Despite the vast amount of water on the planet, decades of unsustainable management mean that water shortages have reached crisis point in many regions. Globally, humans appropriate more than 50 % of all renewable and accessible freshwater, while billions still lack the most basic water services...

In the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive, the concept of environmental and resource costs applies above all to the cost recovery of water services. Article 9 of the Directive stipulates that „Member States shall take account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water...

Developments in land use patterns across Europe are generating considerable concern, particularly in relation to achievement of environmental goals. Land use trends — such as urban sprawl and land abandonment — are jeopardising the future for sustainable land use. Moreover, these trends...