Possible key-factors for successful application of ecosystem services in watershed management lessons learned from New York applied in the Dutch / German river Vecht Jos M Brils, Deltares (right)
[email protected]
Albert F Appleton (left)
[email protected] picture: Catskill - YeahThatsKosher.com
Ecosystem services & watersheds
social system individuals, groups institutions
goods
- interventions (risk)
fuel, fibers, food, …
resulting in unsustainable use of ES
services
+ interventions (mitigation)
filtration, recreation, …
towards sustainable use of ES
ecosystem structure and functions
Sources: www.resalliance.org and www.riskbase.info
Albert F. & Appleton
Ecosystem services & watersheds
social system human individuals, groups institutions
well being - interventions (risk)
goods ecosystem fuel, fibers, food, … services services(ES)
sustainability
resulting in unsustainable use of ES
+ interventions (mitigation) towards sustainable use of ES
filtration, recreation, …
ecosystem
watershed structure and functions
Sources: www.resalliance.org and www.riskbase.info
surface water ground soil water Albert F. & Appleton
The New York-Catskill-Delaware system Serves: • nine million people: - 8 million in NYC - 1 million in northern suburbs • 4.500.000 m 3 of water each day
Delivered to: • 600.000 residential buildings • 200.000 commercial buildings
Source map: www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/wsmaps_wide.shtml
Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 1: An important stakeholder had a clear and urgent need for action it was sustainable
threatened to get unsustainable (90’s)
major increase of nonnon-point source pollution ladyanne47 (photos.igougo.com)
farmingsweetbay.wordpress.com
“champagne of drinking waters” waters”
$$$$$$ for NYC drinkingwaterz.com www.waterfiltercritic.com
Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 2: Entrepreneurial approach:
(a)
(b)
(a) the stakeholders left comfort zones & (b) ‘learned together to manage together’ • ‘top-down’ (NYC, authorities ..) and ‘bottom-up’ (local farmers) got connected • ‘two sides’ spent time in mutual education: • understand each others stake and learned to see mutual self interest • learned to get used to idea of doing business together
joint design of a mutually beneficial upstate-downstate partnership Cartoon sources: Brils & Harris, 2009 – © www.illustraties.nu
Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 2: Entrepreneurial approach: (c) regarded environment as profit centre
Vision/believe that doing right environmentally does not impose net costs on economic development
The opposite – according to Al – : •
leads to strategies of regulatory compliance that are fragmented
•
seek the minimum amount of acceptable regulatory compliance
•
lack an overall basin wide ecological and social context
“A good environment will produce good water”: • avoiding exorbitant costs for water filtration (see next slide) • (part of) savings can be invested in preserving of the rural environment Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 2: Entrepreneurial approach: (d) went beyond ‘Cmnd & Ctrl’ solution ‘Cmnd & Ctrl’: • End of pipe • $4 to $6 billion to build necessary filtration capacity • $250 million annual operating costs • Harsh impact on NYC neighborhoods where plants www.waterfiltercritic.com
have to be build
South Bronx – Mel Rosenthal
media.insidegamer.nl
Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 2: Entrepreneurial approach: (d) went beyond ‘Cmnd & Ctrl’ solution
farmingsweetbay.wordpress.com
Whole Farm Planning (WFP): • Farmers stewards of environmental resources • Environmental measures designed to also benefit farmer economically (Whole Farm) • Incentive based: NYC pays WFD operating costs:
ladyanne47 (photos.igougo.com)
• Self-selected Watershed Agricultural Council (WAC, see: www.nycwatershed.org)
1/8 of filtration costs
• Provides individual farm support service • Independent academics for monitoring & RTD • Avoid onerous regulatory oversight • Voluntary as to any individual farmer, but critical mass commitment boundary condition (next slide) Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 3: The stakeholders defined and up till to date hold fast to clear targets
clean raw surface water = water that needs no filtration = > 85% farmers join WFP within 5 years (within 5 years 93% joined WFP!)
water supply manager
www.inspiredwater.org
sustainable farming = profitable farming (WFP demonstrated to be sustainable) Picture: Catskill farm by Robert Breese
Albert F. & Appleton
Key-factor 4: Facilitative leader Albert F Appleton Former (1990-1993): • DEP Commissioner • director of the NYC Water and Sewer System
Role in New York-Catskill-Delaware ES case: • designed & directed initial implementation of the watershed protection program www.illustraties.nu
Character in this case: • out of the box thinker • persuader / motivator • entrepreneur: exploited unrecognized opportunity • boundary spanner / communicator / mediator
Albert F. & Appleton
Lesson 1 applied to the Vecht: A clear and urgent need by an important stakeholder for action?
Albert F. & Appleton
ES approach in Vecht (so far)
Source: Ecosystem Services: A Guide for Decision Makers (WRI) Albert F. & Appleton
ES approach in Vecht (so far)
first phase: ES identification
if ‘need’: next phase: 1. ES quantification 2. ES valuation
Source: Ecosystem Services: A Guide for Decision Makers (WRI) Albert F. & Appleton
ES identification through interviews Coevorden
Local water management Business / industry
Emlicheim
Agriculture Tourism / leisure Nature protection
Hardenberg
Inhabitants
Albert F. & Appleton
Most prominent ES in play in the Vecht ES
Opportunity
Fish
(Small) market for regional food products; new product local fish > income, tourism
Recreation
Electric boats > recreation, get in touch with Vecht + preserve peace for nature
Agr. production
Incentive for extensive land use in the floodplain > less damage from flooding Maize can be used for biofuel without stench > income
Water regulation
Farmers might want to sell land in the Vecht area > retention area Reconnection of old meanders > retention capacity + landscape value Restoration sandy river banks > landscape value +biodiversity Disconnect rain water drainage from the sewage system > save sewage costs
Energy
Improved effectiveness hydropower production > energy production, low CO2emissions Use subsurface for ATES > save energy for heating and cooling of buildings
Education
Demonstrate functions and characteristics of the vecht system in the field
most promising ‘driver’ for action at the moment (stakeholder workshop 12 September 2011)
Albert F. & Appleton
Clear and urgent need by an important stakeholder for action?
Important stakeholder?
yes
A clear and urgent need for action?
recreation?
Waterschap Velt en Vecht Albert F. & Appleton
Resume Successful application of ecosystem services in watershed management possibly takes: • A clear and urgent need by an important stakeholder for action • An entrepreneurial approach: • leave comfort zones, take an adventurous road • learn together to manage together • regard the environment not as cost, but as profit center • consider other then only ‘Cmnd & Crtl’ solutions • The definition of, and sticking to clear targets • Facilitative leadership Albert F. & Appleton
Thank you for your attention
Acknowledgement for Vecht study: picture: Catskill - YeahThatsKosher.com
Heide Jekel
Niels Vlaanderen & Waterdienst
Ilke Borowski & Linda Neubauer
Suzanne van der Meulen
