European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water in Europe — The challenge of the 21st century Ronan Uhel European Environment Agency Water, Engagement for our Future 14 th AER Summer School 8 th AER Youth Summer School August 2009, Valencia -Spain

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel What is the challenge? To recognize the ecological, economic and social services of water in their interdependencies – To valuate them as ecosystem services in the right balance to ensure human well being To develop a innovative array of measures – together with all relevant actors; integrated over all sectors

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel human and ecological economy Human Modified after S. Postel / Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003); 89-98Nature Supplying: Water Food Purification In-stream benefits ….

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel human and ecological economy Nature Ecological limit of sustainability Trans-port Agri- culture Indus- tries Energy Leisure Public supply Modified after S. Postel / Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003); 89-98

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Why a challenge? What to face? Climate change will increase stress on aquatic systems with more frequent floods and droughts Energy crisis; chance for and pressure from renewable energies Economic crisis chances for innovation – risk for less focus on environment Global markets increase complexity; impacts happen outside your watershed  water footprint

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Climate Change impacts and vulnerability

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Sea level rise and coastal erosion Needs long term protection, incl. consideration of sediment flows

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel River and Urban Flood risk needs infrastructure adaptation, protection and emergency plans and room for the river

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Climate Change will exacerbate the availability problem Drier summers across most of Europe Increase in the frequency and severity of drought Maximum No. of consecutive dry days; Sillmann and Roeckner, 2008

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water Scarcity and Droughts Depletion of water resources –leads to decline in groundwater, lake and reservoir levels –reduced river flows –drying out of soil and wetlands Over pumping coastal aquifers leads to saline intrusion reduced electricity and agricultural production Drought has cost Europe EUR 100 billion over the last 30 years Cost of sourcing new supplies including emergency measures e.g. Cyprus tankers

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water Exploitation Index

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Demand management first! - Supply to go sustainable Reservoirs, inter-basin transfers, desalination etc. so far provided no incentive to limit abstraction  Address the demand for water rather than providing an ever expanding supply : Better water efficiency and saving across all water users Water re-use and recycling ; on-site treatment in industries, treated wastewater for irrigation, grey-, rainwater harvesting Water pricing can be a key driver for savings and innovation ‘Green Deal’ stimulation packages can drive new technologies and measures Where supply has to be increased it has to be sustainable (e.g solar driven desalination)

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Source; JRC 2008 Agricultural Irrigation – up to 80% of total water abstraction

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel   Water footprint ‘Volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services we consume’ Raises consumer awareness of water use in agricultural, industrial products and water traded across countries/continents However: next to production processes the supply chain of the products from agriculture is key to induce changes Water challenges for agriculture Increasing Global Food Demand Future demand for ‘thirsty’ bio-crops Climate Change affecting high production areas

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Land footprint (Hectares/1000 liters of ethanol)… Sugarcane (Brazil) = 0,11 Sugar beet (EU) = 0,125 Maize (USA) = 0,65 Water footprint (Liters/1 liters of ethanol)… Sugar beet (EU) = Sugarcane (Brazil) = Maize (USA) = Resource footprints of biofuels production

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Ethanol car in USA = Ethanol car in Brazil = 300 Plug-in hybrid car = 56 Gasoline car = 24 Water footprint to travel 100 Km (Liters)… Informal Meeting of Environmental Ministers, Åre, Sweden, July 2009 Water resource footprint of biofuels use Ethanol car in USA = Ethanol car in Brazil = 300 Plug-in hybrid car = 56 Gasoline car = 24 Water footprint to travel 100 Km (Litres)…

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Energy and water relationships WATER FOR ENERGY ENERGY FOR WATER Hydropower Thermo electric Cooling Fuel Production (Ethanol, hydrogen) Extraction & Refining Extraction and Transmission Drinking Water Treatment Waste Water Treatment Energy Associated with Uses of Water (Reiter, IWA WWC 2008) (Source: Reiter, 2008)

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water Energy nexus - conflicts and synergies Potential conflicts Environmental impacts from water related energy production – thermal and toxic (inhibitors) pollution from cooling water; low flows limiting production capacity Environmental impacts from hydropower –Dams are physical barriers; Eutrophication and sedimentation in reservoirs Water quality requires more advanced water and wastewater treatment using more energy and higher GHG emissions Energy use in desalination plants makes this a critical supply side measure in the WS&D problem Potential synergies Saving water saves energy and vice versa Heat recovery from ground- and wastewaters by heat pumps Biogas from wastewater for power or fuel

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water efficiency in energy Production — Energy efficiency in the water sector Implement known technology for increasing energy efficiency in water utility operation Implement known technology for decreasing GHG emissions from power production Infrastructure investments to save water and energy : –Reduce leakages –District heating / cooling –Energy recovery and sustainable energy production Get the pricing right –Use fiscal instruments to coincide optima for eco-foot printing and business economy Monitor by statistics –Include water and energy efficiency indicators Innovate in several dimensions –Technical-scientific –Management and planning –Policy making and public awareness

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel 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 Sustainable demand-led approach is required to managing Europe’s water resources

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Water Pricing reduces water use Multi-sectoral, volume based, supported by metering DenmarkEstonia

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Improving Efficiency – Public Water Supply Significant leakage in public water networks Water efficient appliances Estimated % leakage in public water supply (EEA 2003)

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Cross sectoral integration is key Need for a demand side approach; water savings throughout all sectors Agriculture and industries need to engage into footprint approaches to optimise their water use on side and in remote catchments, connected to by trade and markets Public water supply and sewer systems need to adapt to climate and demographic changes – invest in new infrastructure Water and energy efficiency need to be developed hand in hand.

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel The challenges are clear — The solutions lay with the actors in Member States and Regions — Manage River Basins sustainably

European Environment Agency AER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel Further reading - eea.europa.eueea.europa.eu Impacts of Europe's changing climate – indicator-based assessment (4/2008) Water resources across Europe — confronting water scarcity and drought (3/2009)