<p>Management of water bodies according to their river basinsis becoming increasingly common, as the concept of IntegratedWater Resources Management (IWRM) is getting more and moreacknowl-edged. In Europe, a large portion of these“new”management units will probably be internationalor transboundary. Decisions and policies consideringtransboundary water issues need to be based on reliable andcomprehendible information. In this thesis, a review of variousexisting models that may be used for understanding the role anduse of information in (transboundary) water management ispresented. Further, the thesis reports on an assessment of theinformation management of three transboundary water regimes inEurope, namely the international water commissions for LakeNeusiedl, Lake Constance and Elbe River. Besides examining theinformation management of the regimes as such, the managementwas also related to information needs implied by the IWRMcon-cept and by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Thereviewed models and approaches were grouped into threecategories: information management models, information cyclemodels and communication between actors. The first categorycomprised models that may be used for managing and assessingdifferent types of information. The second group dealt withmodels explaining the production and communication ofinformation predominately from an information producer/senderperspective. The third group focused on ideas concerninginteractions and communication of information between differentkinds of actors. The studies on information management intransboundary water regimes showed that the information needsand strategies often were defined primarily with watercommissions’own needs in mind. The data collected by thecommissions were predominated by monitoring data, describingthe status of the environment and the impact caused by humanactivities. Furthermore, any communication of information toother groups of actors was mainly done through passivechannels. The information management in these transboundarywater regimes was not fully in accordance with informationneeds implied by the IWRM concept and the EU WFD.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM);transboundary water management; information; EU Water FrameworkDirective (WFD); regimes; policy and decision making; LakeNeusiedl; Lake Constance; Elbe River.</p>

Today, there is a general notion that water resources are best managed according to their river basins. River basin management may be approached from a wide variety of angles. This thesis focuses on information management, institutional arrangements and strategic policy support, with special reference to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The overall objective is to examine strategies, possibilities and hindrances for river basin management, with the ultimate goal of identifying key aspects to be considered - and prioritised - for “successful” European water management and WFD implementation. An assessment of the information management of three transboundary water regimes in Europe showed that a technical/scientific paradigm ap-pears to dominate in river basin accords. This is visible, for example, in the data collection, which is dominated by state and environmental impact information, and the use of passive channels for communicating with stakeholders and other interest groups. The studies addressing institutional arrangements for river basin management according to the WFD showed that the implementa-tion level of the directive is relatively low – both at national and international levels. For instance, competent authorities have not been established (strictly) according to the borders of the estab-lished River Basin District (RBDs). Further, in international RBDs, the ambitions and plans for cooperation vary considerably. Despite the general low implementation level, steps have still been taken in the “direction” of river basin management. At the national level, all examined countries have established RBDs according to river basins, and at the international level, joint river basin management plans will probably be coordinated for a majority of river basins shared by EU Member States. However, the same pattern could not be discerned for river basins extending outside the borders of the EU. In order to support strategic policy making on issues related to the implementation of the WFD, two assessments were made, one addressing international co-operation and water quality in the Baltic Sea Region, and one encompassing rankings of all the newly established RBDs based on a number of identical indicators. Although there is a need to refine these assessments, they may be regarded as simple – but yet robust – models for bench-marking. / QC 20100914

Management of water bodies according to their river basinsis becoming increasingly common, as the concept of IntegratedWater Resources Management (IWRM) is getting more and moreacknowl-edged. In Europe, a large portion of these“new”management units will probably be internationalor transboundary. Decisions and policies consideringtransboundary water issues need to be based on reliable andcomprehendible information. In this thesis, a review of variousexisting models that may be used for understanding the role anduse of information in (transboundary) water management ispresented. Further, the thesis reports on an assessment of theinformation management of three transboundary water regimes inEurope, namely the international water commissions for LakeNeusiedl, Lake Constance and Elbe River. Besides examining theinformation management of the regimes as such, the managementwas also related to information needs implied by the IWRMcon-cept and by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Thereviewed models and approaches were grouped into threecategories: information management models, information cyclemodels and communication between actors. The first categorycomprised models that may be used for managing and assessingdifferent types of information. The second group dealt withmodels explaining the production and communication ofinformation predominately from an information producer/senderperspective. The third group focused on ideas concerninginteractions and communication of information between differentkinds of actors. The studies on information management intransboundary water regimes showed that the information needsand strategies often were defined primarily with watercommissions’own needs in mind. The data collected by thecommissions were predominated by monitoring data, describingthe status of the environment and the impact caused by humanactivities. Furthermore, any communication of information toother groups of actors was mainly done through passivechannels. The information management in these transboundarywater regimes was not fully in accordance with informationneeds implied by the IWRM concept and the EU WFD. <b>Keywords:</b>Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM);transboundary water management; information; EU Water FrameworkDirective (WFD); regimes; policy and decision making; LakeNeusiedl; Lake Constance; Elbe River. / NR 20140805

