Water | Ecologic Institute: Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

Pages

Publication

Steps for Defining and Assessing Ecological Potential for Improving Comparability of Heavily Modified Water Bodies

Guidance Document No. 37

The CIS Guidance Document No. 37 proposes a common practical framework for defining the good ecological potential which is the environmental objective of heavily modified water bodies designated under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The Guidance aims to assist the comparability of approaches between Member States. Its recommendations are based on a common understanding of the WFD requirements on this topic and good practice for implementation developed within the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) of the WFD.Read more

Project

Water

Intercomparison of Good Ecological Potential and Technical Document on Sediment Management

February 2020 to November 2021

Under its 'Framework contract for Evaluation, review and development of EU Water Policy', the European Commission DG Environment has issued a service request for a Specific Contract to provide "Support for the intercomparison of Good Ecological Potential for Heavily Modified Water Bodies and elaboration of a technical document on sediment management in the context of the Water Framework Directive". The aim of this Specific Contract is to ensure support for the follow-up activities towards the further elaboration of deliverables concerning Good Ecological Potential and sediment management as outlined in the 2019-2021 work programme for the ECOSTAT working group of the WFD Common Implementation Strategy.Read more

Publication

Article

Governance

Water

Enhancing the Capacity of Water Governance to Deal with Complex Management Challenges

A framework of analysis

Despite numerous efforts to promote and implement more integrated approaches, coordination problems persist and impede sustainable water governance and management. This paper introduces a framework for guiding a transdisciplinary diagnostic approach (i.e. a context-sensitive assessment of multi-level water governance, which is combined with a change management process) to address such coordination problems. The approach aims at addressing some of the challenges identified in scientific scholarship and water governance practice by combining context-specific participatory assessments of individual cases with comparative case analysis guided by a generic conceptual framework. Read more

Event

FIThydro – European Stakeholder Workshop

TimeLoc

28 January 2020 to 29 January 2020

Brussels

Belgium

The European Stakeholder Workshop on Fish-friendly Hydropower will be held on 28 and 29 January 2020 in Brussels (Belgium). This event will serve as a platform for consultation and exchange between FIThydro scientists, policy-makers and technical experts working on the assessment of impacts from hydropower plants and the planning of mitigation measures.Read more

Event

Workshop

Water

8th Workshop on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration

TimeLoc

3 December 2019 to 4 December 2019

Augsburg

Germany

The 2-day workshop, funded within the framework of the BMU’s (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety) Environmental Research Plan, took place from 3 to 4 December 2019 in Augsburg at the Bavarian State Office for the Environment.Read more

Publication

Auenrevitalisierung in Kooperation mit der Landwirtschaft an der Hase

Revitalisation of River Hase's Floodplains in Cooperation with Farmers

The water landscape of the Hase and its tributaries Lower Saxony is ecologically upgraded. The dykes are relocated, floodplain revitalisations and watercourse conversions are carried out. This can only be done in close cooperation with all those involved, but above all with agriculture, which makes land available and extensifies uses.Read more

Publication

Steigerung der Erlebbarkeit der Ruhr im urbanen Raum

Increasing Nature Experience of the Ruhr in the Town of Arnsberg

More than 20 individual measures were implemented to ensure the continuity and restoration of the Ruhr in Arnsberg. This resulted in a near-natural river landscape in the middle of the city. The restored Ruhr is increasingly shaping the cityscape. Flood protection has also improved significantly.Read more

Publication

Systematische Gewässerentwicklung an der Wern

Systematic river development on the Wern

The river Wern in Franconia was modified in the 1930s in order to enable agriculture right up to the edge of the river. As a result, biotope and species diversity declined significantly. Since 1995, the Wern has been gradually regaining a near-natural state through systematic, sectional restoration measures.Read more

Publication

Flächenmanagement und Gewässeraufwertung an der Nebel

Land Management and River Restoration at the River Nebel

Long-term land management enabled extensive restoration of the river Nebel in Mecklenburg. In the lowland areas, construction measures were necessary because there is not enough flow velocity for a self-dynamic development. Restoration also increased ecosystem services such as carbon storage and landscape cooling.Read more

Publication

Renaturierung und technischer Hochwasserschutz an der Helme

Restoration and Technical Flood Protection at the River Helme

An innovative approach combines technical flood protection and restoration of the river Helme near Sundhausen in Thuringia. The risk of flooding is significantly reduced and companies are settling in the now flood-free industrial areas. Rare and protected species, such as the endangered river mussel (Unio crassus), also benefit from near-natural flood protection measures.Read more