Inclusion of climate aspects in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive - Challenges and prospects from an increasingly wet Norway

Transcription

1 Inclusion of climate aspects in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive - Challenges and prospects from an increasingly wet Norway Line Johanne Barkved (NIVA) Water Bridges Conference January 2016, Athens Line Barkved

2 A changing climate new challenges Climate change, adaptation and mitigation Changing governance context in water management (WFD, ) Water Resources Management -> Translation challenge -> Coordination challenge -> Anchoring challenge Line Barkved

3 WFD & Climate Change How is climate change aspects integrated in the implementation of the WFD? What is done? How does climate change affect the water environment & ecology? How to ensure interaction and coordination between WFD and climate change considerations? Line Barkved

4 WFD organization in Norway The Water Regulation 11 River Basin Districts Multi- level 105 Sub-Districts water bodies.. Source:

5 Climate change considerations in the river basin management plans (RBMPs) 2012: EC s recommendation to the Norwegian RBMPs: «Demonstrate how climate projections have informed assessments of WFD pressures and impacts, how monitoring programs are configured to detect climate change impacts, and how selected measures are robust to cope with projected climate conditions.» March 2015: EC s assement of all European PoMs: Up to now, there is no consideration of climate change - no climate proofing of the RBMP/PoMs. These issues need to be dealt with urgently. Ensure that climate change is adequately considered in the assessment of pressures and status of water bodies and that the objectives of the National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change are properly taken into account in the design of the PoMs. In Norway: party due to lack of national guidance - > now being developed by Norwegian Environment Agency (2016,..) Line Barkved

6 Climate change and Norway Climate projections towards year 2100: ca 4.5 ºC increase in annual temp ( ºC) ca 18 % increase in annual precipitation (7-23 %) Heavier and more frequent heavy rainfall events Larger and more frequent rainfall floods Smaller and less frequent snowmelt floods Sea level raise cm, depending on localization Warmer, Wetter, Wilder In particular two changes expected to cause challenges for the society: Change in precipitation, and resulting stormwater and flood issues Sea level rise Line Barkved

7 Increasing numbers of days with heavy rainfall Heavy rainfall as of today High Avrg. mm/day Source: Norwegian Climate Service Center (2015) Winter Spring Summer Autumn Annual Line Barkved

8 Adaptation to climate change Climate change mitigation Norwegian Environment Agency M148/2014 (after IPCC WP5) Line Barkved

9 Pressures on water bodies in Norway The 10 most important pressures on watercourses in Norway Hydropower Acid rain Agricultural runoff Runoff from scattered houses Invasive species Runoff from urban areas Pollution form sewage plants Polluted sediments Flood protection Aquaculture Effect: High Medium Low - Unknown Vannportalen.no

10 Topics most frequently discussed connected to climate change as part of Water Regulation implementation Flom Landbruk Kommunalt avløp Overvannshåndtering Økt erosjon Vannkraft Skred/ras Hav/kystvann Plan, bygg, Drikkevann Fremmede arter Beredskap Forsuring Forurensing Temperaturøkning i Samferdsel Flood Agriculture Municipal wastewater Stormwater manag. Increased erosion Hydropower RBD water boards, actual numbers (N_301). From survey 2013 (Hanssen & Barkved et.al 2015 ) LBA

11 Pressure: Hydropower Impacts on: 70 % of the no. of river basins 17 % of river stretches 30 % of lake area Foto: Anders Iversen Map: NVE: Existing hydropower plants. Ecologic effect: Reduced (or no) flow, variation in water level Habitats for fish, insects, plants, birds Landscape, recreation, tourism A. Iversen, Norwegian Environment Agency Foto: Jo Halvard Halleraker Environmental measures: 1. Ecological continuum: Minimum environmental flow. Fish passes and ladders 2. Habitat improvements 3. Stocking and reintroduction Renewable energy source Flood regulating capacities

