water framework directive implementation - measures, costs,

1-3 May 2007
Dublin, Ireland

Annocement

Website: www.engineersireland.ie/training/WFD.htm

Member States of the European Union are currently in the process of developing programmes of measures in compliance with the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD). Those contributing to the WFD’s implementation are faced with unprecedented challenges related to:

• Comprehensively assessing compliance with and effectiveness of existing State, Regional and Local water resources management laws and measures
• Analysing the relative cost effectiveness of various combinations of management measures and assessing the distributions of their potential economic impacts
• Adapting existing legal institutions and/or introducing new institutions to ensure future water resources management and planning is effective at the basin level
• Harnessing local expertise and establishing vertical communications between interested parties and institutions in the basin planning and management process

In an effort to coordinate and compound the knowledge and expertise currently developing to meet these challenges within and amongst Member States, Ireland is hosting a three-day conference on implementing the WFD from 1st to 3rd May with IWA and Engineers Ireland acting as joint main sponsors. The first River Basin Management Plans required by WFD in 2009 are now clearly on the horizon and all EU Member States are currently in a critical consensus building period pursuant to these Plans being adopted as open, transparent, costed, holistic and integrated statutory documents to guide us in all aspects of water resource management into the foreseeable future. This will require compelling science, stakeholder engagement and commitment, effective public consultation, accountability and resource and institutional assignment and in this regard the Conference will address current best practice and the necessary checks and balances via top-down and bottom-up approaches in both the development and implementation of the Plans.

The Dublin Conference welcomes the support of key European Union personnel in conjunction with the support of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) and other Departments of State and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ireland. Other key institutions throughout EU have also pledged support for this leading edge and timely WFD conference including EHS (NI), SEPA (Scotland) and the Waterboard Authorities in the Netherlands. In addition to Engineers Ireland, Dublin City Council, the Centre for Water Resources Research at University College Dublin, Failte Ireland and CDM Consultants in Ireland are playing a leading role in hosting the event. 

Contact: Eamonn McHugh
Engineers Ireland
22 Clyde Road
Dublin 4, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 609 0228     
Fax: +353 1 668 4248
Email: emchugh@engineersireland.ie
Website: www.engineersireland.ie/training/WFD.htm