The development of the European water policy has been in a continuous improvement process during the last fifty years. The adoption of Water Framework Directive (WFD) enabled the consolidation of a fragmented policy to comprehensive approach with a focus on sustainability. The floods Directive was developed as acomplement to the WFD and promoted their integration. However, several opportunities have been identified in the implementation and in achieving integration. This paper identifies integration gaps faced by practitionersand develops an assessment framework which can be used by diverse stakeholders from policy makers to water users to understand the degree of integration in a systematic way. Indicators within the framework can shed light on the progress and optimize the development of action plans to address integration gaps and achieveefficiency gains. Although not a remedy for the complex challenges, establishing measuring systems is a first step to ensure integration of current and future directives.

Med målet att uppnå vattenkvalité av god status inom hela EU införde Europaparlamentet år 2000 ramdirektivet för vatten (2000/60/EC), även kallat Vattendirektivet. För att uppnå god vattenstatus sätts mål i form av ”miljökvalitetsnormer”(MKN) på vattendrag, sjöar, kustvatten och grundvatten inom varje län och kommun. Dessa ska beaktas vid framtagandet av nya detaljplaner vilket är ett juridiskt gällande dokument där den tillåtna exploateringen av ett område fastställs. I detaljplanen ska planens påverkan på möjligheterna att uppnå MKN för vatten utredas och presenteras. Det saknas dock tydliga riktlinjer för hur denna bedömning ska göras och vilka aspekter som ska ingå i utredningen. I de fall planen medför att målen i form av MKN riskeras att inte uppnås är det länsstyrelsens uppgift att hindra planen från att godkännas. Syftet med studien är att utreda vad som är viktigt i arbetet att ta fram en detaljplan som beaktar MKN för vatten och hur kommuner och länsstyrelser upplever arbetet. Målet är att undersöka det övergripande arbetet och därefter fokusera på den bedömning som görs av vilken påverkan på MKN en plan medför. Detta för att ge en bild av hur arbetet sker i dagsläget och belysa de utmaningar och förbättringsmöjligheter som finns. Studien avgränsas geografisk till länsstyrelserna inom Norra Östersjöns vattendistrikt och kommunerna i Stockholms län. För att undersöka det ovannämnda genomfördes en förstudie bestående av en intervjustudie riktad till konsulter och anställda på kommun och länsstyrelser, och en litteraturstudie. Förstudien ledde fram till formuleringen av frågor i enkätstudien. Enkätstudien bestod av två delar där den första riktade sig till kommuner i Stockholms län och den andra till länsstyrelserna i Norra Östersjöns vattendistrikt. Resultatet från studien bidrog till att identifiera viktiga steg i processen att ta fram en detaljplan som följer satta MKN. Även svårigheter kopplade till de olika processtegen framkom. Uppföljning visade sig vara ett steg som inte genomförs i så stor utsträckning men som troligtvis kan förbättra situationen genom att bidra med data och kvalitetssäkring av metodiken. Bedömningen som görs av hur en plan påverkar möjligheten att uppfylla MKN sammanställdes i några nyckelsteg. De flesta svårigheter som upplevs av de kommunanställda är kopplade till att utföra den här bedömningen. Främst är det osäkerheter i metod och modelleringsverktyg tillsammans med ofullständigt underlagsmaterial som bidrar till svårigheterna. Det preliminära åtgärdsprogram som presenterats våren 2016 av Vattenmyndigheten inför nästa 6-åriga arbetscykel bidrar förhoppningsvis med att vägledningsmaterial och tydligare riktlinjer tas fram. Detta efterfrågades från flera håll i enkätstudien. Förutom det som åtgärdsprogrammet adresserar ses ett behov av mer utbildning och samverkan av och mellan aktörer. Beräkningsmetoder och underlag som används behöver även ses över och det behöver finnas en tydligare samsyn på hur en detaljplansplans påverkan på MKN ska bestämmas. / With the goal of high quality recipients within the European Union the European Water Framework Directive (WFD; 2000/60/EC) was initiated in the year of 2000. In order to achieve water of high quality, goals have been established under the definition of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS). These are defined for lakes, rivers and other water bodies within each municipality. The EQS are defined as a level that are to be reached until a defined year. The EQS are to be kept in mind when zoning is carried out within a municipality. Zoning allows for strategic use of land and water within the municipality and is an important part in the work of achieving the EQS. If a zoning plan does not meet the EQS the plan should not be adopted. The county government should audit plans before they are approved to make sure the chance of reaching the EQS are not hindered by the plan. The aim of this study is to investigate which important factors that come into play when a zoning plan is created that will meet the EQS. The aim is also to get an understanding of the work from the municipalities perspective as well as from the viewpoint of the county government. Both the overall perspective and the more detailed field of assessing the impact from a zoning plan is to be analyzed. In the end the goal is to give an overview of how the work is done today, which difficulties that are experienced as well as improvements that could be needed. The study is focused upon the county governments within the North Baltic Sea basin and the municipalities within Stockholm county. Semi-structured interviews and a literature review were conducted followed by a survey study in order to address the research questions. The survey study was directed towards the county governments and municipalities within the geographical study area mentioned above. From the methods described above data was collected which resulted in the identification of important steps in the process of making zoning with consideration of the EQS. Also difficulties connected to each phase were identified. The work of follow-up and monitoring was found only to be carried out to a limited extent but is believed to support several important functions in the work, if improved. The impact assessment of zoning on water quality and EQS was found to be one of the more difficult parts of the work with the WFD. Foremost, this process is connected to many uncertainties in the method of calculation but also due to limited data available in some cases. Information needed is for example the current water quality and the levels of pollution connected to different land uses of the area. More developed guidelines and support from central authorities was requested by several participants of the survey. Hopefully the Water authorities’ planned action program for the next 6-year work cycle, will result in this. However, more investigations and studies are needed in order to improve and minimize uncertainties in the methods used to calculate impact from zoning on water quality. More education and cooperation between municipalities, county governments and agencies with issues connected to implementing the WFD is needed as well. Overall more consensus is needed in how the work can be carried out while meeting both environmental and societal goals.

