EEAs assessments of the status of Europe’s waters Session 1 Peter Kristensen Project manager Integrated Water Assessment, European Environment Agency (EEA) Eionet NRC Freshwater meeting, 18-19 June 2015

Questions to NRCs: How are you using the EEA water reports, WISE interactive map and data viewers? Are they useful for your purposes? How can they be improved? Are the assessments of status and pressures on European waters useful in the present form? How can we improve the assessments? How can the presentations of country comparisons be improved? Are the water indicators addressing the right issues? Are issues missing? Should we include additional indicators? Are we using the best data?

Status of Europe’s waters Overall freshwater quality (overall status, ecological status, conservation status of freshwater habitats and species); Water pollution and quality (e.g. nutrients in groundwater, rivers and lakes; pollution sources and emissions); Water and health (Bathing water quality, drinking water quality, hazardous substances related to health) Water resources focus on water scarcity and drought (Water Exploitation Index, water abstraction by sectors, water resource accounts, water efficiency) Floods and water related disasters Climate change impacts on water and water adaptation measures Hydromorphological /structural activities (e.g. hydropower, navigation, number of barriers in rivers, straightened rivers). The EEA Waterbase data sets contain information reported by EEA member countries over the last two decades (water quality in groundwater, rivers, lakes; emissions of pollutants and water quantity). The WISE‑SoE data flows have successfully provided a solid basis of information for several of EEA indicators and water assessments.

The MDIAK Information Chain (M) Monitoring The WISE‑SoE data flows have successfully provided a solid basis of information for several of EEA indicators and water assessments. (D) Data Structure (I) Indicators Interpret (A) Assessments The EEA Waterbase data sets contain information reported by EEA member countries over the last two decades (water quality in groundwater, rivers, lakes; emissions of pollutants and water quantity). The WISE‑SoE data flows have successfully provided a solid basis of information for several of EEA indicators and water assessments. Integrate Reflect (K) Slides from Thomas Henrichs, EEA – prepared for Integrated Environmental Assessments - EEA West Balkan Summer School 2013

Bathing water report including: 30 national reports, EEA new water products Bathing water report including: 30 national reports, map and data viewers. Freshwater in the SOER2015 Synthesis Two European briefings Freshwater country comparison Updated water CSIs and maps Nutrients in freshwater Oxygen consuming substances WISE maps

Annual reporting of Bathing Water quality (EN, DE and FR) European Bathing Water Quality in 2014 Annual reporting of Bathing Water quality (EN, DE and FR) 30 National reports Data viewer Map viewers Link: http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/status-and-monitoring/state-of-bathing-water/state/state-of-bathing-water-1

Heavy web-traffic WISE Bathing Water map viewer 3 mio. Pageviews 2 mio. 1 mio. http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/interactive/bathing/state-of-bathing-waters

Several hundreds news articles Source: http://www.salzburg24.at/badegewaesser-in-europa-werden-sauberer/apa-s24_1423552284

Progress to policy targets Assessing European trends: Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital   5–10 year trends Progress to policy targets Terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity  Land use and soil functions No target  Ecological status of freshwater bodies  Water quality and nutrient loading    Air pollution and its ecosystem impacts Marine and coastal biodiversity Climate change impacts on ecosystems No target 20+ years outlook Improving trends dominate Trends show mixed picture Deteriorating trends dominate Largely on track Partially on track Largely not on track    Source: EEA. SOER 2015 Synthesis report. Overall summary table Summary table 2/3 Summary table 3/3

Freshwater quality GO TO ONLINE BRIEFING Freshwater quality Much cleaner than 25 years ago, many water bodies are still affected by pollutants and/or altered habitats. In 2009, only 43 % showed a good/high ecological status; the 10 points expected increase for 2015 (53 %) constitutes only a modest improvement in aquatic ecosystem health. Water management should improve with the second round of river basin management plans in 2015-16 resulting in the realisation of more policy objectives through stringent, well- integrated implementation and public participation. © Peter Kristensen, EEA Ecol. status of freshwater bodies Water quality and nutrient loading Climate change impacts on ecosystems Industrial pollution to air, soil and water Water pollution & related envi. health risks Urban systems and grey infrastructure Chemicals & related envi. health risks Water use and water stress Freshwater quality

