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Key messages
- Water stress in Europe affects more than 13 % of the total area permanently and up to 32 % of the total area seasonally since 1990.
- In parts of the EU, increasing water use efficiency will help to keep pace with average climate change. In other regions, which in many cases are already water stressed now, water use is increasing and water availability is decreasing.
- In all of the EU, climate variability is expected to increase, while urbanisation leads to a concentration of water demand in urbanizing areas. The expected outcome is that in southern Europe water stress problems remain persistent, while in other, increasing areas of the EU, water stress will make itself felt irregularly but with increasing frequency and impact.
Previous comments
With what threshold is the water stress evaluated? The 20% threshold for WEI is well acknowledged but 20% for WEI+ has a very different meaning, is there a scientific consensus or a recent EEA publication to justify a threhold for WEI+?
We also use the 20 % of WEI+ as indication for the level of water stress (Please see CSI 018 - Use of freshwater resources)