Document emphasizes from the beginning that Climate change is exacerbating existing pressures on EU water resourcesThese pressures include structural mismanagement, unsustainable land use, hydromorphological changes, pollution and increased demand for water. Climate change contributes to these by increases water-related risks, especially in the form of more frequent and prolonged droughts and extreme precipitationThese extreme events threaten Europe's food security, public health, ecosystems, infrastructure and economy. The report highlights the recent tragic consequences of such events.

In the context of the objectives of the European Green Deal, the progress of Member States is also assessed in terms of achieving climate targets. The document states that Climate change is having a significant impact on the occurrence and severity of water-related risks, such as droughts and floods, in many parts of Europe.For this reason, it is Strengthening the resilience of water resources through effective implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive is a prerequisite for achieving climate resilience objectives. set out in the European climate legislation and in the EU strategy for adaptation to climate change. At the same time, the objectives of these directives can only be achieved by fully taking into account the consequences of climate change.

An increasing number of Member States are reporting that systematically take into account the consequences of climate change and are seeking to align their programmes of measures with national adaptation plans. Most of the Member States assessed have carried out an analysis of the impact of climate change on their water bodies. In their third river basin management plans, the effects of climate change were mainly associated with droughts and lower water availability, although floods remain a significant problem. This represents a shift from previous plans where excess water (floods) was considered the main consequence. The growing concern about water scarcity is in line with this finding. Although this is not a legal requirement of the Water Framework Directive, most Member States report drought as a significant phenomenon and many have developed or are developing drought management plans.

The report highlights the the growing impact of climate change on water qualitySome Member States invoke the derogation due to prolonged drought. Some countries have developed national water strategies in response to more frequent droughts.

As regards flood risk management, the document sees progress positively. All Member States have taken climate change into account in their second preliminary flood risk assessments and almost all in their flood hazard and flood risk maps. Most Member States have discussed future climate scenarios in their flood risk management plans and linked them to national adaptation strategies. Floods are seen as the most common risk in national risk assessments. Increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall and rising sea levels pose growing threats.

The document recommends that Member States: continued to improve flood hazard and flood risk maps, with greater consideration of flash floods and links to relevant information. Future flood risk management plans should include details of how maps have informed the selection of objectives and measures, and should take into account future climate scenarios. Emphasis is placed on increased efforts to implement nature-based solutions more widelyThe report also suggests considering the costs of floods in public budgets and the role of insurance as an adaptation option.

Within the framework of the Water Framework Directive, the document recommends that Member States: improved measures to increase climate resilience in the programmes of measures and, where necessary, develop appropriate adaptation measures or plans. Accurate water balances need to be actively developed and monitored, taking into account all water inputs and withdrawals, natural losses and ecosystem needs. The document calls for effective measures to promote water reuse, efficiency and circularity, as well as for maximum use of nature-based solutions for more sustainable water storage. When planning new dams and reservoirs, their environmental impact needs to be carefully assessed in the light of the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and to ensure that they are part of integrated water management and coherent water resilience strategies, taking into account long-term climate scenarios.

The conclusions reiterate that climate change is exacerbating pressures on water bodies. Effective implementation of the Water and Floods Directives is key to building resilience to climate change. The document notes that Member States are gradually changing their approaches to flood risk management based on experience and are improving the integration of climate change through modelling and scenarios. Continued efforts to improve planning capacities and ensure that flood prevention measures are designed for future climate conditions are essential for further progress. Spring

Glossary of Key Terms

• Water Framework Directive (WFD): A key piece of European Union legislation that sets out the framework for the protection of inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater. Its main objective is to achieve good status for all waters.
• Floods Directive: An EU directive aimed at reducing and managing flood risks in order to minimise their adverse consequences on human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity.
• Good ecological status: The status of a surface water body when the biological, hydromorphological and physicochemical quality elements are in accordance with the type of the water body and are only slightly affected by human activities.
• Good chemical condition: The status of a surface water body in which concentrations of pollutants do not exceed environmental quality standards set out in EU legislation.
• Good quantitative status (groundwater): The state of a groundwater body where there is no excessive water abstraction and no significant reduction in groundwater levels or negative impact on associated ecosystems.
• Good ecological potential: The status of a heavily modified or artificial water body that achieves the maximum possible ecological quality, taking into account the unavoidable physical changes caused by human activity.
• Heavily modified water body (HMWB): A surface water body whose character has been significantly altered as a result of physical changes caused by human activity.
• Artificial water body (AWB): A body of water that has been created by human activity.
• Source-to-sea approach: An integrated approach to water management that takes into account the interconnectedness of freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and focuses on managing impacts from source to sea.
• Diffuse pollution: Water pollution from large-scale and difficult-to-identify sources, such as agricultural activity or atmospheric deposition.
• Point pollution: Water pollution from specific, easily identifiable sources, such as discharges from industrial plants or wastewater treatment plants.
• Hydromorphological pressures: Physical changes to water bodies caused by human activity that affect their structure and function, such as river flow modifications, dam construction and wetland drainage.
• Ecological flow: Hydrological regime (amount and time course of water flow) which is necessary to ensure good ecological status of water bodies.
• Lack of water: A condition where the demand for water exceeds the available water resources in a given region and time.
• Water balance: The amount of water that can be allocated, calculated as inflow minus outflow in a given area.
• The polluter pays principle: An environmental principle that states that the costs of preventing and remedying pollution should be borne by the person who caused the pollution.
• Reimbursement of costs for water management services: A mechanism that ensures that the costs of providing water services (e.g. drinking water supply, wastewater collection and treatment) are borne by the users of these services.
• Solutions close to nature: Measures that use or mimic natural processes to address environmental problems while providing ecological, social and economic benefits.