INDEX

CONSULTATIONS     

UK NEWS        

INTERNATIONAL NEWS   

PROJECTS

PUBLICATIONS       

EVENTS

 

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

 

CONSULTATIONS

Working Together to deliver river basin management
Environment Agency Consultation

(Posted 26 June 2012)

In December 2009, the Environment Agency published river basin management plans covering all of England and Wales that outlined what would be done to protect and improve the environment. The Environment Agency is now working to review and update them and will publish the revised plans in December 2015.

The Environment Agency wants to make sure that everyone can have the opportunity to contribute. By creating successful ways to work together, we can develop and put into practise the best solutions. The Environment Agency would like to know how different groups can work together to achieve this.

There is a consultation document for each river basin district and one for England and Wales. The England and Wales Working Together consultation document has been specifically designed to help those who would like to make comments that apply equally across one or more of the river basin districts. It includes consultation questions that are common to all the river basin district consultation documents. There is also the option to comment on a specific river basin district by selecting the one you are interested in.

The consultation is opened until 22nd December 2012.

To view the consultation documents and for information how to respond visit the Environment Agency website:

(https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/ho/wfd/working/together2012)

 

Standard Rules for the Environmental Permitting Regulations – Consultation No.8
Environment Agency Consultation

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The Agency is seeking views on some new and revised sets of standard rules and generic risk assessments in relation to activities that will become installations under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and also to some activities that are waste operations and water discharges.

The consultation runs from 12 June 2012 to 04 September 2012.

To view the documents and to respond to the consultation visit the Environment Agency website:

(https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/portal/ho/ep/src/rules8)

 

Proposals for an Integrated Framework of Environmental Regulation
Scottish Government Consultation

(Posted 22 May 2012)

This consultation builds on the direction and findings of SEPA’s Better Environmental Regulation consultation carried out last year and asks for views on:

  • Changes to the structure of environmental protection legislation in order to create a new, integrated framework for the permissions (licences, permits, rules etc), which SEPA uses to control activities, which could harm the environment.
  • Changes to the enforcement tools (sanctions such as fines or enforcement undertakings), which SEPA uses to deter non-compliance. The aim is to bring forward a more joined-up and flexible range of sanctions to reflect the more joined-up framework for permissioning and to provide a balance to the more proportionate, risk-based approach, which SEPA will take.
  • The aim of the proposals is to deliver a simpler legislative framework, which will enable SEPA to focus greatest effort on the environmental problems that matter most.

The consultation runs from 4 May to 4 August 2012.

To view the consultation document and to respond visit the Scottish Government website:

(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/05/6822)

 

Updated Recommendations on Environmental Standards
River Basin Management (2015-21)
WFD UKTAG Consultation

(Updated 22 June 2012)

The UK Technical Advisory Group (UKTAG) develops and makes recommendations to the UK's government administrations on the environmental standards1 for implementing the Water Framework Directive. The UKTAG is a working group of experts drawn from environment agencies and conservation agencies2. It also includes representatives from the Republic of Ireland. Proposals for standards were first published in 2007 and 2008. These were adopted for the first cycle of the Directive’s river basin management plans. The plans were published in 2009. The standards help focus efforts to improve and protect the water environment. The present document contains proposals for new and revised standards. The proposals are seen as sufficiently developed to help with the second cycle of plans.

The six-week review period finished on 8 June 2012. UKTAG will now address all the comments that have been received from the stakeholder review and will publish a UKTAG response by October 2012.

To view the submissions from stakeholders visit the UKTAG website:

(http://www.wfduk.org/stakeholders/stakeholder-review-2012)

 

UK NEWS        

ICE's State of the Nation: Water

(Posted 22 June 2012)

On 6 June 2012 the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) launched a report calling for decisive action to tackle the UK's water security. The report, launched by ICE President Richard Coakley, says the recent droughts have been a ‘wake up call’ for the UK but the urgency and severity of the UK’s water issues is still not properly understood. It rates our current water security as level 4 on a 1-10 scale. To tackle the crisis ICE has called for the creation of a ‘UK Water Security Taskforce’ to deliver an integrated roadmap to water security by spring 2014, based on strategic plans from all Governments. If the roadmap includes time-bound steps the UK could be out of danger - at water security level 8 or 9 - by 2025.

Whilst the Government has made some positive steps in the Water White Paper and the announcement of a draft Water Bill, the report urges it to deliver on these intentions without delay and within the context of a UK-wide vision.

