Analysis and evaluation of hydromorphological aspects
The European Union Water Framework Directive, Dir 2000/60/EC, requires Member States to adopt an integrated planning for the use, protection and defense of the waters with the aim of achieving a good environmental status by 2015. The environmental state assessment is done through the integrated evaluation of biotic and abiotic aspects and processes, including those hydromorphological. This paper presents a procedure for the analysis and assessment of the hydromorphological status of rivers, meeting the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (but also consistent with the Directive 2007/60/EC on the management of flood risk), developed by ISPRA in collaboration with the operational units of Prof. Massimo Rinaldi, University of Florence.
This procedure is necessary for the classification of ecological status of river water bodies but more generally to comment on the feasibility and effectiveness of any remedial action. The procedure involves the assessment, in parallel, of the hydrological and morphological aspects, evaluating respectively the state of alteration of the hydrological regime, through the IARI index, and the morphological quality through the IQM index.
The integration of the two indexes allows to reach the complete hydromorphological characterization and classification of a watercourse.