ETC/ICM Report 1/2016: Use of freshwater resources in Europe 2002-2012 - Supplementary document to the European Environment Agency’s core set indicator 018

Publication date: 08 Apr 2016

Authors: Nils Hettich

This ETC/ICM Technical Report provides an overview of the availability and use of quantities of freshwater water resources in Europe covering the years from 2002 to 2012. It describes the methodology and data sources used for this complex analysis approach of (natural capital) water accounting based on the conceptual framework of the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic Accounting for Water. This framework allows through its integrated structure to analyze the multi-dimensional relations between environmental water resources and their economic use. 
Moreover the report documents the results, databases used and tools applied for the updating of the European Environment Agency’s core set indicator (CSI) 018 on ‘Use of freshwater resources’, also referred to as Water Exploitation Index plus (WEI+). 
The absence of a common set of internationally agreed criteria in water accounting is a potential reason for differences in comparisons to national water balances. The European Topic Centre on inland, coastal and marine water together with EEA are continuously trying to improve the data coverage and methodology for water accounting in Europe and hence updates of this report are planned. 

Prepared by:

ETC/ICM members: George Bariamis, Alexandros Zachos, Dimitris Panagos, Ioannis Konstantinou, Evangelos Baltas, Maria Mimikou (NTUA)

EEA member: Nihat Zal

Published by: ETC/ICM, April 2016, 62 pp. 

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