Special LIFE Project: Odense Pilot River Basin - Agricultural Programme of Measures

Fyn County has been allocated funds from LIFE ENVIRONMENT to carry out a special project related to implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Odense river basin: Odense Pilot River Basin – Agricultural Programme of Measures. The project focuses on the environmental pressure caused by agricultural nutrient losses and their impact on attainment of the WFD environmental objectives.

The main aims of the project are to develop a cost-effective programme of measures to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agricultural activities in Odense pilot river basin (PRB) so as to ensure that all water bodies meet the WFD environmental objectives, and to draw up a pilot river basin management plan. Associated objectives are the elaboration of specific input to the EU Strategic Steering Group and to demonstrate and share the project results with other environmental and rural development authorities and stakeholders within the EU.

This Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) Phase II project is a continuation of the Phase I Odense PRB project and encompasses the following:

1. The development of an agriculturally focused programme of measures and integration of this in the pilot river basin management plan for Odense PRB, including:

• A baseline study of agricultural development in Odense PRB.
• Assessment of nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) pressure from agriculture in Odense PRB.
• Analysis of the impact of nutrient pressure on surface waters and groundwater and on vulnerable terrestrial natural habitats in Odense PRB using monitoring data and catchment modelling.
• Establishment of WFD quality objectives for inland surface and marine waters at the operational level as regards nutrient pressure from agriculture and other sources.
• Investigation of activities under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform and other EU policies to determine to what extent these activities could facilitate attainment of the WFD environmental objectives.
• The development of scenarios for measures to reduce nutrient pressure from agricultural activities in Odense PRB and analysis of their cost-effectiveness.
• Utilization of EU research results and catchment modelling tools – especially tools from the EUROHARP, HarmonRib and the EU-Rotate_N projects – for performing pressure analysis and developing the programme of measures.
• Development of an appropriate monitoring programme.

2. Elaboration of specific input to the EU Strategic Steering Group (within the CIS) regarding the most cost-effective programme of measures to reduce nutrient pressure from agriculture.

3. Sharing of knowledge regarding the most cost-effective programme of measures, including:

• Holding international meetings with other EU PRB project groups to share knowledge and experience and build networks.
• Coordination and exchange of knowledge between EU projects related to WFD implementation, including the national (DK) LIFE projects AGWAPLAN and REGAIN.
• A project website.
• Public participation facilitated by two external advisory boards – a political regional advisory board (political and technical representatives from the municipal authorities, local NGOs, private farm technology companies, etc.) and a national advisory board (national authorities, national research institutions and consultants).

4. Final conference and a layman report. The project results are expected to include:

• A pilot river basin management plan for Odense river basin and its associated water bodies (inland surface waters, wetlands, transitional waters, coastal water and groundwater) focussing specifically on agriculture-related environmental pressures.
• Deliverables to the EU Strategic Steering Group on a cost-effective agricultural programme of measures.
• A baseline study on agricultural development in Odense PRB.
• An analysis of instruments and measures within the CAP agri-environmental schemes and other EU policies that may facilitate attainment of the WFD environmental objectives.
• A cost-effective programme of measures, including analysis of the economic consequences, directed at agriculture in Odense PRB.
• An appropriate monitoring programme.
• Sharing of knowledge and experience concerning the programmes of measures to reduce agricultural nutrient pressure via an EU PRB network.
• Sharing of knowledge and information at local/regional level and between different stakeholders, including other national EU projects pertaining to implementation of the WFD.
• A layman report.
• Final conference to facilitate sharing of results and experience.

Download project application here .