4. European Groundwater bodies

Groundwater bodies have been reported by 24 Members States. The total number of groundwater bodies reported is 12,635 and is derived from 135 RBDs. More than half of these groundwater bodies have been reported by Sweden and Finland (3,021 and 3,804 respectively) and are very small in size (on average 7 km2) when compared to the groundwater bodies of the remaining Member States (average size 600 km2). The total area of reported groundwater bodies is about 3.5 million km².

Existing EU-wide products are limited to the representation of main aquifers (Map 4.1). Regarding the quantitative state of European groundwater, data on recharge, groundwater available for annual abstraction and groundwater abstractions are collected by Eurostat on a country and annual basis, while European Environment Agency recently started the collection of groundwater level data (point data in selected wells), aquifer recharge and groundwater abstraction at RBD and SU level on a monthly scale. A representation of groundwater resources of Europe has been produced by BGR (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Map 4.2) identifying areas of low to high recharge, areas of heavy water abstraction and over-exploitation, as well as areas of seawater intrusion.

Map 4.1 - International Hydrogeological Map of Europe 1 : 1 500 000 (IHME 1500)

Source: Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources – BGR (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe). http://www.bgr.de/app/fishy/ihme1500/

Note: The map contains classifications between porous and fissured aquifers (including karst) and indicates insignificant aquifers. Sub-classifications are shown in terms of productivity (i.e. highly productive, moderately productive, local and limited, insignificant aquifers)

Map 4.2 -  International Hydrogeological Map of Europe 1 : 1 500 000 (IHME 1500)

Source: Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources – BGR (Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe). http://www.whymap.org/whymap/EN/Downloads/Continental_maps/gwrm_europe_pdf.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

Note: The map identifies possible recharge to groundwater in Europe. The three main categories include (a) major groundwater basins (i.e., central and north Europe), (b) areas with complex hydrogeological structure (south and southeast Europe), and (c) areas with local and shallow aquifers (e.g., Scandinavian countries). Recharge in these areas is classified in five categories ( i.e. very high, high, medium, low and very low)