The EEA indicator assessment Use of freshwater resources shows that while water is generally abundant in Europe, water scarcity and droughts continue to affect some regions, especially those that are densely populated and have high demands for water from agriculture and tourism during the summer.
The water exploitation index plus (WEI+) of European River Basin Districts is the percentage of total freshwater used compared to the renewable freshwater resources available.
WEI+ is a relatively straightforward indicator of the pressure or stress on freshwater resources. A WEI+ above 20 % implies that a water resource is under stress, while one of over 40 % indicates severe stress and clearly unsustainable resource use.
The EEA indicator shows that around 20 river basin districts, mainly in the Mediterranean, face structural water stress issues with a WEI greater than 20 %. These include Cyprus, Malta, Crete, the Balearic Islands and Sicily. The situation is even worse in summer. The average WEI for the summers 2002-2012 were 81 % and 55 % for Cyprus and Segura, Spain respectively which suggests severe water stress and clearly unsustainable resource use.
20% of total population in Mediterranean region live under permanent water stress conditions. However the Agency is warning that water stress, increasingly, occurs in other parts of Europe. The main drivers are growing urban populations and higher living standards coupled with reduced water availability due to pollution and drought. Many large cities have developed wide networks for transporting water, often over distances of more than 100-200 km to be able to respond to the demand for water. To read more click here