1. Use current possibilities and develop options to manage water demand
Although the water system is managed comprehensively and sophisticatedly in
the Eifel-Rur, there seems to be a mismatch between the instruments in use for
floods, water quality and groundwater,
4 and those addressing quantitative
aspects of surface water management (including those relevant for drought
purposes). Whereas the former have profited from recent European regulations
that have driven comprehensive updates of planning objectives and tools, the
latter is rather the result of the historical development of regional water regulations. For this reason, numerous elements seem to some degree incompatible
with each other and with modern water resources management. For instance,
there seems to be no real incentive structure in place to manage water demand—
which would have significant overall benefits from a drought perspective. The
options we have identified are:
(a) Develop strategy for addressing current inefficiencies
From a climate adaptation perspective, but also from a broader governance
objective of reducing resource use conflicts and thus enhancing planning
security for economic actors, a number of possibilities are currently being
missed. These inefficiencies could be reduced if a better use is made of
existing instruments that could reduce unused water rights to bring them in
line with actual use—including realistic development potential for the local
industry in the future. Whereas some instruments to this purpose exist,
updating historic water rights in the Eifel-Rur may be resisted by affected
users, which means that authorities need to count with political will behind
their initiative. They would probably also require an improved resource base
to address this extra task over several years, as resources already now seem
stretched quite thin.
(b) Review water rights and water pricing strategies
New, additional instruments which provide adequate steering mechanisms
for managing water demand could also be implemented. For instance,
current water charges in the Eifel-Rur region are linked to water use, and not
to water rights. Including a link to the size of a water right in the charges, for
instance by making charges both water rights and water use (e.g. weighting
them in an average), could help address current inefficiencies and missed
opportunities.
Interviewees highlighted that owners of water rights would hang on to
existing surplus rights for possible future expansion of operations. “Old”
rights often provide more legal guarantees than newer ones, which creates
unwillingness to trade in old rights for new rights.
4
Strictly speaking, these instruments are not managed by the WVER, as it is not responsible for the
relevant groundwater bodies. However, the instruments exist and are implemented by the neighbouring waterboard, which is responsible for the WVERs region’s groundwater. For more detailed
information cf. Sect. 4.2.2.
80
R. Vidaurre et al.
Although the water system is managed comprehensively and sophisticatedly in
the Eifel-Rur, there seems to be a mismatch between the instruments in use for
floods, water quality and groundwater,
4 and those addressing quantitative
aspects of surface water management (including those relevant for drought
purposes). Whereas the former have profited from recent European regulations
that have driven comprehensive updates of planning objectives and tools, the
latter is rather the result of the historical development of regional water regulations. For this reason, numerous elements seem to some degree incompatible
with each other and with modern water resources management. For instance,
there seems to be no real incentive structure in place to manage water demand—
which would have significant overall benefits from a drought perspective. The
options we have identified are:
(a) Develop strategy for addressing current inefficiencies
From a climate adaptation perspective, but also from a broader governance
objective of reducing resource use conflicts and thus enhancing planning
security for economic actors, a number of possibilities are currently being
missed. These inefficiencies could be reduced if a better use is made of
existing instruments that could reduce unused water rights to bring them in
line with actual use—including realistic development potential for the local
industry in the future. Whereas some instruments to this purpose exist,
updating historic water rights in the Eifel-Rur may be resisted by affected
users, which means that authorities need to count with political will behind
their initiative. They would probably also require an improved resource base
to address this extra task over several years, as resources already now seem
stretched quite thin.
(b) Review water rights and water pricing strategies
New, additional instruments which provide adequate steering mechanisms
for managing water demand could also be implemented. For instance,
current water charges in the Eifel-Rur region are linked to water use, and not
to water rights. Including a link to the size of a water right in the charges, for
instance by making charges both water rights and water use (e.g. weighting
them in an average), could help address current inefficiencies and missed
opportunities.
Interviewees highlighted that owners of water rights would hang on to
existing surplus rights for possible future expansion of operations. “Old”
rights often provide more legal guarantees than newer ones, which creates
unwillingness to trade in old rights for new rights.
4
Strictly speaking, these instruments are not managed by the WVER, as it is not responsible for the
relevant groundwater bodies. However, the instruments exist and are implemented by the neighbouring waterboard, which is responsible for the WVERs region’s groundwater. For more detailed
information cf. Sect. 4.2.2.
80
R. Vidaurre et al.