preliminary pressure-impact analysis applied in the Pinios river basin (Thessaly, Central Greece)

• Published in: Water and environment journal : WEJ Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 200 - 209
• Main Authors: Ioannou, Alexis, Chatzinikolaou, Yorgos, Lazaridou, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Continental surface waters; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; hydromorphology; IMPRESS analysis; Natural water pollution; Pollution; risk assessment; river basin management; River Habitat Survey; River Pinios; Safety; Water Framework Directive; Water treatment and pollution; Greece; Availability; Water Framework Directive; Emission content; River Habitat Survey; Risk analysis; IMPRESS analysis; hydromorphology; Freshwater environment; Pollution; Surveillance; Basin management; Risk assessment; River Pinios; river basin management; Surface water; Pollution source; Stream; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 1747-6585; 1747-6593
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2008.00130.x

Greece has not yet undertaken one of the first and most important tasks required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD: the integrated review of the impact of human activity on the status of surface waters for each river basin - the IMPRESS analysis. Owing to the lack of a national methodology, a preliminary analysis was carried out for the Pinios river basin, applying a combination of different methodologies refined to suit the particularities of the Greek freshwater environment and to accommodate the limited availability of data. Pressures caused by the main pollution sources, point and nonpoint, were quantified in terms of pollution loads with the use of emission factors. The existing limited biological and physicochemical monitoring data were used to assess impacts. Additionally, we identified pressures caused by alterations from land-use data; we carried out a River Habitat Survey (RHS) and estimated the hydromorphological impacts through the calculation of a Habitat Modification Score (HMS). Our results suggest that the probability of the Pinios river basin failing to achieve good ecological quality by 2015 due to pollution is high, and due to hydromorphological pressures is moderate.