Freshwater appropriation in Europe - A preliminary assessment of current conditions, knowledge gaps and resilience prospects

In this contribution, we analyze the level of water appropriation in European watersheds, using available estimates of water demand and water availability to compute the ratio of demand to availability in the European Union’s river basins. We highlight that demands are more uncertain than availability and deserve further research. Nevertheless, currently available estimates enable a screening level assessment. Water demand usually represents 10-50% of renewable water availability and may even exceed 100% in some regions, implying direct o

Source: op.europa.eu