Water Accounts and the Water Framework Directive

Statistics Netherlands

Jan Berdowski and Sjoerd Schenau

Implementation of the Water Framework Directive

In Europe, the introduction of the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) has given demand to more information on the relation between environment and economy

An integrated river basin information system offers various opportunities for the implementation of the WFD

Implications of the WFD

1. Demand for water-related data of various kinds (water supply and use, economic data, water quality etc.) that are integrated and consistent

2. Availability of data that are comparable across countries

3. Better studies of the costs and prices of water services

4. More focus on the geographical boundaries of the data, i.e. water bodies and river basin districts

Water accounting in the Netherlands

The Dutch water accounts combines different types of data and includes an economic account, an emission account and a water extraction and discharge account

The Dutch water accounts are published annually by Statistics Netherlands. The Institute for Inland Water Management and Wastewater Treatment (RIZA) uses the water accounts for making the reports regarding to the Water Framework Directive

GDP and emissions of heavy metals

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

year

inde

x (1

995=

100)

value added, basic prices (price level 2000)

emissions, heavy metals

pollution, heavy metals

Decrease of heavy metal emissions

Decrease amalgama use by dentists Prohibition of antifouling paint for recreation boats (Copper) Reorganisation of the fertilizer industry (Cadmium)

Environmental efficiency

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

Transport Agriculture &fishery

Government& socialservices

Industry Businessservices

hea

vy m

etal

s eq

uiv

alan

t / e

uro

(*1

000

000

)

19952004

Emissions attributed to final demand categories

Export

Consumptiongovernment

Consumptionhouseholds

Investments & stocks

GDP and environmental indicators : SCHELD

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

wastewater

nutrients

heavy metals

GDP

Usefulness of wateraccounting for WFDUsefulness of wateraccounting for WFD

Water accounting provides a Water accounting provides a consistentconsistent integrated integrated economic- environmental accounting framework,economic- environmental accounting framework,

which provides information about:which provides information about:

- Intensity of water use by branches of industry- Intensity of water use by branches of industry

- The physical flows of supply of water services- The physical flows of supply of water services

- Emissions to water by branches of industry- Emissions to water by branches of industry

- Production costs of water services- Production costs of water services

- Environmental taxes related to water- Environmental taxes related to water

at National and River Basin levelat National and River Basin level

Conclusions

By linking water and substance flows to economic flows and doing this systematically for a number of years, insight is gained into the relationship between our physical water system and the economy.

The integration of water and economy at river basin level makes water accounting an important information tool to support policy and decision-making in the field of integrated water management as advocated by the WFD.