@phdthesis {2308,
	title = {Os Planos de Gest{\~a}o de Regi{\~a}o Hidrogr{\'a}fica em Portugal Continental: contributo para o desenvolvimento de um instrumento para a avalia{\c c}{\~a}o de planos de recursos h{\'\i}dricos},
	year = {2016},
	month = {2016-03-15 00:00:00},
	pages = {416},
	school = {University of Minho},
	abstract = {
In the last decades, the increasing water scarcity, the flood events and the poor water quality have led to many impacts on human health, and socioeconomic development. Furthermore, the pressures on the water resources are likely to worsen in response to climate change, economic and social growth causing to exceed the natural capacity of recovery and regeneration of water bodies, which result in over pollution, floodplain alterations and water quality degradation. In order to face these challenges, river basin management plans have been proposed as planning tools and have been utilized by many countries as a facilitating tool for water resources management. Nowadays, the European Union through the Directive 2000/60/EC is trying to achieve its water management objectives in an integrated and eco-systemic approach with the implementation of water resources plans in all its Member States. \ As related to the theoretical and conceptual reflection of these instruments, there is little knowledge on how these tools are being developed and applied. Many times the developed measures/actions can be disconnected from the main goals initially proposed by the plans, reflecting only the obligations to the European Commission. Furthermore, there is difficulty in the implementation, evaluation and monitoring of the measures and actions, as well as, the achieved results, which do not always reflect the initial goals and objectives. The main aim of this thesis is to contribute in the construction of a system that evaluates and monitors the water resource plans implementation. \ The basis of the evaluation methodology that is developed is not only as a planning tool, but as an instrument with responsibility to provide support for an integrated water resources management. The proposed methodology considers three dimensions: the concept (block A), the representativeness (block B) and the plan implementation (block C) that was applied to the river basin management plans Minho and Lima; C{\'a}vado, Ave and Le{\c c}a; and Douro.
\ 
Although the European pressure/support has a positive influence on many aspects of planning and management, the obtained results show that the greatest weakness in the evaluated plans is related to the execution of the actions proposed. Issues related to financial problems and changes to the institutional framework in Portugal made it difficult the implementation of the proposed measures, as well as the interaction and coordination with other programs, plans, policies and institutions connected to the execution of the measures that are established in the plans.
\ 
The results obtained show the knowledge about what is being developed, how the plan is being drawn up and what can be done to improve it. In this context, in order to promote an improvement in the proposed methodology, two important aspects stand out: the first one is linked to the technical aspect of the evaluation: the selected variables, the analysis criteria and the indicator valuation; the second is related to the external aspects of the plan as related to the governance issues. It is essential to evaluate and identify the linkages between the plan and the institutional environment as well as with the policies and laws. It is from all these key elements that will form the foundation for a successful implementation of the water resources plans.
},
	keywords = {IWRM, Plan evaluation, River basin management},
	author = {Soares, E. Z. and Haie, N.}
}