Author(s): Anastasia Mirli; Dionissis Latinopoulos; Ifigenia Kagalou

Linked Author(s): Anastasia Mirli, Dionissis Latinopoulos

Keywords: River basin management plans; Mitigation measures; Flood management; Eastern Macedonia-Thrace Region; Greece;

Abstract: Different types of impacts cause different types of ecosystem degradation and require different types of recovery solutions and management options. Climate change is impacting the Mediterranean region causing an increase in water flows, seasonality and scarcity, with negative effects on water availability to the aquatic ecosystems functioning. Policies undertaken from Mediterranean countries need to consider these impacts and affiliate adaptation options that could serve to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) posed by United Nations (UN). At the same time, Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly seen as innovative solutions to manage water-related risks and are also recognized by UN as a solution to climate change impacts. In this context, NBS could moreover potentially contribute to the achievement of several SDGs and their associated targets. Source control and other NBS interventions touch on the lives of citizens very directly, and can do so in both positive and even negative -sometimes- ways depending on how these measures are implemented (Gomez Martin et al., 2020). The Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Fitness Check (EC, 2019) underlines a key issue regarding the successfulness of international such water policy implementation and the necessary efforts for their integration across governance scales. Bearing in mind the current state of implementation of the water policies in EU countries, the study explores if and how restoration and management measures based on NBS have been proposed under the framework of WFD and Floods Directive (FD) and further examines the achievement of Goal 6 – “Clean water and sanitation” in the study area of Kavala Prefecture (Greece). Kavala as prefecture has the peculiarity of belonging in 2 River Basins with different Management Plans. Results have been based on the determination of multiple indicators related to water bodies’ ecological status, water quality and quantity, sewerage network status, floods events, as well as land and water uses. GIS was also used for processing and mapping spatial information. The findings show limited knowledge on the implementation of NBS addressing water risk challenges, therefore the use of NBS in water bodies’ management plans is underrepresented in both WFD mitigation measures planning and flood management plans. Although there is strong evidence on NBS good practices concerning drivers, pressures, state and impacts, there is a narrative that more NBS are needed to be implemented in holistic approach to properly assess the effect of such solutions. The governance gap on NBS materialization can be explained by a set or reasons as: funding shortage, legislation non-harmonization, administration capacity and policy of immediate measure effects and less land occupation. These aspects are considered as the necessary prerequisites to promote NBS, stimulating economic and social benefits in a sustainable way.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC252171192022SS2237

Year: 2022