5.1 - Introduction
5.2 - The Water Resource 5.2.1 - The hydrological cycle 5.2.2 - Water resources 5.2.3 - River flow characteristics in Europe 5.2.3.1 - Average annual runoff 5.2.3.2 - Seasonal river flow regimes 5.2.3.3 - Inter-annual variability 5.2.3.4 - Human influences on river flow regimes 5.2.3.5 - Main sources of water abstraction
5.3 - Groundwater 5.3.1 - Characteristics and distribution 5.3.2 - Recharge and loads 5.3.3 - Groundwater quantity 5.3.3.1 - Abstraction 5.3.3.2 - Potential wetland damage 5.3.3.3 - Raising of groundwater levels 5.3.4 - Groundwater pollution 5.3.4.1 - Point sources 5.3.4.2 - Nitrate leaching 5.3.4.3 - Pesticides 5.3.4.4 - Acidification
5.4 - Rivers, Reservoirs and Lakes 5.4.1 - Introduction 5.4.2 - Characteristics of European rivers, reservoirs and lakes 5.4.2.1 - European rivers 5.4.2.1.1 - Major European river catchments 5.4.2.1.2 - Major rivers in European cities 5.4.2.2 - European lakes and reservoirs 5.4.2.2.1 - Natural lakes in Europe 5.4.2.2.2 - Human-made lakes 5.4.2.2.3 - Large lakes and reservoirs in Europe 5.4.2.2.4 - Deep and shallow lakes and reservoirs 5.4.3 - Regulation of European rivers 5.4.3.1 - Reservoirs 5.4.3.1.1 - Reservoir usage 5.4.3.1.2 - Environmental problems related to reservoirs 5.4.3.2 - River channelisation 5.4.3.2.1 - Physical and biological effects 5.4.4 - Organic pollution of rivers 5.4.4.1 - Organic matter contents in European rivers 5.4.4.2 - Human activities and organic matter 5.4.4.3 - Assessment of river quality 5.4.4.4 - Trends in organic matter discharge to rivers 5.4.5 - Nutrients in European rivers and lakes 5.4.5.1 - Nutrient concentrations in European rivers 5.4.5.1.1 - Phosphorus in rivers 5.4.5.1.2 - Nitrogen in rivers 5.4.5.2 - Nutrient concentration in European lakes 5.4.5.2.1 - Phosphorus in lakes 5.4.5.2.2 - Nitrogen in lakes 5.4.5.2.3 - Phosphorus concentration in large lakes 5.4.5.3 - Impact of nutrients on lake water quality 5.4.5.3.1 - Blue-green algae and phosphorus 5.4.5.4 - Trends in nutrient concentrations 5.4.5.4.1 - Phosphorus trends 5.4.5.4.2 - Nitrogen trends 5.4.6 - Acidification of surface waters 5.4.6.1 - Acidification of surface waters in Europe 5.4.6.2 - Impact of acidification 5.4.6.3 - Acidification trends 5.4.6.4 - Critical loads 5.4.7 - Heavy metals, organic micropollutants, radioactivity and other hazards 5.4.7.1 - Heavy metals 5.4.7.1.1 - Cadmium 5.4.7.1.2 - Copper 5.4.7.1.3 - Zinc 5.4.7.2 - Organic micropollutants 5.4.7.2.1 - Accidents and leakage from waste disposal sites 5.4.7.3 - Radioactivity 5.4.7.3.1 - Nuclear power production and radioactive waste 5.4.7.3.2 - Accidents 5.4.7.4 - Other hazards 5.4.7.4.1 - Pathogens 5.4.7.4.2 - Salinisation 5.5 - Conclusions 5.5.1 - The water resource 5.5.2 - Groundwater 5.5.3 - Rivers and lakes in Europe 5.5.4 - Endpiece