Full text of the press release is available on the ICE website:

(http://www.ice.org.uk/News-Public-Affairs/ICE-News/ICE-calls-for-decisive-action-to-tackle-the-UK)

For further information and to download the report visit the ICE website:

(http://www.ice.org.uk/sonwater2012)

 

The Canal & River Trust

(Posted 22 June 2012)

CanalRiverTrust

 

 

 

 

As part of its reform of public bodies, the Government has decided to transfer British Waterways’ (BW) network in England and Wales from the public sector into a new charitable trust for the waterways. The Transfer Order that will transfer BW’s powers and obligations to the Canal & River Trust was submitted to Parliament on the 29 February 2012. Debate on the Order could not take place before the 17 June because the statutory scrutiny period does not end until then. It is always difficult to find Parliamentary time for such debates. Once the debates have happened and the Order approved, it is a relatively simple procedure to have it signed and come into force. Only then will the Trust take over from BW. This is expected now to happen in July.

For further information visit the Trust’s website:

(http://www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/)

 

Water Resources and Drought Prospects for summer/autumn and winter 2012/3

(Posted 22 June 2012)

In June 2012 the Environment Agency published water resources and drought prospects report for summer/autumn 2012 and winter 2012/13. The wettest April on record and continuing rainfall in early May have restored the levels in many rivers and reservoirs, easing the pressure on the environment and water supplies. But the plants and wildlife in some wetlands and rivers have not fully recovered from the below average rainfall over the past 20 months and are still at risk if there is a hot dry summer. The key findings of the report were:

  • In many areas, pressure on the environment and water supplies has eased following record-breaking rainfall in April.
  • In warm summer months, most rain that falls evaporates or is taken up by plants. This limits further top up of groundwater.
  • Groundwater will remain low across many parts of England until winter recharge occurs.
  • There is still a risk of low water levels in streams, rivers and wetlands causing damage to vulnerable wildlife.
  • It is important that everyone continues to use water wisely.

The report and other information on current drought situation are available at the EA website:

(http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/drought/31749.aspx)

Water UK’s response to 'Drought Prospects 2012' is available on the Water UK website:

(http://www.water.org.uk/home/news/press-releases/drought-prospects-2012)

 

Hosepipe bans lifted as drought conditions ease

(Posted 22 June 2012)

As of midnight on 13 June, three of the seven water companies that have had Temporary Usage Bans (TUBs) in place, lifted the restrictions on their customers. The companies are Anglian Water, Southern Water and Thames Water.

High levels of rainfall over April, May and June have helped to refill a number of the above ground water resources, such as rivers and reservoirs. Underground water sources, such as underground aquifers, continue to need more time and more rain to recover. Companies that are heavily reliant on these underground sources are not yet in a position to consider lifting restrictions, but have committed not to keep them in place a moment longer than is absolutely necessary. These companies are South East Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water and Veolia Central and Veolia South East.

Full text of the press release is available at the Water UK website:

(http://www.water.org.uk/home/news/press-releases/tubs-lift)

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS     

The EU27 environment ministers agreed to accept the initial draft of the 7th Environment Action Programme

3173rd ENVIRONMENT Council meeting Luxembourg, 11 June 2012

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The current, 6th, Environment Action Programme will expire on 22 July 2012. The ministers have asked the European Commission to produce the next action plan focused on developing a “green economy” in Europe. The Council adopted conclusions (11186/12) setting the framework for a 7th EU Environment Action Programme (EAP). The conclusions underline that the 7th EAP should set out the key elements of the future environment policy, which should be linked to the Europe 2020 Strategy and other relevant strategies, such as the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. They also call for an ambitious and compelling 2050 vision for an inclusive, green and competitive European economy, safeguarding the environment and health for present and future generations. The conclusions point towards two main elements of the 7th EAP namely 1) strengthening and better implementation of the existing environment policy and legislation and 2) the transition to a green economy.

Further information is available in the press release from the 3173rd Council meeting in Luxembourg, 11 June 2012: (http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/NewsWord/en/envir/130800.doc)

 

European Innovation Partnership on Water (EIP)
Commission to address water challenges via innovation partnership

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative for an Innovation Union proposed the concept of European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs). DG Environment, in close cooperation with DG Research and Innovation and other DG's, has launched a proposal for a European Innovation Partnership on Water. The EIP on Water was proposed by the European Commission on the 10 May 2012 (Commission Communication on the European Innovation Partnership on Water -
(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/innovationpartnership/pdf/com_2012_216.pdf)

The EU Member States, through Environment Council Conclusions on June 11th 2012, have endorsed the launch of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Water.

