-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 WeidenhauptPresident

The Rhine, a European river

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portofrotterdam.com

BasleBasle

RotterdamRotterdamMean annual discharge (D/NL): 2.200 m³/sHQlow : 1000 m³/sHQextrem : env. 10.000 m³/s

length: 1233 kmnavigable: 825 km (Basle-Rotterdam)

Drinking water: est. 30 millionsof consumers

inhabitants:58 millions

StrasbourgStrasbourg

CologneCologne

LuxembourgLuxembourg FrankfurtFrankfurt

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The Rhine river basin

9 states• Italy • Austria• Liechtenstein • Switzerland • France • Germany • Belgium• Luxembourg• Netherlands

196 years of riperian cooperation atthe German-Luxembourg border (treaty of 16.6.1816):3 shared rivers in a condominiumtwo autorities Germany and Luxembourg

Changes during the centuries

1838

1872

1980

ICPREstablished 1950, amended in 1963 and 1999

MembersSwitzerland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, European Community

ObserversCountries

– Austria– Liechtenstein– Belgium / Wallonia

Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO's)

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's)

International Rhine Commission

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

Regular budget

- Regular budget (1.000.000 €/a)- 80% salaries (Secretariat)- Rent, publications, computers, communication

•Rhine Convention•Rules of procedure and financial regulations

What makes the ICPR effective?

Organisational Structure

1950 - Foundation

1963 - Treaty of Berne

1972 - 1st Rhine Ministers’ Conference

1986 - Accident at Sandoz (Basle, CH)

1987 - Rhine Action Program

Landmarks

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

causing the death of all aquatic life downstream (e.g. eels on 400 km)

10-30 tons of highly toxic pesticides flowed into the river

Main results

• Water quality has considerably improved

• Accidents have been considerably reduced

• The Rhine fauna has recovered

• Duration:1987 – 2000

• The Salmon as symbol

• Reduction of discharges with 50-70% in the period till 1995

Rhine Action Programme (1987)

Main elements

Management by disaster (2)

- Dec. 1993 and- Jan./Feb. 1995:

Major flooding in Germany and the Netherlands

1995: 200.000 people evacuated

Ecosystem improvement

Flood prevention

Water quality improvement

Groundwater protection

Program on the sustainable development of the Rhine

Duration

2000 - 2020

Programme - Rhine 2020

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: Ecosystem improvement

Measures (expl.)

Increase water retention by reactivating inundation areas

Maintain and strengthen dikes

Draft flood risk maps (illustrative e.g., for spatial planners)

Objectives

10% reduction of damage risks and 25% reduction by 2020

Increase flood awareness

Improve flood warning systems

Rhine 2020: Flood prevention

Results (1)

Reduction of point source inputs between1985 – 2000: ~ 60 substances

30-49 % 50-69% 70-100 % No discharges

Total nitrogen HCH ammonium dioxins

2-chloro-toluene Total phosphorous

atrazin

4-chloro-toluene lead dichlorvos

Trichloro-benzenes

cadmium DDT

1,1,1 tri-chloro-ethane

chromium simazine

mercury trifluraline

Results (2)

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 (3)

Results (4)

Results (5)

• 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)

Flood prevention, progress report 2006

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

year

nu

mb

er

of

salm

on

s

Delta of the Rhine

Lower Rhine

Middle Rhine

Upper Rhine

Salmons returning to the Rhine

But still a lot to do ….But still a lot to do ….

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National and regional states:competent authorities for watermanagementEU members (7):Italy, Austria, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, NetherlandsOthers (2):Liechtenstein, Switzerland

(Germany = 8 German states)

WFD, levels A & B for RBMP

9 international working areas:Crossing borders countries and/or (german) states

The Moselle/Saar sub-basin

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

WFD coordination in Rhine river basin district

Part B

Part A

Issues forwhole Rhine district

issuesworking

areas

issuesworking

areas

Issues for member states or states

Sub RBMP’s for national or state level

- if applicable -

Reporting to EC

RBMP Rhine river basin district

Coordination

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)

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, drinking water

supply, flood protection, etc)

Result at A-level: international RBMP Rhine

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 EU-

obligation

RBMP at A-level: River continuity

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: diffuse pollution reduction

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: reduction of point sources

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

RBMP at A-level: matching functions

Homepage: www.iksr.orgwww.waasser.lu

Thank you for your attention!