Abstract
PurposeThis paper describes the efforts made by SedNet—the European Sediment Network—to generate attention for the inclusion of sediment in River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).Materials and methodsThe SedNet response to key WFD implementation events is described using the “three-streams and windows-of-opportunities model” published by John Kingdon in 1995.Results and discussionSedNet was initially a response to the realization that the WFD—which came into force in 2000—largely neglected sediment. For SedNet, it was clear from the beginning that the WFD objectives can be achieved only if sediment is included in RBMPs. The SedNet efforts inspired the establishment of a sediment management concept for the Elbe river basin. That concept was used as a basis for the full inclusion of sediment in the second Elbe RBMP (2015–2021). SedNet experts are currently involved in the drafting of the WFD Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) sediment document which will be completed in 2021 and that will provide guidance about how to include sediment in RBMPs.ConclusionsSince 2000, SedNet has persistently drawn attention to the need to include sediment in RBMPs. However, it was not until 2015 that the Elbe became the first European river basin to include sediment management fully in their RBMP. The 2021 WFD CIS sediment document and the focus on sediment in the Water Fitness Check in 2019 make it significantly more likely that the sediment will be included in the updates of WFD RBMPs in the near future.
Highlights
The turn of the century proved to be a very important time for sediment and sediment management
In relation to sediment management, this means a recognition that sediment management is crucial to achieve the Water Framework Directive (WFD) objectives and that it is fully included in a River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) which is politically approved and mandated for implementation
This paper provides a chronological description of the WFD RBMPs drafting and implementation cycles and describes the efforts made by SedNet and by two SedNet-inspired, cornerstone initiatives targeting the inclusion of sediment in these RBMPs
Summary
The turn of the century proved to be a very important time for sediment and sediment management It marked the launch of the first issue (in March 2001) of the Journal of Soils and Sediments (Owens and Xu 2020), the European Water Framework Directive (EC 2000) came into force in the year 2000, and the European Sediment Network, SedNet, was established in the same year (Gandrass et al 2000). There was a strong connection between JSS and Europe and SedNet, the aim was to establish the international standing of the journal on the basis of the membership of the editorial board and by working as a “cooperating journal” with the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) (Blum 2002) To mark this expanded scope, JSS dropped the formal and explicit association with SedNet, but the fruitful cooperation between the two is still going strong after twenty years. In relation to sediment management, this means a recognition that sediment management is crucial to achieve the WFD objectives (problem stream) and that it is fully included in a RBMP (policy stream) which is politically approved and mandated for implementation (political stream)
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