Water savings in key economic sectors can help improve EU’s water resilience

Achieving water savings is increasingly urgent. Water scarcity, driven by climate change, is impacting water availability. The over-exploitation of freshwater resources persists in certain hotspots and is projected to worsen in the future. Southern Europe and densely populated areas will be particularly affected. Further improvements in water efficiency will be essential in strengthening the EU’s resilience to unpredictable water availability. 

The EEA briefing ‘Water savings for a water-resilient Europe’ says the economic sectors with the highest water abstraction levels also have the potential to save the most water. They should be considered as priority sectors where significant water savings can be made. These include key economic sectors like electricity production, agriculture, public water supply and manufacturing.

Water savings for a water-resilient Europe

Reducing losses and leakages and improving water efficiency through technical and operational measures will significantly increase water savings. Diversifying water supply with non-conventional sources such as reuse, desalination, and rainwater harvesting can also help enhance water resilience, provided there is also careful consideration of the impacts of such measures on energy use, climate mitigation, human health and ecosystems.