| The Significant Water Management Issues consultation reports for the Scotland and Solway Tweed river basin districts are now available here.
In addition to the reports above, we have also published an Environmental Scoping Report for each river basin district.
SEPA is required to produce these reports under the European Directive on the Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment (commonly known as the SEA Directive (42/2001/EC)). The reports are available below and have been circulated to all river basin planning advisory group members and required consultees:
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River basin planning is a new strategic decision-making process introduced by the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which integrates the management of land and water within river basin districts (RBDs). The Directive requires the preparation of a River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for each River Basin District in the European Union. It also specifies that interested parties must be encouraged to become actively involved in river basin planning and that the implementation process should be open and inclusive.
This website provides information on river basin planning in Scotland including the cross-border Solway Tweed River Basin District.
Arrangements in the Solway Tweed RBD are slightly different to the rest of Scotland due to the need for joint working between SEPA and the Environment Agency.
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The River Basin Districts
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River basin districts will be the main areas used for coordinating the management of the water environment. They consist of a geographical area defined by law made up of one or more river basins (the area drained by a river) and their associated estuarine (transitional between freshwater and seawater), coastal and groundwaters.
Scotland is part of three River Basin Districts:
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SEPA will coordinate production of the River Basin Management Plan in the Scotland RBD
SEPA and the Environment Agency will jointly produce the River Basin Management Plan in the Solway Tweed RBD
The Environment Agency will coordinate the River Basin Management Plan in the Northumbria RBD.
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Scotland River Basin District
The Water Environment and Water Services Act (Scotland) 2003 confirmed SEPA as the authority responsible for leading and coordinating implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the river basin planning process in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has also allocated river basin planning duties and responsibilities to local authorities, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Water and other bodies.
River Basin Planning Strategy for the Scotland River Basin District published by SEPA in December 2005 explains how the River Basin Management Plan will be produced.
More information on river basin planning in Scotland
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Participation and levels of involvement in river basin management planning
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Clear links between the public and other important groups (stakeholders) will be essential for effective river basin management planning. The process is based on a framework made up of various elements that will be refined with time (‘top-down’). Individual parts of the framework will be specified in detail and linked together to form larger components (‘bottom-up’).
Area Advisory Groups, Forums and the National Advisory Group
River basin planning will be delivered in Scotland by a network of Area Advisory Groups and Area Advisory Group Forums, overseen and coordinated by a National Advisory Group
Most stakeholders will be involved at the Area Advisory Group Forum level. Each Forum will have a wide and open membership including responsible authorities, interested organisations and the public. The Area Advisory Group Forums will provide opportunities for active involvement, consultation and giving out information at key stages in the river basin planning process.
Area Advisory Groups (AAGs) will include representatives from:
- the main responsible authorities;
- those providing water management measures (deliverers);
- organisations/activities causing pressures and impacts within the water environment.
The network of AAGs will support the production of the Scotland RBMP and provide a link between the Forums and the National Advisory Group.
The role of the National Advisory Group (NAG) is to:
- oversee the river basin management planning process in Scotland;
- contribute to the preparation of the River Basin Management Plan;
- coordinate the work of AAGs.
To join a Forum or to receive news of a Forum’s activities, click here.
