Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2016 (96. évfolyam)
2016 / 3. szám - HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT - Ijjas István: Good Practices for Integrated Water Resources Management in EU and Hungary
István Ijjas: Good Practices for Integrated Water Resources Management in EU and in Hungary transboundary cooperation to guide actions for sustainable development in the river basins all around the world (I CP DR 2016). When the ICPDR started its work in 1998, Germany and Austria were the only two contracting parties belonging to the European Union. Today, nine of the fourteen countries in the Danube region are EU member states. The Danube River Protection Convention is referred as an example of good practice in a wide range of themes of 1WRM. Efficiently coordinated by the ICPDR, the Danube Basin has a transboundary river basin management plan (ICPDR 2009c, 2015a), a transboundary flood risk management plan (ICPDR 2009b, 2015b), the first- ever transboundary climate change adaptation strategy (ICPDR 2013c) and shares its experiences as part of a global network of basins working on climate change adaptation. ICPDR is a world leader in work on the nexus between water and related sectors, having developed guidelines on sustainable waterway (ICPDR 2010, ICPDR-DC-1SRBC 2007, Ijjas 2014b) and hydropower planning (ICPDR 2013a, 2013b 2012) together with the interest groups. Active involvement of the public was one of the key principles of the Danube River Protection Convention (ICPDR 2014). To date, 22 organisations hold observer status in ICPDR, representing the full spectrum of interests. Good practices for river basin management and coordination in large river basins The River Basin Management Planning and coordination needs a specific understanding in large river basins (ICPDR 2009c and 2015a, Ijjas 2004 and 2006). The three main levels of planning and coordination in case of the Danube Basin: • Danube river basin level (issues affecting the whole DRBD) • Bilateral/multilateral level (issues with bilateral, multilateral transboundary effects) • National level (all other issues regarding implementation) Amount of Danube level planning and coordination should be limited to the absolutely necessary. The subdivision of the Danube River Basin into practical management sub-units is also an important issue. Transboundary issues NOT covered by the WFD are the problems affecting the achievement of economic and social objectives (e.g. navigation, recreation, CAP) and also the programs of measures to achieve the economic and social objectives. Integration for achievement of good status of waters - Danube River Basin Management Plan The Danube countries have developed the DRBM Plan entailing measures of basin-wide importance as well as setting the framework for more detailed plans at the sub-basin and/or national level (ICPDR 2009c, 2015a). Not all countries of the Danube Basin are EU Member States, but all the countries have agreed to adopt and implement the WFD. U_ The DRBM Plan identified four major significant transboundary issues that are a priority for the Danube Basin and the impact of the Danube River on the Black Sea (ICPDR 2009c, 2015a): 1) Nutrient Pollution - potentially leading to over enrichment by nutrients and eutrophic conditions. 2) Organic Pollution - potentially leading to low dissolved oxygen levels in the receiving water. 3) Hazardous substances - potentially leading to environmentally toxic conditions. 4) Hydromorphological alterations - that have led to a loss of wetlands, negative impacts on natural aquatic conditions and present migration barriers for fish. Good practices for integration of development policies in macro-regional level The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) was adopted in 2009, the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EU SDR) in 2011, and the European Council invited the European Commission to present an EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region by end 2014. The aim of a macro-regional strategy is to mobilize new projects and initiatives, creating a sense of common responsibility. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) was jointly developed by the European Commission, together with the Danube Region countries and stakeholders, in order to address common challenges together. The Danube Region Strategy (EC 2010, Ijjas 2011) addresses a wide range of economic, social and environmental development issues; these are divided among 4 pillars and 11 priority areas. Each Priority Area is jointly coordinated by two participating countries. The objective of the Priority Area 4 is “to restore and maintain the quality of waters” (implementation of WFD and the measures of river basin management plans). The area is coordinated by Hungary and Slovakia. Priority Area 5 "To manage environmental risks" is coordinated by Hungary and Romania, with the involvement of a wide network of key players and stakeholders from the 14 countries of the Danube Region. INTEGRATION OF WATER PROTECTION POLICY AND SECTOR POLICIES Integration of water protection policy and inland navigation policy ICPDR (actually the ministers responsible for water and environment in the countries sharing the Danube Basin) considered the integration of environment and agriculture, navigation and hydropower as the most important integration issues in the Danube Basin. In 2007, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR, Vienna), together with the Danube Commission (DC, Budapest) and the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC, Zagreb), initiated an international dialogue to create a basis for improving navigation while at the same time protecting and improving the natural landscape and water quality of the Danube. An intensive one-year discussion process resulted in an agreement, called the Joint Statement on
