Uncertainty in the Water Framework Directive: Implications for Economic Analysis

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) imposes a new approach to water resource management in the EU states. Uncertainty surrounding its implementation, however, could badly affect the achievement of the objectives set by the Directive. Although not directly linked to a set of techniques to deal with it, the WFD and accompanying guideline documents identify uncertainty as a factor likely to play a significant role in assessing the risk of failing to achieve the objectives and setting up the required programmes of measures. In this paper, by addressing the initial description of a river basin we analyse uncertainty in socioeconomic descriptors such as demographic and water-use data. Socioeconomic data, models and evaluation techniques supporting the economic analysis of water uses are crucial parts of a Decision Support System (DSS) aimed at facilitating the WFD implementation.