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Water exploitation index (WEI+)

The regionalised water exploitation index (WEI+) measures total fresh water use as a percentage of the long-term annual average available water (LTAA) from renewable fresh water resources (groundwater and surface water) at a given time and place. It quantifies how much water is abstracted and how much is returned after use to the environment via basins. The difference between water abstraction and return is regarded as water consumption, and in combination with LTAA, illustrates the pressure on renewable freshwater resources due to water abstraction. In the absence of Europe-wide agreed formal targets, values above 20 % are generally considered to be a sign of water scarcity, while values equal or greater than 40 % indicate situations of severe water scarcity , meaning the use of freshwater resources is unsustainable. Annual calculations of the WEI+ at national level do not reflect uneven spatial and seasonal distribution of resources and may therefore mask water stress which occurs on a seasonal or regional basis. The indicator is a result of data modelling by the EEA based on data from the WISE SoE-Water quantity database (WISE 3) and other open sources (JRC, Eurostat, OECD, FAO) and including gap filling methods.

File:Water exploitation index (WEI+), EU, 2000-2017 (% of renewable water resources).png

Figure 11: Water exploitation index plus (WEI+), EU, 2000-2017 (% of renewable water resources)
Source: EEA (Eurostat (sdg_06_60))

File:Water exploitation index (WEI+), by country, 2012 and 2017 (% of renewable water resources).png

Figure 12: Water exploitation index plus (WEI+), by country, 2012 and 2017 (% of renewable water resources)
Source: EEA (Eurostat (sdg_06_60))