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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
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
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