Pollution, over-use and climate change threaten water resilience in Europe

Agriculture is the most significant pressure impacting both surface and groundwaters, according to the EEA report ‘Europe's state of water 2024: the need for improved water resilience’. This results from water use and pollution from the intensive use of nutrients and pesticides, according to Member States’ own monitoring. Agriculture is by far the highest net water consumer in Europe and, without changes in practices, demand from irrigated agriculture is likely to increase with climate change. 

The EEA’s report shows that, despite some progress, Europe’s waters and aquatic ecosystems are still severely impacted by chemicals, predominantly by air pollution from coal-powered energy generation and diffuse pollution by nutrients and pesticides from agriculture. Habitat degradation is also widespread. Adding to the challenge to protect aquatic ecosystems is climate change, which is disrupting weather patterns and further increasing pressures on water resources and management. 

Europe's state of water 2024: the need for improved water resilience

Only 37% of Europe’s surface water bodies achieved ‘good’ or ‘high’ ecological status, a measure of aquatic ecosystem health, under EU’s Water Framework Directive and only 29% achieved ‘good’ chemical status over the 2015-2021 period, according to data reported by EU Member States. 

Leena Ylä-Mononen

EEA Executive Director

The health of Europe’s waters is not good. Our waters face an unprecedented set of challenges that threatens Europe’s water security. We need to redouble our efforts to restore the health of our valued rivers, lakes, coastal waters, and other water bodies and to make sure this vital resource is resilient and secure for generations to come.

Limited progress to date 

Measures taken by Member States have succeeded in avoiding further deterioration of the state of EU waters by addressing some chemical pollution and improving the prospects of some species, such as mussels and crustaceans, but no overall improvement has been detected since the last monitoring cycle.  

Europe’s groundwaters fare better than surface waters, with 77% being in good chemical status and in terms of supply, 91% of groundwaters are reported to be in good quantitative status. But problems remain in terms of pollution by pesticides and nutrients. Groundwater is a key source of our drinking water, and needed by the environment, agriculture and industry.  

The deadline set by the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) to meet good status for surface and groundwaters was 2015, and at the latest by 2027. At the rate of current progress, this will not be met.  

The way ahead 

Europe’s water resilience can be improved. Reducing water use and improving efficiency are key to tackling water stress in agriculture, industry and at home. Target setting, focused on saving water or reducing demand, could help drive action and facilitate monitoring of progress towards water resilience. Up-to-date and more timely information on water quantity and quality is also needed to improve water management.  

Pressures should be reduced. Pollution must be prevented in line with the objectives of the EU’s zero pollution action plan. In the short term, there is a need to reduce the use and prevent releases of harmful substances and nutrients to water.  

Nature restoration or reconnecting rivers and their floodplains and restoring wetlands and peatlands can lead to healthier, biodiverse freshwater ecosystems, which can supply good quality water while also storing carbon and mitigating the impact of extreme weather events. 

About the report 

The EEA report is the largest assessment on the health of Europe’s water bodies, involving more than 120 000 surface water bodies and 3.8 million km² groundwater body area across the EU and Norway. The report is based on data reported from 19 EU Member States. It represents 85% of surface water bodies and 87% of groundwater body area in the EU-27.  

All key results and reported data on the EU Member States and Norway can be found in the WISE Freshwater information system. 

The EEA report also complements the upcoming European Commission assessment of the 3^rd River Basin Management Plans and of the 2^nd Flood Risk Management Plans which will take stock of the state of implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive in the EU.