3 Selected European key water management challenges

As explained in section 1.1, the selected European key water management challenges presented in this report summarise EU-level evidence on the main drivers and pressures that put European water bodies most at risk of not achieving the WFD environmental objectives, and affecting water bodies in the 2^nd RBMPs (EEA 2018a).

Ten European key water management challenges are being presented, which are related to pollution issues, hydromorphological pressures, abstractions and water scarcity, but also problems related to aquaculture and invasive alien species. These European key water management challenges arise from ongoing human activities (such as agriculture or energy production) but also partly from historic human activities (e.g. obsolete barriers on rivers or abandoned mines) and new developments (e.g. new hydropower plants).

The ten European key water management challenges have been selected based on the analysis of significant pressures affecting water bodies in the 2^nd RBMPs (see EEA 2018 assessment of status and pressures of European waters). Pressures were selected that affect a sufficiently large share of European water bodies and reported by a large number of WFD countries. In addition, European key water management challenges have been selected, which were long time important enough to develop a rather solid basis of knowledge and information to describe the scope of the issue at European level.

Even though some of the selected water management challenges such as mining, navigation, aquaculture and invasive alien species seem to affect a small share of European water bodies, they do pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems in a large number of WFD countries. In addition, they can be of high importance and intensity in specific regions of Europe significantly contributing to the failure of achieving good water status on a regional level.

Additional European key water management challenges may be identified in the future as European data collection and research improves on activities and pressures that put water bodies at risk of reaching WFD objectives.

Table 2 summarises the European key water management challenges presented in the report.

Table 2 Overview of drivers and pressures of European key water management challenges (similar to the Table in the executive summary)

The following sections give a brief overview of the selected European key water management challenges, including:

• A description of the issue (pressure types and drivers) and information on the share of WFD water bodies affected in the second RBMPs
• An outline of the key impacts of the pressure types or drivers on water ecosystems
• A summary of key measures which are available to tackle the issue and of management challenges of EU-wide relevance (ongoing challenges and new challenges ahead). The main measures taken under the first and second RBMPs of the WFD as well as measures to meet the requirements of other relevant Directives, Regulations or National Action Plans were used as a basis to derive information on key measures and management challenges.

The presentation of each key water management challenge is concise and limited to two pages, focusing on the main issues of European relevance. For more detailed information, the literature cited in each section should be consulted. The forthcoming third RBMPs shall provide further details on the main drivers and pressures which are important at the river basin district level and on specific measures required in the new WFD planning cycle.