1.5: Freshwater
To support European policies related to water quality and quantity by providing integrated assessments of water quality, quantity
and use, to track progress and provide outlooks on the achievement of policy targets and quality assurance schemes, supported
by up-to-date, and where possible near-real-time, data, indicators, models and analyses.
Other Information:
Analysis - Despite improvements in recent years many freshwater ecosystems in Europe are still at risk due to continuing emissions
to water, in particular from agriculture, physical modifications to water bodies to aid, for example navigation and hydropower,
and the impacts of extreme events and poor resource management causing floods and droughts. In the EU, the Water Framework
Directive (WFD) and related water directives provide an integrated framework within which to address these many and varied
challenges to water management. The first round of River Basin Management Plans and related Programmes of Measures in 2009
mark the crossing of an important threshold from preparation to action in the implementation of the WFD. Proper implementation
requires continued integration across sectoral activities (agriculture, rural development, economy, energy, transport, water
infrastructure), and needs to be supported by intense information exchange between relevant actors on good practice and suitable,
efficient measures. Action - We will achieve our objective by: • providing, via SEIS, the EEA Water Data Centre and the Water
Information System for Europe (WISE), data, information and indicators collected from countries under relevant 1.5 FreshwaterEU
legislation on water emissions, quality and quantity to support European reporting initiatives, including the review in 2012
of the status of surface water and groundwater in the Community in support of the WFD Article 18; • providing integrated assessments
of water pollution, water quantity and the effectiveness of policies using the Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses
framework, the concepts of Integrated Water Resource Management, ecosystem services, resource accounting, resilience and spatial
mapping; • providing information and analyses in the area of water balances and adaptation to climate change through a Water
Scarcity and Drought Information System in cooperation with the JRC; • providing assessments of water goods and services highlighting
the wider context of ecosystems, biodiversity and the impacts of invasive alien species, the effects of salt-water intrusion,
flooding and temperature shifts; • providing user-friendly access to reports, data, including near-real time, indicators,
information plus related analytical tools; and • improving the public understanding of the issues of water quality and quantity
and climate change via multi-media, user-friendly interactive services.
Indicator(s):
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