Elbe River Basin Conference strengthens cross-border water and sediment strategies
The 9th Elbe River Basin Conference, attended by environment ministers from the Elbe region and federal government representatives, took place recently. The conference focused on transregional water quantity management and sustainable sediment management in the Elbe River Basin District (ERBD Elbe), which includes Germany and the Czech Republic.
Established in 2004, the ERBD Elbe coordinates water management and measures planning for the German part of the Elbe river basin district. The conference emphasized the importance of the existing sediment management concept for effective pollutant removal. Extreme events such as floods and low water can increase substance pollution and remobilize pollutants in the Elbe, a low-flow area facing natural water scarcity exacerbated by climate change and increasing usage demands.
The conference welcomed the examination of joint financing concepts and a legal study for suitable sediment management measures. It also discussed the status of considerations for transferring water from the Elbe in connection with the 2020 coal phase-out. The ERBD Elbe is responsible for implementing the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Flood Risk Management Directive (FRMD).
The conference agreed on the establishment of sustainable, transregional water quantity management and further implementation of the sediment management concept. This will help address the challenges posed by extreme events and water scarcity in the Elbe catchment area.
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