Indicator Assessment
Water requirement
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- Between 1975 and 2006 clear trends, both positive and negative, were evident in water requirement across Europe, with marked spatial variability. A significant increase in water demand (50-70 %) occurred mainly in Mediterranean areas; large decreases were recorded mainly in northern and central European regions.
- Current trends and future scenarios depict an increase in the demand for water in agriculture, potentially increasing competition for water between sectors and uses.
Meteorological water balance in selected parts of Europe 1975-2007
Note: Surplus means positive values of meteorological water balance.
Genovese, G. (ed.), 2004a. Methodology of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System. Vol. 1 to Vol. 4, EUR-report 21291 EN.
Genovese, G., 2004b. Methodology of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System. EUR 21291 EN/14. http://mars.jrc. it/marsstat/Crop_Yield_Forecasting/METAMP/.
Rate of change of the meteorological water balance 1975-2007
Note: The rate of change of the 'meteorological water balance', expressed in m3 ha-1 y-1 The map provides an estimate of the increase (red in the map) or decrease (blue in the map) of the volume of water required from irrigation in order to ensure that crop growth is not limited by water stress.
Genovese, G. (ed.), 2004a. Methodology of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System. Vol. 1 to Vol. 4, EUR-report 21291 EN.
Genovese, G., 2004b. Methodology of the MARS Crop Yield Forecasting System. EUR 21291 EN/14. http://mars.jrc. it/marsstat/Crop_Yield_Forecasting/METAMP/.
Past trends
Systematic observations of water demand for agriculture do not exist at the European scale, however local trends can be reconstructed by using meteorological data. On average, the rate of increase in water demand is around 50 m3/ha/year, but in some cases (Italy, Greece, Maghreb, central Spain, southern France and Germany) it is more than 150-200 m3/ha/year. Areas with upward trends in the water balance (due mainly to an increase in rainfall), have been observed in the Balkan Peninsula, the Alpine region, Scandinavia, Scotland, Benelux, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, as well as in many Turkish areas. In the Mediterranean area, a worsening meteorological water deficit (declining water balance) has been observed over the past 32 years.
Projections
No quantitative projections of irrigation demand are available. Many climatic projections for Europe (IPCC, 2007) foresee a very likely precipitation increase in the north and a decrease in the south, especially during the summer. Also the extremes of daily precipitation are projected to increase in the north and the annual number of rainy days to decrease in the Mediterranean.
The risk of summer drought is therefore likely to increase in central Europe and in the Mediterranean area. Agricultural crops will be affected, among other factors, in positive and negative ways by changes in the length and timing of the vegetative cycle. Crop management will have to be adapted in order to try to avoid crucial development stages sensitive to water-stress (flowering, grain filling, etc.) occurring during generally dry periods.
Indicator definition
- Rate of change of the meteorological water balance 1975-2007
- Meteorological water balance in selected parts of Europe 1975-2007
Units
Policy context and targets
Context description
In April 2009 the European Commission presented a White Paper on the framework for adaptation policies and measures to reduce the European Union's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. The aim is to increase the resilience to climate change of health, property and the productive functions of land, inter alia by improving the management of water resources and ecosystems. More knowledge is needed on climate impact and vulnerability but a considerable amount of information and research already exists which can be shared better through a proposed Clearing House Mechanism. The White Paper stresses the need to mainstream adaptation into existing and new EU policies. A number of Member States have already taken action and several have prepared national adaptation plans. The EU is also developing actions to enhance and finance adaptation in developing countries as part of a new post-2012 global climate agreement expected in Copenhagen (Dec. 2009). For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
Targets
No targets have been specified
Related policy documents
No related policy documents have been specified
Methodology
Methodology for indicator calculation
Methodology for gap filling
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Methodology references
No methodology references available.
Uncertainties
Methodology uncertainty
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Data sets uncertainty
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_4/pp193-207CC2008_ch8_Data_gaps.pdf
Rationale uncertainty
No uncertainty has been specified
Data sources
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Monitoring Agricultural ResourceS (MARS)
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Other info
Typology: Descriptive indicator (Type A - What is happening to the environment and to humans?)
- CLIM 033
Permalinks
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Geographic coverage
Temporal coverage
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/water-requirement/water-requirement-assessment-published-sep-2008 or scan the QR code.
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