Critique of the DPSIR framework

Alice Newton

IMAR- University of Algarve

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.

DPSIR

Pressures

+ eutrophication

BOD DO

State variables Responses

Nutrients

O.E.C.D. 1993, 2004

DPSIR

+ eutrophication

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

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

Impacts

Need to break these down and check on all to see if there is are impacts that are: Environmental Ecological Economic Social Health

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

~ Environmental ~ Ecological

Impacts

~ Poor water quality ~ Loss of seagrass, ecosystem service nursery function ~ Economic ~ Social ~ Loss of fishing catch and revenues ~ Loss of fishing jobs ~ Health ~ Contaminated shellfish

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT

Biological Quality Elements ~ Phytoplankton ~ Other plants ~ Benthos ~ Fish Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration

STATE

Supporting elements: Nutrient concentrations Si:N N:P Transparency Bottom water Oxygen

BQE metrics

Chlorophyll a Cell counts HAB Opportunist algae biomass Biodiversity of benthos AMBI Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration

IMPACT (ECOLOGICAL)

Biological Quality Elements Phytoplankton Other plants Benthos Fish

ECOLOGICAL ECONOMIC IMPACT 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 Annex V of WFD and Intercalibration 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

Responses

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

Conclusions

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?