API: The development of a National Water Resource Management Plan (NGP) forms the key element in the process of adopting the Water Framework Directive (WFD) into national law. The NGP is the first part of a longer planning process, comprising the status analysis drawn up in 2005, a summary of monitoring results and a related catalogue of measures based on which the relevant environmental targets shall be accomplished. The latter contains restoration and maintenance measures as well as preventive measures. The draft NGP is up for public review until the end of October. The definitive NGP shall be published by 22 December 2009. Until the end of 2012 various implementing steps are to follow, such as regional or restoration programmes introduced by the governors or new federal ordinances approved by the Environment Minister.
Also in keeping with the WFD is the conversion of the federal ordinance related to groundwater thresholds (“Grundwasserschwellenwertverordnung”) into a new ordinance introducing chemical quality targets for groundwater (“Qualitätszielverordnung Chemie Grundwasser”), the draft of which is currently also up for review.
The NGP primarily addresses the ecological quality of the surface waters, whereas the WFD principally requires the protection of all water bodies. Does this mean a comprehensive groundwater protection scheme, which would be crucial for Austria, is not properly taken into account? After all, a major proportion of the Austrian drinking water is derived from groundwater resources.
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(Source: aqua press Int. 3/2009, Mag. Christof Hahn)