The partnership will bring together all relevant actors across borders and sectors, such as the water sector, small and medium sized enterprises, the research community, local governments, water-using industries, and the financial sector to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative solutions to water challenges. The partnership will centre on removing barriers to innovation and connecting the supply and demand sides of water related innovations. The activities of the EIP on Water will be structured around challenges in the areas of urban water management, rural water management and industrial water management, as well as addressing cross cutting themes.

Anticipated outputs of the EIP on water include:

  • innovation sites to identify barriers to innovation; develop, test and demonstrate concrete activities, actions, prototypes and solutions in relation to particular water challenges;
  • dissemination of breakthroughs and innovative solutions
  • removal of water innovation barriers – regulatory, financial, standardization, technical, social, etc. – which hamper the successful delivery of innovations to the market; and
  • a water innovation 'market place' - to promote interaction between those facing water problems and those who can provide potential solutions, regardless of their geographical location.

The EIP on water is expected be fully operational in early 2013 and to start delivering first results within one year.

Full text of the press release is available at the Europa website:

(http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/470&)

For more information on the EIA visit the DG environment website:

(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/innovationpartnership/index_en.htm) 

 

Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The Fitness Check is about evaluating the EU Freshwater policy sector, about identifying what works and what does not work - and where things do not work sufficiently well, about suggesting improvements. The scope of the Fitness Check includes

  1. The Water Framework Directive
  2. The Groundwater Directive
  3. The Directive on Environmental Quality Standards (EQS)
  4. The Urban Waste Water Directive
  5. The Nitrates Directive
  6. The Floods Directive

The Fitness Check also looks at quantitative and adaptive water management issues, for which there is currently no legislation at EU level (except for Floods), namely the Communication on Water Scarcity and Drought and its annual follow-up reports, and the Policy paper accompanying the White Paper on Adapting to Climate change On Water, Coasts and Marine Issues.

Findings of a preliminary study, undertaken for European Commission by Deloitte and IEEP, formed the basis for a public consultation that ran from the 6 December 2011 to 28 February 2012. The consultation allowed the Commission to obtain views and evidence from as wide a range of stakeholders as possible.  The 2nd  Stakeholders' workshop was organised on the 9-10 February 2012 in Brussels.

Further information on the Fitness Check, ‘ Analysis of responses to public consultation’ and ‘Conclusions of the 2nd Stakeholder Workshop for the Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy’ are available on the DG Environment website:

(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/blueprint/fitness_en.htm)

 

World Remains on Unsustainable Track Despite Hundreds of Internationally Agreed Goals and Objectives
The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5)

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The fifth edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit, assessed 90 of the most-important environmental goals and objectives and found that significant progress had only been made in four. Of the 30 environmental goals examined in relation to water, only one goal – that of increasing access to clean drinking water – shows significant progress. But less progress has been made in rural areas, especially in Africa and the Pacific.

GEO-5 outlines ways in which the race for development needs not be at the expense of the environment or the populations which rely upon it. Indeed, many of the projects that the publication analyses prove that development can be boosted through better understanding the value of natural resources. The report makes several specific recommendations

For further information and to access the documents visit the UNEP website:

(http://www.unep.org/geo/pdfs/geo5/GEO5-Global_PR_EN.pdf)

 

The Water Blog

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The World Bank Group water practice, which includes the Water and Sanitation Program, has launched The Water Blog to foster collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange on water for development, including food (agriculture), drinking water and household use, sanitation and hygiene, energy, ecosystems and environment, industry, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk management.

For more details and to participate visit The Water Blog website:

(http://blogs.worldbank.org/water/welcome-to-the-water-blog)

 

Environment: Wise up your water use with Water Maniac Walter

(Posted 22 June 2012)

During the Green Week in Brussels on 22 May 2012 the European Commission launched a new viral clip as part of the "Generation Awake!" campaign, which alerts consumers to the dangers of unsustainable patterns of consumption. The clip features Water Maniac Walter, a neurotic bucket who addresses the theme of excessive water use. Generation Awake is the European Commission’s campaign on resource efficiency.

The campaign website, launched in October 2011, is available in 23 EU languages.

