Water resources management requires planning

Water resources must be managed with a long-term perspective. The objective of water resources management is to ensure that the status of all surface water and groundwater is at least ‘good’ and that it does not deteriorate, either.

This goal is set in the EU Water Framework Directive and concerns all Member States of the Union. While the greatest part of Finnish surface water meets the criteria of a good ecological status, some 35% of river kilometres and 15% of lake surface area are in worse condition.

In Finland, water resources management is governed by the Act on the Organisation of River Basin Management and the Marine Strategy. Under this Act, a river basin management plan as well as a programme of measures for achieving the plan’s goals must be prepared for each of the seven river basin districts in mainland Finland. For the sea, a marine strategy must be drawn up.

The ELY Centres (Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment) are the responsible authorities in the river basin districts. A single ELY Centre coordinates the work in each river basin district, even if the area extends into the operating area of several ELY Centres.

The ELY Centres monitor the status of the surface waters and groundwaters in their districts and assess any changes in them. They also draw up the classifications of the ecological status of water bodies, in which the impact of human action has an essential role. The ELY Centres are also responsible for preparing the programmes of measures for river basin management.

The river basin management plans and programmes of measures are drawn at regular intervals. The most recent plans and programmes cover the period from 2022 to 2027.

Regional cooperation groups have been established to engage water users and other stakeholders in river basin management planning. Consultations are also organised at different stages of the planning, giving all citizens an opportunity to provide the ELY Centres with feedback.