National water management plan
The National Water Management Plan for Austria , NGP for short, is a river basin-related plan for ground and surface waters , including rivers , lakes and wetlands . The goals are a sustainable use and improvement of water bodies in the ecological sense, as well as the water management order to be striven for for the development of living and economic conditions, whereby the economic side must not be ignored in the fulfillment of the ecological goals.
The NGP will be implemented in six-year cycles starting in 2009, as specified by the EU. After the first cycle was over, the 2nd National Water Management Plan has been in implementation since 2015 .
National water management plan
introduction
Due to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive from the year 2000 , which provides improved information on the state of water bodies and on management issues, it was necessary to set up an instrument for river basin-related planning. In a six-year planning, implementation and evaluation cycle, all EU member states drew up a plan for the period 2009–2015. The final Austrian version was published on March 30, 2010.
Characteristics of the river basin districts
The most important key data of the three international river basin districts Danube , Rhine and Elbe are described as an overview, and all surface water and groundwater bodies are mapped.
Economic analysis of water uses
Each economic sector was subjected to its own analysis and placed in connection with water use. There is also a more detailed study of electricity generation , since Austria gets two thirds of electricity generation from hydropower . Water supply and wastewater disposal, as well as wastewater discharges from sewage treatment plants, are also economically important. Shipping and flood protection measures are currently not being examined in more detail.
Effects on the state of water
In 2004, the significant pollution of surface waters and groundwater was determined and an assessment of the effects of human activities on the condition of these waters was carried out. In the case of rivers, the stock analysis was initially limited to waters with a catchment area> 100 km². This work was supplemented in 2007 for the smaller bodies of water. The results of this inventory analysis were recorded separately in Chapter 2 of the National Water Management Plan for surface water and groundwater.
In the case of surface water, the current state and significant loads due to pollution, interventions in the water balance (residual water doping, water level fluctuations, surge ), morphological changes and passage barriers were examined in detail . The results are collected in a summary (2.1.7. Summary of the results of the risk analysis). In the case of groundwater, the quantitative status and impairment through pollution were considered.
monitoring
Chapter 4 of the National Water Management Plan describes the implementation of Article 8 of the Water Framework Directive, programs for monitoring the status of water, in the Water Status Monitoring Ordinance (GZÜV). Surveillance monitoring, operational monitoring and monitoring for investigative purposes are described separately for surface water, groundwater and protected areas . The implementation of the monitoring programs "overview" and "operational" monitoring takes place regularly, nationwide according to uniform specifications on the basis of the Water Condition Monitoring Ordinance (GZÜV).
Monitoring is carried out for investigative purposes hoc basis and is responsible for the task of water authorities to the Governor . The results of the monitoring programs are evaluated on the basis of the environmental objectives and serve to classify the condition of watercourses either directly or by analogy (grouping). On the one hand they represent an important water management basis for the creation of programs of measures, on the other hand they are also an essential element to be able to prove the success of a measure.
Environmental goals
The establishment of environmental quality goals is an important task in the river basin planning process and is described in detail in Chapter 5 of the National Water Management Plan. In general, the environmental quality objectives aim at the following points:
- to ensure at least a good status for all water bodies
- to prevent the existing condition from deteriorating
- to promote sustainable uses
- to achieve special requirements for protected areas.
The objectives for surface water bodies ( chemistry , ecology and changes in water bodies), groundwater (chemistry and quality) and protected areas are described in more detail. The large number of hydro-morphological loads, in particular, requires prioritization during remediation. In the first NGP, the focus of the hydromorphological remediation measures is placed on the larger rivers, including the estuary areas of feeders, in which the medium-range migratory fish nose, barbel and huchen are typical water species.
Desired water management order - programs of measures
The measures of the NGP can be divided into three types. These consist of the conservation measures, the renovation measures and the measures to promote water management development. Based on this, the implementation of the environmental goals should be achieved. With already existing measures and their mechanisms, the prevention of further deterioration and the improvement of the existing condition of the water body should be made possible. Where existing measures cannot guarantee the necessary protection or the necessary improvement, new measures are identified.
The main measures are the improvement of the water structure and the runoff conditions and the establishment of the continuity in rivers, as well as the reduction of the pollution of surface water by nutrients and the ground water by nitrate .
Effects of climate change on water management
Based on climate models and analyzes, it is assumed that the temperature will rise by up to 4.5 ° C in the annual mean by the end of the century. However, the changes in precipitation forecast are contradictory. However, there is a tendency to assume increased precipitation in the north and a decrease in the south . Roughly speaking, conclusions can also be drawn from this about the possible effects. These concern on the one hand the floods during heavy rain events, on the other hand the low water runoff and groundwater recharge in dry periods. Furthermore, the thawing of former glacier areas can lead to mass movements such as rock falls and landslides. The expected lower proportion of snow also plays an economically relevant role for Austria as a tourist destination .
Opinions
As part of the involvement of the public in the creation of the National Water Management Plan, everyone was able to submit their comments on the homepage of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. The deadline for submitting comments ended on October 27, 2009, by then 377 comments had been submitted.
Quality target regulation
Environmental quality objectives are an important part of the river basin planning process and are dealt with in the national water management plan. It is important to ensure at least a good status for all water bodies and to prevent the existing status from deteriorating. Furthermore, sustainable uses are to be promoted and special requirements for protected areas are to be met. The good status is defined in the quality target regulations (chemistry surface water, ecology surface water, chemistry groundwater). The water management plan specifies when this status is to be achieved in all surface water bodies and groundwater bodies in the respective six-year planning cycle - starting with 2009.