(http://www.generationawake.eu/) 

Full text of the press release is available on the Europa website:

(http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/497&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)

WWF - The Water Risk Filter

(Posted 22 June 2012)

WWF in collaboration with DEG KFW Bankengruppe have developed a tool designed to help companies and investors to ask the right questions about water - to assess risks and give guidance on what to do in response. Designed for non-water experts, this tool provides a highly structured set of risk indicators with very limited information needed from you. The Water Risk Filter covers all relevant elements of water risks, all industries (standard classifications) and all countries of the world. It interprets the best available scientific data for the user and translates it into risk numbers based on the questionnaire. Then, the user can map their assessed facilities or investments on numerous water related map overlays. Finally, a structured set of responses and up-to-date case studies will give a flying start in mitigating risk and developing a water stewardship strategy.

Further information is available on the WWF website:
(http://waterriskfilter.panda.org/)

 

PROJECTS        

EU project REFRESH

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The key objective of REFRESH is to develop a framework that will enable water managers to design cost-effective restoration programmes for freshwater ecosystems. This four year large scale integrated project, funded under the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, started early in 2010. It builds on the improved scientific understanding generated in Euro-limpacs, an EU funded Framework 6 project concerned with the effects of climate change on freshwater systems, which finished in January 2009 after 5 years. 

The new research aims to improve our understanding of the potential costs and effects of different adaptation and mitigation measures, by studying biogeochemical and ecological changes of lakes, rivers and wetlands. There are eight catchments study sites, representing a gradient of climate conditions across Europe. One of these is the Dee catchment, and the James Hutton Institute is the partner responsible for doing the research in this area.

A workshop was held in Dunecht on 3 February 2012 to discuss water quality problems in the Leuchar Burn / Loch of Skene catchment area. Scientists from the James Hutton Institute hosted the workshop that brought together 12 local stakeholders including policy makers, regulators, farmers and practitioners, to discuss measures to improve water quality in the Loch of Skene and Leuchar Burn area. Participants carried out three main tasks:

  • identify water quality problems in the sub-catchment and the sources of these pressures,
  • consider what actions would alleviate these problems, and the cost-effectiveness of such measures,
  • discuss predicted future climate changes, their impact on water quality, and possible actions to help mitigate impact and adapt to new conditions

A leaflet summarizing the views of workshop participants as well as a full report are available to download from the River Dee Catchment Partnership website:

(http://www.theriverdee.org/refresh.asp)

For more information on the REFRESH project visit the project’s website:

(http://www.refresh.ucl.ac.uk/)

 

Significant Source of Phosphorus Found in Kingisepp, Russia
HELCOM's BALTHAZAR Project

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Sampling carried out within the framework of HELCOM's BALTHAZAR project in the River Luga in late November 2011 revealed a potentially significant source of phosphorus to the Baltic Sea downstream from the town of Kingisepp, North-West Russia. The new estimate of annual phosphorus load of up to 1,000 tons from the source would mean a 20% increase from the previously reported average annual phosphorus load to the Gulf of Finland.

For background information and latest developments visit the HELCOM website:

(http://www.helcom.fi/projects/on_going/balthazar/en_GB/river_Luga/)

 

The UKWaterResearch Directory
NERC-funded Water Security Knowledge Exchange Programme

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The UKWaterResearch Directory is a searchable listing of individuals active in water research. It provides summaries of expertise and full contact details that allow to make contact in one click. It is designed to facilitate knowledge exchange and networking between UK research providers and research users. The UKWaterResearch Directory was launched in April is growing at a rate of a new submission every day, and it will now contain around 300 entries.

For further information visit the Directory’s website:

(http://www.ukwaterresearch.net/)

 

Big Waterways Clean Up 2012 – BWCU2012

(Updated 22 June 2012)

BWCU2012 is a partnership campaign to improve the East London’s rivers and canals ahead of the London 2012 Games by July 2012. It is led by environmental charity Thames21, with the support from London Waterways Commission, Environment Agency, British Waterways, London 2012 Changing Places programme, Mayor of London, Team London, Olympic Park Legacy Company, Port of London Authority, London Councils, City of London Corporation, and the Inland Waterways Association.

The campaign, launched on 8 February 2012, aims to involve at least 4000 Londoners in more than 80 events, transforming over 50 waterway locations along 30km of rivers and canals by July 2012 when the eyes of the world turn to the capital. Events include walking waterway litter-picks, wildflower meadow planting and non-native invasive weed removal.

