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The WISE Water Framework Directive Quality Elements map contains information from the 2nd River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) reported by EU Members States and Norway according to article 13 of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The map shows the ecological status or potential of surface water bodies based on their quality elements status value. The following quality elements are presented: QE1 - Biological quality elements; QE1-1 - Phytoplankton; QE1-2 - Other aquatic flora QE1-2-1 - Macroalgae; QE1-2-2 - Angiosperms; QE1-2-3 - Macrophytes; QE1-2-4 - Phytobenthos; QE1-3 - Benthic invertebrates; QE1-4 - Fish; QE2 - Hydromorphological quality elements; QE2-1 - Hydrological or tidal regime; QE2-2 - River continuity conditions; QE2-3 - Morphological conditions; QE3 - Chemical and physico-chemical quality elements; QE3-1 - General parameters; QE3-1-1 - Transparency conditions; QE3-1-2 - Thermal conditions; QE3-1-3 - Oxygenation conditions; QE3-1-4 - Salinity conditions; QE3-1-5 - Acidification status; QE3-1-6 - Nutrient conditions; QE3-1-6-1 - Nitrogen conditions; QE3-1-6-2 - Phosphorus conditions and QE3-3 - River Basin Specific Pollutants.
The water exploitation index plus (WEI+) aims to illustrate pressure on renewable water resources of a defined territory (river basin, sub-basin etc.) in a given period (e.g. seasonal, annual) as a consequence of water use for human activities. Values above 20 % indicate that water resources are under stress, and above 40 % indicate severe stress and a clearly unsustainable use of freshwater resources (Raskin et al., 1997). see https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/use-of-freshwater-resources-2/assessment-3
The map presents the projected number of exreme heatwaves in the near future across Europe and the summer intensity of the urban heat island effect in 100 European cities.
The MESH+ tool builds on the EEA assessment tools developed and applied in the context of assessing the degree of contamination (CHASE+), eutrophication (HEAT+) and biodiversity (BEAT+) in Europe's seas (EEA, 2018a, 2019c; Vaughan et al., 2019). MESH+ makes use of the same data sets and threshold values used in these assessments but recombines these in a new framework that addresses 'ecosystem condition'.
Planetary boundaries are adapted from Rockström et al. (2009). Many United Nations, regional and EU policies address the risks of transgressing these boundaries. Policies for addressing the 'novel entities' boundary, i.e. hazardous substances, pharmaceuticals, etc., in Europe, are illustrated to the right and set in the context of the 7th EAP, i.e. 'living well, within limits' (EEA, 2018a). BSAP, Baltic Sea Action Plan; WFD, Water Framework Directive; SDG, Sustainable Development Goal; REACH, Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restrictions of Chemicals (Regulation); WSSD, World Summit on Sustainable Development; MSFD, Marine Strategy Frameworkd Directive.
This map shows bathing water locations and their quality for the latest as well as previous bathing seasons. All symbols are coloured according to achieved quality status in the most recent season. Data are presented on two levels: country (less detailed scales) and bathing water (more detailed scales).
The potential combined effects of human activities and pressures on marine species and habitats were estimated using the method for assessment of cumulative effects, for the entire suite of pressures and a selected set of marine species groups and habitats by an index (Halpern et al. 2008). The spatial assessment of combined effects of multiple pressures informs of the risks of human activities on the marine ecosystem health.
The chart compares the results of the Cumulative Effect Assessment with the results of the Ecosystem Health Status (MESH+) Assessment and EU Water Framwork Directive ecological status (2016).
The map describes combined effects index values for pressures caused by land-based human activities. The relative values indicate areas where the pressures potentially affect the marine ecosystem. The table shows the frequency of assessment units indicating pressure
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/find/global or scan the QR code.
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