27 April 2017: The EU published its first ‘Urban Water Atlas for Europe,’ which provides an overview of the sustainability of water use in 40 European cities. The atlas provides a ‘Blue City Index’ that ranks cities’ performance on water management against 25 indicators related to water, waste and climate change. It also calculates a ‘water footprint’ for each city, based on a combination of domestic water use and consumption of agricultural products that may represent water use in other countries. Amsterdam emerged as the city with the highest Blue City Index score, based on its strong wastewater treatment practices and action for adaptation to climate change.

The atlas was presented at a meeting of water ministers in Valetta, Malta. Production of the atlas was funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme. [Publication: Urban Water Atlas for Europe] [Report Website] [EU Press Release]