1. European Environment Agency
Water scarcity and drought indicators
Peter Kristensen,
European Environment Agency

2. What has EEA been doing Comprehensive WS&D assessments
Water resource report – EEA 2009: ” Water resources across Europe — confronting water scarcity and drought”
Climate and water impact indicators
Regular update of EEA water indicators
WS&D chapter in the next EEA State of the Environment and Outlook Report SOER2010
Improve data and information (Water availability, abstraction and use)
Regular reporting of water quantity data – WISE-SOE Water Quantity – Reporting sheet agreed 2008 – regular reporting from 2009
WSDiS: Water Scarcity and Drought Information System
Gap analysis – review of national and international initiatives
ECRINS (European-wide reference dataset of rivers, lakes and catchments): water balances and water accounts
Cooperate with Eurostat on water statistics; JRC on drought information
Cooperate with other stakeholders (Eureau, ECMWF, WMO; requirements to GMES climate service; Water Footprint)

3. Water resources across Europe — confronting water scarcity and drought
Introduction
Water availability, abstraction and supply
Impacts of water abstraction and supply
Water abstraction for industry and energy production
Public water supply
Agricultural water use
Conclussions on future water resource management in Europe

4. Water scarcity and drought (WS&D) in Europe
Reservoir, Sicily
Reservoir, Cyprus
River Elbe, Dresden
Spring. 2007
Source: Tallaksen L. 2007:

5. Water scarcity and drought in 2008
During the summer 2008 Cyprus has received water by more than 30 tankers from Greece
Capacity of storage reservoirs Barcelona og Cypern spring 2008
Desalination plants

6. Four key abstracting sectors…..
Water consumption ? ?

7. Irrigation; up to 80% of total water abstraction in the South
Source;
JRC 2008

8. Tourism – Water Demand
Tourist water use can be twice that of locals (OECD)
Peak demand when availability is at a minimum
Golf courses – irrigation and swimming pools

9. Water Exploitation Index (WEI) indicates extreme stress
Increasing
stress

10. Supply-led management is unsustainable
Reservoirs, inter-basin transfers, desalination etc have provided no incentive to limit abstraction

11. Sustainable demand-led approach is required to managing 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

12. EEA State and Outlook Report 2010
Chapter on water quantity including WS&D
Focus on vulnerability to water scarcity and sustainable water resource management
Build on 2009 water resource report, improved MS information (reported via WISE-SOE) and WS&D Expert Network; DG ENV WS&D studies ; draft RBMP; ECRINS: Water balances;

13. WISE-SOE Reporting sheet #3 Water Quantity
During 2008 test data reporting, discussion and agreeing with MS experts on reporting sheet. Streamling with other reporting processes (Eurostat&WFD). Spatial scale River Basin and temporal scale: monthly (if available)
The SoE Reporting Guidance was approved by the Water Directors in November 2008 and the National Focal Points in February 2009.
From 2009 regular (volunteer) MS reporting of water availability, water abstraction and water use data

14. WS&D Indicators as from current SoE#3 Reporting
Current parameters are used in more than one DPSIR category (primary and derived)
Possible Indicators from other SoEs in italics
Indicators only related to natural influences displayed in green
Additional indicators to enable a comprehensive assessment in red

15. Thanks for your attention

16. What we are not developing
Draft guidance chapter 10 on climate change and WS&D (p. 8)
In addition, while the WFD foresees the possibility of exemptions in case of prolonged droughts, the lack of agreed indicators at the EU level to identify and quantify droughts is making difficult to achieve consensus on when and how to apply them. Technical work is being developed by the Water Scarcity and Drought Expert Network, the European Environmental Agency and the CE on a common understanding of the phenomenon and its impacts. <Much information included in the Drought Management Plan report>
Therefore, it will be essential to identify in the short-medium term common indicators that allow Member States to clearly define and identify prolonged droughts that could later justify possible exemptions. (Indicators work being currently developed by the EEA)
EEA is not developing common indicators that allow Member States to clearly define and identify prolonged droughts that could later justify possible exemptions.

17. What we are aiming at developing
Core Group on water scarcity and drought indicators - Minutes of the meeting of 19 March 2008
DG ENV clarified the context of the work on WS&D and the role of the Core Group. The interim report on WS&DR published in June 2007 reveals a lot of gaps in the available data and information. The Communication on WS&D adopted in July 2007 therefore includes the development of a European WS&D Information System.
The purpose of the current work is to:
Develop WS&D Indicators in order to provide a comprehensive view of the extent and impacts of WS&D and
Develop a WS&D Information System.

18. Develop WS&D indicators in order to provide a comprehensive view of the extent and impacts of WS&D
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council - Addressing the challenge of water scarcity and droughts in the European Union {SEC(2007) 993} {SEC(2007) 996}
2.7. Improve knowledge and data collection
A water scarcity and drought information system throughout Europe
The issue:
Reliable information on the extent and impacts of water scarcity and droughts is indispensable for decision-making at all levels. Shared definitions are necessary to ensure data consistency at EU level. The recently published Water Information System for Europe (WISE) provides the ideal platform to integrate and disseminate such information.
Way forward:
Present an annual European assessment, based on agreed indicators and data provided by Member States and stakeholders to the Commission or the European Environment Agency on a yearly basis.
Fully exploit the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) services for the delivery of space-based data and monitoring tools in support to water policies, land use planning and improved irrigation practices.

19. WS&D Indicators as from current SoE#3 Reporting
Current parameters are used in more than one DPSIR category (primary and derived)
Possible Indicators from other SoEs in italics
Indicators only related to natural influences displayed in green
Additional indicators to enable a comprehensive assessment in red

20. Next Steps Agree on using the overall DPSIR-based approach.
Agree on the list as a starting point in WS&D Network, SCG and WD.
During 2009 other indicators (e.g. population, water prices etc) will be developed to enable a comprehensive assessment.
Setup case-studies with voluntary countries: use data available from test data exchange + additional sources (EUROSTAT, JRC, MS)
Provide first case study results to WS&D Network and May SCG.