Water use in Europe

The EEA report on water use in EU, is challenging decision makers to act more for water efficiency. Europeans use billions of cubic metres of water every year not only for drinking water, but also for use in farming, manufacturing, heating and cooling, tourism and other service sectors. With thousands of freshwater lakes, rivers and underground water sources available, the supply of water in Europe may seem limitless. But population growth, urbanisation, pollution and the effects of climate change, such as persistent droughts, are putting a huge strain on Europe’s water supplies and on its quality. Water use by most economic sectors has decreased in Europe since the 1990s, thanks to many measures taken to improve efficiency, such as better water pricing or technological improvements in appliances and machines. but climate change is expected to aggravate this water deficit further. Given this, we all have to use water much more efficiently. Moreover, saving water will also help us save other resources and help conserve nature.