Transcript What did we talk about yesterday?

Water Resource Efficiency Workshop
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th June, 2011
European Environment Agency, Copenhagen
What did we learn from
yesterday’s discussions?
Agreed (1)
• Terminology needs to be clarified (difference between
technological and economic efficiency, difference
between « private » and « social » efficiency e.g.)
• There is no relevance to estimate an « EU wide »
target as water efficiency is « context relevant » (needs
to account for the specificities of the « humanecosystem »)
• Distance to target – not for « water resource
efficiency » (unlike energy) but for the « status » of
water (« water balance », GES, ecosystem resilience… )
Agreed (2)
• Data availability (and acceptance from MS….) is a
driving factor for defining indicators that can be
monitored in a « sustainable manner »
• There might be logicical steps for EU wide (EEA)
assessments:
– Step 1 – water scarcity index (seasonal, monthly?), WFD
status assessment (basin, water body)
– Step 2 – for hot spot, « demonstrate » with case studies
the logics behind « water resource efficiency » (with
water productivity and economic efficiency as relevant
indicator in their « system’s context »)
More work to be done (1)
• The « purpose »/goal of investigating water
resource efficiency needs to be clarified
• Linking water and other resources (e.g. water
+ energy + … jointly « captured » in
indicators/assessments)
• The potential for water trading and adequate
pricing as mechanisms for improving « water
resource efficiency »
More work to be done (2)
• Scales
– Country level indicators
• => trend analysis (as compared to country-based and sector-based
(GDP-based) comparisons that might have limited relevance…)
• Need to test « global » approaches: 1) GDP - natural capital, 2)
Matrix – GDP + water balance + emission + combined indicators
• Is there space for imports/exports, virtual water, footprint, bluegreen-gray…
– Local level assessment => work to be done on « the
assessment hydro-logic » to account for society’s (and not
private) optimum (economy, ecology, social…. Looking at
different sectors at once)
We also discussed about…
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The EC Blue print
Green growth
Values, pricing/subsidies
Tradable permits
…
Water Resource Efficiency Workshop
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th June, 2011
European Environment Agency, Copenhagen
Comments, additional thoughts, reactions?