-The Rhine from an Open Sewer to a
Living River
how to develop a river
basin management plan
at river Rhine level
International Commission for the
Protection of the Rhine
Dr. André Weidenhaupt
President
The Rhine, a European river
Rotterdam
Mean annual discharge (D/NL):
2.200 m³/s
HQlow : 1000 m³/s
HQextrem : env. 10.000 m³/s
inhabitants:
58 millions
Cologne
Frankfurt
Luxembourg
Drinking water: Strasbourg
est. 30
millions
Basle
of consumers
3
portofrotterdam.com
length: 1233 km
navigable: 825 km
(Basle-Rotterdam)
The Rhine river basin
9 states
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Italy
Austria
Liechtenstein
Switzerland
France
Germany
Belgium
Luxembourg
Netherlands
4
196 years of riperian cooperation at
the German-Luxembourg border (treaty of 16.6.1816):
3 shared rivers in a condominium
two autorities Germany and Luxembourg
Changes during the centuries
1838
1872
1980
International Rhine Commission
ICPR
Established 1950, amended in 1963 and 1999
Members
Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, European Community
Observers
Countries
– Austria
– Liechtenstein
– Belgium / Wallonia
Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO's)
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's)
What makes the ICPR effective?
Rules of cooperation
• De-centralised organization
• National delegations
– political mandate
– technical know how
– funds
• Consensus
• Decisions are recommendations
• Obligation to report on the
implementation of measures
• Political trust, no sanctions
• Neutral Secretariat
•Rhine Convention
•Rules of procedure and
financial regulations
Regular budget
- Regular budget (1.000.000 €/a)
- 80% salaries (Secretariat)
- Rent, publications, computers, communication
Organisational Structure
Landmarks
1950 - Foundation
1963 - Treaty of Berne
1972 - 1st Rhine Ministers’ Conference
1986 - Accident at Sandoz (Basle, CH)
1987 - Rhine Action Program
1993 and 1995 - Flooding
1999 - New Convention
2000 - Programme Rhine 2020
2000 - EU Water Framework Directive
Management by disaster (1)
1986: Fire at Sandoz, CH
10-30 tons of highly
toxic pesticides flowed
into the river
causing the death of all
aquatic life
downstream (e.g. eels
on 400 km)
Rhine Action Programme (1987)
Main elements
• Duration:1987 – 2000
• The Salmon as symbol
• Reduction of discharges with 50-70% in the period till 1995
Main results
• Water quality has considerably improved
• Accidents have been considerably reduced
• The Rhine fauna has recovered
Management by disaster (2)
- Dec. 1993 and
- Jan./Feb. 1995:
Major flooding in
Germany and the
Netherlands
1995: 200.000 people
evacuated
Programme - Rhine 2020
Program on the sustainable development of
the Rhine
Ecosystem improvement
Flood prevention
Water quality improvement
Groundwater protection
Duration
2000 - 2020
Rhine 2020: Ecosystem improvement
Objectives
Restoration of mainstream as backbone of the Rhine system
Improvement of habitat for flora and fauna
Examples of Measures
Permit natural flooding
Enhance extensive agricultural use of alluvial areas
Preserve the freely flowing sections of the Rhine
Rhine 2020: Flood prevention
Objectives
10% reduction of damage risks and 25% reduction by 2020
Increase flood awareness
Improve flood warning systems
Measures (expl.)
