Risk Assessment of Water Resources

Dear Colleagues,

With the increase in population, urbanization, and economic development, the demand for fresh water in urban areas in Europe is increasing. At the same time, the availability of water for urban residents is also affected by climate change and the level of pollution. Freshwater resources are widely recognized as the main source of water intended for human consumption as well as being an essential element of any ecosystem. The sustainable development and skillful use of water resources has increasingly become a challenge for water companies in recent years due to the growing demand for water and the changing climate from year to year. According to the data of the European Environment Agency (EEA), about 248,000 million m³ of water is withdrawn in Europe to meet the needs of European economies, including those resulting from the right to water. It is estimated that more than three-quarters of European citizens live in urban areas and depend on access to clean water. About one-fifth of the total freshwater extracted in Europe is supplied to municipal water systems. Both developed and developing countries face the problem of an imbalance between the supply of and demand for water. According to the findings of the EEA, prolonged periods of low rainfall and drought, as well as the misuse of water resources, have placed the balance between water demand and water availability at a critical level in many European countries. In light of these considerations and the increasing pressure on water resources, measures should be taken to reduce the occurrence of water shortages, especially in the summer. These activities should focus primarily on water resource risk analyses, preventing the over-exploitation of water resources, and the rational use of water, which will directly contribute to minimizing the amount of water abstracted and its rational use. These activities should be undertaken primarily at the local as well as regional levels and should be tailored to the individual needs of individual regions. However, this requires more detailed hydro-meteorological monitoring and detailed research in areas, where water consumption is already high and water resources are low.

Dr. Izabela Piegdon
Dr. Dawid Szpak
Dr. Krzysztof Boryczko
Guest Editors

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• risk analysis
• risk assessment
• water resources
• water balance
• climate change
• water supply
• safety
• water management