Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
change (EC 2008 , p. 4; similarly Reese 2011 , who however postulates strict legal
obligations for climate adaptation in water management). Climate change should at
least be considered in the
first planning cycle of river basin management planning,
paving the way for more actions in the second and third cycles (EEA 2007 , p. 27;
BMU 2007 , p. 4).
Requirements arising from climate change should thus be included in manage-
ment planning. The recommendation for the current planning cycle is that the
current state of knowledge and the effects of climate change should be described
(cf. BMU 2007 ,p.4;EC 2008 ,p.4;EC 2009 , p. 39). This can be included in
discussion of the pressures on water bodies and the further development of
assessment methods for ecological status (cf. Gammeltoft 2007 ).
Further WFD planning steps and instruments relevant to the focus on climate
change are: monitoring and assessment of water status (Art. 8 WFD, Annex V),
objective setting and making use of exemptions (Art. 4 WFD), the economic
analysis (EC 2009 , p. 39 et seq.).
Climate related objectives should be particularly considered when formulating
and implementing environmental objectives and measures. On the one hand, it is
necessary to reduce and avoid further climatic warming; and, on the other hand,
adjustments to climate change must be attempted. Measures should thus be pre-
ferred that, in addition to their effectiveness in relation to WFD objectives, also
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (win-win measures) at the same cost. Sim-
ilarly, preference should be given to measures with a high tolerance of climate
change and that also remain effective and expedient despite greatly differing types
of climatic change (no regret measures) (EC 2009 , pp. 63
64).
Nature conservation and WFD can be well combined to achieve the greatest
possible adaptability of water bodies and wetlands to climate change. Although
there may be con
-
icts in individual cases (see above), in general, both strive to
attain the goal of intact aquatic ecosystems, the qualities of which make a contri-
bution to climate change adaptation. Such systems are characterised by varied
hydromorphological structures, thus providing a retreat for aquatic fauna in stress
situations, such as
fl
flooding or low water events. The continuity of watercourses
allows resettlement by water-type speci
fl
c species through migration, for instance
after periods of drought. In the context of the apparent increasing necessity of low
water management, further measures to improve water retention in the catchment
should be planned. Such measures are of signi
cance both to nature conservation
and to the aims of the WFD,
firstly in connection to the retention of diffuse sub-
stances in the catchment area and, secondly, in connection to the various envi-
ronmental objectives of nature conservation, such as the extensive protection of a
diversely structured landscape, soil protection and the safeguarding of balanced
precipitation-runoff processes (Wendler et al. 2012 , p. 55).
The issue of climate change and the necessary adjustments it implies have further
connotations for nature conservation. It can be predicted that climate change will
cause further changes in groundwater processes; these must then be incorporated in
the planning of groundwater management and consideration of the effects on
groundwater-dependent surface waters and terrestrial ecosystems (cf. LAWA 2009 ).
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