21 March 2016: The European Environment Agency released two publications before World Water Day on 22 March. The reports indicate that forest cover has increased in Europe since 1990, but water stress is increasingly common in many countries, with more than 14% of the population living under conditions of water stress during the summer months.

The forests report, titled ‘European Forest Ecosystems: State and Trends,’ identifies habitat loss and degradation, invasive alien species, pollution and climate change as the four main challenges to the health of European forests, while logging, urban sprawl and human leisure activities are also having some impacts.

Nevertheless, the authors report that forests remain the dominant natural habitat across most of Europe, with more than 40% of its land area characterized as forested. Most of the forest, around 70%, can be found in six countries: Finland, France, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. European forests have expanded by about 10% since 1990; however only 26% of forest species and 15% of forest habitats were considered to be in “favorable nature conservation status.”

The authors anticipate that increased periods of drought and warmer winters will have negative impacts on forests, due to the possible rise of alien invasive species, diseases and pathogens. They call for improving regional-level research, data collection and monitoring, and for making use of national forest inventories.

On water, the EEA published an indicator assessment on the ‘Use of Freshwater Resources,’ which shows how water is being used around the region. The assessment demonstrates that water stress is increasing in parts of Europe, highlighting, in particular, the situation of the Balearic Islands, Crete, Cyprus, Malta and Sicily. Water stress in Europe is driven by growing urban populations, higher living standards, alongside reduced water availability due to pollution and drought. The authors find that around 70 million Europeans experience water stress during the summer months, equivalent to 14% of the total population of Europe.

They also find that tourism has become a major pressure on renewable water resources, especially in small Mediterranean islands, where severe water stress occurs when tourist numbers amount to 10 to 15 times the local population.

Water stress is calculated using a Water Exploitation Index (WEI) that looks at the percentage of total freshwater used compared to the total renewable freshwater resources. The authors recommend adopting formally agreed thresholds for water stress, noting that this is important for defining areas that are under stress. [EEA News Release on Forests Report] [Publication: European Forest Ecosystems: State and Trends] [EEA News Release on Water Indicator Assessment] [Publication: Use of Freshwater Resources]