This document discusses opportunities and challenges for richer river environments through ecological restoration. It outlines that river restoration aims to restore natural river functioning and provides ecosystem services. Existing policies like the Water Framework Directive and Habitats Directive support some restoration but it is typically small in scale and focused on specific goals. The document calls for more innovative, landscape-scale restoration that provides multiple benefits and complements water management. It suggests leveraging agricultural policies and developing green infrastructure to advance restoration goals. Challenges include ensuring policy cross-compliance, implementation support through incentives and capacity building, and quantifying costs and benefits.

1. Richer river environments through
restoration: policy opportunities and
challenges
Chris Baker, Head of
Strategy and programme
Wetlands and Water
Resources
22nd May 2012

2. Restoration
• Ecological river restoration refers to a
large variety of measures aiming at
restoring the natural state and
functioning of the river and the riverine
environment.
• Ecological River Restoration is an integral
part of sustainable water management
• River Restoration is eco‐system based

3. Why is river restoration relevant and
important now?
• Increased pollution
• Water shortages
• Increased disaster risk
• Ecosystem services provide options
• River Restoration is a cross‐cutting tool
– Sustainable
– Cost effective
– Multiple benefits are possible

4. Existing policy environment
Restoration drivers
• Water Framework Directive and Flood Risk Management Directive
– WFD Programme of measures
– Flood risk management planning
– But, limited use of River restoration as a tool
• Habitats Directive
– Conservation and restoration of ecosystems
– Focus on biodiversity rich areas
– Important driver of restoration
Restoration Delivery
• Supporting delivery of river restoration
– E.g. Nitrates Directive, CAP

5. Typical river restoration characteristics
• Biodiversity focus
• Limited size and scope
• Single policy goals
• Regionally focused on west and north
• ‘Nice to do’ ‐ not a mainstream water
management option

6. Innovative river restoration
• Landscape scale / multi‐
reach / catchment
• Multiple benefits
• Complement water
management objectives
• Complex planning and land
management
• Resource and time intensive
• Regional bias to west

7. Case: Lower Rhine River
An integrated landscape approach
Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands
• Socio-economic value
• Ecological value
• Aesthetic/ cultural value
• Sustainability

8. Agri-Environment review
• Agricultural policy can be a means to deliver river
restoration. E.g.
– Buffer zones
– Re‐flooding floodplains
• Greening of farmer payments – link to
environmental outcomes
• Cross compliance to the WFD

9. EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
• 2020 headline target
• “Halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation
of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and
restoring them…”
• TARGET 2: MAINTAIN AND RESTORE ECOSYSTEMS
AND THEIR SERVICES
– By 2020, ecosystems and their services are maintained
and enhanced by establishing green infrastructure and
restoring at least 15 % of degraded ecosystems
– Action 6: Set priorities to restore and promote the use of
green infrastructure

10. Green Infrastructure
• Development of Green Infrastructure Strategy
• Green Infrastructure Working Group
• Strategically planned and delivered network of high quality green
spaces and other environmental features
• Multifunctional resource capable of delivering a wide range of
benefits and services
• River restoration builds green infrastructure (WWF 2011)

11. Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s Water
Resources
• Problem 3: Land use impacts and in particular agriculture's
impacts threaten water quality and quantity across much
of Europe and deregulate water flow increasing water
scarcity and flood risks.
– Guidance clearly defining a EU framework for green infrastructures
– Develop guidance for integrated water – land‐use management
– Enhance scope of SEA
• Problem 9: Costs and benefits of inaction and of water
related measures are not properly understood or
quantified
– A methodology for the calculation of costs and benefits that
includes environmental resource and ecosystem services costs

12. Challenges
• Policy cross‐compliance
• Policy implementation
– Incentivisation
– Planning
– Target setting
– Capacity
– Knowledge and know‐
how

13. REFORM
Develop and improve
instruments and guidelines
that enlarge the success and
cost‐effectiveness of
restoration and mitigation
measures to achieve the
www.reformrivers.eu ecological objectives of the
WFD

14. RESTORE and ECRR

15. Thanks!
www.wetlands.org
www.restorerivers.eu