The Water Framework Directive and Agricultural Diffuse Pollution: Fighting a Running Battle?

Reducing phosphorus losses from agricultural land to surface water

Phosphorus (P) enrichment of water impairs its quality by stimulating algal growth and eutrophication, affecting an estimated 1.7 billion people. Remediation costs are substantial, estimated at $1 billion annually in Europe and $2.4 billion in the USA. Agricultural intensification over the past 50 years has increased P use brought into the system from mined fertiliser sources. This has enriched soil P concentrations and loss to surface waters via pathways such as surface runoff and subsurface flow, which are influenced by precipitation, slope, and farming practices. Effective mitigation of losses involves managing P sources, mobilisation, and transport/delivery mechanisms. The cost-effectiveness of mitigation actions can be improved if they are targeted to critical source areas (CSAs), which are small zones that disproportionately contribute to P loss. While targeting CSAs works well in areas with variable topography, flatter landscapes require managing legacy sources, such as enriched soil P to prevent P losses.

Water Framework Directive micropollutant monitoring mirrors catchment land use: Importance of agricultural and urban sources revealed

River monitoring programs worldwide consistently unveil micropollutant concentrations (pesticide, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals) exceeding regulatory quality targets with deteriorating effects on aquatic communities. However, both the composition and individual concentrations of micropollutants are likely to vary with the catchment land use, in particular regarding urban and agricultural area as the primary sources of micropollutants. In this study, we used a dataset of 109 governmental monitoring sites with micropollutants monitored across the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, to investigate the relationship between high-resolution catchment land use (distinguishing urban, forested and grassland area as well as 22 different agricultural crop types) and 39 micropollutants using Linear Mixed Models (LMMs). Ecotoxicological risks were indicated for mixtures of pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals for 100 % and for pesticides for 55 % of the sites. The proportion of urban area in the catchment was positively related with concentrations of most pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals (R2 up to 0.54), whereas the proportions of grassland and forested areas generally showed negative relations. Cropland overall showed weak positive relationships with micropollutant concentrations (R2 up to 0.29). Individual crop types, particularly vegetables and permanent crops, showed higher relations (R2 up to 0.46). The findings suggest that crop type-specific pesticide applications are mirrored in the detected micropollutant concentrations. This highlights the need for high-resolution spatial land use to investigate the magnitude and dynamics of micropollutant exposure and relevant pollution sources, which would remain undetected with highly aggregated land use classifications. Moreover, the findings imply the need for tailored management measures to reduce micropollutant concentrations from different sources and their related ecological effects. Urban point sources, could be managed by advanced wastewater treatment. The reduction of diffuse pollution from agricultural land uses requires additional measures, to prevent pesticides from entering the environment and exceeding regulatory quality targets.

Legacy contributions to diffuse water pollution: Data-driven multi-catchment quantification for nutrients and carbon

Legacy pollutants are increasingly proposed as possible reasons for widespread failures to improve water quality, despite the implementation of stricter regulations and mitigation measures. This study investigates this possibility, using multi-catchment data and relatively simple, yet mechanistically-based, source distinction relationships between water discharges and chemical concentrations and loads. The relationships are tested and supported by the available catchment data. They show dominant legacy contributions for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) across catchment locations and scales, from local to country-wide around Sweden. Consistently across the study catchments, close relationships are found between the legacy concentrations of TN and TOC and the land shares of agriculture and of the sum of agriculture and forests, respectively. The legacy distinction and quantification capabilities provided by the data-driven approach of this study could guide more effective pollution mitigation and should be tested in further research for other chemicals and various sites around the world.

Moving forward to achieve the ambitions of the European Water Framework Directive: Lessons learned from the Netherlands

The restoration and preservation of freshwater ecosystems is one of the prerequisites for a sustainable and fair future for all and therefore part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6). However, countries worldwide are facing a challenge to achieve this ambition by 2030. This paper focuses on the legal and governance challenges faced in the European context with regard to achieving water quality ambitions, using experiences from the Netherlands as a case study. Although many EU Member States (MS) are facing a challenge to meet the ambitions set by the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in 2027, literature on effectiveness of governance approaches in terms of actual water quality improvement, seems to be scarce. Based on interviews, a survey, expert panel discussions and literature we show that in the Netherlands, an important problem is that stakeholders, also within organisations, have different views on ambitions, achievements and necessary follow-up actions. This is problematic because for realising the water quality ambitions, cross-sectoral cooperation (e.g. from agriculture and spatial development) as well as strengthened interlinkages between these related policy fields is crucial. Moreover, there is a tendency to stick to the status quo. In order to increase effectiveness, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for this lock-in will be necessary. This will enable the development of practical tools and instruments to support cross-sectoral and multi-level collaboration. The sectoral implementation of the WFD in the Netherlands was chosen by many other MS, resulting in similar cross-sectoral challenges as we found in the Netherlands. Insight into how other MS deal with lock-in situations is needed to develop pathways to achieving WFD ambitions.

