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5.1.4.      Droughts and water shortage

Most river monitoring stations in Europe show a decreasing trend in summer low flows over the second half of the 20th century (Stahl, et al., 2010). The severity and frequency of droughts has increased in parts of Europe and will continue to increase. Studies project large increases in droughts in most of Europe over the 21st century, except for northern regions. Unusually, low river flow, which may result from prolonged meteorological drought, also impacts water quality by reducing the ability of a river to dilute pollution (EEA, 2017b). Inland bathing waters in the Mediterranean region (in particular the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy and Albania) and parts of central (Hungary) and south-eastern Europe are amongst the most vulnerable. In these regions, bathing water managers will have to compete with other water users such as agriculture and industry in order to ensure adequate bathing water quantity and quality during such events.