Publications

This is a background report of the PBL study ‘Geography of future water challenges – Bending the trend’, which gives an overview of possible achievements of water-related measures within the SSP2 Baseline scenario, for global goals. This study deals with the quality and biodiversity of global freshwater ecosystems.

In this study ecology-based scenario’s have been developed consisting measures like sustainable agriculture, riparian buffer zones, wetland restoration, reduced water use, hydropower dam restrictions, and urban wastewater treatment. For these scenario’s effects on freshwater biodiversity intactness for rivers, lakes, floodplains and other wetlands have been modelled using GLOBIO-aquatic; using input from linked models like IMAGE and GNM. The conclusion is that ecology-based measures are essential, but not sufficient, to prevent a further decline of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems.