The European Water Framework Directive facing current challenges: recommendations for a more efficient biological assessment of inland surface waters

ABSTRACT

High quality water is vital for human life, and ensuring its availability is a basic requirement and a major societal aim. The Water Framework Directive (WFD; 2000/60/EC) is a key piece of legislation for the protection and sustainable use of water in the European Union. In this work we briefly review the WFD directive and the current status of European inland surface waters. Additionally, we summarize major challenges and threats for the biological assessment of inland surface waters under climate change effects and invasion by alien species, and highlight the emerging tools and approaches that might help improve biological assessments, including molecular indices based on environmental DNA (eDNA), to new data from the Earth Observation programmes, and data-sharing platforms. Finally, we present recommendations to improve monitoring systems and assessments in the context of the WFD. Developments in this field may increase the likelihood of assuring high quality water for society.

KEYWORDS:

• environmental DNA
• climate change
• invasive alien species (IAS)
• rivers and lakes
• water quality

ORCID

Ana Filipa Filipe http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7862-2676

Maria João Feio http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0362-6802

Aina Garcia-Raventós http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2373-179X

José Pedro Ramião http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9713-5179

Giorgio Pace http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4231-5644

Filipa MS Martins http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4191-5031

Maria Filomena Magalhães http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7308-2279

Acknowledgements

This article was supported by and prepared under the FRESHING Project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and COMPETE (PTDC/AAG-MAA/2261/2014 – POCI-01-0145-FEDER-356 016824). AFF, AGR, and JPR were supported by FRESHING. FMSM was supported by FCT grant SFRH/BD/104703/2014. MJF was supported by the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE. We are grateful to reviewers and editor for their very helpful advice and critical comments.