Who has to pay for measures in the field of water management? A proposal for applying the polluter pays principle

摘要

There is no doubt about the fact that the implementation of the European Water FrameworknDirective (WFD) and the pursuit of its goal of good ecological status will give rise to measures inndifferent fields of water management. However, a conclusive and transparent method of financingnthese measures is still missing up to now. Measures in the water management sector are nonmere end in themselves; instead, they serve specific ends directed at human activities or theynserve general environment objectives. Following the integrative approach of the WFD on lookingnupon river basins as a whole and its requirement to observe the polluter pays principle, allndifferent groups within a river basin should contribute to the costs according to their cost-bearernroles as polluters, stakeholders with vested interests or beneficiaries via relevant yardsticks.nIn order to quantify the financial expenditure of each cost bearer, a special algorithm wasndeveloped and tested in the river basin of a small tributary of the Ruhr River. It was proved tonbe generally practicable with regard to its handling and the comprehension of the results.nTherefore, the application of a cost bearer system based on the polluter-pays principle and thusnin correspondence with the WFD’s requirements should appear possible in order to financenfuture measures.