Water Report: Rivers and lakes in poor condition

According to an investigation by the confederation, many waters in Germany do not meet the quality standards of the EU states. The decline in species in rivers and lakes is dramatic.

Water Report: Rivers and lakes in poor condition

Most rivers and lakes in Germany are in a bad condition according to water report of Bund for Environmental UndNaturschutz Germany (Bund). A total of 92 per cent of waters are undBaumaßnahmen polluted by pollutants, says a report. The reasons for poor water condition include too much Düngerund pesticides in agriculture, expansion and straightening of Flüssensowie pollutants from mining. Even micro-plastics from products of daily life are increasingly polluting waters according to federal government.

Straightened waters would provide kaumLebensraum for fish such as salmon, eels or trout. On average every two kilometers, a weir or EineSchleuse blocked ir hike to spawning waters. Insect species, mammals and amphibians living in aquatic environment are also affected by straightened waters. DerWasserreport describes decline of species as "dramatic".

Dead zones in Baltic Sea

One example is water quality in North and Baltic Sea, which is, according to report, endangered by over-fertilisation. Artificial fertilizers and slurry would lead to growth of algae by air and rivers in seas. The heat in summer would accelerate this, so that blue algae blossoms would be increasingly on Baltic beaches. Some of se species of blue algae are toxic to plants and animals in water. Even in humans, some blue algae species can have skin irritation and Vergiftungserscheinungenhervorrufen.

Anor phenomenon are sogenannteTote zones. They are produced according to report when dead algae zumBoden sink and are decomposed re under oxygen consumption. They form sichsauerstoffarme or oxygen-free areas with toxic sulfur compounds. According to water report, 15 percent of gesamtenMeeresbodens of Baltic Sea is dead zones.

"The Bund water report makes it clear that politics is finally bewegenmussing so that our water can still be saved," said Chairman Hubert refuses. With campaign "Save Our Water" organization wants to promote einenbesseren water protection. The aim is also to prevent a softening of European Water Framework Directive. It lays down quality standards for lakes, rivers and dasGrundwasser in EU countries. The vast majority of water in Germany does not currently meet dieseStandards. The Confederation calls on politicians in Berlin and Brussels to keep Water Framework directive as it is and to implement it consistently.

Government does not fulfill commitments

Germany committed itself in year 2000 to implement Water Framework Directive and, until 2015, at to 2027, to bring all waters into a "good state", according to federal government. "But Germany does not do justice to this responsibility, as our report shows," says Refuse. He fears that governing parties will use EU-level review process now in summer to furr postpone implementation of objectives of Water Framework directive or even lower standards.

The Bund report evaluates ecological quality of waters, such as BiologischeVielfalt. The data from water report comes from federal environmental Agency. These factors, however, do not say anything about bathing quality of lakes UndFlüssen. In review of bathing water, main difference is in case of pathogens, which could be dangerous for humans.

Date Of Update: 17 May 2018, 12:03
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