A River Basin Management Plan will be produced for each river basin district, every six years.
River Basin Management is a continuous process of planning (to develop River Basin Management Plans) and delivery. The Water Framework Directive introduces a formal series of 6 year cycles. The first cycle will end in 2015 when, following further planning and consultation, the River Basin Management Plan will be updated and reissued.
The river basin district liaison panels has been central to helping us manage this process. The panels include representatives of businesses, planning authorities, environmental organisations, consumers, navigation, fishing and recreation bodies and central, regional and local government, all with key roles to play in implementing the plans. They have also helped us work with local stakeholders to identify the actions needed to address the main pressures on the water environment.
The River Basin Management Plans describe the river basin district, and the pressures that the water environment faces. It shows what this means for the current state of the water environment in the river basin district, and what actions will be taken to address the pressures. It sets out what improvements are possible by 2015 and how the actions will make a difference to the local environment - the catchments, estuaries, the coast and groundwater.
