From an Open Sewer to a Living Rhine River
For many centuries, the Rhine (with a watershed ca. 200,000 km2 affecting 9 countries) has played an important role in the history and the social, political and economical development in Europe. Multiple uses, conflicting interests and particularly environmental and flood problems in and along the river have highlighted the importance of an integrated approach aimed at protecting the Rhine. The implementation of the Rhine Action Programme of 1987-the political answer to a severe pollution incident in 1986-has been a very successful approach. Since 1970, more than 80 billion Euros have been invested in constructing municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants. Following the 1993 and 1995 flooding, a Flood Action Plan was developed and adopted in 1998. The Action Plan aims at improving flood protection for man and goods by 2020 and to extend and enhance the floodplains of the River Rhine. In that past 60 years, the quality of the Rhine has improved considerably. From being an open sewer in the seventies, the Rhine has developed into one of the cleanest rivers in Europe. In 2000, almost all reduction targets for emissions were achieved. At the same time, the success of what is today the Salmon 2020-programme is evident. Although completely extinct in the fifties, by 2008, more than 5,000 adult salmons the flagship species-returned to the Rhine basin for spawning. The ongoing reactivation of parts of the former flood-prone areas will lead a more natural river system with an improved biodiversity and a substantial reduction of the risk of flooding..
environment protection pollution treatment the Rhine River
Ben van de Wetering Anne Schulte - Wulwer - Leidig Stefan Hill
International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine P. 0. B 200253, 56002 Koblenz, Germany State Environment Agency Rhineland - Palatinate ( Germany) Kaiser - Friedrich - Str. 7 , 55116 Mainz
国际会议
郑州
英文
427-435
2009-10-20（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）