Handbook on Water Management - page 17

Works that eliminate all or part of wetlands, e.g. blind channels to plant crops or afforestation
(especially poplar planting), or that use landfill to create land for building, also have a direct
impact on theway the aquatic ecosystem operates.
2.2.3. Hydrology: Abstraction, regulation
Many human activities abstract water from the aquatic environment to use for different
purposes. Abstraction can be carried out directly in the aquatic environment, or a specific
infrastructure can be created (dam, reservoir, diversion, etc.) that may change thewater regime
over the hydrological year (e.g. storewater inwinter for use in summer).
When abstraction is substantial in relation to the quantity of water available, and/or carried out
at lowwater levels, it perturbs thewater cycle, which can damage the balance of the
ecosystem. Similarly, diverting awatercourse reduces the quantity of water available in themain
riverbed and thus impacts the hydromorphology and the biocenosis components of the
The overall aim of REFORM in Europe is to provide a framework for improving the success of
hydromorphological restorationmeasures to reach targeted ecological status or river potential
in a cost-effectivemanner. “Success” is defined as being hydromorphologically sustainable,
ecologically effective, and exploiting full potential within the socio-economic setting. “Cost-
effective” implies optimizing the ecosystem’s health and the goods and services provided by
natural, modified and restored rivers, floodplains and connected groundwater.
To achieve this aim, the REFORM consortium develops protocols and procedures tomonitor the
biological response to hymorphological change with greater precision, support the design of
programmes of restoration andmitigationmeasures for theWFD, and improve the connection
between restoration and socio-economic activities.
The specific objectives of REFORM are:
To select WFD-compliant hydromorphological and biological indicators for cost-effective
monitoring that characterize the consequences of physical degradation and restoration in
rivers and their services;
To evaluate and improve practical tools and guidelines to design restoration and
mitigationmeasures;
To review existing data and information on hydromorphological river degradation and
restoration;
To develop a process-based, multi-scale hydromorphological framework on European
rivers and floodplains and connected groundwater;
To understand how hydromorphological pressures interact with other pressures that may
constrain successful restoration;
To assess the significance of scaling effects on the effectiveness of different adaptation,
mitigation and restorationmeasures to improve the ecological status or potential of
rivers, floodplains and connected groundwater;
To develop instruments to analyze risk and assess the benefits of successful river
restoration, including resilience to climate change and the relationship with other
socioeconomic activities;
To increase awareness of the benefits of river restoration, along with an appreciation of
the need and the potential.
More information:
Box 6: REFORM - Restoring rivers for effective catchment management
17
www.
inbo-news
.
org | www.
gwp
.
org
THEHANDBOOK FORMANAGEMENT
ANDRESTORATIONOF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS INRIVERAND LAKE BASINS
2FUNCTIONSANDBENEFITSOFAQUATICECOSYSTEMS
1...,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,...96
Powered by FlippingBook