EU:s ramdirektiv för vatten kom år 2000 och har som uppgift att förbättra vattenkvaliteten inom unionen. Direktivet är rättsligt bindande för medlemsstaterna och har målet att samtliga vattenförekomster i EU ska nå minst god status. I arbetet med vattenförvaltningen används begreppen statusklassificering, som är ett mått på rådande vattenkvalitet i vattenförekomsten, och miljökvalitetsnormer, som den vattenkvaliteten vattenförekomsten ska ha vid en viss tidpunkt. Statusklassificeringen består av ekologisk och kemisk status. Ekologisk status bedöms utifrån kvalitetsfaktorer (exempelvis växtplankton, näringsämnen), som bedöms av parametrar (exempelvis biovolym, total fosfor), och kemisk status utifrån EU bestämda gränsvärden för prioriterade ämnen. 2015 kom Weserdomen, som är ett förhandsavgörande från EU-domstolen om tolkning av ramdirektivet för vatten, rörande medlemsstaternas skyldighet att inte lämna tillstånd till projekt som orsakar en försämring av status eller äventyrar miljökvalitetsnormen samt innebörden att en försämring av status föreligger då en kvalitetsfaktor ändras en statusklass. Weserdomen har förändrat rättsläget för miljökvalitetsnormerna och har i Sverige skapat stora osäkerheter vid tillstånd och miljökonsekvensbeskrivning (MKB), med behov av att på sikt förändra lagstiftningen. Syftet med examensarbete är att studera hur Mark- och miljööverdomstolen hanterat Weserdomen vid prövning samt hur miljökvalitetsnormerna för ytvatten bör hanteras i MKB för projekt. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en litteraturstudie, en rättsfallsstudie av Mark- och miljööverdomstolens domar samt en studie av detaljnivån på redovisningen av miljökvalitetsnormerna i MKB för projekt. Litteraturstudien visar att Weserdomen innebär ett skärpt rättsläge för miljökvalitetsnormerna, att ekologisk status har fått samma rättsverkan som kemisk status samt att svensk lagstiftning behöver anpassas till det nya rättsläget. Rättsfallsstudien visade att miljökvalitetsnormerna fått en viktig roll i tillståndsprövning och att bedömning av påverkan ska göras utifrån kvalitetsfaktorer och har stor betydelse vid prövning. Utifrån studien över detaljnivån i MKB ställs större krav på redovisning av påverkan på kvalitetsfaktornivå. Dock finns utrymme att förbättra motiveringen av relevanta och icke-relevanta kvalitetsfaktorer. / The EU Water Framework Directive came in the year 2000 and its aim is to improve the water quality within the union. The directive is legally binding for all member states and sets out to achieve good status for Europe’s all water bodies. In the work of water management are the following two terms commonly used, the concept of status classification, a measure of the water quality in a water body, and Environmental Quality Standards (EQS), the time when a certain water quality should be reached. The status classification consists of ecological quality and chemical quality. Ecological quality is assessed based on quality factors (e.g. phytoplankton, nutrients), which are assessed based on parameters (e.g. biovolume, total phosphorus), and chemical quality is assessed from an EU-defined limit value. In 2015 came the Weser ruling, a preliminary ruling by the European Court of Justice regarding interpretations in the Water Framework Directive. The Court found that the member states are required to not give permission to a project that could cause a deterioration of status or jeopardize current environmental quality standard in a water body. Regarding the interpretation of when a “deterioration of status” occurs, the Court found that it occurs when a quality factor is lowered by one statues class. The Weser ruling has changed the legal situation around the environmental quality standards, which in Sweden has led to major uncertainties among authorizations and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In Sweden, an adjustment of the law is considered needed. This master thesis main purpose is to study how the Land and Environment Court of Appeal has dealt with the Weser ruling in trial and how Environmental Quality Standards for surface water should be managed in EIA for projects. The thesis consists of a literature study, a study of cases in the Land and Environment Court of Appeal and a study of the presentation of Environmental Quality Standards in EIA in projects. The study shows that the Weser ruling leads to a stronger interpretation of the Environmental Quality Standards, gives the ecological statuses the same legal value as chemical statues and lead to a need for adaption of the Swedish legalization to the new legal position. The case study shows that Environmental Quality Standards plays an important role during trial and that the impact assessment should be done on at the level of quality factors and is of great importance for the trial. The study of presentation in EIA shows higher demands on impact assessment at the level of quality factors, but still has room for improved motivation of relevant and non-relevant quality factors.

The EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60 EC) provides numerous requirements, including achievement of good status of all water bodies by 2015. However, meeting this environmental target brings substantial costs. In justified cases, member states may request an extension of the deadline based on disproportionality of costs of meeting the WFD requirements. Definition of disproportionate costs must be based on economic analysis and on the WFD general requirements. This thesis provides a review of proportionate costs in the context of the WFD, identifies main requirements for its practical definition as an exemption and provides a review of foreign methodical approaches to define cost proportionality. It is clear that the Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and the Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) are most commonly used methods to determine the cost proportionality treshold. This thesis discuss the relevance of these methods to define cost proportionality to reach good status of water bodies. The thesis also provides methodology to assess cost proportionality based on modified CBA and analyses ecosystem services of water bodies. In addition, the thesis points out the methodological complications and uncertainties of suggested methodology. Main methodological issues are connected with definition of right scale of analysis and synergy effects of measures, analysis of costs and definition of suitable measures and analysis of benefits and quantification of ecosystem services of water bodies.

Vattenförvaltning inom EU har, enligt EU:s vattendirektiv, som mål att samtliga vattenförekomster ska uppnå god status senast 2027. Sverige är ett av de EU-länder där målet ej har uppnåtts med uppmätt icke-tillfredsställande status i en del vattenförekomster i exempelvis Skåne; en situation som inte beräknas förbättras inom tidsfristen. I Sverige styrs vattenförvaltning lokalt med kommuner och myndigheter som beslutsfattande organ i enlighet med vattenmyndighetens sexårsplan. EU:s vattendirektiv kräver inkludering av intressenter och allmänheten i förvaltningen, vilket har lett till bildandet av vattenorganisationer såsom vattenråd. Dessa har till uppgift att verka som lokalkunskap för särskilda avrinningsområden, där ett nätverk av aktörer bildas för att möjliggöra påverkan av inriktning i vattenförvaltningen. Forskning visar på samarbetsproblematik mellan aktörer i vattenråd, brist på kunskap och intresse bland allmänheten och intressenter samt fall där ekonomiska och sociala mål har prioriterats före ekologiska, vilket har försvårat implementeringen av EU:s vattendirektiv. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur skånska vattenråd utifrån nuvarande organisationsstruktur och prioriteringar kan bidra mer i arbetet för målet om god vattenstatus enligt EU:s vattendirektiv. Studien utgick från ett strategiskt urval och semistrukturerad intervju-metodik eller fokusgrupper bestående av intervjupersoner med hög expertis. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av följande teorier: Environmental governance, vattenförvaltning, flernivåstyre, politisk samstämmighet, social inlärningsteori samt reflektiv och reflexiv kommunikation. Studiens resultat visar att de undersökta skånska vattenråden gör vad de kan för att bidra utifrån nuvarande förutsättningar, men att finansieringsbegränsningar, extern påverkan av andra aktörer i avrinningsområdena och brist på samarbete mellan olika nivåer i vattenförvaltningen förhindrar mångas utveckling. Organisatoriskt och prioriteringsmässigt fungerar majoriteten av de undersökta vattenråden väl och visar god potential, men förbättring inom det ovannämnda hade behövts om ett närmande av EU:s vattendirektivs mål skall uppnås i lokala skånska vattenförekomster. / Water management within the EU, according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), has the aim to achieve good water status in all water bodies no later than 2027. Sweden is one EU country where the aim has not been reached, with measured non-satisfactory status in numerous water bodies in Scania for example; a situation not predicted to improve before the deadline. In Sweden, water management is governed locally with municipalities and agencies as decision-makers in accordance with the six-year plan of the water agency. Since the WFD requires stakeholder and public