Electronic,
EU policy document on natural water retention measures
(2014)
Abstract
Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) are multi-functional measures that aim to protect and manage water resources using natural means and processes, therefore building up Green Infrastructure, for example, by restoring ecosystems and changing land use. NWRM have the potential to provide multiple benefits, including flood risk reduction, water quality improvement, groundwater recharge and habitat improvement. As such, they can help achieve the goals of key EU policies such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Floods Directive (FD) and Habitats and Birds Directive. Despite the growing knowledge base on the positive role that NWRM can play in integrated water management, the need for a better knowledge base and exchange of good practices is recognised.^More robust information, in particular on the effectiveness of NWRM under different conditions and on their (potential) additional benefits as compared to other measures, will facilitate the identification of contexts and conditions where NRWM may provide multiple benefits and be cost-effective, and hence may promote more widespread implementation of NWRM. The evidence currently collated in the context of the European Commission NWRM pilot project (www.nwrm.eu) is expected to be valuable in supporting the uptake of NWRM in River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) and Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs). In addition, efforts are required to raise awareness of decision-makers on the potential of NWRM to provide multiple benefits. Today, the performance of NWRM is often assessed from a single sector/single objective view point, thus not fully accounting for the multiple benefits they potentially provide.^In addition, research and demonstration in pilot activities is to be promoted to gather further evidence on the effects of NWRM on flood mitigation at the catchment scale. Enhanced coordination between planning processes across different policy areas (e.g. River Basin and Flood Risk Management, but also nature protection, rural development and land use/spatial planning) is seen as a pre-requisite for enhancing the chances of the multiple benefits of NWRM to be considered appropriately in management decisions. Limited financial resources are often mentioned as a barrier to the implementation of NWRM. While a range of funding sources is available at European and other levels, utilisation of these funding sources for financing NWRM remains limited. In parallel to enhanced coordination between sector-based planning processes, blending and integrating financial resources available from different sources can also contribute to facilitating more widespread implementation of NWRM.