Increase water retention by reactivating inundation areas
Maintain and strengthen dikes
Draft flood risk maps (illustrative e.g., for spatial planners)
Results (1)
Results (2)
Reduction of point source inputs between
1985 – 2000: ~ 60 substances
30-49 %
Total nitrogen
50-69%
70-100 %
No discharges
HCH
ammonium
dioxins
2-chloro-toluene
Total
phosphorous
atrazin
4-chloro-toluene
lead
dichlorvos
Trichlorobenzenes
cadmium
DDT
1,1,1 tri-chloroethane
chromium
simazine
mercury
trifluraline
Results (3)
Annual loads of substances at the german-dutch border
Unit
1985
1995
2000
Ammonium
nitrogen
t/y
37.000
14.000
6.800
Total
phosphorous
t/y
32.000
17.000
13.000
Atrazine
kg/y
10.000
6.900
1.200
Cadmium
kg/y
9.000
9.700
5.100
Mercury
kg/y
6.000
3.500
1.600
Results (4)
Results (5)
Flood prevention, progress report 2006
• Reduction of damage risks:
 and  depending specific situation!
• Reduction of water levels (up to 30 cm)
 at Oberrhein, less at other stretches
• Flood risk maps
 for the main stream and partly for tributaries, e.g.,
Moselle/Saar
• Flood forecasting
 100% increase of forecasting period
(be it with loss of reliability)
Salmons returning to the Rhine
900
800
Delta of the Rhine
Lower Rhine
700
Middle Rhine
Upper Rhine
number of salmons
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
year
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
But still a lot to do ….
WFD, levels A & B for RBMP
National and regional
states:
competent authorities for
watermanagement
EU members (7):
Italy, Austria, France,
Germany, Luxembourg,
Belgium, Netherlands
Others (2):
Liechtenstein, Switzerland
(Germany = 8 German states)
24
9 international working
areas:
Crossing borders countries
and/or (german) states
The Moselle/Saar sub-basin
WFD coordination in Rhine river basin district
1. Respect for responsibility of member states
towards European Commission
2. Coordination of water management issues
at the appropriate level
• river basin
• working area (e.g. Moselle/Sarre)
• national/state
3. Careful selection of the appropriate level in
advance; special attention for upstream –
downstream relations
WFD coordination in Rhine river basin district
Reporting to EC
Coordination
Issues for
whole Rhine district
issues
working
areas
issues
working
areas
Issues for member states
or states
RBMP Rhine river
basin district
Part A
Part B
Sub RBMP’s for
national or state level
- if applicable -
Issues to be coordinated at A-level
1. River continuity and development of habitats
2. Reduction of diffuse pollution
3. Further reduction of point sources of
pollution
4. Better matching various functions of rivers
(shipping, ecology, drinkingwatersuppy,
flood protection, etc)
Result at A-level: international RBMP Rhine
1. River continuity and
development of habitats
2. Reduction of diffuse pollution
3. Further reduction of point
sources of pollution
4. Better matching various
functions of rivers (shipping,
ecology, drinking water
supply, flood protection, etc)
RBMP at A-level: River continuity
1. Masterplan for long-distance
migrating fish species
(salmon, eel etc) in whole river
basin
2. Main elements of masterplan in
international river basin
management plan (A-level)
3. Agreement on measures in
most nations/states.
Implementation is EUobligation
RBMP at A-level: diffuse pollution reduction
1. Agreement on reduction of nutrients to protect
lakes and coastal waters
2. 20 % reduction expected from ongoing measures,
monitoring and studies to see if more is needed.
3. New Environmental Quality Standards derived
(Directive 2008/105/CE and Rhine substances)
4. Not implemented in all countries
5. Pesticides difficult: much depend on EU policy
RBMP at A-level: reduction of point sources
1. ´traditional substances´ no major problems (high
level of wastewater treatment);
2. New substances (emerging pollutants) become a
problem (e.g. human and veterinary medicines and
related products)
3. International working group active combining data
from all countries (PG MIKRO)
4. Measures in next River Basin Management plans
(2015 and 2021)
RBMP at A-level: matching functions
Ongoing process, not many
concrete results yet
workshops addressing
conflicts with all
stakeholders
•
Hydro-power and river
continuity
•
Flood protection and
habitat development
•
Navigation and more
natural embankments
Thank you for your attention!
Homepage: www.iksr.org
www.waasser.lu