WG C Groundwater

Progress report Nov2010–April2011

for the Strategic Co-ordination Group of 11/12May 2011

Authors: Johannes Grath, Balázs Horváth

1.KEY EVENTS IN THE PERIOD

  • 20th WG C Plenary meeting on 27/28April 2011 in Budapest. Main topics:
  • Special Session on review of GWD Annex I/II -

Presentation and discussion of preliminary review of submissions and information to support development of proposals

  • Continuation of WG C Activity 1 – Exchange of best practice:
  • Development of draft report on Groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems
  • Implementation of Art. 6 GWD Measures to prevent or limit inputs of pollutants into groundwater (point and diffuse sources of pollution)
  • Meeting of the GENESIS FP7 research project on groundwater on 11-12 April 2011– participation of WGC members in the Advisory Board of the project

2.UPCOMING KEY EVENTS AND DEADLINES

  • 21st plenary meeting of WG CGroundwater on 13th October 2011in Poland back to back with the workshop on “Groundwater and Climate Change” on 12thOctober 2011(already approved by SCG last year)
  • Finalisation of the draft “Technical report Groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems”; the draft is going to be forwarded and presented to the SCG with the request for endorsement in autumn 2011.
  • Finalisation of WG C recommendations concerning review of GWD AnnexI/II and forwarding to SCG with the request for endorsement in autumn 2011

3.PROGRESS CIS WORKPROGRAMME DELIVERABLES

Activity WG C1(Exchange of best practice): Draft ‘Technical report on GW dependent terrestrial ecosystems’available on CIRCA. Remark: due to availability of resources the scope of the technical report was restricted to GW dependent terrestrial ecosystems.

Activity WG C 2(review of Annexes I-II GWD):

- Workplan and outline for the structure for the report for WG C activity 2 was developed and available by January 2011.

- Questionnaire developed and distributed to WG C members – inventory of the perspective of MS and Stakeholders concerning the review of Annex I and II of GWD; first results werepresented at the WG C meeting in Budapest on 27th April 2011 as a basis for discussion. Information wasmade available on CIRCA immediately after the meeting. Following figure 1 shows the results of the 26 received completed returns (21 from MS, 2 from NGO, 3 from Others):

Figure 1: Brief summary of returns of completed GWD Annex I/II review questionnaire

- Presentation of the outline of the workshop on Groundwater and Climate Change - information wasmade available on CIRCA

4.OTHER ISSUES

Special Session at Conference “Hydro ECO”in May 2011 in Viennaon GW-dependent terrestrial ecosystems, to allow for exchangeof experiences and open issues identified during WFD and GWD implementation between implementers and researchers.

5.KEY NEXT STEPS

Activity WG C 1:Technical report on GW dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTEs) will be complemented concerning GW dependent aquatic ecosystems in case volunteers show up within the next two weeks. Otherwise the technical report will be restricted to GWDTEs. The report will be complemented by case studies. Circulation to WG C and ask for written approval in summer/early autumn; afterwards presentation to SCG with the request for endorsement.

WG Cactivity 2:

-“Contribution to review of GWD Annex I/II” will be continued;

Proposed schedule – Way forward

  • 13 May 2011: Deadline for additional comments and completed questionnaires.
  • May–August 2011: Analysis of questionnaire and feedback to responders. Development of recommendations and report.
  • September 2011: Circulation of draft report to WG C
  • October 2011: Presentation to WG C (Poland)
  • November 2011: SCG and Water Directors

- Organization of the workshop on Groundwater and Climate Change

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