1 / 32

MEPAs EU Directive marine data requirements; current marine monitoring,

MEPAs EU Directive marine data requirements; current marine monitoring, collection and infrastructure development. Unit A Environmental Permitting Unit Unit C Ecosystems Unit Information Resources Unit. Overview. Marine data requirements and monitoring initiatives

halima
Download Presentation

MEPAs EU Directive marine data requirements; current marine monitoring,

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. MEPAs EU Directive marine data requirements; current marine monitoring, collection and infrastructure development Unit A Environmental Permitting Unit Unit C Ecosystems Unit Information Resources Unit

  2. Overview • Marine data requirements and monitoring initiatives • Marine Strategy Framework Directive • Water Framework Directive • Marine Data related management, collection and infrastructure development

  3. IMarine data requirements and monitoring initiativesMarine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC)

  4. Objective To achieve or maintain Good Environmental Status (GES) in the marine environment by 2020 Defines marine waters as… • waters, the seabed and subsoil on the seaward side of the baseline from which the extent of territorial waters is measured extending to the outmost reach of the area where a Member State has and/or exercises jurisdictional rights, in accordance with Unclos… and • coastal waters as defined by the Water Framework Directive, their seabed and subsoil, in so far as particular aspects of the environmental status of the marine environment are not already addressed through that Directive or other Community legislation

  5. Plan of Action (stipulated by the Directive) • By 15 July 2012: • - Initial Assessment • - determination of a set of characteristics for Good Environmental Status (GES); • - establishment of a series of environmental targets and associated indicators. • By 15 July 2014: • - establishment and implementation of a monitoring programme • By 15 July 2015: • - development of a programme of measures designed to achieve or maintain GES • By 2016: • - programme of measures is operational

  6. Initial Assessment • Analysis of essential features and characteristics to determine current environmental status of marine waters based on Table 1 of Annex III; • Analysis of the predominant pressures and impacts on the environmental status based on Table 2 of Annex III: - covering the main cumulative and synergistic effects; - taking into account assessments made as per existing Community legislation; • Socio-economic analysis of the use of marine waters and of the cost of degradation of the marine environment.

  7. Characteristics, pressures and impacts (Annex III) • Table 1 (characteristics): • - physical and chemical features (temperature, salinity, currents…) • - Habitat types (benthic habitats and water column habitats) • - Biological features (Seabirds, Fish, Marine Mammals and Turtles) • Table 2 (pressures and impacts): • - physical loss • - physical damage • - other physical disturbance (noise; litter) • - Interference with hydrological processes • - Contamination by hazardous substances • - Systematic and/or intentional release of substances • - Nutrient and organic matter enrichment • - Biological disturbance

  8. Definition of Good Environmental Status • MS shall determine a set of characteristics for Good Environmental Status on the basis of eleven descriptors listed in Annex I of the Directive • Criteria and associated indicators for assessing the extent to which GES is being achieved are stipulated in Commission Decision 2010/477/EU adopted in September 2010.

  9. Annex I Descriptors of GES Descriptor 1: Biological diversity is maintained. Descriptor 2: Non-indigenous species Descriptor 3: Commercially exploited fish and shellfish Descriptor 4: Marine food webs Descriptor 5: Nutrient Enrichment Descriptor 6: Sea-floor integrity Descriptor 7: Alteration of hydrographical conditions Descriptor 8: Concentrations of contaminants Descriptor 9: Contaminants in fish and other seafood Descriptor 10: Marine litter Descriptor 11: Introduction of energy, including underwater noise

  10. Establishment of Environmental Targets • MS shall identify environmental targets and indicators to assess and guide progress towards achievement of GES • established on the basis of the initial assessment; • taking into account the indicative list of pressures and impacts set out in Table 2 of Annex III; • ensuring that targets and indicators are compatible with existing environmental targets laid down at national, Community or international level in respect of the same waters.

  11. Monitoring Programme & Programme of Measures • Monitoring Programme: aimed at ongoing assessments of the environmental status of marine waters on the basis of the elements set out in Annex III and by reference to environmental targets established as per Article 10. • Programme of Measures: measures to achieve or maintain GES, determined as per Article 9; The measures shall be devised on the basis of the initial assessment (Article 8) and by reference to the environmental targets (Article 10)

  12. Marine data requirements and monitoring initiatives Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)

  13. What is the WFD ? • Expands the scope of water protection to ALL waters • Water management based on river basins (Water Catchments). Smallest water management unit is the Water Body. • Aims at achieving "good status" for water bodies by a set deadline (2015, 2021, or 2027). • Allows the use of exemptions • Main management tool is the Water Catchment Management Plan ( or River Basin Management Plan) • Concept of Cost recovery • Prescriptive where Public involvement is of concern • Streamlines all water related legislation

  14. Competencies • 2 Competent Authorities: • Ministry for Energy and Water Conservation • Malta Environment& Planning Authority Legal Notice 194 of 2004 (Water Policy Framework Regulations, 2004)

  15. Stages in preparing for the plan

  16. Characterisation 9 water bodies - 7 natural water bodies and 2 heavily modified water bodies • Exposure (prevailing winds, water depth, fetch) • Mean Water Temperature • Water currents

  17. Classification of Water Body Status (Natural waters)

  18. Status of our waters – first WCMP • Coastal Water Status • Classification of water body status based on: • - P. oceanica data • Qualitative pressure-risk analysis • Water bodies in good-high status with three exceptions • Exemptions in 3 water bodies • 1 natural and 2 heavily modified waters • Exemptions relate to both ecological and chemical status. The exemptions requested are to extend the • deadline for the achievement of good status from 2015 to 2021.