Addressing diffuse water pollution from agriculture: Do governance structures matter for the nature of measures taken?

Nutrient pollution of freshwaters from agriculture is a key barrier to achieving the water quality goals of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Governance research suggests that governance structures can support the planning of water quality measures. However, it is widely unclear how specific governance structures affect the actual nature of practical measures taken for addressing the "wicked problem" of diffuse nutrient pollution. This study analyses how the extent of consensual policy styles, organizational and program integration, participatory governance, and the capacities of public authorities are related to the substance of practical measures taken (effect-vs. source-based measures) and the choice of policy instruments (e.g., sermons, carrots, sticks). Based on a comparative case study design including six country cases, document analyses, and expert interviews, we find no clear-cut relationships between the country's governance structures and the types of measures chosen or any trend of a combined effect. This suggests that, in the case of the WFD, governance structures are less important than expected or that different governance structures compensate for the effects on the level of practical measures taken and policy instruments chosen. These results question the dominant assumption that these governance structures matter (a lot) in wicked problem solving and may hint to additional context factors these governance structures are embedded in.

Recent regional changes in nutrient fluxes of European surface waters

We have quantified inputs and fate of nutrients in European fresh and marine waters from 1990 to 2018. We have used the conceptual model GREEN to assess the impact of efforts on curbing nutrient pollution in European regions. In the first two decades, i.e. in the 1990s and through the start of the new millennium, nutrient inputs to waters decreased significantly. Nutrient pollution in freshwaters and to the sea largely reduced in all regions, although at different pace. However, around 2008-2010 trends in nutrient inputs changed, marking an increase in the last decade, particularly from agricultural diffuse sources. In some regions, current nutrient inputs to waters are close to those estimated at the beginning of the 1990s. At the end of the study period, nutrient concentrations in freshwaters remain above thresholds congruent with good ecological status of water bodies in most downstream reaches. European policies tackling point sources are close to reach their maximum impact. In the face of this approaching ceiling, sustainable nutrient management on agricultural land becomes pivotal for effective nutrient control in river basins. The regional approach highlighted differences across Europe that may provide tailored opportunities to plan effective strategies for achieving environmental targets.

To See, or Not to See, That Is the Question: Studying Dutch Experimentalist Energy Transition Governance through an Evolutionary Lens

Experimentalist forms of governance have burgeoned across policy areas and institutional contexts in recent years. Recognizing that experimentalist forms of governance can evolve along a plethora of distinct pathways, this paper inquires how the evolutionary nature of experimentalism can be explored in greater depth. Linking the framework of experimentalist governance to that of Evolutionary Governance Theory (EGT), the paper identifies three driving mechanisms of contingency in experimentalism: governance being (1) self-referential, (2) rooted in observation, and (3) steered by dependencies. The paper then refers to recent efforts in the realm of energy transition governance in the Netherlands to illustrate how these contingency mechanisms can help to interrogate the variegated evolutionary pathways that experimentalist governance may have in practice. Building on this Dutch empirical context, the paper puts forward evolutionary path- and context-mapping as a fruitful tool for identifying and disentangling the myriad of pathways along which experimentalism may manifest itself.

The role of soils in the disposition, sequestration and decontamination of environmental contaminants

Soil serves as both a 'source' and 'sink' for contaminants. As a source, contaminants are derived from both 'geogenic' and 'anthropogenic' origins. Typically, while some of the inorganic contaminants including potentially toxic elements are derived from geogenic origin (e.g. arsenic and selenium) through weathering of parent materials, the majority of organic (e.g. pesticides and microplastics) as well as inorganic (e.g. lead, cadmium) contaminants are derived from anthropogenic origin. As a sink, soil plays a critical role in the transformation of these contaminants and their subsequent transfer to environmental compartments, including groundwater (e.g. pesticides), surface water (phosphate and nitrate), ocean (e.g. microplastics) and atmosphere (e.g. nitrous oxide emission). A complex transformation process of contaminants in soil involving adsorption, precipitation, redox reactions and biodegradation control the mobility, bioavailability and environmental toxicity of these contaminants. Soil also plays a major role in the decontamination of contaminants, and the 'cleaning' action of soil is controlled primarily by the physico-chemical interactions of contaminants with various soil components, and the biochemical transformations facilitated by soil microorganisms. In this article, we examine the geogenic and anthropogenic sources of contaminants reaching the soil, and discuss the role of soil in the sequestration and decontamination of contaminants in relation to various physico-chemical and microbial transformation reactions of contaminants with various soil components. Finally, we propose future actions that would help to maintain the role of soils in protecting the environment from contaminants and delivering sustainable development goals. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

“One Out–All Out” Principle in the Water Framework Directive 2000—A New Approach with Fuzzy Method on an Example of Greek Lakes

