Final Report Summary - TWINBAS (Twinning European and third countries river basins for development of integrated water resources management methods)
The TWINBAS project objective was to increase knowledge and enrich methods for the implementation of a harmonised integrated water resource management (IWRM), so as to facilitate the application of the European Water Initiative. Moreover, the project aimed to perform an assessment of five pilot catchments' vulnerability to climate change and anthropogenic factors as well as to produce preliminary river basin management plans (RBMPs) that would include optimal combinations of actions. Nevertheless, this latter objective was not fulfilled during its elaboration time.
TWINBAS transferred European practices to third countries and built on their expertise and experience. The implemented approach focused on the participation of stakeholders and the general public with notable success. TWINBAS was structured in nine distinct, yet interconnected, work packages (WPs) which were related to the following issues:
1. historical and current basin status and stakeholder structures;
2. monitoring;
3. public participation;
4. hydrological modelling and water abstraction;
5. pollution pressure and impact analysis;
6. classification of water bodies;
7. change effects and vulnerability assessment;
8. economic analyses;
9. river basin management plans.
Most catchments had similar features in terms of topography, human presence and climate. Industrial, domestic and agricultural pollution were the most prevailing environmental pressures. On the other hand, the twinned catchments differed widely in the quantity and availability of existing data and monitoring infrastructure. Moreover, the extent to which human activities influenced the catchments varied significantly; therefore, numerous stakeholders' participation actions were proposed. The need to promote monitoring and targeted research, with data readily available to all stakeholders was also apparent.
The development of improved hydrological modelling was an important element for all targeted basins, in order to thorough understand pollution pressure and adapt impact analyses. Different software was employed based on the specific characteristics and pressures of the examined cases. The implemented tools evaluated the exposure of local populations to risks occurring from catchments' pollution. Erosion and sedimentation were also modelled. The undertaken water body classification and categorisation efforts represented a preliminary risk assessment which required further refinement, including the development of a targeted and efficient monitoring system and the proposal of measures ensuring a cost-effective approach to water protection.
In addition, an analysis of the anticipated climatic and anthropogenic changes in all systems was performed so as to estimate their potential impact on the ongoing processes. The parallel economic analyses provided quantifiable indications of the costs and benefits associated to pressures' mitigation; as such they were a crucial project component. The finalised assessments, along with recommendations on necessary institutional and regulatory reforms, would serve as input for the development of future official RBMPs.
WFD was overall evaluated as a valuable framework for the development of IWRM methods and tools since it was applicable in catchments with different characteristics. TWINBAS increased the knowledge and available techniques in various fields related to basin management and produced numerous exploitable results. Finally, the twinning approach significantly raised the competence level of the third country partners, of the involved stakeholders and the end-user water authorities.
TWINBAS transferred European practices to third countries and built on their expertise and experience. The implemented approach focused on the participation of stakeholders and the general public with notable success. TWINBAS was structured in nine distinct, yet interconnected, work packages (WPs) which were related to the following issues:
1. historical and current basin status and stakeholder structures;
2. monitoring;
3. public participation;
4. hydrological modelling and water abstraction;
5. pollution pressure and impact analysis;
6. classification of water bodies;
7. change effects and vulnerability assessment;
8. economic analyses;
9. river basin management plans.
Most catchments had similar features in terms of topography, human presence and climate. Industrial, domestic and agricultural pollution were the most prevailing environmental pressures. On the other hand, the twinned catchments differed widely in the quantity and availability of existing data and monitoring infrastructure. Moreover, the extent to which human activities influenced the catchments varied significantly; therefore, numerous stakeholders' participation actions were proposed. The need to promote monitoring and targeted research, with data readily available to all stakeholders was also apparent.
The development of improved hydrological modelling was an important element for all targeted basins, in order to thorough understand pollution pressure and adapt impact analyses. Different software was employed based on the specific characteristics and pressures of the examined cases. The implemented tools evaluated the exposure of local populations to risks occurring from catchments' pollution. Erosion and sedimentation were also modelled. The undertaken water body classification and categorisation efforts represented a preliminary risk assessment which required further refinement, including the development of a targeted and efficient monitoring system and the proposal of measures ensuring a cost-effective approach to water protection.
In addition, an analysis of the anticipated climatic and anthropogenic changes in all systems was performed so as to estimate their potential impact on the ongoing processes. The parallel economic analyses provided quantifiable indications of the costs and benefits associated to pressures' mitigation; as such they were a crucial project component. The finalised assessments, along with recommendations on necessary institutional and regulatory reforms, would serve as input for the development of future official RBMPs.
WFD was overall evaluated as a valuable framework for the development of IWRM methods and tools since it was applicable in catchments with different characteristics. TWINBAS increased the knowledge and available techniques in various fields related to basin management and produced numerous exploitable results. Finally, the twinning approach significantly raised the competence level of the third country partners, of the involved stakeholders and the end-user water authorities.