Clean and sufficient water is a key element for a healthy functioning SSW-system, the production of biomass, the provision of clean drinking water and groundwater sustainability. It is also a driving force for landslides and floods within the SSW-System (see CTT-.6) Special attention should be given to water resources affected by agricultural land use i.e. high density of livestock breeding, agriculture, irrigation, transfer of agricultural land to settlements and ongoing climate change.
The EU will increase the reuse of treated waste water to fight water scarcity (http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/reuse.htm). Open questions are the contaminants in the water and the treatment for cleaning. This is also a major question for intact soil functions (filtering and buffer functions).
Within the landscape context key questions on water research are needed for assessment methods for spatial water potentials for agriculture in the context of different land use intensities and changes as well as water balance in meso-catchments. Other needs exists on (existing and) emerging pollutants for (drinking) water from surface and groundwater, for retention potentials for water in micro- and meso-catchment and reducing natural hazards, the quality and quantity of surface and groundwater, knowledge on water resources fluctuations within seasonal fluctuations and the demand from different sectors like agriculture, industry and homes. Finally manageable models have to be elaborated not only for waters users itself, but also for planners and politicians.
Key questions include:
• How control and improve water quality in contaminated land management from both diffuse and point sources, including emergent contaminant classes?
• How to estimate the risks of emerging pollutants for drinking water production?
• Assessing the impacts of different land uses and climate change on the quality and quantity of surface waters and groundwater.
• What effects have to be mentioned by processes of water reuse?