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Press release
The vast majority of bathing water sites in Europe met the European Union's most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2023, according to the latest annual bathing water assessment published today. This represents 85% of Europe’s popular bathing waters. As much as 96% of all officially identified bathing waters in the EU met the minimum quality standards, with only 1.5% rated as ‘poor'.
The assessment, put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, highlights where swimmers can find safe bathing sites in Europe this summer. It focuses specifically on safety for bathing, through monitoring of bacteria which can cause serious illness in people, rather than general water quality.
The highest share of excellent bathing waters is found in Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Austria. In Belgium, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria and Romania, all officially identified bathing waters met at least the minimum quality standard in 2023.
The bathing quality of coastal water is generally better compared to inland water. In 2023, 89% of coastal bathing sites classified are of excellent quality, compared to just under 79% of inland bathing waters.
It is encouraging to see once again that European citizens can reap the benefits of over 40 years of strong investments in improving the quality of our bathing waters to make them as clean as possible. Continued regular monitoring by the Member States of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes and other freshwater will be crucial for our health and wellbeing and for the environment as climate change is leading to more extreme weather like heavy rains which can negatively impact water quality.
Swimming in bathing waters with poor quality is not just a health risk; it also undermines the trust of our citizens. With the vast majority of bathing sites across Europe achieving excellent quality, Europeans can enjoy safe standards for their swimming activities this summer. Building on the EU’s comprehensive water legislation and our zero-pollution ambition, we remain steadfast in our commitment to enhancing water resilience and strive towards securing a constantly higher level of protection. This dedication is vital for both the health of our people and the protection of our environment, ensuring that Europe remains a global leader in water quality and environmental stewardship.
Since the adoption of the Bathing Water Directive in 2006, the share of ‘excellent’ sites has grown and has now stabilised at around 85% of all sites achieving excellent status over the last few years. The share of bathing waters with poor water quality has dropped in the past decade and is now stable since 2015. However, health risks in swimming in unsafe bathing waters persist at certain sites.
The assessment for today’s report is based on the monitoring of 22,081 bathing sites across Europe that were reported to the EEA for the 2023 season. This includes sites in all EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland. It is based on data reported by Member States for the 2020-2023 bathing seasons.
Alongside this year's Bathing Water Report, the EEA has also released an updated interactive map showing the performance of each bathing site. Updated country reports are also available, as well as more information on the implementation of the directive in countries.
Although most of Europe’s bathing waters are in excellent condition from a bacteriological perspective, pollution of surface and groundwaters remains significant and may be exacerbated by the changing climate. Improving water resilience for people and for the environment in coming years will be key.
The Bathing Water Directive, complementing the Water Framework Directive, is one of several pieces of EU law that protect water: the Environmental Quality Standards Directive, the Groundwater Directive, the Nitrates Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.
In the context of the European Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Commission is assessing whether the Bathing Water Directive remains fit for purpose to protect public health and improve water quality, or if there is a need to improve the existing rules and propose relevant updates, including new parameters to allow better future assessments of bathing water quality.
The briefing is published during the Commission's annual EU Green Week, including the conference “Towards a water resilient Europe” starting in Brussels on 29 May. At the EU Green Week, the Commission is launching the #WaterWiseEU campaign an awareness-raising campaign on the need to transform the way water is managed, used and valued. This will encourage people to “See Water Differently” and explore solutions to the various water challenges we are facing today.
The EEA’s European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (ETC BE) provided support to the development of this briefing, and its accompanying products including country fact sheets, data analysis, map viewer and the underlying database.
Blog
5 most sustainable African cities – Business Insider Africa
Business Insider Edition
The pandemic might have put a temporary damper on the bustling city life, but it also handed us a golden ticket— a push towards greener, healthier, inclusive and more sustainable city centres.
In recent years, the global push towards sustainability and environmental consciousness has become increasingly vital, with cities worldwide striving to adopt eco-friendly practices.
Africa’s urban centres are emerging as pioneers in embracing eco-friendly practices, championing green initiatives, and fostering a harmonious relationship between urbanization and nature.
The cities are showcasing a commitment to building green cities that prioritise environmental conservation, renewable energy, and overall ecological well-being.
Arcadis, a global company that provides sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets, ranked the top 100 green cities globally, and five African cities made the list.
1.Cairo Egypt
Global rank – 86
2.Nairobi, Kenya
Rank – 96
3.Johannesburg, South Africa
Rank – 97
4.Lagos, Nigeria
Rank – 99
5.Kishasha, Congo
Rank – 100
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A Miyawaki forest and eco-friendly features keep this Alappuzha house cool, breezy | Lifestyle Decor | English Manorama – Onmanorama
Hello
Kerala had experienced one of the hottest summers this year with the temperatures soaring to unbearable levels. Most concrete houses in the state had become hot kilns during heatwave conditions due to some undesirable trends in the construction industry. Meanwhile, Peter’s incredibly beautiful house at the coastal hamlet of Kattoor in Alappuzha, Kerala is a haven of greenery that fills the interiors with cool ambience.