The “One Out–All Out” (OOAO) principle imposed by the WFD selects the worst ecological status assessed by different biological quality elements (BQEs). Since it is a precautionary rule that can lead to problems of underestimation of the overall status, its amendment has been a matter of debate for WFD 20+. The use of fuzzy methods that express the functional relationships between variables in ecology and management has been gaining more ground recently. Here is attempted the inclusion of a fuzzy regression among the frequently monitored BQE (phytoplankton) and the outcome of OOAO application in six Greek lakes. The latter was determined by the comparison of four BQE indices in order to assess the extent to which BQEs might underpin the optimal/actual qualitative classification of a waterbody. This approach encompasses the uncertainty and the possibility to broaden the acceptable final EQR based on the character and status of each lake. We concluded that the fuzzy OOAO is an approach that seems to allow a better understanding of the WFD implementation and case-specific evaluation, including the uncertainty in classification as an asset. Moreover, it offers a deeper understanding through self-learning processes based on the existing datasets.

Agricultural Diffuse Pollution and the EU Water Framework Directive: Problems and Progress in Governance

Progress has been made on improving Europe’s water quality. Nevertheless, there is much scepticism as to whether the goals of the European Water Framework Directive will be realised by 2027. Addressing diffuse agricultural sources of pollution remains a persistent problem. The Special Issue “Water Quality and Agricultural Diffuse Pollution in Light of the EU Water Framework Directive” aims to advance the understanding of the different governance arrangements European Member States developed to address this problem. The contributions in this Special Issue focus on governance arrangements in Denmark, England, Flanders/Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland, The Netherlands, Norway and Scotland. The contributions address three themes. First, the contributions signal serious concerns with policy integration across policy domains. Second, it appears to be tough to prioritise source-based measures over effect-based measures of all sorts despite the principles embedded in the Directive. Third, scientific knowledge is an important ally for water interests, yet politicisation in power struggles looms. The contributions in the Special Issue offer reflections on the open, participatory, experimentalist governance that the WFD exemplifies. While most authors agree that this path is attractive and appropriate in some respects, questions can be raised as to whether it also avoids confrontations and hampers the effectiveness of policies.

Nitrate Management Discourses in Poland and Denmark—Laggards or Leaders in Water Quality Protection?

The most significant source of nitrate pollution in the European Union (EU) is attributed to agricultural activities, which threaten drinking water, marine, and freshwater resources. The Nitrates Directive is a key feature of the Water Framework Directive (WFD), which seeks to reduce nitrate pollution from agricultural sources. Yet, weak compliance by Member States (MS) diminishes the legitimacy of the EU environmental acquis and undermines efforts to achieve environmental objectives. This study examines the nitrate management discourse in Poland to identify influencing factors that impact governance capacity and overall compliance performance. The empirical investigation is based on nine stakeholder interviews, three written correspondences, and a literature review that collectively comprise an evaluation study. A comparison in governance approaches between Poland and Denmark provides a calibration in assessing performance respective to another MS. The findings categorize both Poland and Denmark as “laggard” in WFD compliance. This case contributes new insights in identifying 6 enabling and 13 constraining factors affecting the ability of MS to fulfill their implementation duties. The findings demonstrate that divergent stakeholder views based on historical and cultural norms require a differentiated approach tailored to domestic conditions for effective fulfillment of the objectives set forth in EU environmental legislation.

The Wicked Problem the Water Framework Directive Cannot Solve. The Governance Approach in Dealing with Pollution of Nutrients in Surface Water in the Netherlands, Flanders, Lower Saxony, Denmark and Ireland

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is typically a framework directive that tries to encourage integration of policies for water quality and agriculture. Nutrients (nitrates, phosphates) from agricultural sources remain a ‘wicked problem’ in realizing the aims of the WFD, partly because the directive has to rely on other, neighboring policies to tackle to problem pressure of nutrients; it seems to lack instruments and measures to directly intervene in relevant agricultural policies. This contribution describes the different governance approaches of five member states and regions (The Netherlands, Flanders in Belgium, Lower Saxony- in Germany, Denmark and Ireland) to the nutrients problem and specifically focuses on the relationship between the nature of governance and the nature of measures taken. On the one hand, countries can vary in terms of a more consensual or antagonistic approach to dealing with water quality and diffuse pollution by agriculture, and emphasize more integration or separation in organization and programs. On the other hand, they can vary in the ‘outcomes’ in terms of more source-based measures or effect-based measures and the emphasis in policy instruments used. This article is based on the screening of policy documents, 44 interviews and several (international) feedback workshops. We found a great variety in governance approaches, while the nature of measures, in terms of source-based and effect-based, is only slightly different. On closer inspection, there are interesting differences in the consensual or antagonist discourses and differences in the use of more mandatory instruments or area-based policies. In many countries, the major challenge is to strike a balance between taking source-based measures, where necessary, and accommodating the difficult situations farmers very often find themselves in, as the reduction of nutrients (as a source-based measure) use can lead to lower yields and higher costs for manure disposal.