Critique of the DPSIR framework

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Critique of the DPSIR framework

• Alice Newton
• IMAR- University of Algarve

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DPSIR vocabulary

• Drivers
• Pressures
• State
• Impacts
• Responses

Advantage ordinary words not
jargon Disadvantage frequently misused or
substituted
OECD (1993). OECD core set of indicators for
environmental performance reviews. OECD
Environment Monographs No. 83. OECD. Paris.
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DPSIR eutrophication
Pressures
BOD DO Nutrients
State variables
Responses
O.E.C.D. 1993, 2004
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DPSIR eutrophication
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• Drivers need to update, maybe price of oil will
  be a major driver with increased biofuels
• Pressures need to consider difficult aspects
  such as loss of denitrifying wetlands,
  atmospheric deposition

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Examples of New drivers

• Tourism car, plane, golf, demographics of coast
• Lifestyles joining EU!, changing economies
  central to market, changing diets, more meat
• Agriculture (actually biomass production)
  biofuels, aquaculture

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ImpactsNeed to break
these down and check on all to see if there is
are impacts that are

• Environmental EcologicalEconomic Social
• Health

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Impacts

• environmental e.g. increase turbidity,
• ecological, e.g. loss of biodiversity,
• economic e.g. lower fish catches,
• social e.g. loss of fishing jobs
• health e.g. contaminated shellfish

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Impacts

• Environmental
• Ecological
• Economic
• Social
• Health

• Poor water quality
• Loss of seagrass, ecosystem service nursery
  function
• Loss of fishing catch and revenues
• Loss of fishing jobs
• Contaminated shellfish

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ECOLOGICAL IMPACT

• Biological Quality Elements
• Phytoplankton
• Other plants
• Benthos
• Fish

Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration
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STATE IMPACT (ECOLOGICAL)

• Supporting elements
• Nutrient concentrations
• SiN
• NP
• Transparency
• Bottom water Oxygen
• BQE metrics
• Chlorophyll a
• Cell counts
• HAB
• Opportunist algae biomass
• Biodiversity of benthos
• AMBI

• Biological Quality Elements
• Phytoplankton
• Other plants
• Benthos
• Fish

Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration
12
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICIMPACT
IMPACT

• Phytoplankton
• Increase HABs, NABs
• Other plants
• Loss of seagrass
• Increase opportunistic algae
• Benthos
• Loss of sensitive taxa,
• Increase tolerant taxa
• Fish
• Loss of nurseries for juveniles
• Loss of sensitive taxa

Loss of aquaculture revenue Loss of tourism
revenue Public health concerns ASP, DSP,
NSP Cost of removing algae Mass
mortalities Loss of shellfisheries revenue Fish
kills Loss of fisheries revenue
Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration
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Responses

• of society,
• e.g. new management criteria, new infrastructure,
  
• new policy

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Conclusions
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• Drivers need to update, maybe price of oil will
  be a major driver with increased biofuels
• Pressures need to consider difficult aspects
  such as loss of denitrifying wetlands,
  atmospheric deposition
• State need to test the metrics for the
  physico-chemical supporting quality elements and
  the Biological Quality Elements and move towards
  INTEGRATIVE ASSESSMENT
• Impact must link economic impact to ecological
  impacts, NOT consider them separately. Clearly
  shows the value of ecosystem services
• Response Should address the drivers! Is building
  UWWT plants the only answer? What about CAP and
  farming practices?