1.2 Data sources, geographical coverage, and methodology

1.2 Data sources, geographical coverage, and methodology

This report is compiled from information on the status of European surface water and groundwater bodies as reported by the EU Member States into the Water Information System for Europe (WISE). In summer 2017, 25 Member States had reported into WISE. The WISE-WFD database includes data from the first and second RBMPs. The reporting of WFD data is based on the CIS Reporting Guidance, which has been revised in 2016[1].

The implementation of the WFD has resulted in the designation of 180 RBDs across the EU, and 31 international RBDs. RBMPs have been produced for all the RBDs. Each of the RBMPs consists of many different documents, maps and datasets. The main RBMP document that often is 200-300 pages long provides detailed information on status and pressures affecting the designated water bodies, monitoring programmes and the Programme of Measures to be implemented during the new management cycle. In addition, RBMPs often include several appendixes and in some cases, Member States have established interactive map services or information systems to provide detailed information for the individual water bodies.

This report only presents key results, while more detailed WFD results are presented in an interactive tool in WISE. The following chapters include small text boxes with links to more detailed information (see examples below)

[1] CIS Guidance No. 21; EC, 2009; and 2016 see http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/WFD/WFD_521_2016

Surface water and groundwater bodies

In the context of the WFD, the 'water environment' includes rivers, lakes, transitional waters, groundwater and coastal waters out to one nautical mile (12 nautical miles for chemical status (i.e. territorial waters). These waters are divided into units called water bodies.

The EU Member States now have reported 13 400 groundwater bodies and 111 000 surface water bodies: 80 % of them are rivers, 16 % lakes and 4 % coastal and transitional waters (Table 1.1). All Member States have reported river and groundwater bodies. 23 Member States (all reporting Member States except Luxemburg and Slovakia) have reported lake water bodies, 14 Member States have reported transitional water bodies and 20 reported coastal water bodies. In the second RBMPs seven Member States have delineated 46 territorial waters i.e. water bodies from 1-12 nautical mile.

Table 1.1: Number of Member States, RBDs, water bodies, and length or area, per water category

Source: Extract from WISE SoW database, 25 Member States (EU28 excluding Greece, Ireland and Lithuania).

The number of water bodies varies considerably between Member States due to the size of their territory but also due to their approach to delineate water bodies. Sweden has by far the largest number of surface water bodies, followed by France, Germany, United Kingdom and Italy. Sweden