This paper examines the causal impacts of reducing solid waste imports on water quality in China, which was the world’s largest importer of waste until recently. We focus on the National Sword policy, introduced at the end of 2017, which abruptly banned the import of plastics, textiles,...

We exploit the public good attributes of Ganges water pollution cleanup and theoretically analyze an aggregate economy of two cities-Kanpur and Varanasi-through which the Ganges flows. Our specific objective is to study whether water pollution cleanup in these two cities ought to be provided in...

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Water Laboratory has worked with the Education for Climate Coalition to develop a role-play game on debating solutions to water quality contamination. The starting point and context for the game was provided by real water quality data collected as part of "The...

This report highlights the commonalities and disagreements between the reporting by Member States (MS) to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) on the standards for Biological Quality elements in coastal waters, and the methodological standards...

The rise of shale gas and tight oil development has triggered a major debate about hydraulic fracturing (HF). In an effort to bring light to HF practices and their potential risks to water quality, many U.S. states have mandated disclosure for HF wells and the fluids used. We employ this setting...

One of the worst natural, economic, and social catastrophes caused by human activity is the Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia. The Aral Sea's desiccation, which has an impact on the region's overall sustainable development, human welfare, security, and survival, is what led to the problem. This...

This briefing provides a first overview of PFAS pollution in water based on monitoring data reported to EEA's Waterbase. PFOS levels are compared with regulatory threshold values, providing an initial understanding of risks in European waters.

Reactive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution in Germany is mainly caused by production of cattle meat and milk, which is mostly consumed domestically. This pollution comes at a high external costs not yet addressed by current policies. We explore scenarios where reduced domestic cattle...

The Joint Research Center organised the "Summer school on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support to the European Green Deal: a holistic approach" from 4-8 September 2023, in Novi Sad, Serbia. This event was organized in partnership with the University of Novi Sad (UNS) and...

The Joint Research Center organised the "Summer school on the evaluation of air, soil and water pollution in support to the European Green Deal: a holistic approach" from 4-8 September 2023, in Novi Sad, Serbia. This event was organized in partnership with the University of Novi Sad (UNS) and...

From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, most of Europe's bathing waters are of excellent quality for swimming when assessed against the two specific health relevant parameters (Escherichia coli or E. coli and intestinal enterococci) as required under the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006). This...

From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, most of Europe's bathing waters are of excellent quality for swimming when assessed against the two specific health relevant parameters (Escherichia coli or E. coli and intestinal enterococci) as required under the Bathing Water Directive (EU, 2006). This...

Steadily increasing demand for water poses a threat to sustainable development, and an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Putting caps on water consumption, increasing water use efficiencies, and supporting improved sharing of water resources are now critical to...

We investigate the impact of groundwater contamination on educational outcomes in India. Our study leverages variations in the geographical coverage and timing of construction of safe government piped water schemes to identify the effects of exposure to contaminants. Using self-collected survey...

We study how spillovers from water pollution cleanup in the Ganges affect social welfare in an aggregate economy consisting of Kanpur and Varanasi, two cities through which this river flows. We view pollution cleanup in both cities as a local public good and point out that, if Kanpur cleans up...

Standard water affordability measures that only account for expenditure on piped water are unlikely to adequately capture the situation of all consumers in developing countries, who often experience water service quality issues and must rely on coping strategies. We construct and compare a...

We investigate the impact of beer on mortality during the Industrial Revolution in 18th century England. Due to the brewing process, beer represented an improvement over available water sources during this period prior to the widespread understanding of the link between water quality and human...

The rise of shale gas and tight oil development has triggered a major debate about hydraulic fracturing (HF). In an effort to bring light to HF practices and their potential risks to water quality, many U.S. states have mandated disclosure for HF wells and the fluids used. We employ this setting...

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have made notable progress in reducing income inequality; however, the extent to which water and sanitation may foster inequalities remains unclear. In this sector, disparities emerge as lower-income households may encounter reduced access to clean...

Natural and anthropogenic activities have proven to be the main sources of contaminants in groundwater. Hence, the need for continuous evaluation of the controlling factors of groundwater mineralization for monitoring purposes. The study assessed the controls of the groundwater mineralization in...