  19. Achieving the plans objectives – Programme of Measures • The measures described within the plan call for the action of a wide body of stakeholders: government agencies and various practitioners. • Measures are the outcome of an intensive public consultation period. • To ensure the proper implementation of the management measures, an Interministerial Committee has been set up to oversee the actual implementation of these measures on the ground. • Measures include: • Basic measures (e.g. UWWD, Nitrates, Bathing Water, Basic WFD measures) • Supplementary measures (e.g. regulatory measures, studies, management plans, guidance documents, further monitoring)

  20. Monitoring of water status – WFD Article 8 • Member States shall ensure the establishment of programmes for the monitoring of water status. Such monitoring shall be in accordance with the requirements of Annex V of the WFD. • Three types of monitoring programmes: • Surveillance monitoring is required to assess long term trends and the classification of ecological and chemical status. • Operational monitoring is required for those water bodies at risk of failing to achieve the objectives of the WFD. • Investigative monitoring is required to determine the extent and effects in case of accidental pollution or to determine the reason for exceedances where it is unknown. 22

  21. MonitoringCoastalWaters– 1stbaseline(ERDF156) Monitoring up to the 1nmile limit. Field surveys undertaken during May 2012 – July 2013. In line with requirements of Daughter directives 2008/105/EC and 2009/90/EC. 23

  22. IIMarine Data related management, collection and infrastructure development 

  23. Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of LifeProject part-financed by the European UnionEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF)Co-financing rate: 85% EU funds; 15% National FundsInvesting in your future ERDF 156:Developing National Environmental Monitoring Infrastructure and CapacityDr. Saviour Formosa PhDProject Expert

  24. The Target Project TitleDeveloping National Environmental Monitoring Infrastructure and Capacity BeneficiariesMalta Environment and Planning Authority PartnersUniversity of Malta, Environmental Health Directorate National Statistics Office, Malta Resources Authority Budget€ 4.9 M co-funded by ERDF (85%) national Government (15%) € 0.2 m MEPA co-financed DurationQ3 2010 - Q2 2012 Environmental Health Directorate

  25. The Scope To develop the national environmental monitoring infrastructure and capacity for Malta, with the focus on monitoring 5 environmental themes: • Air • Water • Noise • Radiation • Soil • IR Factor: Themes are integrated with Information Resources systems

  26. The Outcomes • Strategy for Environmental Reporting in the areas of air, water, noise, radiation, and soil. Baseline Studies conducted in the areas of water, noise, radiation and soil, together with 3D terrestrial spatial surveys and bathymetric surveys of coastal waters within 1 nautical mile. Acquisition of Equipment for the collection of real-time and ad hoc data. Dissemination Tools for the distribution and reporting of data to the Public, Scientific Domains and EU/International Reporting.

  27. Water • Development of a long term monitoring, including coastal and inland waters, which covers all aspects of environmental water monitoring, including ambient, investigative and compliance monitoring. • A baseline survey on hydromorphological, physicochemical and biological parameters in coastal waters around the Maltese Islands up to 1 nautical mile. Chemical substances are also being monitored in the water, in biota and in sediments. As well as seasonal monitoring on the health status of indicator biota, such as macroalgae, phytoplankton, Posidonia Oceanica and benthic invertebrates present in coastal waters. • Service tender for the development of a long-term monitoring strategy for the marine environment, a social and economic analysis of the use of marine waters and costs of degradation, and baseline sediment survey in inland waters.

  28. Information Resources Bathymetric LIDAR aerial survey for depths of 0 m to 15m within 1 nautical mile from the Maltese coastline and a ship-based bathymetric scan employing acoustic side scan sonar which will enable the creation of new nautical charts as well as bathymetric outputs that will help in marine spatial planning.

  29. Information Resources • SEIS • A Shared Environmental Information System will serve as the conveyor for such information and outputs from the project as based on INSPIRE, Aarhus and SEIS

  30. Future Drive • Compliance with EU obligations for environmental monitoring and reporting • Operational toole.g. pre-development reviews, enforcement action • Support for environmental policy-making and dynamic feedback: NGOs • Enhance environmental researche.g. River network development, Salzburg EMLF, Vienna access • Forecasting of environmental parameters e.g. predictive air models, risk-maps, • Statistical backing for experts – normative stats and spatial stats • Increased public awareness on the state of the environment • Availability/Usage of environmental data acquired through project- all environmental datasets will be available for Free

More Related