This book details the
experiences gained by the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) in a Mediterranean
watershed – the Catalan River Basin District – following the launch of the EU
Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the year 2000. Experts in rivers,
reservoirs, lakes, wetlands and estuaries present 13 chapters defining tools
for water-status assessment specially adapted to Mediterranean conditions. The
content of this and the companion volume Experiences
from Ground, Coastal and Transitional Water Quality Monitoring: The EU Water
Framework Directive Implementation in the Catalan River Basin District (Part
II) are the result of an excellent collaboration between the ACA and
several Catalan universities and research centers to cope with new challenges
provided by the WFD monitoring requirements. The volume serves as a useful
guide for environmental managers and scientists engaged in other European as
well as Non-European river basins.