4.5 Measures with multiple benefits

Measures with multiple benefits can be understood as actions which are beneficial to the achievement of environmental requirements of more than one policy instrument or to the improvement of one or more ecosystems (e.g. groundwater, surface waters, floodplain, soil). Furthermore, their combined effect can lead to improved functioning of ecosystems for example self-purification, water storage or nutrient sequestration, recreation, and other ecosystem services.

Several water management measures can deliver multiple benefits such as river and floodplain restoration, integrated freshwater and coastal zone management, or projects like ‘making room for the river’. Buffer strips can also deliver multiple benefits by reducing nutrient input by erosion in surface waters and, on a larger scale, reducing nutrient input into marine waters as well as increasing terrestrial biodiversity. Extensification of land-use reduces nutrient and pollution inflow into soil and groundwater, improves the local hydrological regime, avoids impacts of droughts and makes the landscape nicer for recreation. Furthermore, water saving and conservation bring additional benefits, by ensuring sufficient water for environmental needs and reducing pollution discharges and energy use.

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Multi-benefit measures are also related to source reduction approaches. Within European strategies, like the  7th EAP, the Biodiversity Strategy or Farm to Fork Strategy, goals are sustainable resource efficiency and the use of an integrated nutrient management. Certain multi-benefit measures combine pollution reduction with the reuse of resources, for example the reuse of phosphorus retained in waste water or sewage sludge and their use in agriculture. This is also in line with the goals of the Green Deal on circular economy actions.

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Management measures that work with nature and not against it, often result into a win-win situation. Multi-benefit measures serving nature conservation and water policy objectives (WFD) can be related to the protection of aquatic species listed in the Annexes of the Habitats Directive, such as the sturgeon, the eel or the salmon with high protection status. Prerequisite for such migratory fish species is the longitudinal continuity of the rivers and the connection to the sea. In addition, this is in line with targets of the Eel Regulation (EC, 2007) and the target of the new Biodiversity Strategy 2030 for 25 000 km free flowing rivers. Multi-benefit measures to recover longitudinal continuity for migratory fish species are for example the removal of dams and obstacles. To also ensure their reproduction in rivers and streams, habitat improvement is crucial by e.g. sediment improvement to restore spawning grounds.  

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Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) can be used as measures to meet requirements of the WFD, the Floods Directive and climate adaptation. According to EC ( 2014) “Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) are multi-functional measures that aim to protect and manage water resources and address water-related challenges by restoring or maintaining ecosystems …”([1]). Within a recent EU project, about 45 NWRM with multi-benefits for urban areas, forests, rivers, and agricultural areas were identified and linked to ecosystem service benefits as well as illustrated in a number of European case studies ([2]).

[1] Source: http://nwrm.eu/concept/3857

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[2] Source: http://eu-nwrm.eu

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A multi-benefit measure increasingly being acknowledge for its importance is the restoration of floodplains that can both reduce flood risk and improve the ecological and quantitative status of waters. Natural floodplains act as water retention systems and support the ecological flow. Measures to restore floodplains can contribute to achieving many objectives, including the good status objective of the WFD and national water policies (EEA 2010). Nature-based solutions (NBS) aim for e.g. multi-functional nature-based catchment management and ecosystem restoration, or enhancing the insurance value of ecosystems. A list of some 300 different nature-based solution measures and their linkage to ecosystem services shows, how diverse the use and their applicability in several sectors, like flood protection, climate change adaptation, sustainable urban development or water management, can be (Sutherland, et al., 2014).

There are many national activities in Europe aimed at NBS, such as the Dutch Room for the River (see Box 8).

Box 8                  Room for the river in the Netherlands

One example of implementation of nature-based solutions in the context of improving risk management and resilience of aquatic ecosystems is the ‘Room for the River’ Programme in the Netherlands. The developed strategy focusses on making more space for water to better prevent floods by lowering the level of high water and to offer spatial quality to the area reconnecting people and rivers. Several projects have been carried out at 30 locations in the Netherlands, where dykes were relocated, high-water channels constructed, and floodplains lowered ([1]). For example, in the area of the city of Nijmegen a 350 meters long dyke was relocated, and an ancillary channel was built. This project offers multiple benefits: The reduction of the water level by 35 cm, and brings also new potential for the development of the city by the creation of an urban river park with possibilities for recreation and nature (EC 2015). The total costs are 360 million Euro.

([1]) Source: https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/english/about-us/gems-of-rijkswaterstaat/room-for-the-river/index.aspx

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Besides establishing linkages between the WFD, the Floods Directive and nature conservation policy, measures with multiple benefits can also contribute to linking up to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (EU 2008) is required. This is mainly due to the planning and implementation of measures as part of the RBMPs to improve water quality in coastal areas and for the benefit of the marine environment. Within the 2nd RBMPs, some 70 % of all RBDs reported a link between the WFD and the MSFD; they also indicate a high number of measures listed under the WFD as relevant to also reach the objectives of the MSFD, in particular measures to reduce nutrient pollution from both diffuse and point sources as well as reduction of hazardous substances (EC 2019d).

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Overall, a wide variety of multi-benefit measures are already available. They can help improve and coordinate the achievement of objectives across policies but also mobilise diverse sources of funding for measures. Multi-benefit measures are suitable to shift the management focus from single-issue solutions towards an approach based on protecting and re-establishing various ecosystem services to effectively address European key water management challenges.  

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