Description
The project builds upon the existing Water Management and contributes with individual studies that take into account the impact of climate change on surface and groundwater bodies and the corresponding measures to assist in adapting the impact and maintain good environmental status. The objective is the development of innovative methodologies for integrated water resources management that will take into account: • adaptation measures to climate change , • the rational evaluation and prioritization of the Program of Measures and • innovative governance approaches to water management In order for the upcoming revision of the plan to evolve into an effective and innovative management tool that enhances the quality of water, this project will contribute with the following: • A study of drought and an assessment of the impact of climate change on water resources. • An overall assessment and prioritization of the Programme of Measures based on cost-benefit and SWOT analysis for four representative basins. • An innovative governance methodology will be developed and implemented where conflicts of interest between stakeholders will be identified and mitigated through their participation in the prioritization of the Programme of Measures achieving in this way the necessary social consensus for the effective implementation of the Plan. The results of this study will be used by the Region of Crete in the first revision of the Water Management Plan. This project will be implemented through the collaboration of the Technical University of Crete, the Technological Educational Institute of Crete, the Organization for the Development of Crete S.A. and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). NIVA will contribute their expertise for water governance as well as advanced knowledge of integrated implementation of the Water framework Directive through the comparison of the application in two most hydrologically extreme European countries, Greece and Norway.
Summary of project results
The AQUAMAN project aimed to address the following 3 challenges that are required to be included the upcoming revision of the water management plan in order to evolve into an effective and innovative management plan that enhances the quality of water: • assess the impact of climate change on water resources and identify adaptation measures to climate change. • develop a rational evaluation and prioritization of the Program of Measures based on multicriteria analysis that would included cost-benefit aspects for the rational use of available water resources. • identify innovative governance approaches to water management that would include the active participation of stakeholders, mitigate potential conflicts of interest and in this way contribute to the necessary social consensus for the effective implementation of the Plan. The project produced targeted results and tools that can be used by the Decentralized Administration of Crete, the Region of Crete and the Special Secretariat for Water. In summary the most important results that were derived from the project were: • Development of the Hydrologic model Karst SWAT • Development of the hydro-meteorological database for the Island of Crete • Quantification of the hydrologic budget of Crete and the available water resources • A study for the management of drought for Crete • A study for the impacts of climate change • Evaluation of the public consultation of the management plan of Crete • A governance methodology for the prioritization of the program of measures • Pilot implementation of the methodology to four basins in Crete and comparison with Norway. These results and tools can be used by other regions to fulfill the National Obligations regarding the Water Framework Directive.
Summary of bilateral results
The main impact of the bilateral collaboration was the strengthening of knowledge on issues of water governance. A comparison of how water governance is applied in Norway and Greece have been compared and the strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches have been identified. In addition, the methodology developed and applied in the Region of Crete on how to set priorities for the Programme of Measures can be used as an example for Norway to adapt and establish its own methodology. Finally, there have exchanges and visits throughout the project that strengthened the bilateral relationship of the partners.