Water Scarcity and Drought EEA Assessment

Vulnerability……of Freshwater Ecosystems Depleted freshwater resources - decline in water quality Both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems suffer; limit of sustainability exceeded (environmental flows) Over pumping coastal aquifers leads to saline intrusion

Vulnerability….of sectors using water, Drought has cost Europe EUR 100 billion over the last 30 years Electricity and agricultural production reduced in recent hot summers Cost of sourcing new supplies including emergency measures e.g. Cyprus 2008 Lack of water/water of insufficient quality; threats to business (Corporate Water Disclosure)

Conceptual difference between drought and water scarcity

Quantifying Water Stress across Europe – Various imperfect sources including the RBMP’s. WEI – Historical limitations regarding lack of data at RB scale; no accounting for return flow; unable to capture seasonality – efforts to address these under WS&D Indicators Network but availability for 2012?

EEA – Water Accounts River basin scale water accounts Stocks, flows, abstractions, returns, transfers of water All sectors Monthly basis Identify water stress Provides framework for economic analysis

Irrigation; up to 80% of total water abstraction in the South Sectoral Pressures; recognition of overexploitation in a few RBMPs. Irrigation; up to 80% of total water abstraction in the South Source; JRC 2008

Case Studies – e.g. Urban water supply

Sustainable demand management approach is required with respect to Europe’s water resources Focus on conserving water and using it more efficiently Account for the need for healthy freshwater ecosystems Less water use also means lower energy consumption

Scenarios – Socio-economic…. SCENES Project Output

Scenarios - Climate SCENES Project Output Vulnerability and Adaptation addressed by ETC-CCA; CLIMWATADAPT

Water Resource Efficiency Development of indicators Identification of measures across all sectors Efficiency as a key element of addressing Water Scarcity. However, all sectoral measures to address water demand ensure greater resilience to the impacts of drought. Support to Green Economy work programme at the EEA; ensure a high profile for water (recent WRE workshop)

The critical role of Economics e.g. deficit irrigation - a technique that aims to reduce the amount of water applied to below the 'theoretical irrigation need' on the basis that the substantial water savings realised outweigh the modest reduction in crop yield.

WS&D – Policy Issues Lack of quantitative information regarding water use and availability….. ….developments ongoing (SoE-WISE, Water Accounts, WS&D indicators) but do these need to be backed up with legislation? Information required at RB scale, seasonal, returns of flow etc How to set targets for efficient use of water/management of demand in the absence of a ‘limit of ecosystem sustainability’?... ….there is a need to define environmental water requirements (environmental flows, waterbody levels) which vary by waterbody (some MS advanced in this respect) Efficiency targets should account for a changing resource Uptake of agri-environmental measures, options beyond CAP? Land-use planning - Governance

Vulnerability – Flooding Describe impacts of flooding – fatalities, displacement, loss, economic aspects, health risk – water quality. Overview the spatial pattern (and type) of flooding in Europe, describing the frequency and severity and any apparent trends. Describe evidence with respect to impact of climate change on flooding to date (e.g. recent Nature paper on UK floods). Case studies examples. Scenarios – Broad brush picture; role of climate change in changing flood severity, frequency, spatial pattern, including implications for different types of flooding. Describe uncertainties. Address Integrated Flood Risk Management (prevention, preparedness, response, recovery) including policy (Floods Directive) and measures. Capture land-use and management angle. Address Sustainable Urban Drainage. Making Space for Water – planning. Capture adaptation angle including SOER assessment and EEA 2011 report on Cities and Adaptation – possible focus upon Urban adaptation. Case studies.