SEA for The Netherlands national water plan

1
SEA for The Netherlands national water plan

• A case study
• Rob Verheem
• The Netherlands EIA Commission

2
Content of the plan

• Demand management
• Site selection for water production
• Selection of sources, e.g. ground water versus
  surface water

3
Context for the SEA

• Most significant problems are
• Soil dehydration
• Land use of water production facilities
• Increasing pollution of sources

4
Purpose of the SEA

• Assess impact of alternative water production
  policies
• Assess impact of alternative water production
  methods

5
Integration into planning process

• Step 1 public notification of start combined
  plan/SEA process
• Step 2 public consultation independent advice
  on SEA TOR
• Step 3 combined preparation of draft plan SEA
• Step 4 publication of draft plan SEA
• Step 5 public consultation independent advice
  on draft plan quality of SEA
• Step 6 Preparation of final plan cabinet
  decision
• Step 7 approval by Parliament

6
Alternatives

• For the water policy
• On the basis of existing ground/surface water
  ratio
• Increase total water production
• Decrease total water production
• Reduce industrial water use
• On the basis of a shift in ground surface water
  ratio
• Increase ground water use decrease surface water
  use
• Increase surface water use decrease ground water
  use

7
Alternative production methods

• Use of ground water
• Use of shallow ground water
• Use of deep ground water
• Use of infiltrated river water
• Use of surface water
• Via natural reservoirs
• Via artificial reservoirs
• Artificial infiltration
• Surface infiltration
• Deep infiltration

8
Methodology for impact assessment

• Methodology to asses policies
• Prognoses of water demand
• Development of hydrological models
• Combining 1 and 2 impact on ground and surface
  water
• Development of model to determine natural value
  of water dependent ecosystems
• Combining 3 and 4 impact of alternatives on
  nature

9
Methodology for impact assessment

• Methodology to asses production methods
• Environmental impacts assessed
• Nature
• Landscape
• Use of resources
• Waste production
• Energy use
• Non environmental impacts
• Effect on healt
• Use of space
• Technical/economical aspects, e.g. availability,
  flexibility, vulnerability, financial costs,
  acceptability

10
Assessment of production methods

• Definition of sub-criteria for each aspect
• Quantitative assessment
• Through literature and modelling
• Effects on nature, resources, waste, energy, use
  of space, financial costs
• Qualitative assessment
• Ranking on 8 point scale through expert judgement
• Effects on landscape, health, availability,
  flexibility, vulnerability, acceptability
• Combining scores into one final score through
  multi-criteria-analysis

11
Comparison of alternatives

• Policies on the basis of effect on nature
• Production methods
• On the basis of final scores using different
  weight sets
• Health most important
• Use of resources/waste/energy most important
• Nature most important
• Landscape most important
• Technical/economic issues most important
• Sensitivity analysis uncertainties in
  methodology applied, scores, weight sets and
  future developments

12
Public participation

• Written comments on TOR of SEA
• Written comments and public hearing on draft plan
  and quality of SEA
• Dedicated meetings with target groups and related
  agencies throughout the SEA/plan process

13
Additional supplies

• allocate existing renewable water supplies
• maximize waste water reuse
• increase brackish water treatment reuse
• reduce groundwater pumping
• use drainage water, where available

14
4) Issues that require action or coordination

• Action plan
• Policy legal
• Institutions
• Alternatives mitigation
• Monitoring information
• Capacity building

15
Actions policy legal

• Improve ground water management policies
• enforce groundwater pumping regulations
• include pesticide use in water quality standards
• review regulations on environmental effects
  irrigation

16
Actions institutions

• strengthen the role of environmental agency in
  industrial domestic waste water facilities
• coordinate monitoring of several agencies
• enforce urban waste water regulations
• increase role of NGOs in raising awareness
• improve incentives to use treated waste water in
  irrigation
• improve environmental stewardship of current
  water bodies

17
Actions alternatives mitigation

• EIA mandatory for all major water projects
• assure effective utilization of national
  resources
• increased emphasis on public awareness campaigns
• capacity building in environmental organizations
• integrate environmental concerns in regulations
  and standards
• establish action plan for increased use of
  treated waste water

18
Actions monitoring data collection

• coordination of monitoring by different agencies
• improved data sharing between ministries with
  NGOs
• role of NGOs in monitoring
• regular provision of monitoring results to
  stakeholders
• highlight safety issues for workers in treatment
  plans and farmers using treated waste water

19
Actions capacity building

• For all environmental agencies and agencies
  dealing with environmental issues
• EIA training preparing TORs, supervision of
  process and evaluation of results
• integration of water issues in school curricula

20
Next steps

• Near term
• seminars and training workshops for professionals
  in public private sector and civil society
• environmental training for staff in water related
  organizations NGOs
• Longer term
• EIA social assessment routinely carried out for
  all water related investments