Protection of Water Resources from Agriculture Pollution: An Integrated Methodological Approach for the Nitrates...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agricultural Science
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• Excess agricultural nitrogen is a major cause of water pollution in the EU.
• The Nitrates Directive mandates monitoring and management of nitrates to protect water bodies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an integrated methodological approach for managing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).
• To provide a framework for member states to comply with the Nitrates Directive and prevent water pollution.

Main Methods:

• Data integration within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment.
• Harmonization, systematization, and georeferencing of diverse territorial data.
• Development of a methodology applicable to NVZ perimeter management.

Main Results:

• Successfully overcame an infringement procedure for Italy and the Puglia region.
• Enabled a new designation of NVZs based on the integrated methodology.
• Enhanced the environmental framework for water resource protection.

Conclusions:

• The proposed integrated GIS methodology offers a best practice for NVZ management.
• This approach effectively supports compliance with the Nitrates Directive.
• The methodology can be adopted by other EU member states to mitigate nitrogen pollution.