Water crisis in Austria: urgent reforms for drinking water supply!

Water crisis in Austria: urgent reforms for drinking water supply!

Wien, Österreich - The drinking water supply in Austria faces considerable challenges, which are due to the climate heating and the insufficient regulation of the water withdrawals. A new study by Greenpeace Austria shows alarming effects on the water levels in rivers, while more than two thirds of the groundwater in Austria have low or very low stands. The situation is still exacerbated by the high water consumption of industry, which is considered the largest water user in the country, followed by the needs of drinking water supply, agriculture and tourism. ots.at

Agriculture is mentioned as a little -regarded factor because the water withdrawals are hardly measured. According to the Court of Auditors, there is a critical data on these withdrawals, which makes targeted regulation impossible. Therefore, there are demands of social actors such as Younion and AK Vienna for a reliable data basis via a digital registration register that records the annual water requirement. Class = "source_1"> ots.at

need for action in the water strategy

The water resilience strategy presented by the EU requires the Member States to develop national water strategies. Austria is required to develop clear regulations for crisis cases, since the responsibility is currently mainly among the communities. Another central concern is the rectification in the Water Law Act in order to grant the drinking water supply priority. Federal Minister Norbert Tettschnig is asked to take measures to protect the water immediately.

In addition, a report by the European Environment Agency (EUA) shows that only 37 percent of surface waters in the EU achieved a "good" or "very good" ecological state in 2021. The pressure on the waters continues to increase due to the high water consumption and pollution, in particular through industrial and agrarchemicals. Durable pollutants, including microplastics and special chemicals, is a major challenge for water supply and quality. europarl.eu

The role of agriculture

Agriculture is described as the greatest burden on surface and groundwater in Europe. The causes lie not only in water consumption, but also in the considerable pollution by nutrients and pesticides. In view of the climate change, which is likely to increase the need for irrigation, the urgency of sustainable water management is clear. The report indicates that agricultural operators often do not have current information on the amount of water and quality that are decisive for efficient management. class = "source_3"> eea.europa.eu

In order to improve the water supply, a reduction in water consumption and an increase in efficiency is required. The determination of targets for water savings could be helpful. Measures for the renaturation of moisture areas could also promote healthier fresh water ecosystems and thus contribute to improving general water quality. eea.europa.eu