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2. POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING THE WATER ENVIRONMENT
The WEWS Act transposed the requirements of the Directive into Scots law, introducing a broad framework for the management of our rivers, lochs, groundwater and coasts. The introduction of this framework represents a significant shift in water resource management, requiring us to adopt a holistic source-to-sea approach through the introduction of River Basin Management Plans ( RBMPs). For the first time we will be able to take a more strategic look at the water environment, on a river basin scale. As the lead competent authority for protection of the water environment in Scotland, SEPA is responsible for the preparation of the draft RBMPs. This process is now underway, and the first draft plan will be published for consultation during 2008. The RBMPs will be finalised in December 2009, and updated every 6 years thereafter.
Throughout the implementation programme our overarching aim is to establish a framework within which an appropriate balance can be struck between the protection of the water environment and its use for the purposes of sustainable social and economic development. In order to achieve this balance in the most effective and constructive way possible, we believe it is essential that WFD principles are embedded in all other relevant policy and regulatory areas. For example, those relating to energy, public water supply, transport, land-use planning, fisheries, enterprise, recreation and tourism, marine and agriculture.
The draft Plans, due to be published in December 2008, will set out the contributions which those engaged in these various policy areas will make to the delivery of our WFD obligations; and will identify any additional policy or legal mechanisms that we need to put in place to achieve those objectives. Clearly this is a significant challenge, and continued integration with other policies will be essential to deliver a successful outcome.
This paper discusses one important legislative mechanism for supporting that necessary integration.
The Scottish Government's River Basin Management Planning Network Since the introduction of the Water Framework Directive, the Scottish Government has been promoting an integrated approach to developing or reviewing policy and legislation having an impact on the water environment. With the continuing move towards the development of River Basin Management Planning, a cross-Government RBMP Network was established to formalise this ongoing work, with a focus on supporting the development of the RBMPs. The Network includes key policy representatives from land-use planning, transport, energy, fisheries, enterprise, recreation and tourism, marine, agriculture and the water industry. The aim is to provide a forum within which we can maximise the potential synergies between different policy interests and minimise any conflicts in delivering policy initiatives. A further benefit will be the ability to utilise this forum for identifying and agreeing whether any emerging elements of the draft programme of measures within the RBMP might require underpinning by new legislation and/ or delivery mechanisms, and the subsequent development of such mechanisms. |
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