Good Status in the Changing Climate?—Climate Proofing Law on Water Management in the EU
Suvi‐Tuuli Puharinen
Abstract
Climate change impacts constitute a major risk to the attainment of water policy objectives. This article analyses the resilience of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the light of the challenges that climate change brings to achieving the Directive’s objectives, no-deterioration and good status of surface waters and groundwater. The WFD includes mechanisms to adapt the water management objectives to climate change impacts, including redefining good status and application of exemptions. However, more harmonised efforts at the EU level would be needed to ensure an equal level of ambition and continuity in the water management objectives capacity to steer towards sustainable regime shifts.
Topics & Concepts
Water Framework DirectiveClimate changeDirectiveEnvironmental planningEnvironmental resource managementEnvironmental scienceResilience (materials science)SustainabilityGroundwaterNatural resource economicsBusinessWater resource managementWater qualityEconomicsEngineeringComputer scienceBiologyPhysicsThermodynamicsEcologyProgramming languageGeotechnical engineeringFlood Risk Assessment and ManagementClimate Change Policy and EconomicsClimate Change and Sustainable Development