Icelandic River Basin Management Plan 2022–2027.

The Icelandic River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for the years 2022–2027 has been developed by the The Environment Agency of Iceland in the context of the implementation of the the Icelandic regulation (No. 36/2011). The RBMP presents Iceland’s policy in water management and includes data mapping, delineation and characterisation of water bodies; monitoring; and analysing water conditions and quality. The RBMP has a specific Programme of Measures2 (PoM), which outlines measures and actions to ensure good water quality status, and a Monitoring Programme3 (MP), which has the objective to co-ordinate water monitoring across the country.
The aims of the RBMP is to prevent deterioration of water quality and improve the condition of aquatic ecosystems which do not reach at least “good status”. To enable water bodies to reach their environmental objectives, pressures on water bodies need to be managed and reduced where needed. To achieve these aims, a Programme of Measures (PoM) is produced to ensure the Icelandic water is protected and the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive are met. Furthermore, the measures shall have the least negative environmental impact possible and the impact of climate change on water needs to be explored. A detailed analysis was made regarding improved wastewater treatment and its effect on reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The measures focus on enforcing the provisions of water protection regulations, work components to ensure correct implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Iceland, monitoring and researching water bodies and various actions to reduce pressure on water bodies. There are around 65 measures, which are divided into 6 categories: wastewater, water bodies at risk due to substandard chemical status, implementation of RBMP water governance and project management, monitoring of water bodies and implementation of regulations, operating licenses and surveillance (p. 45).