MINISTERIAL FOREWORD
The beauty of Scotland's waters, our rivers, lochs and coastal waters, are well known the world over. We have long traded on our image as a country with a naturally clean and healthy environment and our waters are at the heart of this image. We also have a long history of putting these natural resources to good use: water is the lifeblood of many of our most important industries. As a society, we have come to recognise that sustainable use of resources now is the key to our ability to continue to use and enjoy them in the future. Sustainability is a difficult goal to achieve. This paper contains proposals for a new approach to the sustainable management of the natural water environment in Scotland. Our aim is to achieve the best possible balance between the protection of the water environment and the interests of those who depend upon it for their prosperity and quality of life.
This paper outlines our ideas on the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive in Scotland. We are clear that the Directive presents us with challenges but also with opportunities. It sets us some exacting environmental goals and requires us to establish new management structures. We will also have to improve our understanding of the pressures that affect our water environment. However, we are not alone in facing these challenges. They also apply in other European countries and the Directive will be a powerful force for the creation of a level playing field within an expanding Europe.
The opportunities presented by the Directive are also important. It will enable us to tackle environmental problems that are not currently addressed and will provide us with the platform to ensure we get the fullest picture of the true state of water environment. Fundamentally, we will use it as a means of ensuring that Scotland's crucial image of environmental health continues to be founded in reality.
We look forward to receiving your comments on this important subject. They will be vital if we are to get the implementation of the Water Framework Directive right.
| |
Ross Finnie, MSP
Minister for Environment and Rural Development | Rhona Brankin, MSP
Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development |