Hydrological systems and sustainable water management GO TO ONLINE BRIEFING Hydrological systems and sustainable water management Intensive agriculture, urbanisation, energy production and flood protection have altered European hydrological systems and freshwater habitats for decades. Climate change adds to these challenges (higher water temperature, more floods or water scarcity). Less than half of all water bodies have a ‘good status’. Full and coordinated implementation of water and nature legislation would restore aquatic habitats and foster water efficiency. © Katarzyna Dąbrowska, Environment & Me /EEA Ecol. status of freshwater bodies Water quality and nutrient loading Water use and water stress

SOER 2015: Cross-country comparisons Average concentration of nitrate-nitrogen in rivers in 38 European countries (1992, 2000 and 2012) http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer-2015/countries-comparison/freshwater

CSI 019: Oxygen consuming substances (BOD and ammonium in rivers) Water indicators CSI 020: Nutrients in freshwater (Nitrate in groundwater; nitrate and phosphate in rivers; total phosphorus in lakes) CSI 019: Oxygen consuming substances (BOD and ammonium in rivers) Updated with 2012 data; trend 1992-2012 and 2000-2012; New layout and use of Daviz (Data Visualization) diagrams; Trend by country; and Statistical test of trend.

EEA core set indicator:Nutrients in freshwater Source: EEA Nutrients in freshwater (CSI 020/WAT 003) http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/nutrients-in-freshwater/nutrients-in-freshwater-assessment-published-6

Updated WISE interactive maps WISE SoE dataflows Groundwater (Ammonium; Nitrates; Nitrites) Rivers, water quality (Ammonium; BOD; Nitrates; Orthophosphates) Rivers, biology (Macroinvertebrates; Phytobenthos) Lakes, water quality (Total phosphorus) Lakes, biology (Macrophytes; Phytoplankton) Monitoring station (Water quality (density, stations); Water quantity stations) EU water directives (Bathing water, Floods Directive; Water Framework Directive; Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive; Nitrate Directive http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/inter active/by-category

WISE maps: Nitrate in rivers Rivers draining land with intense agriculture or high population density generally have the highest nitrate concentrations. Rivers with nitrate concentrations exceeding 5.6 mg N/l are found predominantly in northwest France, and southeast UK. However, a high proportion (more than 20%) of rivers with concentrations exceeding 3.6 mg N/l are found in many other countries, particularly in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the UK. Rivers in more sparsely populated or mountainous regions often have concentrations less than 0.8 mg N/l, e.g. Northern Europe, Scotland and Ireland, the Pyrenees the Alps, the Apenninnes and the Massif Central, Corsica and large parts of the Balkans and Romania. Link: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/explore-interactive-maps/nitrate-in-rivers Latest year (2009-2011): No data since 2008 from Hungary, Czech Republic and Greece and part of Spain and Italy River Basin Districts with less than 10 stations (Median concentration) (Other RBDs mean of stations with 95% lowest concentrations)

Update of CSI 018 Use of freshwater resources Draft seasonal Water Exploitation Index Spring 2015 first NRC consultation August update and 2nd consultation October updated CSI 018

Emissions and hazardous substances Published as ETC report December 2014 Link

Freshwater ecosystem assessment Habitat Directive – Conservation status of freshwater (rivers and lakes) habitats and species Favourable Unknown Unfavourable inadequate Unfavourable Published as ETC report Summer 2015 Link http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-eu

Questions to NRCs: How are you using the EEA water reports, WISE interactive map and data viewers? Are they useful for your purposes? How can they be improved? Are the assessments of status and pressures on European waters useful in the present form? How can we improve the assessments? How can the presentations of country comparisons be improved? Are the water indicators addressing the right issues? Are issues missing? Should we include additional indicators? Are we using the best data?

Thank you eea.europa.eu