Europeans wasting water supplies

Europe’s economy, productivity and ecosystems are all under threat because of the current wasteful usage of water, claims a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

To avoid inefficiently dwindling away the already strained water supplies, the EEA has called for existing legislation to be better enforced across the continent.

“The critical thing for us is that we are seeing an increasing number of regions where river basins, because of climate change, are experiencing water scarcity,” said EEA Executive Director, Professor Jacqueline McGlade. “Yet behavioural change, and what that means, hasn’t really come about.”

Nations need to invest in water efficiency “in a very different way” to previous years, Professor McGlade told the BBC. Her warnings follow an EEA presentation of its findings to politicians, policymakers and NGOs at the 6^th World Water Forum in Marseille. Speakers at the Forum included former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.  

“The deficit of freshwater is becoming increasingly severe and large-scale- whereas, unlike other resources, there is no substitute for water,” said Gorbachev on Monday. “Continuation of water consumption at Twentieth Century rates is no longer possible.”

On the same day as Gorbachev’s comments came the news that water companies across the south of England have issued hose-pipe bans, due to start in April, as reservoirs, aquifers and rivers continue to run at below normal levels following two unusually dry winters.

Ecosystems are also suffering from the lower water levels, with fish populations being less able to move through rivers as water pulses are diverted by overabstraction, explained Professor McGlade, claiming this was a real “danger signal”.

However, some good news was revealed for Europe, as the agricultural industry has already begun to scrutinise the efficiency of water usage, added Professor McGlade. Abstracting water for crops is a significant cost for farmers, and currently in the EU around a quarter of water from the natural environment is used in farming practices and, in some parts of southern Europe, 80 percent of water is diverted for this purpose.

“We are looking for more efficient uses, such as drip irrigation and other advanced techniques, simply because of the cost of cleaning water and bringing it into an agricultural setting,” said Professor McGlade. “Once you have an economic interest in the use of a resource like water then you can talk about wasteful use.”

 

Image:  Kecko | flickr