European Environment Agency Sounds Alarm on Water Quality in Europe

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has raised serious concerns regarding the deteriorating state of water resources across Europe.

Leena Ylä-Mononen, the agency's director, highlighted the urgent need for improved management of water resources to ensure that citizens have access to safe, high-quality water.

In a recent report, the EEA revealed that only 37% of Europe’s surface waters are rated as being in good or very good ecological condition. Even more troubling, just 29% of surface waters achieve acceptable chemical health, compared to 77% for groundwater, which supplies most of Europe’s drinking water. The report defines good chemical health as the absence of significant pollution from harmful substances, including perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) and microplastics.

The report identifies key threats to water quality, such as air pollution from coal burning and vehicle emissions, as well as agricultural practices that generate large amounts of waste that contaminate soil and water. To combat these issues, the EEA recommends that European agriculture embrace more sustainable and agroecological practices, along with incentives to promote healthier dietary choices among the populace.

The EEA's extensive analysis covered over 120,000 outdoor water bodies and 3.8 million square kilometers of groundwater across 19 EU countries and Norway. The agency is advocating for a 50% reduction in herbicide usage by 2030 to help protect water resources. "We must intensify our efforts to restore the health of our vital waterways, lakes, coastal waters, and other water bodies to ensure that this essential resource is preserved for future generations," Ylä-Mononen stated.

Additionally, the report underscores the impacts of climate change—such as droughts and floods—along with the overexploitation of water resources, which place increasing pressure on water systems. The EEA calls on governments to prioritise efforts to reduce water consumption and restore ecosystems, especially as climate change continues to challenge the availability and quality of water resources.