12 Inflow Source: NVE (2015) Line Barkved

13 Pressure: Agriculture Photo: Helga Gunnarsdottir Impact: Eutrophication Erosion Channels for drainage/reclamation of land Common measures: Environmental plan for each farm Buffer zones, riparian vegetation Reduced plowing in fall Constructed wetlands Vegetation on erosion-prone areas Improved handling and storage of manure Better adapted fertilizer and use Restoration of creeks and wetlands Photo: KLIF climate change relevant dimensions More erosion and nutrient losses? Prolonged growing seasons - increased potential for pollution? Increased need of measures

14 Climate change effects on water environment (Arnell, 2015) Potential additional pressures Pot. changed threshold values between good and moderate status for a water body Pot. change reference condition Create uncertainty about goal attainment according to the WFD Increased need for measures Line Barkved

15 Knowledge-based climate change adaptation. 1. GLOBAL WARMING 2. REGIONAL/LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGES 3. EFFECTS ON HYDROLOGY, AGRICULTURE, NATURE, INFRASTRUCTURE 6. POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL DECISIONS ON CLIMATE RESILIENT STRATEGIES - AND IMPLEMENTATION 5. DEMANDS ON REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANS AND STRATEGIES 4. DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACTS ON WATER ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY Modified from Klausen in Barkved & Hanssen (2015)

16 Knowledge-based climate change adaptation. 1. GLOBAL WARMING 2. REGIONAL/LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGES 3. EFFECTS ON HYDROLOGY, AGRICULTURE, NATURE, INFRASTRUCTURE 6. POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL DECISIONS ON CLIMATE RESILIENT STRATEGIES - AND IMPLEMENTATION 5. DEMANDS ON REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANS AND STRATEGIES 4. DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACTS ON WATER ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY Modified from Klausen in Barkved & Hanssen (2015)

17 Example: Climate change opportunities & threats for sectors part of UK national climate adaptation strategy Agricultural sector From CCRA (2012), next CCRA2 in Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK Government is required to publish a Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years. Line Barkved

18 Water management following WFD adding the climate aspect To deliver successful water management requires linking the different steps. Information on pressures and risks should feed into the development of monitoring programmes, information from the monitoring programmes and the economic analysis should lead to the identification of cost effective programmes of measures and justifications for exemptions... (European Commission, 2012) EXAMPLE from Norwegian pre-study for the Norwegian Environment Agency (Barkved & Hanssen 2015) as part of knowledge base for dev. of guidance material ( 2016/17) Line Barkved

19 Water management following WFD adding the climate aspect The climate lens Key questions /considerations for each step Documentation - transparency Important for competent authorities /water region coordinators: Realistic level of ambition (time, resources) Practical approaches /tools What/where is the knowledge base Who s responsible for what ( survey Norway) EXAMPLE from Norwegian pre-study for the Norwegian Environment Agency (Barkved & Hanssen 2015) as part of knowledge base for dev. of guidance material ( 2016/17) Line Barkved

20 Environmental measures & «climate proofing» Identification and appraisal: Does climate change influence the relevance of the measure? Could climate change affect the cost-effectiveness of measures? Climate-proof: Will have a positive effect also in a changing climate, (during its lifespan) Supports, or at least not run counter to, climate adaptation, considering also mitigation, other goals Level of flexibility (to change as climate changes)? Building resilience: Focus on preventive measures before damage reducing measures, e.g.: Local stormwater management vs increased dimensions of waste water pipes Avoid locating infrastructure at flood risk sites vs flood protection structures Line Barkved

21 Some concluding remarks Get up to speed on adaption to today s climate. Make climate and climate change an explicit factor in assessments. Make available and relevant (translate) knowledge we have + develop the knowledge base Decision-making under uncertainty: prioritize «no/low regret» measures Coordination of measures (co-benefits, resilience and sum effects) Line Barkved

22 Thank you!