A practical tool for selecting cost-effective combinations of phosphorus loading mitigation measures in Finnish catchments

ABSTRACT

The European Union's Water Framework Directive requires that all water bodies should achieve good ecological status at latest by 2027. A spreadsheet tool was developed to identify cost-effective solutions at a catchment scale in Finland. The tool is designed to meet the needs of regional river basin management planning in Finland. It can be used to compare individual measures by their cost-effectiveness or by their achievable phosphorus reduction rate. In addition to this, combinations of measures can be built and compared by their costs and reductions. Uncertainty analysis of the tool is carried out with the Monte Carlo simulation. The tool has been piloted in eight different Finnish river basins during 2011–2013. The case studies have shown that the tool can support the allocation of financial resources better; improve communication between experts, authorities and local stakeholders; and add realism in river basin management planning by giving estimates of the achievable loading reductions.

Keywords:

• Cost-effectiveness
• water framework directive
• phosphorus mitigation measures
• programme of measures
• decision support

Funding

This work has been funded by the EU LIFE+ -Environment programme, [grant number: Life09 ENV/FI/000569].