands)

2. Content
Working Group C (Groundwater) – one task on Groundwater and Climate change
Groundwater and climate change
Recommendations related to management options and the Program of Measures; making RBMP Climate change proof
7 August 2019

3. Working Group C Overall objective:
To make a WG C contribution to horizontal issues, specifically on Climate change effects on groundwater addressing:
expected pressures and impacts
consideration of Climate Change in RBMPs (make them climate resilient)
Provide input to Strategic Steering Group on Climate Change and Water.
Aim of this activity was to provide relevant groundwater information not covered in CIS Guidance document No24 ‘ River Basin management in a changing climate’.

4. Groundwater and climate change
7 augustus 2019
Groundwater and climate change
Functions/services of Groundwater:
Groundwater for use (agriculture, domestic, industry, strategic resource)
Groundwater for environment (environmental flow needs)
Groundwater for stability (‘subsidence control’, infrastucture instability risks)
Groundwater as energy source (ATES Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage, Geothermal)
Aquifers as storage (Artificial recharge, CO2, nuclear waste?)
Groundwater as archive (data climate change in past, historical pollution loads)
Groundwater as a component of the global hydrological cycle

5. Intro: Impact of Climate Change on groundwater
7 augustus 2019
Intro: Impact of Climate Change on groundwater
Primary impact
Water availability (changing groundwater recharge and quality of groundwater renewal)
Saline intrusion in coastal aquifers and raise of the salinity of groundwater due to increased evapotranspiration losses, decreased recharge and increased sea levels
Biodiversity in aquatic/terrestrial ecosystems due to reduced/increased groundwater flow towards the ecosystems
Change in redox-hydrochemistry due to changes in temperature
Pressures on gw systems tend to increase
Paper eurogeosurveys:
Much is still unknown about the patters of changing groundwater recharge and the quality of groundwater renewal, about the impact on groundwater and stream fluxes towards aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and about the general effects on groundwater-surface water interactions and evolution in quantity and quality driven by climate change[1].
However, the largest effects of climate change might be due to human actions that react on the actual and predicted changes in precipitation and temperature patterns. Examples of such secondary impacts are the increase of water demands and abstractions of groundwater for irrigation due to higher evaporation which may lead to falling water tables and salt water intrusion and the increased production of biofuel which may change groundwater quality by introduction of fertilizer and pesticides and increased water needs which may also effect the net groundwater recharge.
Changes in spatial variability and seasonal patterns

6. Intro: Impact of Climate Change on groundwater
7 augustus 2019
Intro: Impact of Climate Change on groundwater
Secondary impact (due to human activity adapting to climate change)
Increase of water demand (esp. increased groundwater abstraction during periods of drought for agriculture)
Changed land use practices and impact on water quality: energy crops, other crop regimes, effects on quality and quantity of gw recharge (nutrients/pesticides)
New energy strategies (heat/cold storage, carbon capture…)
Infrastructure unstability/damage due to change in groundwater pressure
Saline intrusion due to (over)pumping
Subsidence due to groundwater pumping => increasing impact of flooding 6 6

7. Intro: Impact of Climate Change on groundwater
Increase of competition between different users? and policies?
Irrigation,
Drinking water,
Energy use (storage of heat, CO2 storage),
Environment (base flow, Environmental flow needs, groundwater dependant ecosystems)
Interlinkage between water
policy and other policies
(environmental, energy,…)
+CCS
Limassol, Cyprus, 8th October 2012

8. Recommendations workshops on Climate Change and Groundwater
Aim: provide recommendations to make RBMP Climate proof
All recommendations can be found in the report:
“Output and recommendations from the second workshop on Climate Change impacts on groundwater” (May 2013)
4 themes reported:
Management options: program of measures
Monitoring strategies
Protected areas
Agriculture demands and groundwater resources
7 August 2019

9. Recommendations related to management options and the Program of Measures
7 augustus 2019
12 recommendations related to metering, artificial recharge, conjunctive use, rebound effects, permits, water pricing, robust indicators, transboundary aquifer management
Cartoon: Groundwater as emergency supply for droughts
7 August 2019

10. Example: Recommendation on conjunctive use
7 augustus 2019
Example: Recommendation on conjunctive use
Investigate greater application of conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water. Resources should be used in a more efficient, flexible and integrated way.
Measures:
making use of right source of water (surface water, groundwater), at different periods of time and/or by different sector
using different quality of water for different sectors
Groundwater as emergency supply for droughts
Managed strategic storage of sw in gw bodies (riverbank filtration)
Strategic resource allocation (agriculture, domestic, industry, environment)
Running account replenished by salary, plus parts set apart in savings
Abstraction of groundwater draws from our saving account.
No problem if salary is high enough: plenty replenishment from running account
Good salary: snow cover in the Alps, precipitation excess feeds groundwater body
Primary CC attacks height and timing of our salary; less groundwater recharge, earlier snow melt
Secondary effects CC
kids have larger demands (plundering our saving account)
Demands in periods of no salary
Part of our savings reserved for other purposes (CCS, ATES)
So, we need proper groundwater management:
Balance abstractions and replenishment
Temporarily use savings account (strategic resource for droughts)
Cut spending if too little replenishment (licenses, rules)
Just like normal WFD RBMPs, however anticipating for lower salary and less money on our savings account, and higher spendings for our kids
7 August 2019

11. 7 augustus 2019
Example: Recommendation on artificial recharge and natural water retention measures (NWRM)
Encourage artificial recharge to aquifers, aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) and promote natural water retention measures in catchment areas to increase water availability
Measures as:
Storing of excess ‘wet season’ water in aquifers
Using green infrastructures as natural water retention measures to provide sustained baseflow to rivers and groundwater dependent ecosystems
Removing drainage
Artificial aquifer recharge (AR) is the enhancement of natural ground water supplies using man-made conveyances such as infiltration basins or injection wells. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a specific type of AR practiced with the purpose of both augmenting ground water resources and recovering the water in the future for various uses. (ref EPA)
7 August 2019

