The Water Framework Directive Explorer (WFD-Explorer) is a presentational tool, which can be used by water managers. It can show the effects of measures on the water quality and ecological values on an interactive map. In this way water managers can explore the effect of measures in a short time, for example during workshops.
The chemical and ecological quality depends on the level of pollution, the streaming velocity and the morphology of surface water. Water managers need information to make well-informed decisions on what measures to implement. After selection of a measure it is shown in a glimpse how much this measure contributes to the realisation of ecological objectives. The WFD-Explorer offers water managers the opportunity to learn about the relationships between the objectives pursued, the measures that might be taken and the impacts of such measures, including costs.
The WFD-Explorer contains two databases. The first database contains the area characteristics of the study area and has to be filled in by the user. The second database is called ‘knowledge-base’ and contains relations between the abiotic parameters and the ecological values. This is a novelty, because for the first time ecological knowledge from different people and parts of the Netherlands are collected in one tool.
Witteveen+Bos was involved in the development of the WFD-Explorer by supplying ecological knowledge. Witteveen+Bos also performed the first pilot-project with the Explorer in 2006 on the area of West-Brabant (the western part of the province of Brabant). Several studies followed in different parts of the Netherlands: Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, Fryslan and the Dutch National Waters. In these projects, the WFD-Explorer has proved itself to be a useful tool to assess measures for water quality improvement. It helps the local water manager to get an insight into the polluting sources and the most efficient way of improving water quality and ecological values.
The Explorer is freeware and can be downloaded from www.krwverkenner.nl (a Dutch website).
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