Transboundary flood risk management on the Rhine: From the Action Plan on Floods to the Floods Directive

Transcription

1 Transboundary flood risk management on the Rhine: From the Action Plan on Floods to the Floods Directive Adrian Schmid-Breton (ICPR Coblence) Scientific assistant International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine WS Transboundary cooperation , Budapest

2 The International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine: A solid basis for transb. cooperation ICPR: an intergovernmental organisation founded in member states: Switzerland, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Netherlands, European Union Other partner states : Austria, Liechtenstein, Belgium (Wallonia) Observers: 1. Other river basin commissions 3. Non-governmental organisations NGO s (16): nature conservation, flood protection, drinking water industry, chemical industry 4. Other participants: Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO's), Navigation, 2

3 What makes the ICPR effective? Rules of cooperation De-centralised organisation National Delegations political mandate technical know how funds Consensus Decisions are recommendations Obligation to report about implementing measures Political trust, no sanctions Neutral secretariat Rhine Convention Rules of procedure and financial regulations 3

4 Landmarks Foundation Treaty of Berne st Rhine Ministers Conference Accident at Sandoz Rhine Action Programme ( ) 1993 and Floods Action Plan on Floods ( ) 1999 New Convention ( ) Program Rhine 2020 ( ) EU Water Framework Directive Directive on the assessment and management of floods First Flood Risk Management for the Rhine basin (Floods Directive) 4

5 Ambitious objectives: the 4 action targets of the APF (1) Reduce flood damage risks by 25 % by (2) Reduction of flood levels by up to 70 cm by 2020 (V) (3) Increasing flood awareness by drafting and spreading flood risk maps for 100 % of flood hazard areas V (4) Improve the flood forecasting system - Prolong forecasting periods by 100 % by V

6 Since 2007: ICPR = Frame for the exchange of information and the coordinated implementation of the FD within the International river basin district of the Rhine 6

7 Since 2007: ICPR = Frame for the exchange of information and the coordinated implementation of the FD within the International river basin district of the Rhine 3d phase: FRMP Rhine 1 st phase 2d phase Report and map Potential significant flood risks areas Report and map Flood hazard and flood risk maps 7

8 Comparison FD-APF (in terms of cooperation) Advantages with FD Basin view (before mainly main stream); New partner states Improved basin-wide exchange of information Emphasis on risk management (new: environment, cultural heritage) Law > recommendation Improvement of risk knowledge for decision-makers (new data, data coordination/harmonization, comparable methodologies/data) More bottom-up approaches, public consultation/participation ( bigger acceptance for measures) Disadvantages with FD New directive, lack of experience Short timing of the FRMP cycles (6 years) Extra work/time cost to align APF with FD Formal/administrative discussion/decisions rather than discussion in substance Fear of sanction by the EU can be a brake to find innovative solutions or measures Generally speaking: more benefits than inconveniences 8

9 Towards a new flood risk management plan for the Rhine (based on APF/past transb. cooperation) Two main sorts of objectives: long-term strategic objectives (on more FRMP cycles; e.g. the ones from the APF) operational objectives (related to measures) for one or more cycles. tool to assess each 6 years the realization of the FRMP measures Priority for us (as an int. river commission): objectives and measures with positive transnational effects (retention basins, flood plain restoration, flood forecast/warning, crisis management, awareness rising, ). 9

10 Examples of APF results so far & Fitting the APF to the requirements and the cycle of the FD 10

11 Reduction of flood levels: creation of retention measures (bilaterally or internationally coordinated) Realization on 2 FRMP cycles; long term objective 54 measures are still to be realized Flood June 2013: Seven retention measures came into effect E.g..: City of Maxau (Upper Rhine) = - 15cm 11

12 Rising flood risk awareness Continuous activity (many FRMP cycles) Updating the Flood Risk Atlas 2001 from the APF (= Rhine Atlas 2014) Flood hazard map Flood risk map Extract Draft Atlas

13 Flood announcement and forecasting Results of good transboundary cooperation between the Rhine flood forecasting centres Systems considerable improved and refined since Continuous activity (on many FRMP cycles) Model improvement, forecasting accuracy, announcement/warning improvement. FRMP Rhine: more crisis management (e.g. by supporting exercise or the building of flood partnerschips) 13

14 Towards an adaptation strategy for the Rhine basin Starting point for climate change discussions within the ICPR: Ministerial Meeting in 2007: 2 reports/studies: literature synthesis report no. 174 and report no. 188 with hydrological scenarios : Study of Scenarios for the Discharge Regime of the Rhine Identification of adaptation measures (ICPR WGs Floods, Substances and Ecology) and development of an adaptation strategy until End of 2014/2015 (ongoing process) Links with other themes: ecology, water quality and low water. Taking into account measures defined in APF or FRMP Some measures could be integrate in the 2d cycle of FRMP-Rhine ( ) 14

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