Water JPI

Water Challenges for a Changing World

The need for the development of an efficient and effective common public research programme dealing with water issues is obvious. The demand for water grows faster than the world population. In the coming bio-based economy, anticipated to emerge in the 21st century, agriculture will become as an even more intensive water user. This means that, in situations of relative scarcity, competition between the different user groups (agriculture, municipalities and industry) will be strong. This will also have a great impact on European ecosystems. In addition, climate change is expected to have a strong impact on Europe, affecting the intensity and the spatial and temporal distribution of temperature and precipitation events. The variability in precipitation is also expected to increase, leading to a higher probability of extreme events such as droughts and floods. The JPI “Water challenges for a changing world” (Water JPI) deals with research in the field of water and hydrological sciences.