For information on how to get involved and to see the programme visit the Thames21 website:

(http://www.thames21.org.uk/project/bwcu2012/)

Latest news on the progress of the programme are available on the Thames21 website:

(http://www.thames21.org.uk/media-releases/)

 

WSKEP eZine - Issue 3 now available online
The Water Security Knowledge Exchange Programme (WSKEP)

(Updated 22 June 2012)

WSKEP is a long-term initiative funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The aim is to accelerate the uptake of research and help inform the direction of future science to ensure sustainable use of our water in the future.

The e-Zine reports on final two Sub-Area Workshops that were held in mid-June. They addressed Sub-Areas 2.2 and 2.4:

  • Supporting sustainable and resilient management of extreme rainfall
  • Improving drought prediction, communication and impact assessment

Other information on the workshops and the presentations are available on the WSKEP website:

(http://www.wskep.net/ezine/default.php)

 

Demonstration Test Catchment (DTC) Project
June Newsletter available now

(Updated 22 June 2012)

DTC is a UK government-funded project designed to provide robust evidence regarding how diffuse pollution can be cost-effectively controlled to improve and maintain water quality in rural river catchment areas. DTC project is currently working in three river catchments across England, the Eden in Cumbria, the Wensum in Norfolk and the Avon in Hampshire. In December 2011 the new national DTC website was launched to provide a key focal point to allow knowledge to be exchanged among all those who have an interest in diffuse pollution management within the national DTC community itself, in addition to encouraging wider international sharing of best practice.

DTC Newsletter is designed to update on developments across the Eden, Hampshire Avon and Wensum catchments.

Second edition of the Newsletter, published in June, is available on the DTC website:

(http://www.demonstratingcatchmentmanagement.net/news/latest-dtc-newsletter-available-now)

 

PUBLICATIONS       

Building the future we want
EEA Signals 2012

Published by EEA (European Environment Agency), June 05, 2012

ISBN 978-92-9213-254-5

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Building
Signals is an annual publication that aims to explain complex environmental issues for a non-expert audience. The 2012 edition explores the environmental impacts of our consumption and production patterns, and ways these can be changed to reduce their effect on the environment. This subject was chosen because it is a significant component of a ‘green economy’, one of the main focuses of the Rio+20 sustainable development Summit, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro later this month.

Full text of the news release is available at the EEA website:
(http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/building-the-future-we-want?&utm_campaign=building-the-future-we-want&utm_medium=email&utm_source=EEASubscriptions)

To download the report visit the EEA website:
(http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea-signals-2012)

 

 

 

European bathing water quality in 2011
EEA Report No 3/2012

Published by EEA (European Environment Agency), May 23, 2012

ISBN 978-92-9213-311-5 

(Posted 22 June 2012)

European
Europeans care about water quality and knowing that they have clean and safe water to swim or play in is an important factor in their choice of a holiday or weekend destination. For the tourism industry, clean and safe water is also a major factor in attracting visitors to an area. To allow Europeans to make an informed choice, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission publish an annual report on the quality of more than 22 000 bathing sites. In 2012 the report includes sites in all 27 EU Member States and three other countries. This report can help all water users find high quality bathing water across the region.

The report found that 77.1 % of sites had excellent quality, i.e. complying with the most stringent guide values, an improvement of 3.5 percentage points on last year's data. Some 93.1 % of coastal bathing waters were classified as ‘sufficient’, or complying with the less stringent mandatory values – a 1 % increase. Less than 2 % of bathing waters were non-compliant.

Full text of the news release is available at the EEA website:
(http://www.eea.europa.eu/pressroom/newsreleases/clean-water-at-majority-of)

To download the report visit the EEA website:
(http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-bathing-water-quality-in-2011)

 

Technical Guidance on the Preparation of an Inventory of Emissions, Discharges and Losses of Priority and Priority Hazardous Substances
Guidance Document No. 28

Common Implementation Strategy for the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), Technical Report - 2012 – 058, ISBN: 978-92-79-23823-9

(Posted 22 June 2012)

According to Article 5 of the Directive 2008/105/EC on Environmental Quality Standards in the Field of Water Policy (the EQS Directive), Member States (MS) are obliged to establish an inventory of emissions, discharges and losses of all Priority Substances (PS) and pollutants listed in Part A of Annex I to this Directive. Pursuant to Article 5(6), technical guidelines for the establishment of inventories are to be adopted in accordance with Water Framework Directive (WFD) regulatory procedure. This guidance document aims to help MS establish the inventories and to reduce the burden by focusing on substances that are

relevant at the River Basin District (RBD) level. European wide comparability of the results is another objective.

