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Articles related to "Water efficiency: Saving the blue gold"

Opinion

Exporting water through food - 14 December 2012

Food production is water intensive. This ‘virtual water’ both represents a challenge and an opportunity, since it can be exported worldwide, writes Lars Hvidtfeldt.

The water crisis is now - 23 May 2012

By 2025 half the world’s population will not have enough water to meet its needs, warns Rashad Kaldany, urging governments and the private sector to work on solutions, which he says, do exist.

News

Water blueprint seeks to better police member states - 15 November 2012

The European Commission unveiled its water blueprint on Thursday (15 November), calling for strengthened enforcement of the 12-year-old Water Framework Directive amid fresh reports that many national governments are failing to live up to their commitments.

Bailout terms force water utility sale in Greece, Portugal - 11 October 2012

EU leaders are under fire for pressuring troubled eurozone governments to sell public water utilities as part of their bailout deals, with environmentalists and rights activists saying that privatisation will only feed public anger.

Water blueprint to focus on enforcement, not new laws - 21 September 2012

The European Union's water blueprint, due by the end of the year, will focus on enforcement and implementation of laws already on the books rather than new legislation, says a Cypriot official whose government will host talks later in the year on the evolving water roadmap.

Budget cuts leave Spanish fire crews high and dry - 24 August 2012

Austerity measures imposed by Spain’s central and regional governments have left fire brigades short-handed as they battle some of the worst forest fires in years, according to a conservationist and news reports from the parched country.

Droughts cut Europe's food output, raise fire risks - 20 August 2012

Droughts in southern and eastern Europe are contributing to the global decline in grain production while also elevating concern about the long-term impact on freshwater supplies.

Policymakers weigh options for EU water pricing - 25 May 2012

Putting a price on water is essential to encourage savings but EU policymakers are cautious not to spark a social backlash with a one-size-fits-all solution. "Pay more if you use more" is, however, a model which could work, the MEP in charge of water issues told EurActiv.

Firms scramble to boost water-saving culture - 24 May 2012

From pet food manufacturing to wastewater treatment, companies show no lack of imagination when it comes to improving water efficiency at this year's annual Green Week event in Brussels.

Brussels rules out EU-wide water efficiency target - 22 May 2012

Huge water leakage differences between member states make an EU-wide water efficiency target “not necessary”, says an EU official working on the directive for the European Commission.

World Bank bets on 'socially responsible' water pricing - 21 May 2012

Making users pay for water should be part of any policymakers' toolkit to manage scarcity, says Lars H. Thunell of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. But with safe drinking water now officially recognised as a human right, this has to be done in "a socially responsible way," he argues.

Europe urged to 'radically transform' water policy - 19 May 2012

The European Union needs to "radically transform" the way it manages water, energy and land to ensure the needs of the poorest people are met and the environment is protected, according to the new European Report on Development.

Rival forums set different course for water access - 09 March 2012

Competing international conferences taking place in Marseille next week both seek to improve global freshwater access but hold radically different views on the private sector's role in reaching that goal.

Ecology group urges water monitoring on EU imports - 03 November 2011

Europe’s demand for energy, fuels and food are placing a global strain on water and other natural resources that could have particularly devastating consequences for developing nations, warns a report published today (3 November) by a conservation organisation.

EU pressed to lead Rio+20 Earth Summit - 30 September 2011

The European Parliament has called on the EU to take the lead in preparing global green actions for the UN Rio+20 Earth Summit next year.

EU water blueprint to pave way for savings targets - 23 March 2011

A major review of Europe's water policies next year will pave the way for savings targets to be adopted by member states and industries, according to a senior EU official who was speaking on World Water Day.

EU urged to calculate its water footprint - 07 March 2011

The world's first global water footprint standard is expected to help EU countries to better understand their water consumption across different economic sectors and to craft better policies in these areas.

Interview

Water Week chief: Better management, governance needed - 24 August 2012

Droughts, poor land use and water access have all contributed to recent volatility in food prices and regional food emergencies. To address such insecurity in food supplies, good water management and governance – as well as reliable early warning systems – are needed, says Jens Berggren, who heads World Water Week that begins on 26 August in Stockholm.

Industry chief: Pricing, policies should promote water efficiency - 22 May 2012

Having safe drinking water should be a basic human right, but consumers and governments also have a duty to set a price high enough to encourage efficiency, says Hans Telgan, who heads Europe’s plastic pipe industry trade association TEPPFA.

Seeber MEP: Improve water efficiency without price spikes - 22 May 2012

Austrian MEP Richard Seeber (European Peoples Party) says differences in regional needs and infrastructure make it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach to water efficiency.

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