ETT FLÖDESSCHEMA FÖR INTEGRERAD VATTENFÖRVALTNING OCH OPERATIVT GENOMFÖRANDE AV RAMDIREKTIVET FÖR VATTEN / A flowchart for integrated water management and operative implementation of the Water Framework Directive

Water management, monitoring and regulation, as well as research and education are traditionally fragmented among many different sectors, authorities, and scientific disciplines. We present and describe here a basic methodology for integrated water management, in terms of a concrete flowchart that: (a) is generally applicable to and thereby integrates different types of decision problems, including water management plans and action programs required by the Water Framework Directive and individual permit evaluation for environmentally disturbing/hazardous industrial, infrastructure and/or socio-economic development projects; (b) integrates different types of quantification tools (environmental information, dynamic characterization of water environments, economic optimization) and clarifies why and how such tools should be used, made accessible, and systematically updated by competent authorities and other stakeholders; and (c) integrates quantitative tools and analyses with qualitative stakeholder interactions, by clarifying relevant stages for organized stakeholder discussions and the quantitative basis that should underlie such discussions at different .stages.