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CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN EUROPE

Submitted by christian on Sun, 05/10/2020 - 14:32
  1. Albania: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents; loss of biodiversity due to lack of resources for sound environmental management.
  2. Andorra: deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal.
  3. Austria: some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe; water pollution; the Danube, as well as some of Austria’s other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution.
  4. Belgium: intense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries.
  5. Bosnia and Herzegovina: air pollution; deforestation and illegal logging; inadequate wastewater treatment and flood management facilities; sites for disposing of urban waste are limited; land mines left over from the 1992-95 civil strife are a hazard in some areas.
  6. Bulgaria: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes.
  7. Croatia: air pollution improving but still a concern in urban settings and in emissions arriving from neighboring countries; surface water pollution in the Danube River Basin.
  8. Cyprus: water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage, industrial wastes, and pesticides; coastal degradation; erosion; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization.
  9. Czech Republic: air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; land pollution caused by industry, mining, and agriculture.
  10. Denmark: air pollution, principally from vehicle and power plant emissions; nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the North Sea; drinking and surface water becoming polluted from animal wastes and pesticides; much of country's household and industrial waste is recycled.
  11. Estonia: air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amounts of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen dramatically and the pollution load of wastewater at purification plants has decreased substantially due to improved technology and environmental monitoring; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations.
  12. Finland: limited air pollution in urban centers; some water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations.
  13. France: some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff.
  14. Germany: emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power by 2022; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive.
  15. Gibraltar: limited natural freshwater resources: more than 90% of drinking water supplied by desalination, the remainder from stored rainwater; a separate supply of saltwater used for sanitary services.
  16. Greece: air pollution; air emissions from transport and electricity power stations; water pollution; degradation of coastal zones; loss of biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems; increasing municipal and industrial waste.
  17. Holy See: some air pollution from the surrounding city of Rome.
  18. Hungary: air and water pollution are some of Hungary's most serious environmental problems; water quality in the Hungarian part of the Danube has improved but is still plagued by pollutants from industry and large-scale agriculture; soil pollution.
  19. Iceland: water pollution from fertilizer runoff.
  20. Ireland: water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff; acid rain kills plants, destroys soil fertility, and contributes to deforestation.
  21. Isle of Man: air pollution, marine pollution; waste disposal (both household and industrial).
  22. Italy: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities.
  23. Latvia: while land, water, and air pollution are evident, Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries; improvements have occurred in drinking water quality, sewage treatment, household and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; nature protection; management of water resources and protection of the Baltic Sea.
  24. Liechtenstein: some air pollution generated locally, some transferred from surrounding countries.
  25. Lithuania: water pollution; air pollution; deforestation; threatened animal and plant species; chemicals and waste materials released into the environment contaminate soil and groundwater; soil degradation and erosion.
  26. Luxembourg: air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapes.
  27. Macedonia: air pollution from metallurgical plants; Skopje has severe air pollution problems every winter as a result of industrial emissions, smoke from wood-burning stoves, and exhaust fumes from old cars.
  28. Malta: limited natural freshwater resources; increasing reliance on desalination; deforestation; wildlife preservation.
  29. Moldova: heavy use of agricultural chemicals, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion and declining soil fertility from poor farming methods.
  30. Monaco: no serious issues; actively monitors pollution levels in air and water.
  31. Montenegro: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; serious air pollution in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Niksie; air pollution in Pljevlja is caused by the nearby lignite power plant and the domestic use of coal and wood for household heating.
  32. Netherlands: pollution of the country's rivers from industrial and agricultural chemicals, including heavy metals, organic compounds, nitrates, and phosphates; air pollution from vehicles and refining activities; acid rain.
  33. Norway: water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks.
  34. Poland: decreased emphasis on heavy industry and increased environmental concern has improved environment; air pollution remains serious because of emissions from burning low-quality coals in homes and from coal-fired power plants; the resulting acid rain causes forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes.
  35. Portugal: soil erosion; air pollution caused by industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution, especially in urban centers and coastal areas.
  36. Romania: soil erosion, desertification, and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands.
  37. Russia: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides.
  38. Serbia: air pollution around Belgrade and other industrial cities; water pollution from industrial wastes dumped into the Sava which flows into the Danube; inadequate management of domestic, industrial, and hazardous waste.
  39. Slovakia: air pollution; land erosion caused by agricultural and mining practices; water pollution.
  40. Slovenia: air pollution from road traffic, domestic heating (wood burning), power generation, and industry; water pollution; biodiversity protection.
  41. Spain: pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification.
  42. Sweden: marine pollution (Baltic Sea and North Sea); acid rain damage to soils and lakes; air pollution.
  43. Switzerland: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; maintenance of biodiversity.
  44. Ukraine: air and water pollution; land degradation; solid waste management; biodiversity loss; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant.
  45. United Kingdom: air pollution improved but remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry.
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CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN EUROPE

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