WISER

Water bodies in Europe: Integrative Systems to assess Ecological status and Recovery

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'WISER will support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) by developing tools for the integrated assessment of the ecological status of European surface waters (with a focus on lakes and coastal/transitional waters), and by evaluating recovery processes in rivers, lakes and coastal/transitional waters under global change constraints. The project will (1) analyse existing data from more than 90 databases compiled in previous and ongoing projects, covering all water categories, Biological Quality Elements (BQEs) and stressor types and (2) perform targeted field-sampling exercises including all relevant BQEs in lakes and in coastal/transitional waters. New assessment systems will be developed and existing systems will be evaluated for lakes and coastal/transitional waters, with special focus on how uncertainty affects classification strength, to complete a set of assessment methodologies for these water categories. Biological recovery processes, in all water categories and in different climatic conditions, will be analysed, with focus on mitigation of hydromorphological and eutrophication pressures. Large-scale data will be used to identify linkages between pressure variables and BQE responses. Specific case studies, using a variety of modelling techniques, will address selected pressure-response relationships and the efficacy of mitigation measures. The responses of different BQEs and different water categories to human-induced degradation and mitigation will be compared, with special focus on response signatures of BQEs within and among water categories. Guidance for the next steps of the intercalibration exercise will be given by comparing different intercalibration approaches. Stakeholders will be included from the outset, by building small teams of stakeholders and project partners responsible for a group of deliverables, to ensure the applicability and swift implementation of results.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Rivers, lakes and coastal areas are under pressure from human activities that result in pollution, intensive land use and the degradation of natural habitats. To better manage challenges in this area, an EU-funded project developed methods for assessing and restoring aquatic ecosystems.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Europe has made water protection one of its policy priorities. However, new systems to assess ecological status of water bodies need to be developed. The http://www.wiser.eu/ (WISER) (Water bodies in Europe: Integrative systems to assess ecological status and recovery) project set out to find a solution to this pressing issue.

Researchers analysed existing data covering all water categories from 118 databases compiled in previous and ongoing projects. They also conducted field sampling in rivers, lakes and coastal waters to assess the effects of restoration and management on recovery processes in these waters.

Based on literature reviews and analysis of over 700 research studies, models were developed to help river basin managers estimate the effect of restoration and mitigation measures. One of the project's goals was to also help identify measures that were potentially ineffective and rarely proven to be successful.

Project partners developed, tested and validated biological indicators for the assessment of European waters and communicated these to relevant expert groups involved in implementation of the EU Marine Strategy.

WISER facilitated the establishment of catchment management measures. The team provided guidelines for planning restoration measures and goals to achieve good ecological status, while taking into account different climate change scenarios. This was carried out within specific case study catchments.

The project also contributed to the establishment of programmes of management and restoration measures by compiling data on restoration success. Models were developed and used to determine the effects of restoration measures on ecological status. Management and restoration costs were assessed where possible and the risk of failing restoration targets was determined.

This information was used to draw up recommendations on how to design management strategies with the greatest beneficial impact on ecological status. Project outcomes also included information on the timescales needed to achieve good ecological status after management and/or restoration.

A number of practical results were achieved during the WISER project that can be applied to water body assessment and river basin management. In the future, the project's central database will be of great value, particularly for further research into aquatic organisms and ecosystem types.