The Guidance Document is available to download at the CIRCA Europa website:

(http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/guidance_documents&vm=detailed&sb=Title)

 

Evaluation of the catchment-based approach – pilot stage, Defra
First National Catchments Learning Event Record (First Participant Survey)

CASCADE Consulting in association with Collingwood Environmental Planning, eftec and YJRees Consulting, May 2012

(Posted 22 June 2012)

A series of catchment-level partnerships is being developed through a pilot phase (May 2011 – December 2012) to test these new approaches as set out in the recent Water White Paper. Ten of these partnerships are being hosted by the Environment Agency (EA) and a further 15 pilots are being hosted by stakeholders such as the Water Industry, Rivers Trusts and Wildlife Trusts. Defra have commissioned a consortium lead by Cascade Consulting to evaluate the pilot stage of the new catchment-based approach for delivering the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and to provide support for learning. The aim of the learning support is to:

  • Provide the pilot hosts and other partners with opportunities to share, reflect on and learn from the experience of other pilots as they develop;
  • Work up examples and tools as a handbook that catchment hosts and partners can draw on in when the catchment-based approach is adopted more widely from 2014;
  • Establish a process for on-going learning for the post-pilot phase.

A total of nine learning events are being held during the course of the Catchment Pilots Project. Six of these are regional or virtual events aimed at small groups of pilots and three are national events.

The document is available on the Catchment Change Network website:

(http://www.catchmentchange.net/pilot-catchments/tools-for-designing-a-pilot-catchment)   

 

Evaluation of the catchment-based approach – pilot stage, Defra
Quarterly Review Report

CASCADE Consulting in association with Collingwood Environmental Planning, eftec and YJRees Consulting, May 2012

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Defra are currently supporting a series of catchment-level partnerships to pilot a new approach of improving the water environment through catchment-level engagement and planning. As part of this pilot phase Defra is evaluating the 25 catchments to learn all we can from those participating in this pilot phase and to share that information with others who may be involved in a nationwide roll-out from 2013. As part of the evaluation pilot hosts are participating in a quarterly review process with the aim to ‘review activities, to highlight potential challenges coming, up and identify practices that it would be worth sharing, to help design the learning events, and to look at changes for example, in stakeholder groups/participants over time.’

This report is not the only output from the quarterly reporting, but it is intended to summarise the high level messages that have been fed-back by the pilot hosts. Other outputs include an action list to address support needs identified, and case studies. Further information on the wider context of the review is given in Appendix A.

The report, the Appendix A and other relevant information are available on the Catchment Change Network website:

(http://www.catchmentchange.net/pilot-catchments/evaluation-of-pilot-catchments)

 

Are we doing enough for Europe's waters?
Environment for Europeans magazine, No 47, May 2012

Quarterly magazine of the Directorate General for the Environment, 16 pages

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The magazine is available in 13 EU languages either to view online e-mag version or to download the PDF version. This issue includes several articles concerning water:

  • Adapting to climate change  - Adaptation and mitigation measures are being developed in the fight against climate change. Adaptation is still relatively new, but since it is a cross-cutting exercise and important policy developments are at stake, it feeds into other areas such as water policy and the Commission’s water Blueprint due before the end of the year.
  • A Blueprint to Safeguard Europe’s Water Resources - Water policy is the main environmental issue on the European Commission’s 2012 work programme. It was also the theme running through this year’s Green Week. To improve the quality and better manage the quantity of water in the Union, the Commission is preparing a Blueprint setting out a water policy agenda up to 2020. This will operate like a tool kit to help improve the implementation of water policy, mainstreaming it into other policy objectives and filling in possible gaps.
  • Rio+20: European Union aiming high - The European Union has set out its stall for the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012. Twenty years after the original Earth Summit in 1992, it is pressing for a transition to a green global economy, eradication of poverty and better governance.
  • In situ precipitation technique for cleaner groundwater - Non-ferrous metal production and use is responsible for much soil contamination in Europe. Often, this has led to groundwater pollution by metals such as zinc, cadmium, cobalt and nickel. A cost-effective and ecological clean up of contaminated sites is important to protect groundwater and receiving river basins, thus ensuring implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
  • Creating an environmental electronic data network - European legislation requires national authorities provide a vast amount of data to implement, monitor and report on the implementation of policies and changes in the environment. However, not all are comparable or easily accessible. INSPIRE – Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe – is overcoming some of these hurdles.

