TMAP – WFD Workshop Reference Values Hamburg 29 – 30 November 2004

Overview WFD Implementation

Harald Marencic

Common Wadden Sea Secretariat

RiverBasin Districts

(Status November 2003)

Delimitations

River Basin Districts (RBD)in the Wadden Sea(coastal and transitional waters, up to 1 sm)(Inland areas and Helgoland not included)

Delimitations RBD Wadden Sea

“Report 2005”

Identification of water bodies.

First characterization.

Preliminary assessment (likelihood that water bodies will not reach good status in 2005).

First Characterization

Table 1: Available drafts of the Report 2005 (B-reports)

River Basin District Working Area Draft Report 2005

RBD Rhine Rhine North version October 2004

RBD Ems: Ems-Dollart Estuary

version October 2004

Lower Ems version 7.10.04

RBD Weser: Tideweser version 4.10.04

RBD Elbe Tideelbe version 1.10.2004

RBD Eider Eider version November 2003

RBD Sønderjylland

-

RBD Ribe -

Criteria:

• Salinity

• Exposition

Water Body Types

Preliminary Designation:

Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWB)

Discussion in NL: Loss of salt marshes due to embankments: Wadden Sea as HMWB ?

• Transitional waters as „HMBW“ (Ems, Weser, Elbe, Eider)

• Coastal Waters as „Natural Waters“

Criteria:

• Hydro-Morphology significantly changed

• Human uses (shipping, harbor, drainage..)

Preliminary conclusions Draft Reports 2005 (RBD Ems, Weser, Elbe, Eider)

“Wadden Sea will probably not reach the environmental objectives / good status by 2015“

Assessment Ecological Status

Schiermonnikoog2005

Stade1997

Main reasons:- High nutrient inputs- High concentrations of specific pollutants

But: - Gaps of information / monitoring data - Lacking of reference values and quantitative

criteria

WFD Objective

„Good ecological status by 2015“

Assessment Ecological Status

Good ecological status is a condition in which:

- Biological quality elements show only slight deviation from the type-specific reference condition

- Physico-chemical elements are at levels capable of supporting the functioning of the type-specific ecosystem

Definition of Reference conditions

• A condition in which a water body has suffered no, or only very minor anthropogenic impacts to its hydromorphology, physico-chemistry, and biology,

• Can be in the past or the present,• Can be derived from observations, historical data or

modelling, or where necessary expert judgement,• Can be expressed as ranges.

Reference conditions – Work status

• Van der Molen (Ed.) July 2004: “References and classification tools for transitional and coastal waters”

– proposal reference values for 42 water types, – not yet tested, – “living document”

• Dick de Jong , 2004. Determination of Reference conditions for plants in coastal waters.

– development of “potentional GES”

• projects on national and EU level

• Others?

Wadden Sea Plan Targets

Ecological TargetsTidal AreaSalt MarshesBeaches and DunesEstuariesOffshore ZoneRural Area

Quality of Water, Sediment and BiotaMarine MammalsBirds

Landscape and Cultural History Targets

Wadden Sea Plan Targets10 Years Experience

Applicability in Policy and Management

Suitability for Communication with Stakeholders

Good: No scientific conflicts

Good: Structuring of assessment and monitoringStructuring Policy and ManagementGuidance development of measuresRegional specification

Good: Regional and Sectoral Specification possible General Support

Scientific Credibility

Water Framework Directive and Wadden Sea

Guidance from EU LevelCIS Guidance documents (monitoring, reference condition, typology, classification)

Intercalibration process (metrics, class boundaries)

Eutrophication assessment guidance

NL: Rhine North, Ems

Lower Saxony: Ems, Weser, Elber

Hamburg: Elbe

Schleswig-Holstein: Elbe, Eider

Denmark: Ribe, S-Jutl.,, Eider

Differences in interpretation and specification on RBD level

Water Framework Directive and Wadden Sea

Guidance from EU LevelCIS Guidance documents (monitoring, reference values, typology, classification)

Intercalibration process (metrics, class boundaries)

Eutrophication assessment guidance

NL: Rhine North, Ems

Lower Saxony: Ems, Weser, Elber

Hamburg: Elbe

Schleswig-Holstein: Elbe, Eider

Denmark: Ribe, S-Jutl.,, Eider

Trilateral Cooperation / TMAP as „Platform“ to support RBD to find a common Wadden Sea approach.

Wadden Sea Symposium 2005

11th International Wadden Sea SymposiumEsbjerg, 4 – 8 April 2005Organized by: National Environmental Research Institute (NERI)

Monitoring and Assessment in the Wadden Sea –Foundations and Perspectives

Call for papers / Registration: 15 February 2005

Preliminary Program and Registration Form:

www.waddensea-secretariat.org