While most people cut down the trees on the plot before constructing a house, Peter decided to plant more trees. Peter followed the Miyawaki method of afforestation with dense and mixed planting of native trees and groves in small patches. The landscape too has been designed amazingly with lots of plants and garden area. The house is designed by noted architect Ramesh who is also Peter’s close friend. So, the fabulous house stands as a symbol of friendship too. Moreover, Peter says that this special relationship reduced the stress of constructing a new house.
The structure has been built in an eco-friendly mode with minimal use of concrete. The multi-layered GI truss roof makes the elevation look classy. Besides, a layer of ceiling tiles too has been added beneath the roof. The house dons unique looks from different sides. Meanwhile, the car porch is built away from the structure, without interrupting the elegance of the elevation.
Laterite stones have been used to build the outer walls. Concrete plastering has been done away with. This reduced the construction costs. Meanwhile, cement blocks are used for the walls inside the house. Usually, people buy high-quality laterite stones from Kannur for house construction. However, Peter went to Vaikom and Thalayolaparambu to examine the quality of the laterite stones himself before buying them. This helped significantly reduce the expenses. Even though the house is two-storey, the structure looks compact and simple like a single-storey.
Designed in 1700 sqft, this amazing abode has a sit-out, living and dining areas, kitchen and two bedrooms on the ground floor. Meanwhile, there is one more bedroom and a balcony on the upper floor.
The sit-out has been designed to enjoy the scintillating charm of the Miyawaki forest. The glass windows too open to the delightful views of greenery.
The coloured glass on the wall beside the staircase looks classy. The interiors are minimal without any extravagant furnishing or bright colours. The bedrooms too are simple with attached bathrooms and storage space.
The compact kitchen has everything within the hand’s reach. The cabinets are done in plywood finish.
The construction of this splendid house, including the structure and furnishing, was completed on a budget of Rs 38 lakh.
Project Facts
Location – Kattoor, Alappuzha
Area – 1700 SFT
Owner – Peter Lawrence
Design – Studio Archiflex, Alappuzha
Go live with Manorama Online App, the number one Malayalam News site on our mobiles and tablets.
© Copyright 2024 Onmanorama. All Rights Reserved.
Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Middle East – DW (English)
As worsening drought impacts the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, countries from Turkey to Syria and Iraq are dealing both with water stress and struggling hydropower plants.
Severe drought and water scarcity is impacting communities from Africa to South America and the Middle East, with experts blaming a combination of human-caused global heating and the El Nino weather cycle.
With water stress set to worsen in a warming world, the inevitable strain on irrigation and freshwater supplies extends to hydroelectric power generation, a vital low-carbon energy source that relies on free-flowing rivers.
Hydropower is the world’s largest renewable source of electricity — though wind and solar are now growing much faster — and capacity needs to double by 2050 if the world is to limit global temperature increases to 1.5C, says the International Renewable Energy Agency.
But in the first half of 2023, global output suffered a historic 8.5% drop, with China, the world’s largest hydroelectricity generator, accounting for three-quarters of the decline after key rivers and reservoirs ran dry.
Hydropower capacity is meanwhile in long-term decline in the Middle East, including along the once fertile Euphrates-Tigris rivers basin that is “one of the fastest-drying regions on earth,” according to Benjamin Pohl, head of program climate diplomacy and security at German think tank Adelphi.
The rivers that run from Turkey through Syria and Iraq once fed the “cradle of human civilization,” Pohl told DW.
But ongoing drought — marked by higher evaporation and lower precipitation — and increased competition for scant water resources mean these riparian nations are struggling to nurture both agriculture and hydroelectricity production.
Three hydropower dams built at the head of Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Turkey some 30 years ago have seen a 25% decrease in electricity generation capacity over that time, according to research by Dursun Yildiz, a Turkey-based hydropower expert and president of local NGO, the Hydropolitics Association.
“The decline in electrical energy generation is in great correlation with the droughts in the region”, Yildiz writes. He says the diminishing precipitation and snowfall is linked to climate change, and will ultimately lead to a 30-40% decrease in Euphrates River flows by century’s end.
This drying is also impacting countries downstream.
Benjamin Pohl says damning going in Iran is “reducing flows through to Iraq.”
And in a 2019 study, Sameer Algburi, expert in computer technical engineering at Al-Kitab University in northern Iraq, says river flows have already been slowed by upstream countries like Turkey who are withholding water for their own irrigation and hydropower needs.
