FOREWORD
The Water Framework Directive ( WFD) is changing the way we manage Scotland's water environment. We need to ensure that water use is sustainable; and to this end the WFD requires us to protect and improve the quality and quantity of our water environment, and the health of aquatic plant and animal communities in our rivers, lochs, estuaries and groundwaters.
SEPA has published for consultation the first draft River Basin Management Plans ( RBMPs) for the Scotland River Basin District and the cross-border Solway Tweed River Basin District (in partnership with Environment Agency). Once finalised in 2009, the plans will provide Scotland with a comprehensive framework for coordinating and delivering the sustainable management of our water resources.
The development of the draft RBMPs has identified that we can make significant progress towards our aims for Scotland's water environment. The draft RBMPs outline the current status of the water environment, identify where it requires protection or improvement, and describes the measures proposed to achieve the draft objectives. However, they also identify that there are gaps in the suite of measures available to manage key pressures on our water environment.
Ministers have indicated that we should aim to continue to make proportionate and cost-effective improvements, that will make a real difference. This consultation paper sets out proposals on how we might take this forward.
Several key reports have been published to support the consultations on SEPA's draft RBMPs. We suggest that you may wish to read these documents in tandem with this consultation.
These key documents include:
Proposals for management of the water environment:
-draft River Basin Management Plan for Scotland River Basin District
-draft River Basin Management Plan for Solway Tweed River Basin District
An assessment of the environmental implications of implementing the draft RBMPs:
-Strategic Environmental Assessment of the draft Scotland River Basin Management Plan
-Strategic Environmental Assessment of the draft Solway Tweed River Basin Management Plan
An impact assessment of costs and benefits of implementing the proposed objectives outlined in the draft RBMPs:
-Impact Assessment of the River Basin Management Plan for Scotland River Basin District
-Impact Assessment of the River Basin Management Plan for Solway Tweed River Basin District