The current and past issues of the magazine are available on the Europa website:

(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/efe/index_en.htm)

 

Design of Urban Stormwater Controls, MOP3
Published by WEF Press

Hard cover, 705 pages, 2012

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Design
This manual, a revision of the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF’s) and the American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE’s) manual of practice (MOP) titled Urban Runoff Quality Management (1998), takes a holistic view and espouses the concept that systems of stormwater controls can be designed to meet the various objectives of stormwater management, including flood control; stream channel protection; groundwater recharge; water quality improvement; protection of public safety, health, and welfare; and multipurpose public benefits such as provision of open space, parks, playgrounds, trails, wildlife habitat, and enhancement of property values. This MOP focuses on consolidating technologies under a comprehensive view of stormwater management in an attempt to foster a convergence between traditional stormwater controls and green infrastructure.

The manual is available to order from the WEF website:
(https://www.e-wef.org/Home/ProductDetails/tabid/192/productid/18172/Default.aspx)

 

 

 

Biodiversity Planning Toolkit
Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE)

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The Biodiversity Planning Toolkit is a new versatile online resource aimed at helping users to incorporate biodiversity into the planning system and new development. The Toolkit has been created by ALGE in partnership with a wide range of conservation and planning organisations across the United Kingdom. The toolkit makes use of visual tools as well as text. The interactive landscape has been specially designed to show biodiversity and geodiversity features in their correct landscape settings along with a growing number of the most commonly encountered development types. Creation of the Biodiversity Planning Toolkit is an on-going project and more text and visual graphics will be added over the coming months.

For further information visit the Toolkit’s website:

(http://www.biodiversityplanningtoolkit.com/default.asp)

 

The Multifunctionality of Green Infrastructure
DG Environment In-depth Report, 40 pages, March 2012

(Posted 22 June 2012)

In-depth Reports are a new series of publications from Science for Environment Policy, which take a comprehensive look at the latest science for key policy topics. Green Infrastructure (GI) is the network of natural and semi-natural areas, features and green spaces in rural and urban, terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine areas. One of the key attractions of GI is its multifunctionality, i.e. its ability to perform several functions and provide several benefits on the same spatial area. These functions can be environmental, such as conserving biodiversity or adapting to climate change, social, such as providing water drainage or green space, and economic, such as supplying jobs and raising property prices. This report describes the different functions that GI seeks to execute and explores the scientific evidence behind its ability to perform these functions, using case studies where available.

The report is available to download at the Europa Environment website:

(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/indepth_reports.htm)

 

Events

WORKSHOP ON SYNERGIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MSFD AND WFD
How to facilitate their implementation?

18 - 19 June 2012, Paris, France

(Posted 22 June 2012)

This workshop aimed to help to highlight the synergies and the differences between the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Identification of these synergies could help in the implementation of both directives, by using the common points to facilitate the enforcement of the two pieces of legislation in topics such as governance, public consultation, monitoring network, reporting, ecological status. The identification of differences between WFD and MSFD is also important in order to highlight the potential need for clarification and to facilitate streamlining of both directives in terms of calendars, definition of good status, communication on the results.

The programme of the workshop, supporting documents and the presentations are available on the CIRCA Europa website:

(http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_conventio/framework_framework_dire&vm=detailed&sb=Title)

 

EVERY DROP COUNTS - The Water Challenge
Green Week Conference 2012

22 to 25 May 2012, Brussels, Belgium

(Posted 22 June 2012)

EveryDrop
The theme of the 12th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, was "Water". Over some 40 sessions, the conference focused on water. The conference was organised by DG Environment of the European Commission


 

Speeches, presentations and other information from the conference are available on the Europa website:
(http://ec.europa.eu/environment/greenweek/)

 

The 3rd European Water Conference

24 – 25 May 2012, Brussels

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The conference was organised by DG Environment of the European Commission.  The event was integrated in the Green Week 2012. The conference served as a platform for consultation and debate between different stakeholders, Member States and the European Commission on the Blueprint policy options and on the accompanying impact assessment.

The conference targeted approximately 400 participants and participation was based on invitation only.

Recordings of the event are available on the conference’s website:

(http://waterblueprint2012.eu/about)

Presentations from the conference are available on the CIRCA Europa website:

(http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_conventio/conference_24-25th&vm=detailed&sb=Title)

 

Achieving solutions for water scarcity and drought
The second policy seminar, within the framework of the 6th World Water Forum

13 March 2012, Marseille

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The seminar aimed to show how research results could be used to face policy needs in terms of water scarcity and drought and how to stimulate better exchange and uptake of information.

