Introduction:
Water Pollution & Water Resources
A
wide range of human activities affect water availability and quality especially
in areas with a high population density, concentrated industrial activity and
intensive agriculture.
Only
a small fraction of the world's population has access to tap water that is
suitable for drinking. In the European Union, this service is taken for
granted, and it is forgotten that this is not the case everywhere. The
indicators selected by the panels of water experts will give a comprehensive
description of the pressures imposed on quality and availability of water
resources and of the success of environmental policy to reduce them.
The
Fifth Environmental Action Programme lists the following key targets for the
year 2000:
- the
prevention of over-exploitation of ground water and surface water for drinking
water or industrial or other purposes;
- the
prevention of pollution of ground water from diffuse sources; and
- a
better ecological quality of surface and marine water.
The
indicators formulated by the Scientific Advisory Groups for the policy field
Water
Pollution & Water Resources
go into more detail: nutrients, overuse of ground water resources, pesticides,
heavy metals and organic matter are listed as the most important pressures on
water. A more general indicator "wastewater treated" is also included as a
measure of the efforts invested in the protection of water quality.
