Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Importance 1971
). This convention highlights the importance of wetlands in a very
broad sense. Important wetland types are
'
lakes and pools; rivers and streams; bogs,
marshes and swamps; and coastal lagoons
'
, as listed in the web reference (see
footnote 1). Yet, one basic feature of the BD is it being exclusively and solitarily
focused on a single group of organisms which is just one group of many protected
by the HD. This fact has shown in integrated planning teams that enforcing the
interests of the avifauna above that of other groups of organisms becomes evident.
Certainly a balanced consideration of the interest of all organisms of ecological
value should be more desirable.
Regarding the HD this directive has a much wider scope than the BD as many
habitat types of the HD relate to aquatic or wetland vegetation units and associated
faunal elements, which depend either on surface water connection or groundwater
supply. Yet not all the sites to which certain habitat types relate in principle are
necessarily part of protected areas coherent with the Natura 2000 concept that forms
the elementary backbone of the HD, as it assigns
'
'
special areas of conservation
'
(Art. 3 HD).
Wetlands depending on surface waters or groundwater are considered an
intrinsic part of the WFD, and therefore both the BD, with respect to avian life
depending on wetlands, and the HD, which lists many types of wetland related
vegetation types, have to be respected when developing management strategies to
reach good ecological (and chemical) status of surface waters and good ground-
water bodies. Yet, in its essence the WFD is a directive for water management in a
very wide sense, but not a focal directive on nature protection. Therefore, the aims
of the WFD are not in all cases and locations completely congruent with the
exclusively ecological and/or conservational focus of
in a more general view
the
HD, and equally not the BD.
2.2.2 Potential Synergies Between Goals of WFD
and Natura 2000
After the WFD came into force, uncertainties with regard to the interaction of nature
conservation and water management existed (K
nauer 2007 ,
p. 87). For a better use of synergies between WFD and Natura 2000 within the next
planning phases of River Basin Management Plans (RMBP) and to avoid con
ö
hler 2003 , p. 106; Sch
ö
fl
icts,
it seemed appropriate, to assess potential synergies and con
icts between the goals
of WFD and Natura 2000. In this and the following section these potentials are
discussed, as were identi
fl
ed within the scope of an evaluation of both directives
and all RBMPs in Germany.
The ecosystem approach of the WFD can contribute to the achievement of
conservation objectives when reaching the good ecological status of surface waters
which has positive effects on their function as habitat for animals and plants in
relation to the HD (Kastens 2003 , p. 292).
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