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Climate Change and the European Water Dimension - Agri ...

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On a more general view, more of concern is <strong>the</strong> coupling of climate change <strong>and</strong><br />

anthropogenic activities. Aquifers usually recharge slowly, <strong>and</strong> current abstraction<br />

levels may not be sustainable under future climate change scenarios. In some areas<br />

of sou<strong>the</strong>rn Europe aquifers are already overexploited (see Figure III.7). In many<br />

cases, determining whe<strong>the</strong>r over-exploitation would occur is difficult. It is often<br />

thought of as being a relatively straightforward question of water taken out of <strong>the</strong><br />

aquifer <strong>and</strong> water filtering back into it. Difficulties in estimating long-term recharge<br />

confound this simple approach. <strong>Change</strong>s in precipitation patterns may influence<br />

surface water resources availability, leading to increasing exploitation of groundwater<br />

bodies. Exploitation beyond a sustainable level can affect <strong>the</strong> environment (lowering<br />

of <strong>the</strong> water table can lead to loss of wetl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> can affect river ecosystems) <strong>and</strong><br />

reduce <strong>the</strong> future availability of <strong>the</strong> resource. When aquifers near <strong>the</strong> coast are overexploited,<br />

salt water may intrude, thus reducing water quality in <strong>the</strong> aquifer.<br />

Figure III.7. Aquifer exploitation in Spain (top) <strong>and</strong> Sardinia, Italy (bottom) (EEA, 1996).<br />

III.3. CONCLUDING REMARKS<br />

There is evidence in historic records of an increase across Europe in annual surface<br />

air temperature of about 0.8°C during <strong>the</strong> 20th century (IPCC, 2001). Higher<br />

44<br />

Aquifer list<br />

e2: Ayamonte-Huelva; e3: Campo de Montiel;<br />

e4: Mancha Real-Pegajalar; e5: Sevilla-<br />

Carmona; e6: Aljarafe; e7: Rota-Sanlucar-<br />

Chipiona; e8: El Saltador; e9: Campo de Nijar;<br />

e10: Andarax-Almeria; e11: Campo de Dalias;<br />

e12: Ascoy-Sopalmo; e13: Guadalentin; e14:<br />

Cresta del Gallo; e15: Jumilla Villena; e16:<br />

Sierra de Crevillente; e17: Bloque de Gaia; e18:<br />

Camp de Tarragona; s1: Muravera; August; s2:<br />

Rio Su Canoni-Portovesme; s3: Santa Lucia.

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