Published : Nov 14,
2012 Last modified : Nov 29, 2012 11:54
AM
Water pollution and physical modifications
are still affecting the ecology of many
of Europe’s lakes, rivers, transitional
water bodies and coastal waters. These problems
are likely to prevent the water bodies reaching
‘good’ status by 2015, a target set by the
EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD).
EU Member States look
set to miss upcoming targets by a wide margin,
so they need to urgently step up efforts
to protect both human health and the ecosystems
we rely on.
The report, ‘European
waters - assessment of status and pressures’,
published this week by the European Environment
Agency (EEA), considers the status of 104
000 rivers, 19 000 lakes, and 4000 transitional
and coastal water bodies reported by EU
Member States according to the WFD and the
river basin management plans (RBMPs). The
authors conclude that water bodies are generally
improving, but not quickly enough to meet
the targets set by the WFD – in fact only
52 % of water bodies are predicted to achieve
good ecological status by 2015, according
to Member States own plans.
Jacqueline McGlade,
EEA Executive Director, said: “European
waters have improved a great deal over the
last two decades, as legislation has successfully
reduced many types of pollution and improved
wastewater treatment. But EU Member States
look set to miss upcoming targets by a wide
margin, so they need to urgently step up
efforts to protect both human health and
the ecosystems we rely on.”
For surface waters,
there are two separate classifications:
ecological and chemical status. Groundwater
bodies are classified according to their
chemical status and quantitative status.
For a water body to be in overall good status,
both types must be at least good.
More than half of the
surface water bodies in Europe were reported
to be below good ecological status or potential
status, according to the latest data showing
status up to 2009.
Many European water
bodies remain polluted by excess nutrients,
mainly from fertiliser, the report notes.
When fertilisers run off from croplands
into a water body, it can create eutrophication,
a process characterised by increased plant
growth and harmful algal blooms, depletion
of oxygen and subsequent loss of life in
bottom water. Diffuse pollution from agriculture
is a significant pressure for more than
40 % of Europe’s water bodies in rivers
and coastal waters, and in one third of
lakes and transitional waters.
Ecological status also
includes considerations of ‘hydromorphology’
– the extent to which the shape of water
bodies and natural flow of the river has
been altered. Dams, straightening and dredging
alter habitats and damage ecosystems. Hydromorphological
pressures resulting in altered habitats
is the most common pressure on water bodies,
affecting around 40 % of rivers and transitional
water bodies and 30 % of the lakes. The
report calls for the ‘re-naturation’ of
many water bodies to restore their natural
features, such as restoring the natural
continuity of rivers.
Chemical status refers
to levels of heavy metals and other harmful
substances. While 10 % of Europe’s surface
water bodies are in poor chemical status,
there are no chemical status data available
for 40 % of Europe’s surface waters. Ground
water bodies are in a worse condition –
approximately 25 % of groundwater, by area,
has poor chemical status across Europe.
Sixteen Member States have more than 10
% of groundwater bodies in poor chemical
status. This figure exceeds 50 % in Luxembourg,
the Czech Republic, Belgium (Flanders) and
Malta.
Overall, concentrations
of several water pollutants are falling
in many river basins. For example, if ammonium
and phosphorous levels continue to decline
at their current rate, they will be at levels
that meet good status by 2015 and 2027 respectively.
Nitrates are also falling, although this
pollutant will still be too high for several
decades at the current rate of decrease,
according to the report.
The challenges for river
basin management are numerous and diverse,
the report says. The RBMPs submitted by
Member States distinguish between different
types of pressures faced by river basins,
however they include less detail on how
these pressures will be addressed and to
what extent selected measures will contribute
to achieving environmental objectives in
2015.
To maintain and improve
the essential functions of our water ecosystems,
they need to be managed better, the report
says. This can only succeed if an integrated
approach is adopted, as introduced in the
WFD and related water legislation. All sectors
in a river basin need to fully implement
the WFD to reduce pressures on water bodies,
ensuring all users are committed to healthy
water bodies achieving good status.
The report is launched
to coincide with the launch of the European
Commission’s Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s
water resources, intended to improve implementation
of existing water legislation and show opportunities
for further policy improvements.
+ More
Berlin park wins award
for its soundscape design
Published : Nov 07,
2012 Last modified : Nov 13, 2012 02:30
PM
A city park in Berlin has won the European
Soundscape Award for its innovative design
which cuts traffic noise and creates a more
attractive acoustic environment. The prize,
presented at a ceremony in London by the
European Environment Agency (EEA) and the
Noise Abatement Society (NAS), is intended
to raise awareness of the health impacts
of noise and recognise initiatives that
help create more tranquil environments.
Winner and runner-up
with awards
Noise pollution is not
only a nuisance - it can also affect human
health when it increases stress levels or
disturbs sleep. Prolonged exposure can even
trigger serious illness such as hypertension
and heart disease.
Across Europe, at least
100 million people are exposed to damaging
levels of noise just from road traffic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates
that each year Europeans lose at least 1
million healthy life years due to traffic-related
noise. Giving people better access to tranquil
places can on the other hand enhance mental
and physical health and improve quality
of life.
This year was the second
time the EEA and NAS encouraged applications
for the European Soundscape Award. The competition
was open to any product, campaign, innovation
or scheme offering a creative solution to
the problem of noise. The organisers received
10 entries spanning 11 countries, covering
a wide range of initiatives in the field
of noise control or soundscape management.
The winner of the European
Soundscape Award 2012
A German consortium
led by Prof. Dr. Brigitte Schulte-Fortkamp,
Technische Universität Berlin won the
European Soundscape Award 2012 for the remodelling
of Nauener Platz, a city park in Berlin.
The winning project had a highly participatory
approach, involving residents and people
working in the area. Ideas for creating
a new attractive park were collected through
public discussions and workshops. The people
behind the project also organised ’sound
walks’ to be sure local people’s expertise
was considered in the reconstruction of
the park’s soundscape. One of their contributions
was to identify the areas they felt were
most noisy.
Although traffic can still be heard in Nauener
Platz, users feel that the park has a much
more pleasant atmosphere. This was achieved
by installing devices in sculptures and
benches playing recorded sounds of birds
and water. The consortium also built a 1.5
m sound barrier made of stone and plants
at one side of the park close to playground.
Benches for parents were situated directly
behind the wall to increase the noise reduction
effect. The redesign of the park also included
more attractive playgrounds, sports areas
and green spaces which increased the lively
sounds from human activities.
European Soundscape
Award 2012 - runner-up prize
Estonian NGO Ökokratt
won the runner-up prize for its educational
project ‘Noise is not music’. The project
aimed to raise awareness of the adverse
impacts of noise among children and young
people. Approximately 30,000 children from
214 different schools and institutions participated.
The project educated
100 teachers about noise and its health
impacts. The teachers subsequently planned
and implemented a ‘Silence Week’ at their
respective schools and institutions. The
multi-faceted project also brought together
many other activities involving schoolchildren,
including a research project competition,
resulting in a play by a theatre group.
Several groups also created noise maps and
monitored noise levels in their own classrooms
(video).
