European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water in Europe — The challenge of the 21st

century

Ronan UhelEuropean Environment Agency

Water, Engagement for our FutureWater, Engagement for our Future1414thth AER Summer School AER Summer School

88thth AER Youth Summer School AER Youth Summer School24-29 August 2009, Valencia -Spain24-29 August 2009, Valencia -Spain

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

What is the challenge?

•To recognize the ecological, economic and social services of water in their interdependencies –

•To valuate them as ecosystem services in the right balance to ensure human well being

•To develop a innovative array of measures – together with all relevant actors; integrated over all sectors

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

human and ecological economy

HumanHuman

Modified after S. Postel / Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003); 89-98

NatureNature

Supplying:•Water•Food•Purification•In-stream benefits •….

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

human and ecological economy

NatureNature

Ecological limitEcological limitof sustainabilityof sustainability

Trans-Trans-portport

Agri-Agri-cultureculture

Indus-Indus-triestriesEnergyEnergy

LeisureLeisure

PublicPublicsupplysupply

Modified after S. Postel / Natural Resources Forum 27 (2003); 89-98

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Why a challenge? What to face?

•Climate change will increase stress on aquatic systems with more frequent floods and droughts

•Energy crisis; chance for and pressure from renewable energies

•Economic crisis chances for innovation – risk for less focus on environment

•Global markets increase complexity; impacts happen outside your watershed water footprint

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Climate Change impacts and vulnerability

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Sea level rise and coastal erosion

Needs long term protection, incl. consideration of sediment flows

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

River and Urban Flood risk

needs infrastructure adaptation, protection and emergency plans and room for the river

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Annual Thames Barrier Closures

0

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1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

clo

su

res

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Climate Change will exacerbate the availability problem•Drier summers across most of Europe•Increase in the frequency and severity of drought

Maximum No. of consecutive dry days; Sillmann and Roeckner, 2008

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water Scarcity and Droughts

•Depletion of water resources–leads to decline in groundwater, lake and reservoir levels

–reduced river flows–drying out of soil and wetlands

•Over pumping coastal aquifers leads to saline intrusion

•reduced electricity and agricultural production

•Drought has cost Europe EUR 100 billion over the last 30 years

•Cost of sourcing new supplies including emergency measures e.g. Cyprus 2008 - 30 tankers

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water Exploitation Index

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

WE

I

WEI

Severe Stress

Stress

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Demand management first! - Supply to go sustainable•Reservoirs, inter-basin transfers, desalination etc. so far provided no incentive to limit abstraction

Address the demand for water rather than providing an ever expanding supply :

• Better water efficiency and saving across all water users

• Water re-use and recycling ; on-site treatment in industries, treated wastewater for irrigation, grey-, rainwater harvesting

• Water pricing can be a key driver for savings and innovation

• ‘Green Deal’ stimulation packages can drive new technologies and measures

• Where supply has to be increased it has to be sustainable (e.g solar driven desalination)

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Source;JRC 2008

Agricultural Irrigation – up to 80% of total water abstraction

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water footprint ‘Volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods

and services we consume’• Raises consumer awareness of water use in agricultural,

industrial products and water traded across countries/continents

• However: next to production processes the supply chain of the products from agriculture is key to induce changes

Water challenges for agriculture

• Increasing Global Food Demand

• Future demand for ‘thirsty’ bio-crops

• Climate Change affecting high production areas

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Land footprint (Hectares/1000 liters of ethanol)…Land footprint (Hectares/1000 liters of ethanol)…

Sugarcane (Brazil) = 0,11 Sugarcane (Brazil) = 0,11

Sugar beet (EU) = 0,125 Sugar beet (EU) = 0,125

Maize (USA) = 0,65 Maize (USA) = 0,65

Water footprint (Liters/1 liters of ethanol)…Water footprint (Liters/1 liters of ethanol)…

Sugar beet (EU) = 1.400 Sugar beet (EU) = 1.400

Sugarcane (Brazil) = 2.400 Sugarcane (Brazil) = 2.400

Maize (USA) = 2.600 Maize (USA) = 2.600

Resource footprints of biofuels production

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Ethanol car in USA = 15.000

Ethanol car in Brazil = 300

Plug-in hybrid car = 56

Gasoline car = 24

Water footprint to travel 100 Km (Liters)…

Informal Meeting of Environmental Ministers, Åre, Sweden, 24-25 July 2009

Water resource footprint of biofuels use

Ethanol car in USA = 15.000

Ethanol car in Brazil = 300

Plug-in hybrid car = 56

Gasoline car = 24

Water footprint to travel 100 Km (Litres)…

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Energy and water relationships

WATER FOR ENERGY

ENERGY FOR WATER

Hydropower

Thermo electric Cooling

Fuel Production (Ethanol, hydrogen)

Extraction & Refining

Extraction and Transmission

Drinking Water Treatment

Waste Water Treatment

Energy Associated with Uses of Water

(Reiter, IWA WWC 2008)

(Source: Reiter, 2008)(Source: Reiter, 2008)

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water Energy nexus - conflicts and synergies

Potential conflicts•Environmental impacts from water related energy production

– thermal and toxic (inhibitors) pollution from cooling water; low flows limiting production capacity

•Environmental impacts from hydropower –Dams are physical barriers; Eutrophication and sedimentation in reservoirs

•Water quality requires more advanced water and wastewater treatment using more energy and higher GHG emissions•Energy use in desalination plants makes this a critical supply side measure in the WS&D problem

Potential synergies•Saving water saves energy and vice versa•Heat recovery from ground- and wastewaters by heat pumps•Biogas from wastewater for power or fuel

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water efficiency in energy Production —Energy efficiency in the water sector•Implement known technology for increasing energy efficiency in water utility operation•Implement known technology for decreasing GHG emissions from power production•Infrastructure investments to save water and energy :

–Reduce leakages–District heating / cooling–Energy recovery and sustainable energy production

•Get the pricing right–Use fiscal instruments to coincide optima for eco-foot printing and business economy

•Monitor by statistics–Include water and energy efficiency indicators

•Innovate in several dimensions–Technical-scientific–Management and planning–Policy making and public awareness

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

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

Sustainable demand-led approach is required to managing Europe’s water resources

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Water Pricing reduces water use

Multi-sectoral, volume based, supported by meteringDenmark Estonia

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Improving Efficiency – Public Water Supply

•Significant leakage in public water networks•Water efficient appliances

Estimated % leakage in public water supply(EEA 2003)

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Cross sectoral integration is key

•Need for a demand side approach; water savings throughout all sectors

•Agriculture and industries need to engage into footprint approaches to optimise their water use on side and in remote catchments, connected to by trade and markets

•Public water supply and sewer systems need to adapt to climate and demographic changes – invest in new infrastructure

•Water and energy efficiency need to be developed hand in hand.

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

The challenges are clear — The solutions lay with the actors in Member States and Regions — Manage River Basins sustainably

European Environment AgencyAER summer school 2009; Ronan Uhel

Further reading - eea.europa.eu

Impacts of Europe's changing climate – indicator-based assessment (4/2008)

Water resources across Europe — confronting water scarcity and drought (3/2009)