1.
Introduction
1.1 The Water Challenge
Water is a precious natural resource, essential for the survival of living organisms and the main-
tenance of ecosystems. It has a wide range of applications in our daily life and it is a driver for
economic prosperity. Water can be used for energy production and it is necessary for the de-
velopment of industrial and agricultural activities. Aquatic ecosystems provide important
ecosystem services such as the storage of freshwater, the housing and safeguarding of biodi-
versity, and the buffering of micro-climatic changes. The protection of water resources is there-
fore essential for society. To this end, EU member states have put specific national policies
and measures in place. Policies have also been adopted at the European level, such as the Water
Framework Directive (WFD), which establishes a legal framework to protect and restore clean
water across Europe and ensure its long-term and sustainable use. There are also other related
directives, such as the Urban Wastewater Directive, the Bathing Water Directive, the Nitrates
Directive, the Drinking Water Directive and the Floods Directive. The 2012 Blueprint to Safe-
guard Europe’s Water Resources could probably be deemed the flagship water policy framework.
Many research and innovation projects have also been carried out in order to identify sound
and viable measures and solutions for the protection of water resources.
Despite policy - and research-driven efforts at national and European levels, water resources
are still under pressure in numerous regions. According to the European Environment Agency
(EEA),
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this pressure will worsen in the years to come. Immediate action is, therefore, necessary
to address existing and emerging challenges in the field of water resources.
Competition for different water uses (agriculture, public services, energy, industry and envi-
ronmental protection) has made this resource a limiting factor. Thus, across the EU, agriculture
alone accounts for approximately a quarter of water use. This figure is as high as 80% in south-
ern European countries.
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The 2007 Communication of the European Commission on Water Scarcity and Droughts
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stated
that water stress already affects 30% of European population. Water scarcity hits mainly south-
ern European countries, but northern European countries are affected as well. Climate change
(through the uneven distribution of seasonal rainfall and the higher incidence of extreme
events) and increasing urban sprawl phenomena will likely increase the water supply–water de-
mand gap, thereby exacerbating water scarcity in increasing areas of Europe.
Additionally, almost half of Europe’s water bodies will not achieve the WFD targets
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due prima-
rily to diffuse pollution and the insufficient treatment of wastewater. The use of fertilisers for
agriculture and the prevalence of emerging pollutants and pathogens all have a clear effect on
water quality – putting both human health and ecosystem conservation in jeopardy. Further-
more, the presence of pollutants in water increases the costs of water treatment and reduces
the regional economic potential. Floods contribute to impaired water quality as soil particles
are washed away from soils or as water-treatment plants stop functioning.
The availability of water resources is subject to groundwater over-abstraction and the con-
struction of infrastructures for water regulation and supply. An excessive use of groundwater
for agricultural purposes not only limits water access for other uses but also may lead to soci-
etal conflicts and to the unfair distribution of natural resources across sectors. Groundwater
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