Through the NWRM initiative, a practical guide for supporting the design and implementation of NWRM was developed  and integrated with the website to allow you to use the tools in the design and implementation of your NWRMs. Collaboration is key to the development of this practical guide, which was developed in an iterative process with the following experts:

  • The participants in the WFD Common Implementation Strategy (CIS), with the WG PoM as the key end user of the project acting as advisor;
  • The participants in the regional networks & workshops;
  • A dedicated group (named Guidance Support Group) of 10 practitioners (two from each regional network and two experts working at the EU/policy level) selected on the basis of their expertise, commitment, and willingness to participate in the development of the practical guidance;
  • Any interested expert and stakeholder who havecontributed to the Web discussion forum.

Participants have been kindly invited to contribute on the format and content, either by participating in the forum or by sending an e-mail to us.

First thoughts on a possible structure for the practical guide

To start the discussion on the guide we will pose a series of non exhaustive questions:

  • Why should you implement NWRMs? (what are the main advantages of NWRMs?, illustrating these from different examples stressing biophysical impacts, direct impacts on ecosystem services, benefits (direct and indirect), ancillary benefits...)
  • How to select and design NWRM? (Steps to be taken for selecting and dimensioning NWRMs, based on the biophysical, institutional and socio-economic context - including assessing effectiveness and impacts)
  • What are pre-conditions for ensuring effective NWRMs?
  • How to promote and give incentives for NWRM? (governance/awareness raising mechanisms, financing, etc.)

The practical guidance also include individual NWRM fact-sheets that will present for key measures: the description of the measure; references of locations where the measure has already been implemented; pre-conditions for implementation; costs (including indirect costs whenever relevant); impacts (bio-physical impacts/effects, impacts on ecosystem goods and services; expected direct and indirect benefits...); factors for successful implementation; financing; main areas of uncertainty... In addition to the NWRM fact sheets, “methodological fact sheets” are proposed with methods for assessing biophysical impact/effectiveness, costs, ecosystem services and benefits, etc. being presented and illustrated with practical examples for the main sectors (e.g. agriculture, forestry, urban).