Assessing the European Water Stewardship Standard in the Context ...

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2 Research Question 3 2 Research Question „Das mag in der Theorie richtig sein, taugt aber nicht in der Praxis“(IMMANUEL KANT). As KANT stated something that might be valid in theory does not always apply in practice. The EWS standard has been developed by a range of experts, nevertheless it´s practical applicability needs to be tested and at the best proven scientifically. The declaration of KANT comprises the stimulus of the research approach and the following questions are addressed: (i) Is the EWS standard in line with current development of EU water policy, i.e. the WFD? This question is answered by a literature analysis exploring in which extent the EWS standard is according to the WFD. Further to answer how the EWS standard can support the practical operation of the directive, the standard was compared to the Programme of Measures (PoMs), a key instrument for implementation of the WFD. As the PoMs are established on a river basin level this is evaluated referring to the Elbe River basin, where farmers of the case study are situated. The applicability and acceptance was explored in the frame of a case study, referred to as a pilot test of the EWS standard: (ii) Can the EWS standard be considered as an applicable tool for certification 1 on a farm level? (iii) Which is the level of acceptance by farmers in the Elbe River basin? The applicability was tested by performing a pilot test on five selected farms. The pilot test was evaluated by making use of a performance analysis accompanied by a questionnaire. To evaluate the acceptance of the EWS standard the farmers´ of the pilot test have been interviewed with regard to the usability of the standard and conditions under which they would participate in the certification scheme. 1 In this study, we define certification as ALBERSMEIER et al.2009: ‘‘the (voluntary) assessment and approval by an (accredited) party on an (accredited) standard”.
3 Theoretical Background 4 3 Theoretical Background Europe's freshwater resources range from surface waters to groundwater and wetlands to man- made bodies of water such as canals and reservoirs. During the last century mankind has influenced water systems by structural changes, water abstractions, pollution and others. In the following chapter, the pressure on water resources is described being divided by water availability and quality for the EU and the Elbe River basin. Furthermore the WFD and its purposes are outlined. This is followed by a description of the EWS standard background, aims and content. 3.1 Water in Europe 3.1.1 Water Availability While water is generally abundant in much of Europe, more and more often, particularly in southern Europe, society suffers from water shortages, fires and droughts (SVENSSON 2006). Precipitation across Europe ranges from less than 400 mm/year in parts of the Mediterranean to more than 1,000 mm/year along the Atlantic shores. Generally, over the last century average precipitation has increased by 6 - 8%. Taking losses from evapotranspiration into account, the effective rainfall can be lower than 50 mm/year in the south (MULLIGAN et al. 2006). Additionally seasonal changes are recognised and also predicted in climate models forecasts with a decrease of winter precipitation for southern and central Europe and an increase for western and northern parts. Summers will become drier with more frequent and intense droughts over the coming decades (EEA 2008). Although it is a more acute issue in the south, nowadays water stress is also recognized in the north, being predicted to increase in severity and periodicity. Comparing the periods of 1976 – 1990 and 1991 – 2006, a doubling of area and population affected by droughts was noticed in Europe (EC 2006). The total freshwater resources across Europe account for 2,270 km² with an abstraction of 13% of the total volume (EEA 2009). Surface water is the predominant source of freshwater, with 81% of the total abstraction due to its cost effectiveness and easy access. With regard to the EU, water abstractions by different sectors account 44% for energy production, 24% for agriculture, 21% for public water supply and 11% for industry (EEA 2009). Abstraction for energy production is nearly all returned to the water body. This does not apply to agriculture as up to 80% of water is lost through plant uptake and evapotranspiration and is therefore considered one of the most critical sectors of water consumption (EEA 1999a). On top of that,
Page 1 and 2: Assessing the European Water Stewar
Page 3 and 4: Abstract The EWS standard is a newl
Page 5 and 6: Acknowledgement It is a pleasure to
Page 7 and 8: List of Figures II 5.2.2 Applicabil
Page 9 and 10: List of Tables IV List of Abbreviat
Page 11: 1 Introduction 2 Being recently dev
Page 15 and 16: 3 Theoretical Background 6 treatmen
Page 17 and 18: 3 Theoretical Background 8 very low
Page 19 and 20: 3 Theoretical Background 10 3.3 The
Page 21 and 22: 3 Theoretical Background 12 units a
Page 23 and 24: 3 Theoretical Background 14 coordin
Page 25 and 26: 4 Methodology 16 4 Methodology The
Page 27 and 28: 4 Methodology 18 The chosen farms w
Page 29 and 30: 4 Methodology 20 Table 4: Extract o
Page 31 and 32: 4 Methodology 22 considered to be i
Page 33 and 34: 5 Results 24 improvement of the aqu
Page 35 and 36: 5 Results 26 Table 5: Alignment of
Page 37 and 38: 5 Results 28 difficulties during th
Page 39 and 40: 5 Results 30 indicator 3.1.1, refer
Page 41 and 42: 5 Results 32 been derived from othe
Page 43 and 44: 5 Results 34 Farmer E additionally
Page 45 and 46: 5 Results Table 9: Key statements o
Page 47 and 48: 6 Discussion 38 6 Discussion 6.1 Di
Page 49 and 50: 6 Discussion 40 6.2 Discussion of R
Page 51 and 52: 6 Discussion 42 of farmers was the
Page 53 and 54: 6 Discussion 44 cooperation with th
Page 55 and 56: 6 Discussion 46 Acceptance of stand
Page 57 and 58: 7 Conclusion, Recommendation and Ou
Page 59 and 60: 8 References 50 COLLINS, A., OHANDJ
Page 61 and 62: 8 References 52 EU (European Union)
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8 References 54 KAVANAGH, P. & T. B
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8 References 56 SRU (Sachverständi
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8 References 58 EWP (European Water
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9 Annex 60 4.3.1 n.a. 0 0 2 0 4.3.2
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9 Annex 62 A.4: Categories for inte
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9 Annex 64 1.1.3 Major 1.1.4 Major
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9 Annex 66 Grundsatz 2. Sicherstell
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9 Annex 68 2.1.6 Recc Kriterium 2.2
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9 Annex 70 2.2.4 Major 2.2.5* Major
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9 Annex 72 3.1.2 Minor 3.1.3 Recc 3
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9 Annex 74 4.2.1 Recc 4.2.2 Recc Kr
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9 Annex 76 4.4.1 Minor Ist das Wass
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9 Annex 78 4.4.6 Minor Kriterium 4.
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9 Annex 80 4.6.2 Major 4.6.3 Minor
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9 Annex 82 4.8.1 Recc Kriterium 4.9
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9 Annex 84 A.7: Affirmation Eidesst
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