Web-based decision support to set up cost effective programs of measures for multiple water aspects

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires Member States to ensure that all waters meet ‘good status’ and to publish river basin management plans that include programs of cost-effective measures. VITO supported the policy makers in Flanders (Belgium) with the preparation of the first generation of river basin management plans and more specifically with the assessment of the costs and effects of programs of measures. The environmental costing model was used to select cost effective measures to improve surface water quality. The public consultation process of the river basin management plans and a user requirements analysis resulted in recommendations for further development of the model, As a result, the scope of the model was expanded with a more extensive analysis of multiple water aspects, such as surface water quality, hydromorphology, floods and sediments. A web-based decision support tool was developed to make the reporting structure more transparent. This tool includes all the necessary data to assess costs, effects, benefits and affordability of packages of measures. Information about status, pressures, costs and effects of measures can be retrieved and simulation results can be generated on different scales, from individual water bodies to regional level. End users can build up draft packages of measures (scenarios), assess their costs and effects and share these scenarios with other users (e.g. users building scenarios for other aspects or for other water bodies). The tool will be used by the policy makers in Flanders in preparation of the next generation of river basin management plans.