This includes surface freshwaters (including lakes, streams and rivers), groundwater, ecosystems such as some wetlands that depend on groundwater, estuaries and coastal waters out to one nautical mile.
The Directive requires member states to aim to achieve at least good status in each water body within their river basin districts.
Each member state must produce a plan for each of the river basin districts within its territory.
River Basin Management Plans were published for several member states in December 2010.
[2] The document includes guidance on how to take climate change into account in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive and the Strategy on Water Scarcity and Droughts.