Ecological status versus ecological potential Workshop on Ecological classification of surface water bodies in EUWI+ pilot areas of Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, June 19 - 20, 2018 Kyiv, Ukraine

1. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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Support of Water Policy Reforms
towards Integrated Water Resources Management
WORKSHOP ON
ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
ECOLOGICAL STATUS VERSUS ECOLOGICAL
POTENTIAL
Robert Konecny & Alexander Zinke
Kyiv, 19-20 June 2018

2. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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„CONCEPT“ - HEAVILY MODIFIED WB
 Own „category“
 Less stringent objective than good status
-„reference condition“ : maximum ecological
potential (MEP)
- quality objective: good ecological potential
(slight deviation from MEP) and good chemical status

3. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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DEFINITION OF ”HMWB” WFD ARTICLE 2 (9)
"Heavily modified water body" means a body of surface water which
as a result of physical alterations by human activity is substantial
changed in character, as designated by the Member State.
Photo: © Ulrike Goldschmidt

4. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGNATION AS HMWB OR ARTIFICIAL WB (ART. 4(3))
Water body is not in a good status!!!
The achievement of its good ecological status would have
a) Significant adverse effects on:
 The wider environment
 Uses: navigation, power generation, drinking-water supply, irrigation, flood
protection, land drainage, recreation, other important sustainable human
development activities
b) Alternatives, which would be the better environmental option, cannot be
achieved due to their
 Technical feasibility
 Disproportionate costs

5. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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STEPS LEADING TO THE DESIGNATION AS HMWB
1) Assessment of significant hydromorphological alterations
2) Provisional designation as HMWB (2004)
3) Re-assess that good status is not achieved (2006/07)
4) If good status cannot be achieved due to physical alterations, test
if Art. 4 (3) requirements are fulfilled
5) If yes: designation as HMWB in the RBMP (2009/2015/2021 …)

6. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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7. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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CIS-GUIDANCE HEAVILY MODIFIED WB
Achieve maximum ecological potential
 Choice of the quality elements for MEP & GEP based on
comparable natural surface water category
 Definition of hydromorphological, physico- chemical and biological
conditions reflecting those of a comparable water body type
 All mitigation measures with no significant impacts on the uses
 Improvement and best approximation to the ecological continuum
(longitudinal, lateral) of the water body - slight deviation from MEP

8. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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9. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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10. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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HMWB IN THE RIVERBASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN (RBMP)
 Description underpinning that the requirements of Art. 4 (3) are fulfilled
 Definition of MEP/GEP
 Assessment of current ecological status
 If „good ecological potential“ is not achieved
---> Programme of Measures
Re-assessment every 6 years!

11. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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STEPS FOR FINAL DESIGNATION OF HMWBS
IN AUSTRIA
 Criteria for „substantially changed in character“
 List of restoration/mitigation measures for each
pressure type (driver hydropower)
 List of possible adverse effects on uses/wider
environment
 Criteria for „significance“ of adverse effects
 Criteria for better environmental options

12. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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CRITERIA FOR SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE
IN CHARACTER
HMWB Guidance: profound, permanent, irreversible
2-steps:
1) Screening by applying criteria, which are
- pressure related and / or
- impact related leading to a„provisional
identification of HMWB“
2) Final decision – additional biological impact criteria has to be
fulfilled

13. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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IMPACT RELATED CRITERIA
Specific threshold
 Due to hydromorphological alterations, the length of river expected to be worse
than good
at small rivers: >1 km
at large rivers: > 2 km
 Intensity of river fragmentation (number of migration barriers)
highland: >2
lowland: >1

14. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
NAVIGATION

15. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH
FLOOD DEFENCE WORKS

16. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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HEAVILIY MODIFIED WATER BODIES
 European perspective
 WFD and heavily modified water bodies
 Definition Maximum Ecological (MEP) and
Good Ecological Potential (GEP)

17. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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17
WIENFLUSS, VIENNA, FLOOD 2002
Photos: © Ulrike Goldschmidt