Water Framework Directive Quantitative indicators for the scale of pressures

Quantitative indicators for the scale of pressures
For the Water Framework Directive (WFD) River Basin Management Plans data had to be reported to the European Environment Agency. These data are used by the European Environment Agency to assess compliance of the Water Framework Directive and spot trends across Europe. At river basin district scale they required calculations of the scale of pressures and failing chemical substances at the beginning (2015) and end (2021) of the planning cycle. This had to be calculated for each significant pressure or chemical substance failing. The data that was reported was based on data available in the Environment Agency's Catchment Planning System.

Guidance from the European Environment Agency is provided below with more information:
Quantitative indicators for the scale of the pressure or chemical substance failure are given for each significant pressure and, generically, for Priority Substances or River Basin Specific Pollutants (RBSPs). These quantitative indicators are intended to provide information on the expected gap to be filled at the start of the second planning cycle in 2015 in terms of the scale of the pressure that needs to be reduced to achieve WFD Environmental Objectives. In terms of the achievement of good ecological status or potential, the gap to be filled would equate to the required reduction in pressures (e.g. loads of nutrients) so that water bodies at (or expected to be at) less than good status or potential in 2015 would achieve good status or potential. Values of the quantitative indicators are also required for 2021 and 2027, reflecting the scale of the pressure that would still be required to be tackled so that WFD Environmental Objectives can be achieved. The values for 2021 and 2027 would, therefore, be expected to be lower than the value for 2015.

Quantitative indicators are considered a management tool and represent the best estimate that the Member State can provide to show the gap to achieving good status or potential and the intended progress by a certain deadline. The quantification of pressures, as with any other process in the planning cycle, is subject to uncertainties. There will be cases where data and information are not available to produce a useful quantitative indicator. This may be particularly the case for certain pressures which are more difficult to quantify and/or in complex RBDs subject to many pressures, where it is difficult to disaggregate the pressure-measure relationships.

On this basis, the Member States are requested to report quantitative indicators for pressures to the best extent possible and for the pressures where this information is available or can be derived on the basis of a reasonable effort. In this regard, the lack of reporting of quantitative indicators for pressures does not imply a failure to comply with the WFD obligations. As an alternative, Member States can use other policy supporting tools to evaluate pressures and the effects of measures. In this case, a reference to these management tools should be reported.

Indicators are developed in such a way that they represent the gap to achieving good status or potential for each given significant pressure. Therefore, an indicator value of 0 would mean a level of pressure compatible with 100 % good status or potential, i.e. which would enable the affected water bodies to achieve good status or potential. However, given that the affected water bodies may be subject to other pressures, they may still not achieve good status or potential. In addition, good status or potential may not be achieved immediately due to natural conditions or the delayed response of the ecosystem. Attribution statement: Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.

关于压力规模量化指标

依据《水框架指令》（WFD）的河川流域管理计划，数据需上报至欧洲环境署。这些数据被欧洲环境署用于评估水框架指令的合规性，以及在欧洲范围内发现趋势。在河川流域区划层面，要求在规划周期开始（2015年）和结束（2021年）时，对压力规模和不合格化学物质的规模进行计算。对于每个重要的压力或化学物质不合格情况，都必须进行此计算。上报的数据基于环境署流域规划系统中的可用数据。

以下为欧洲环境署提供的指导信息，其中包含更多详细信息：

针对每个重要的压力以及普遍的优先物质或河川流域特定污染物（RBSPs），提供了压力或化学物质不合格规模的量化指标。这些量化指标旨在提供有关2015年第二规划周期开始时预期需填补的预期差距的信息，即需要降低的压力规模以实现水框架指令的环境目标。在实现良好的生态状况或潜力方面，需填补的差距等同于所需降低的压力（例如，营养物质的负荷），以便在2015年（或预期在2015年）处于低于良好状况或潜力水平的水体能够达到良好状况或潜力。同时，还需提供2021年和2027年的量化指标值，反映为实现水框架指令环境目标仍需应对的压力规模。因此，2021年和2027年的值预计将低于2015年的值。

量化指标被视为一种管理工具，代表了成员国能够提供的最佳估计，以展示实现良好状况或潜力与预期到特定截止日期的进展之间的差距。与规划周期中的任何其他过程一样，压力的量化也受不确定性的影响。存在数据和信息不可用，无法产生有用的量化指标的情况。这尤其可能发生在某些难以量化和/或受多种压力影响的复杂河川流域区划中，其中分解压力与测量关系可能很困难。

基于此，成员国被要求尽可能上报压力的量化指标，并在信息可用或基于合理努力可推导出的压力上报这些指标。在这方面，压力量化指标的未上报并不代表未能履行水框架指令的义务。作为替代，成员国可以使用其他政策支持工具来评估压力和措施的效果。在这种情况下，应上报这些管理工具的参考。

指标的开发方式是，它们代表每个给定重要压力实现良好状况或潜力的差距。因此，指标值为0表示与100%的良好状况或潜力相兼容的压力水平，即能够使受影响的水体达到良好状况或潜力。然而，由于受影响的水体可能还受到其他压力的影响，它们可能仍然无法达到良好状况或潜力。此外，由于自然条件或生态系统响应的延迟，良好的状况或潜力可能不会立即实现。归属声明：环境署版权和/或数据库权利2016。保留所有权利。