A short press release about the seminar is available on the WSKEP (Water Security Knowledge Exchange Programme) website:

(http://www.wskep.net/news.php?id=84)

The programme of the seminar and the presentations are available on the STREAM website:

(http://stream-project.eu/policy-seminars/2nd-policy-seminar-programme)

 

The future of science-policy connections
PSI-connect project training workshop and the final conference

19-20 April 2012, Venice, Italy

(Posted 22 June 2012)

PSI-connect (Policy Science Interactions) is a three-year collaborative project funded under EC FP7. Through experimentation with and development of innovative knowledge brokering instruments, PSI-connect aims to improve the quality and value of interactions between the science base and river basin managers and policy makers in the field of climate change impacts on river systems.

Training and conference materials are now available on the project’s website:

(http://www.psiconnect.eu/)

 

CIS ECOSTAT
HYDROMORPHOLOGY WORKSHOP

12 and 13 June 2012, Brussels, Belgium

(Posted 22 June 2012)

This workshop is intended to contribute to an understanding of the current state of play with respect to the assessment of hydromorphological impacts and the classification of ecological potential. The focus will be on methods that are already in use in the Member States or other European countries. It is aimed at technical experts and practitioners and will cover methods for rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.

To download the workshop’s program and the presentations visit the CIRCA Europa website:

(http://circa.europa.eu/Public/irc/env/wfd/library?l=/framework_directive/implementation_conventio&vm=detailed&sb=Title)

 

Marine Strategy 2012: A Review of Current Practices in Integrated Ecosystem Assessments

13 - 15 May 2012, Copenhagen

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Aarhus University, supported by DHI and ICES, hosted "Marine Strategy 2012", the first European conference on research and ecosystem-based management strategies in support of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The overarching aim of the conference was to take stock of progress in the implementation of the MSFD and to consider next steps with regard to the implementation process. Of particular interest was the discussion on how a good environmental status can be achieved in all European seas.

Program of the conference, a presentation by Susanne Altvater on international approaches to the integrated assessment of aquatic ecosystems and other relevant documents are available to download on the Ecologic website:

(http://ecologic.eu/4774)

 

Water & Ecosystem Goods and Services
Translating this into operation in the 'real world'
A CMS Conference

12 June 2012, London

(Posted 22 June 2012)

The aim of this meeting was to accelerate the practical application of ecosystem goods and services thinking into workable procedures throughout the wider water sector, including the periodic review process to 2014, water quality (WFD 2015), water resources and flooding, in order to meet the urgent requirement of getting this thinking into the current planning cycles. It will draw upon a wealth of recent work.

The conference programme, presentations and other supporting documents are available to download at the organiser’s website:

(http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/461/show)

 

Farming and Water - Questions for the Future
A CMS Conference

06 June 2012, SOAS London

(Posted 22 June 2012)

Many water and farming issues are long standing and clearly require more integrated solutions that meet the needs of society and farmers; we can't afford to continue the silo thinking. This conference aimed to take an in depth looks at the key farming and water issues. Seven questions have been identified to focus the discussion:

  1. Water Resources: What are the current water needs of the agriculture and horticultural, and how can they be met in the short and long term?
  2. Water Quality: How do we best deliver the tools?
  3. Integration: What is the combined and cumulative impact of flooding and water resource policies on the capacity to produce food in England and Wales (NFU)
  4. Is paying farmers to deliver appropriate ecosystem goods and services the way forward.
  5. What part is developing policy to play in farming and water issues? What drivers and incentives should be used?
  6. Needs, advice and incentives to farmers? Getting nowhere fast?
  7. Can we develop an integrated view?

The conference programme, presentations and other supporting documents are available to download at the organiser’s website:

(http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/460/show)

 

Water & Environment 2012 – CIWEM Annual Conference
'Green Revolution: Are we there yet?'

20 - 21 March 2012, Olympia Conference Centre, London

(Updated 22 June 2012)

This two-day CIWEM Annual Conference addressed multidisciplinary issues across all areas of the global water and environment sector, having the key theme  “Green Revolution”.

The aim of the conference was to challenge and inspire the water and environment community by sharing knowledge and best practice, which is at the heart of meeting key global challenges for a low-carbon future. There was a mix of keynote speakers, offered papers, exhibitions and networking opportunities.

The conference programme, presentations and other supporting documents are available to download at CMS website:

(http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/448/show)

The post event report from the Conference 2012 has been published online on the CIWEM website:

(http://www.ciwem.org/events/annual-conference.aspx)