Unit 5: Water drinking in Europe
In this Unit you will learn:
- what is the access to drinking water in Europe in comparison to the rest of the world
- what are drinking habits in European countries
- what is drinking behavior, water quality and access to drinking water in partner countries schools
Introduction to the topic
We should consider ourselves lucky because most people living in the EU enjoy good access to high-quality drinking water. Tap water is free in European schools and elsewhere. In 2017 there were 2,2 billion people in the world who are not that lucky - they maybe have to walk a long distance to get to the water or they collect it from unprotected wells and springs or as untreated surface water from lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
Water demand across Europe has steadily increased over the past 50 years, partly due to population growth. This has led to an overall decrease in renewable water resources per capita by 24 % across Europe, which was particularly evident in southern Europe, caused mainly by lower precipitation levels.
It is estimated that people in Europe do not consume enough water, which can lead to different health problems. All partner countries face this issue as well, which can lead to obesity and caries in children. More information about situation in partner countries are available in The survey "Drinking Behavior, Water Quality and Access to Water in the Partner Countries Schools".
