Figure
Water exploitation index
European data
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- EEA standard re-use policy: unless otherwise indicated, re-use of content on the EEA website for commercial or non-commercial purposes is permitted free of charge, provided that the source is acknowledged (https://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright). Copyright holder: European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters (ICM).
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Owners:
- European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters (ICM)
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Processors:
- European Environment Agency (EEA)
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Figure type:
- Map
Additional information
The water exploitation index (WEI), or withdrawal ratio, is defined as the mean annual total demand for fresh water divided by the long-term average freshwater resource. A WEI of more than 20 % is indicative of a water-stressed area particularly during drought or low river flow periods (Figure 8.1.). Using the 20 % criterion, about 31 % of the European population lives in countries suffering from high water stress, and 71 % in countries where water abstraction is more than 10 % of renewable freshwater resources. Even if a country has sufficient water resources at the national level there may be problems in dry regions or around large cities.
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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/water-exploitation-index or scan the QR code.
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