Utilizing 12 climate models to understand multi-decade changes in stream flow, he predicts that climate change will hasten this reduction and could result in between 5-18% losses in hydroelectric power by 2050.
This might seem modest compared to the 25% decline already observed in Turkey’s upper Euphrates basin. Nonetheless, the drop will “likely put considerable strain on Iraq’s power system,” Algburi told DW.
In a country already struggling to meet its energy needs, hydroelectric power is a crucial renewable energy source that reduces reliance on planet-heating fossil fuels like oil and gas.
Climate change has made drought in the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin likely once in 10 years, as opposed to every 250 years before average temperatures began to rise, according to a 2023 report by World Weather Attribution (WWA) — a London-based thinktank that clarifies the connection between extreme weather and climate change.
With Iraq’s relatively young population set to endure increasing extreme heat and drought, reliable hydroelectricity remains a vital means of tackling both climate change and energy security in a post-fossil fuel world, Algburi said.
To mitigate climate change impacts on hydropower in Iraq, he suggests building more efficient plants, and employing better resource management through water recycling, or the development of micro-dams for storage of excess water during rainfall.
“Water recycling and micro-dams are valuable tools for addressing localized water scarcity and improving resilience to drought,” he said, adding that “climate-resilient agricultural practices and regional cooperation” will also be key to mazimizing diminishing water resources.
WWA calculated that a 2020-23 drought in the Euphrates-Tigris River Basin was “the second worst in the observed record” and was “driven by rising temperatures.”
This is having a devastating impact on a large part of the population who depended on rain-fed agriculture such as wheat farming and livestock.
“Some places in Syria and Iraq are totally dry,” said Noama Shareef, a MENA region water management expert based in Germany. She adds that worsening drought has led to mass displacement of local communities.
“Future wars will be over water,” said Shareef of tensions over human activities such as upstream water withdrawals and dam constructions — especially in Turkey. “This is also a political issue,” she added.
Benjamin Pohl of Adelphi believes that cooperation and improved water management will ultimately be in the “shared interests” of all the riparian countries along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers — including the need for clean hydropower to mitigate the climate crisis.
As war-ravaged countries like Iraq and Syria struggle to find the investment for adequate climate adaptation, a collective agreement updating outmoded treaties over water allocation in the Ephrates-Tigris basin, is fundamental to “maximimizing resource use across the region,” said Pohl. Such a binding treaty is not currently being negotiated, however.
“We need to take a seat at the table,” said Shareef, a Syrian citizen, of the need for greater regional collaboration over swindling water resources.
Edited by: Tamsin Walker
Sources:
https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/handle/10044/1/107370
World Weather Attribution study
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377630235_The_Effect_of_Climate_Change_on_Hydroelectric_Energy_Production_in_the_Upper_Euphrates_Basin_A_Review
The Effect of Climate Change on Hydroelectric Energy Production in the Upper Euphrates Basin: A Review
UMF professor Patti Bailie honored by the Maine Environmental Education Association – Lewiston Sun Journal
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University of Maine at Farmington professor Patti Bailie, left, receives the Maine Environmental Education Association Lifetime Achievement Award from Olivia Griset, co-director of the association. photo courtesy UMF
FARMINGTON — Patti Bailie, associate professor of early childhood education at the University of Maine at Farmington, recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maine Environmental Education Association. The honor was awarded at MEEA’s annual environmental education conference May 10 at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley.
Bailie has worked in the field of early childhood environmental education for 30 years. She is dedicated to nature-based education, its value to a child’s educational development, and seeing it integrated in schools and early childhood programs, according to a news release.
Patti Bailie photo courtesy UMF
“I am so honored to be receiving this award,”she said. “MEEA is a wonderful organization that supports nature-based education for children in the state of Maine. Recognizing my contribution to this field means so much. Since I moved to Maine, I have enjoyed working with pre-service teachers at UMF for the past ten years as they become teachers who embrace outdoor learning in their public school classrooms. I look forward to the continued success that MEEA has in supporting outdoor learning in all settings.”
Bailie joined UMF in 2014 and has helped pioneer the nature-based learning program and natural outdoor learning environment at the new UMF Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Early Learning Center.
Her consulting work includes working closely with Sesame Street on nature-based programs for young children. She initially contributed nature-based programming ideas to their writers for their 40th anniversary season and more recently for a new venture called “Nature Explorers” that has aired on HBO and will be aired on PBS this summer.
She is co-author of “Partnering with Nature in Early Childhood: A Guide to Outdoor Experiences” and “Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-based Classrooms in Pre-K through 3rd Grade.” She also contributed two chapters to David Sobel’s book “Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning” and was part of the writing team for the “Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook.”
Bailie has presented widely on the topic of nature-based education and serves on the advisory board of the Natural Start Alliance.
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