1 dr. anne schulte-wülwer-leidig assistant manager icpr international commission for the protection...

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Dr. Anne Schulte-Wülwer-LeidigAssistant Manager

ICPR International Commission

for the Protection of

the Rhine

Transboundary Cooperation in Water

Management – Practical Experience from the Rhine River

Basin

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Content

(1) The Rhine river basin: uses and conflicts

(2) The ICPR Members Organization Rules and procedures of cooperation

(3) Results

(4) Some considerations and lessons learnt

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The Rhine River Basin

Catchment: 200.000 km²

The Rhine = 3rd biggest European river

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The Rhine from source to sea

Alp Rhine High Rhine

Upper Rhine Middle Rhine Lower Rhine Delta Rhine

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The ideal river...

... for nature protection

… for agriculture

… for drainage

… for navigation

... for local recreation

... for economy

... for power generation

... for drinking water uses

Functions of the Rhine

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The Rhine river basin

3rd biggest European river catchment200.000 km²

Inhabitants58 million

Drinking water 30 million people

Main stream 1230 km

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The Rhine river basin

Navigable length 825 km Basel - RotterdamEurope’s busiest shipping lane

Important chemical industries along the banks of the Rhine

Hydropower plantsHigh Rhine (11) and Upper Rhine (10)

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The Rhine river basin - 9 countries

Germany ~54%

Switzerland ~ 14% France ~ 12% The Netherlands ~17%

Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Belgium (about 3%)

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Rules of cooperation I

De-centralised organization

Secretariat

National delegations

political mandatetechnical know howfunds

What makes ICPR work so effective?

Plenary assemblyLuxembourg

Organizational Chart of the ICPR

Koordinierungs-Komitee (CC)

Plenarsitzung (PLEN)

Data management

Working Group Floods

(H)

Working Group Water quality/Emissions (S)

WorkingGroup

Ecology (B)

Heads of Delegation (DEL)

Plenary Assembly (PLEN)Coordinating Committee (CC)

Strategy Group (SG)

Subordinate Strategy Group (SG-K)

Secretariat

Expert Groups

EG KLI MA

EG HVAL

EG HI RI

Expert Groups

EG SAPA

EG SMON

EG SANA

EG GW

Expert Groups

EG BMON

EG FI SH

Project Group Micropollutants

(MI KRO)

EG GI S

Regular budget - 1 200 000 Euro/year

75% salaries, 25% operating costs

Budget of the ICPR - secretariat

2.5%: EC12.0%: Switzerland85.5%: France (32.5%)

Germany (32.5%) Netherlands (32.5%) Luxembourg ( 2.5%)

Implementation: EU directives (special budget)

32% each: France, Germany, Netherlands1.5% each: Austria, Luxembourg0.5% each: Belgium/Wallonia, Liechtenstein

Repartition key

Unanimity / consensus

Decisions are recommendations

Obligation to report about the implementation of measures

Political trust, no sanctions

Rules of cooperation II

What makes ICPR work so effective?

Basin-wide cooperation requires solidarity

Upstream => downstream

water quality issues

water quantity issues: e.g. flood and drought

prevention, hydropower generation

sediment and temperature management

climate change impacts

Basin-wide cooperation requires solidarity

Downstream => upstream

River continuity (free migration for migratory fish species)

Shipping lane: down- and upstream continuity

1950 – 1976Drafting of conventions

1986 – 2000Sandoz accident accelerated implementationTwo heavy floods (Lower Rhine)

Since 2001Legislation: EU level

Water Framework Directive Groundwater DirectiveFloods Directive

ICPR – Milestones: 3 phases

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Cooperation with observersRepresentatives of the public opinion

1. Non-governmental organizations – NGOs (16):

Nature conservation Flood protection Drinking water supply Chemical industry Hydropower Navigation

2. Other river basin commissions: Danube, Elbe,…

3. Other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

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Lessons learnt I

Water is a common source not individual property

Defintions are imperative: 1. the common interests in a basin 2. the special interests of the different

countries 3. common concrete goals for

reducing water pollution improving flood mitigation/protection nature-near intact river ecosystems

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Lessons learnt II

Changing participants‘ perspective is imperative

Exchange of know-how and create mutual understanding

Allow time: The ICPR needed a lot of time for creating political trust

Best solutions are win-win solutions for all partners

Cooperation within basins creates mutual understanding and … friendship

www.iksr.org

anne.schultewl@iksr.de

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