2. Objective setting and River Basin Management Plans
The WFD introduces a new process of water resource management in river basin districts. River Basin Management Planning ( RBMP) will define specific environmental objectives for each water body and set out a programme of measures to deliver those targets. The effectiveness of the programmes of measures will be assessed through ongoing assessment of the ecological and chemical status of each water body, by monitoring biology and against the environmental standards.
Environmental standards underpin the objective-setting process, as they are fundamental in assessing risks to the status of the water environment and highlighting where action is needed, either to avoid deterioration or to achieve 'good' ecological status. The standards can indicate the type and extent of any problems, as well as the sort of actions that might be effective in delivering improvements or preventing deterioration.
| However, it is important to bear in mind that the Directive provides flexibility to apply alternative, less stringent, objectives, or to extend deadlines, where the achievement of 'good' status by 2015 would be disproportionately expensive or technically infeasible. Therefore the objective-setting process will involve detailed consideration of social and economic factors, as well as of environmental priorities. |
More detailed information about this process is set out in our paper on objective setting.
SEPA will work with water users to develop a River Basin Management Plan for the Scotland River Basin District and for the Solway Tweed River Basin District (jointly with the Environment Agency) by December 2009. The programmes of measures that are designed in this process must be operational by December 2012.