12. Lunchlezing “Sturen op basisafvoer”
Example:
Modeled effects of local water conservation measures
SUMMER
More overland flow
less draining streams (less direct discharge
River: Infiltration becomes discharge
- More overland flow
- More exfiltration in river
- Total increase of discharge in winter
23 april 2012
Lunchlezing “Sturen op basisafvoer”

13. Restoration measures (terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems); groundwater and surface water measures
Increase streambed
and waterlevel
Shallow
drainage
Regge and Dinkel Case

14. Restoration measures Increase streambed and waterlevel
In nature area, high groundwater levels in summer and restoration of seepage
7 August 2019

15. Example: Recommendation on metering, permits and pricing
7 augustus 2019
Example: Recommendation on metering, permits and pricing
Encourage groundwater abstraction metering. In groundwater demand management, metering is considered a first step (large differences across Europe) => Compulsory for groundwater bodies at risk?
Differentiate the price of groundwater depending on its recharge rate and the sustainability of the use of the water.
Deeper groundwater that is slowly recharging (for ex old groundwater) could be priced higher than artificially recharged waters
Groundwater abstracted for less valuable uses could be priced higher than water abstracted for direct human consumption.
Some countries metering is compulsary. Obligations are not clearly adopted in WFD.
Differentiate the price of groundwater depending on its recharge rate and the sustainability of the use of the water To encourage smart management
7 August 2019

16. Example: Recommendation on metering, permits and pricing
7 augustus 2019
Example: Recommendation on metering, permits and pricing
Base the assessment of permits for groundwater abstraction on amount of groundwater depletion, effects on baseflow and environmental flow needs of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Consider limiting the duration of permits for groundwater abstraction in order to remain flexible (adapt to Climate Change and changing water resources demands)
7 August 2019

17. Example: Recommendation on rebound effect
Avoid rebound effects after water saving measures are successful
Ensure that water that is saved through water savings measures is used to recharge groundwater and increase groundwater stocks.
What happens?
Water savings are often not returned to the environment but for example used to extend irrigated crops or extend to other water uses.
=> This Continues to put pressure on resources and do not allow long term sustainability of water resources under CC
7 August 2019

18. Recommendations related to Agriculture demands
12 recommendations related to crops, land use, soil management, drought, licenses, abstraction regulation, nutrients and pesticides
7 August 2019

19. Example: Recommendation on nutrients and pesticide leaching
Investigate how nutrients and pesticide leaching might change under conditions of climate change in periods of consecutive droughts or a number of consecutive wet years.
7 August 2019

20. Questions?
All recommendations can be found in the concise report: “Output and recommendations from the second workshop on Climate Change impacts on groundwater” (May 2013) (Circa site)
7 August 2019

21. Extra slides
7 August 2019

22. WFD cycle key milestones and Blueprint
7 augustus 2019
WFD cycle key milestones and Blueprint
Year
Issue
Reference
2000
Directive entered into force
Art. 25
2003
Transposition in national legislation
Identification of River Basin Districts and Authorities
Art. 23
Art. 3
2004
Characterisation of river basin: pressures, impacts and economic analysis
Art. 5
2006
Establishment of monitoring network / Start public consultation (at the latest)
Adoption of groundwater directive
Art. 8
Art. 14
2008
Present draft river basin management plan
Art. 13
2009
Finalise river basin management plan including programme of measures
Art. 13 & 11
2010
Introduce pricing policies
Art. 9
2012
Make operational programmes of measures
Art. 11
Release of Blueprint
2015
Meet environmental objectives First management cycle ends Second river basin management plan & first flood risk management plan.
Art. 4
2020
Recommendations of Blueprint implemented
2021
Second management cycle ends
Art. 4 & 13
2027
Third management cycle ends, final deadline for meeting objectives
Intro
Across Member States, consideration of climate change has been introduced to river basin management processes in a largely qualitative way, if at all, for the 1st RBM cycle for the
WFD. In some cases, adaptation has tended to be considered towards the end of the river basin management process. For the 1st cycle, the Policy Paper of the Water Directors placed
particular emphasis on ensuring that the Programmes of Measures are sufficiently adaptive to future climate conditions (so-called climate-check of the Programme of Measures, based on
available knowledge, data and common sense). For the 2nd and 3rd RBM cycles for the WFD, it is expected that climate change should be fully integrated into the process of river basin management
GWD
This new directive establishes a regime which sets underground water quality standards and introduces measures to prevent or limit inputs of pollutants into groundwater. The directive establishes quality criteria that takes account local characteristics and allows for further improvements to be made based on monitoring data and new scientific knowledge. The directive thus represents a proportionate and scientifically sound response to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) as it relates to assessments on chemical status of groundwater and the identification and reversal of significant and sustained upward trends in pollutant concentrations. Member States will have to establish the standards at the most appropriate level and take into account local or regional conditions.
The groundwater directive complements the Water Framework Directive. It requires:
-groundwater quality standards to be established by the end of 2008;
-pollution trend studies to be carried out by using existing data and data which is mandatory by the Water Framework Directive (referred to as "baseline level" data obtained in );
-pollution trends to be reversed so that environmental objectives are achieved by 2015 by using the measures set out in the WFD;
-measures to prevent or limit inputs of pollutants into groundwater to be operational so that WFD environmental objectives can be achieved by 2015;
-reviews of technical provisions of the directive to be carried out in 2013 and every six years thereafter;
-compliance with good chemical status criteria (based on EU standards of nitrates and pesticides and on threshold values established by Member States).