Europe must better manage its water resources to guarantee its citizens good quality water, the European Environment Agency warns in a report, pointing out that only 37% of surface water on the European continent is in good or very good ecological health.

“The health of European waters is not good. Our waters are facing a series of unprecedented problems that threaten Europe’s water security”, says the organization’s director Leena Ila-Mononen in a statement.

As for her chemical health of surface water, it is only good at 29% of cases, compared to 77% for the aquifer, where most of the drinking water consumed by Europeans comes from.

Good chemical health means the absence of excessive pollution from organic elements and from harmful chemicals such as perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) and microplastics.

Surface waters are threatened by air pollution (combustion of carbon, car emissions, etc.) and the agriculture which produces large amounts of waste that pollutes the soil.

“European agriculture should increase the use of more sustainable natural and agroecological practices accompanied by incentives and a change in our eating habits,” according to the European Environment Agency’s report.

The European organization has analyzed 120,000 outdoor water surfaces and 3.8 million square kilometers of groundwater in 19 European Union countries and Norway and calls for a 50% reduction in herbicide use by 2030.

“We must redouble our efforts to restore the health of our precious waterways, lakes, coastal waters and other water bodies so that this vital resource is preserved and safe for future generations,” Leena points out. Ila-Mononen.

The effects of climate change (drought and floods) and overexploitation of water resources are also putting pressure on water resources.

Limiting water consumption and restoring ecosystems must be priorities for governments at a time when water resources are under pressure from climate change, heavy rainfall, melting glaciers and drought, according to the report.