European Environment Agency: Europe Facing Water Security Crisis and Water Scarcity Risk

According to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe may not have "sufficient and good quality water" in the future due to pollution, changes in the physical characteristics and natural flow of rivers, water abstraction from water sources, and climate change. Since 2015, there has been "very little progress" in improving surface waters, with only 37% of surface waters reaching a "good" or "high" ecological status by 2021. Additionally, considering pollution caused by long-lasting substances such as plastics, textiles, and chemicals used in electronics, only one-third of surface waters have a "good" chemical status. Although groundwater, considered a significant source of drinking water, is in better condition compared to surface waters, concerns remain regarding pesticides and nutrient pollution. It is expected that the biodiversity crisis in water ecosystems in Europe will worsen due to climate change and human activities, and the Union's target to achieve good status for surface and groundwater by 2027 does not seem achievable. EU's water management practices are deemed "insufficient" to deal with the effects of climate change, calling for urgent action to increase Europe's water resilience and take more effective steps. Water stress, which occurs when the annual per capita water availability drops below 1700 cubic meters in a country, affects 20% of European territories and 30% of the population every year. The main reasons for water stress include agricultural activities that constitute 59% of water consumption in the EU, excessive water use, urban wastewater, changes in the physical characteristics and flows of water bodies, and pollution. It is estimated that 38% of the EU's population and about one-third of its territories are at risk of water scarcity. While severe and prolonged droughts are experienced in the Mediterranean region, alarming situations have been observed in most of Central European countries, the Baltics, and the Balkans.