Water Conservation and Current Situation in the EU

Transcription

1 Water and Agriculture: a core challenge! An environmental NGOs perspective Wim Van Gils European water conference - 02/04/09

2 Headlines 1. Transparent and publicly owned water management 2. Reducing wastage and using water well 3. More space for living rivers 4. Clean and healthy water for people and nature 5. Visionary and adaptive water policies

3 Reducing wastage and using water well River-basins are overexploited Groundwater bodies are over exploited Agriculture is biggest water user in EU Climate change will make the situation in large parts of the EU worse

4 Reducing wastage: water pricing NGO survey shows water pricing measures in current RBMP s are least aimed at agriculture (most households) aimed at financial cost recovery not judged of as being effective

5 Survey results: Reducing wastage only in 5 cases water saving objectives are set (2 cases: targets for sectors) in 9 cases technologies are promoted voluntary measures seem mostly not effective Agriculture practices are not questionned yet tthey use most of the water

6 How about Flanders? Water quantity not an issue? Water availability Flanders lower then PT, SP, IT

7 How about Flanders? Agriculture consumes < 10% of total water use, mostly groundwater Water consumption has slightly decreased Groundwater levy depends on the status of the GWB No new permits for groundwater abstractions in some area s Existing permits are revised Water audits, support for water-saving technology,

8 Clean and healthy water EU: % of nitrogen load comes from agriculture Flanders: all surface waters are at risk, most of them due to N and P levels 37 % of the GWB suffer from nitrates pollution, values over 750 mg/l are measured weak and uneffective policy: very few improvements (possibly temporary) nitrates are a problem for drinking water production in certain area s Existing measures and policies are not enough!

9 Clean and healthy water in BE, DK, FR, DE, NL and UK between 5-10% of resources regularly contain pesticides in excess of the legal limit of 0.1 μg/l. In Flanders, 50 % of the GWB suffer from pollution with pesticides id Water industry spends millions per year to eliminate i pesticides id from water sources

10 Clean and healthy water We need a transition proces to get a sustainible agriculture efficiënt with natural resources minimizing its environmental impact This means adapting to natural conditions (eg crops) adapting to changing conditions re-thinking practices ces (organic, integrated, ) closing (nutrient) cycles getting over taboo s (space)

11 Clean and healthy water The WFD (framework & instruments) should play an important role in this transition Financial mechanisms of the EU are crucial The farmers themselves need to be convinced of the need of this transition (public participation i?). The costs from agricultural water pressures (pollution, abstraction, erosion) are in general not, or barely, internalised.

12 Conclusion A core challenge! WFD offers instruments to tackle this problem. Climate change = major challenge Current RBMP s not convincing, current measures not enough A fair contribution from agriculture necessary

13 Thanks Wim Van Gils Water Policy Officer Bond Beter Leefmilieu