Drought management in Spain

Transcription

1 Drought management in Spain July 8, Zaragoza 2008 Elisa Vargas Directorate General for Water

2 Recent concerns at European level The European Council (ES/PT) expresses importance of water scarcity and droughts at European level (March 2006) Relevant effects on many European Countries: socio-economic and environmental impacts The Council asks the CE to assess the problem Water Framework Directive (WFD) not fully addresses issues Water Directors agree to create a Working Group within the Common Implementation Strategy CIS- of the WFD Group incorporated into the structure on December 2006 (previously existing as a drafting group)

3 Expert Network co-leaded by FR/ES/IT Organisation of Common Implementation Strategy Strategic Steering Group WFD and Hydromorphology Chair: DE, UK and Commission Strategic Steering Group WFD and Agriculture Chair: FR, UK and Commission Drafting Group Objectives/Exemptions/ Economics Chair: Commission and DK Water Directors Steering of implementation process Chair: Presidency, Co-chair: Commission Strategic Co-ordination Group Co-ordination of work programme Chair: Commission Stakeholder Forum Water Scarcity and Droughts Chair: Commission Expert Group Chair: COM/FR/ES/IT Art. 21 Committee Working Group A Ecological Status Chair: JRC, DE and UK Working Group D Reporting Chair: Commission, EEA and FR "GIS Expert Network Working Group F Floods Chair: Commission Working Group C Groundwater Chair: Commission and AT Chemical Monitoring Working Group E Priority Substances Chair: Commission Chemical Monitoring Stakeholders, NGO s, Researchers, Experts, etc.

4 EC Communication to the Council and Parliament Process Published on 18 July 2007 Lists possible measures to cope with water scarcity and droughts (management measures mainly) Recommends Drought Management Plans Development Supports establishing a European Strategy Considers using European funds when suffering prolonged droughts Proposes establishing a European Drought Observatory

5 DMP objectives Technical report on Drought Management Plan (ES) drafted by Expert Network (approved by European Water Directors on November 2007). Useful tool to elaborate Drought Management Plans (DMPs) Helps Member States to mitigate and prevent drought effects Provides technical recommendations to establish useful indicator systems to declare drought status Establishes measures, in accordance with indicators status, consistent with RBMP. Relates direct issues clearly affected by droughts (agriculture and groundwater) and consider consequences of climate change Limitation: common agreed indicators

6 DMPs: Spanish DMPs general characteristics Origins: Drought management in Spain: traditionally as an emergency situation Previous laws/decrees: allowed for adoption of urgent measures Entities in charge: River Basin Authorities Legal Framework: Law 10/2001, of the Hydrological National Plan and Directive 2000/60/CE Art Objective: Establish hydrological indicator system that determines the phenomenon status, to minimize environmental, social and economic impacts of drought situations Placement within the planning process: It s a specific plan complementary to the River Basin Management Plans.

7 Indicators system Established based on different variables: Precipitation River inflows in natural regime Stored volume in surface reservoirs Piezometric levels in aquifers Indicators are weighted, validated with management systems and historical series Indicators are assessed (historical value indicator) and thresholds defined according to specificities of river basins

8 Hydrological status, global indicator system April 2008 March 2008 May 2008

9 Mitigation drought measures TYPES OF MITIGATION MEASURES Indicator Status Normal Pre-alert Alert Emergency Objective Planning Informationcontrol Conservation Restrictions Type of measure Strategic Tactics Emergency

10 Main Results of applying DMPs Approval of Plans published on the State s Official Bulletin (B.O.E.) of 23/03/2007 DMP guidelines were applied during extreme situations throughout 2007 in Spain Progressive measures according to the drought status were used Water allocations decreased in most critical areas for agricultural uses Main achievement: no public water supply was compromised, and no restrictions were needed in this sector Further work being developed on general water indicators: essential for water planning

11 Objectives : New water indicator system Determine useful indicators for water management Analyze temporal and spatial aspects of variables, useful for: River Basin Management Plans (WFD objectives) development Decision-making Disseminate information to citizens Data source for indicators: Water Information System (SIA) established on January 2008 Integrated water system: internal and external data sources. Geographic viewer: external web portal, direct access to the whole system s information Digital water book: public dissemination, generates contents in real time from the data base Will be soon linked to WISE

12 Scheme of the new water indicator system

13 Average of P series Example at national and river basin level

14 Average P/PET Example at national and river basin level

15 Dams in Spain Example at national level

16 Future steps and conclusions Important political and technical results on WS&D works DMPs in Spain are proving to be effective tools to minimize socioeconomic drought impacts Setting basis for selecting and developing key water quantitative indicators (focus: water scarcity and droughts) and coordinating authorities and data suppliers Need to agree on common indicators at EU level Importance of transferring experience to Mediterranean countries Essential future link between SIA and WISE and other water information systems (e.g. EMWIS)