Europe and ways to, Matheus Colucci and Victor Ilic
currently, Europe and ways to, Europe and ways to, Europe and ways to, map, map. This topic has been discussed in several forums around the world., by countries and international organizations and even in the private sphere, with the emergence of the so-called Stakeholder Capitalism and its ESG agenda.
Within this very relevant debate nowadays, the issue of water becomes very important, since it is an extremely essential resource for human life and is increasingly lacking, generating several crises in world geopolitics. currently, the european continent has been an example in the preservation of the environment and water, but it wasn't always like that. few centuries ago, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, many rivers have been polluted by industry activity, However, this scenario has changed radically..
The best example of this is the River Thames., in England, which for a long time had its waters in a bad state due to the high levels of pollution, but nowadays this river is extremely clean, which demonstrates the European concern with this theme. The European population has not had problems with water and its scarcity, but there is fear for the future, as it is a matter of global concern, mainly due to the fact that there are certain places in the old continent that are more likely to suffer from it, for example the Iberian countries and Greece.
In Europe billions of cubic meters of water are used every year, for public supply and for economic purpose activities, which according to an index of the European Environment Agency (AEA), are responsible for the consumption of 243 000 cubic hectometers per year, in which only agriculture represents 40% of the total water used in Europe while the industrial energy sector is responsible for 28% of annual consumption. With population growth added to climate change, it is common for certain regions to suffer from water stress.
Like this, in view of the importance of this resource, several efforts have already been taken by countries with the aim of preserving it and the EUâs concern with water stands out in the âBlueprint to Safeguard Europeâs Water Resourcesâ, communiquĂ© of the EU Commission made in 2012, that aims at a long-term strategy to guarantee the availability of water, as well as its quality, through better implementation of EU water policies. However, the EU's concern about water is not current, for more than two decades, the organization has established guidelines such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD) that seeks to prevent and reduce pollution, promote the sustainable use of water, protect the aquatic environment and reduce the impacts of flooding, in addition, the WFD is supported by other more specific directives such as the Groundwater Directive, the Drinking Water Directive and the Bathing Water Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, the Environmental Quality Standards Directive and the Floods Directive. These guidelines in addition to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), were responsible for good results mainly in the protection of bathing water, However, when it comes to rivers, lagos, estuaries and coastal waters, countries have had difficulty maintaining good ecological status.
In addition to the legislative efforts made by the EU government, other initiatives such as the SUWANU EUROPE project, focusing on the reuse of water for irrigation in agriculture, aims to promote joint action and the exchange of knowledge between the various actors working with the reuse of water in agriculture. They operate in eight different regions of Europe and have several organizations as partners., research groups and companies in the sector.
In view of the predictions of the World Resources Institute, 2019, which warn of a possible scarcity of water until 2040, where more than half a billion people will suffer from such a disease, the European Union proposed a standardization for its members regarding the reuse of water, exclusively with regard to agriculture. In addition, It is worth mentioning that the reuse of water is already an old idea, However, what changes with the implementation of this law is the establishment of a regulation for all that specifically dictates the conditions of the water.
After the implementation of this regulation, an estimate was made that, if the EU invests 700 millions, a total of 6.600 million cubic meters of water could be reused across Europe in the year 2025, that is, six times more than they currently reuse. Given the above, it is clear that once such an application is carried out, the old continent will be able to make better use of water in view of the high consumption of this resource by agriculture and livestock.
Therefore, according to the points presented, it can be seen that Europe, in particular the European Union, is planning ways to deal with a resource as relevant as water. After all, already understood what the possible consequences of climate change will be, which is why they are at the forefront of implementing ESG measures at both the government and private levels.
References:
European Parliament approves the increase in the reuse of effluents. Water treatment portal. News date: 18 jun. 2021. Available in: https://tratamentodeagua.com.br/parlamento-europeu-aprova-reuso-efluentes/. Access in: 19 nov. 2021.
Brunings, Tatia. Gronin, Ida Helena. Outhouse, Annalies. Alleviating Water Scarcity Across the EU: The Contribution of the European Unionâs Proposal for a Regulation on Water Reuse in the Agricultural Sector. European Law Blog. News date: 27 Apr. 2021. https://europeanlawblog.eu/2020/04/27/alleviating-water-scarcity-across-the-eu-the-contribution-of-the-european-unions-proposal-for-a-regulation-on-water-reuse-in-the-agricultural-sector/. Access in: 19 nov. 2021.
COURIER, Christian. Water protection and management. 2021. Available in: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/74/water-protection-and-management. Access in: 20 nov. 2021.
Water use in Europe â Quantity and quality face major challenges. that the EU is using its authority as far as possible. Available in: https://www.eea.europa.eu/pt/sinais-da-aea/sinais-2018/artigos/utilizacao-da-agua-na-europa. Access in: 20 nov. 2021.
About Us. SUWANU EUROPE Available in: https://suwanu-europe.eu/water-reuse-projects-europe/. Access in: 20 nov. 2021.
