INSPIRE - Watersheds of management plans in Wallonia (BE)

INSPIRE compliant data describing the geographical delimitation of the watersheds of the management plans obtained by the fusion of the watersheds of the bodies of surface water considered by the Water Framework Directive. The Water Code (M.B 23/09/2004), which aims in particular at transposing the European Water Framework Directive (WFD - Directive 2000/60/EC), states that "the basin authority shall draw up a management plan for each Walloon river basin [...]. The basin authority may start by drawing up a management plan for each Walloon sub-basin. Those plans shall then be aggregated and, where appropriate, adapted in order to constitute [...] the management plan for the Walloon river basin.” (Water Code – Art. 24). In the Walloon Region, the four Walloon river basins (or river basins) have been subdivided into 15 sub-watersheds – known as ‘management plan watersheds’. These sub-basins constitute a natural subdivision of river basins or river basin districts as defined in Article 3 of the Walloon Government Order of 13 September 2001 delimiting river basins and sub-basins in the Walloon Region (Walloon Government - AGW 13/09/2001). They are listed in the Water Code (Part. II – Article 7) and constitute the operational level of intervention for water management. Management plans are the main tool for implementing the WFD, with a view to protecting, improving and restoring surface water bodies, groundwater bodies and protected areas. These management plans must be updated every 6 years. This version covers the period 2016-2021. In addition, each sub-basin is covered by a "sub-basin sanitation plan" (PASH) which is integrated into the management plan provided for by the WFD and Article 24 of the Water Code. Technically, this vector data layer corresponds to the delimitation of the 15 watersheds of the management plans obtained by aggregation of the watersheds of surface water bodies (BV MESU). The latter are considered by the WFD and constitute the basic unit for characterizing the aquatic environment. Therefore, this concept is best suited to delineate river basins on a large scale. For more information on the MESU BVs, please refer to the detailed description sheet (see Associated resources). Attention: - the water body with the identifier SA01B (Sharing beif of the Charleroi-Brussels Canal) has been divided between the catchment area of the Haine, Senne and Sambre rivers. - the water body with the identifier DE01B (Blaton - Ath Canal partition beef) has been divided between the water catchment area of Dendre and Scheldt-Lys