participation, the creation of water organisations such as water councils has been conducted. These act as local knowledge bodies in certain catchment basins, creating a network of actors to enable an influence on the orientation of water management. Research has shown collaboration issues between actors in water councils, a lack of knowledge and interest amongst the public and stakeholders, and cases where economic and social aims have preceded ecological ones. These factors in turn have aggravated the implementation of the WFD. The purpose of this study is to investigate how water councils of Scania, from current organizational structure and prioritizations, have the possibility to increase their contribution towards the aim of the WFD regarding good water status. The study was conducted from a strategic selection and semi-structured interviews or focus groups, including interviewees with high expertise. The result was analyzed using the following theories: Environmental governance, water governance, multi-level governance, policy coherence, social learning and reflective as well as reflexive communication. The results of the study demonstrate a situation where water councils contribute their utmost from current capabilities, yet are prevented to develop further due to financial limitations, external impacts from other actors in catchment basins, and a lack of collaboration between different levels of water management. From an organizational and prioritization point of view, the majority of investigated water councils work well and showcase high potential, with improvements of the aforementioned needed for the approach of the WFD’s aim in local water bodies of Scania.

In this study, we examined the extent to which global warming management is currently integrated into the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), the central legal framework for water management in the EU. We focused on the Elbe River Basin District and how global warming is addressed in its water management. We used the social–ecological systems (SES) approach as our theoretical framework, representing an eminent analytical frame of biosphere-based sustainability science. In our study, we analysed core characteristics of SES in the context of global warming to evaluate the effectiveness of current water management in the Elbe River basin concerning long-term changing climate conditions. To determine to what extent each SES feature is considered in the Elbe water management, we applied a scale of 1 to 5. Our results show that the SES feature “scale and openness” is best addressed (score 4.0) by the Elbe River basin management, followed by “context dependency” (score 3.9); however, “non-linearity, uncertainty, unpredictability” (score 3.2), “self-organisation and adaptability” (score 3.1), and “dynamics” (score 3.0) have only moderate impacts. SES features can only be considered comprehensively if global warming is accounted for in an integrated way at a European level. In order to ensure effective implementation, explicit regulations and legally binding obligations are most likely required.

The growing demand for clean water has led to the adoption of the EU Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60 EC). New legislation has a major impact on the water management and the national economy and provides numerous requirements, including "good status" of all water bodies. The Framework Directive also implies the need for an economic analysis of the optimal process to achieve good status by using the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). The application of this method in water management is struggling with a number of methodological complications. One of the affected areas in the Czech Republic is the catchment of the Orlik Reservoir that faces excessive eutrophication. Eutrophication is caused by excessive introduction of phosphorus. The main sources of phosphorus are municipal wastewater, aquaculture and agriculture. As illustrated by professional research mentioned in this work and the actual processing of CEA of the catchment of the Orlik Reservoir, a wide range of methodological problems can be avoided by using appropriate tools. This thesis also presents that achieving of good status of the catchment would require annual cost of CZK 602 million. The most significant cost bearers are according to the CEA fisheries and municipalities.