France – Greece – Austria – Poland - HPC AG

Integrated Water Resources Management
of the water district of Aegean Islands
HPC PASECO Sp Ltd.
HPC Griechenland
22, Kykladon
GR-11361 Athens
Branch manager:
Demetres Economides
DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL
POLICY ACCORDING TO WATER
FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
ATHENS – During the period 2003-2008,
the HPC PASECO participated in the project
“Development of Systems and Tools
for Integrated Water Resources Management
of the water district of Aegean islands
– Development of Regional policy
according to Water Framework Directive”,
which was an innovative project about integrated
water management in the Aegean
Islands of Greece.
The project aimed at the development of a
dynamic tool that would enable to:
– Register, analyse and model all the relevant
data of the water resources (hydrology,
hydrogeology, water demand,
and water quality) both at spatial and
thematic level.
– Calculate the water balance of the
present and future status
– Develop water resources management
scenarios taking into account and
assessing the economic activities, under
the scope of sustainable use
– Introduce and assess new data
through all of its functions, setting
new management scenarios
– be expanded, supplemented, modified
and adjusted according to the requirements
of its users and the current
qualitative and quantitative data,
both at spatial and thematic level
– Integrated Management System (DSS)
at Water Basin level.
In order to be implemented all the aforementioned
activities a Database and GIS
application was developed. Data such as
topographic (level curves, digital terrain
models, land uses, road networks, main
settlements, etc), geological (geological
formations, etc), hydrogeological (hydro
geological formations, etc), hydrological
10 www.hpc.ag HPC, September 2009
HPC Greece
(main rivers, lakes, water basins, etc),
environmental (protected areas, etc,)
and other were incorporated in the GIS
application. A large number of maps
(mainly of hydrographic network, water
quantity and quality, as water balance and
demand) including all data collected were
prepared and submitted to the Ministry
and the Prefectures.
The aforementioned tool capabilities allow
the Ministry of Development and the Prefectures
to set up a regional and further a
national strategy on the rational management
of water resources and support all
the necessary actions, including the future
ones, rising from the Water Framework
Directive (2000/60/EC).
The project’s tasks were as follows:
– PHASE A included collection and
assessment of relevant studies and research
data, collection, reliability control,
selection and filling of primary
data regarding natural systems (meteorological,
climatic, geological, hydrological,
and hydrogeological), as
well as identification and presentation
of existing monitoring networks and
the qualitative and quantitative parameters
of the hydrological cycle.
– PHASE B included analysis of the
infrastructure and uses. Registration
of all economic activities taking place
in the study area, description of works
exploiting water reserves which serve
the aforementioned activities and
analysis of their operation. Within this
frame, the water demand for irrigation,
supply, pisciculture and the
maintenance of environmental balance
were assessed.
– PHASE C: in this phase the management
tool was developed. The results
from PHASES A and B were introduced
and simulation models for each
island or for a whole block of islands
were developed. The models simulated
the spatial distribution of qualitative
and quantitative characteristics of
water demand and supply at each
notable focal point of the study area
and their continuous interaction.
Finally the model was adapted to current
conditions and its set-up was
performed.
– PHASE D included the assessment
of economic scenarios (according to
WFD 2000/60) which were the basis
for analysing the policy for managing
the water resources. The economic
model analyses and calculates the
economic result for each application
of the management model. The development
and assessment of scenarios
and measures followed, as well as
their future capacity.
Finally, the Consultant proposed the
institutional restructuring of the involved
entities (regional units), human resources
development proposals and training of
their personnel, as well as dissemination
measures for the best comprehensibility of
the model among the public and other
interested stakeholders.
The Consultant also developed a web-site
presenting the project and supported the
authorities for the s/w managerial tool for
at least 24 months after the project’s
completion.
Demetres Economides
dec@hpc-paseco.gr