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Flash Eurobarometer on water
FLASH EUROBAROMETER
26-31 January, 2009
AUSTRIA
%
Level of information about problems
Q1.
How informed do you feel about the problems facing lakes and rivers
in your country?
Very
Well… No t well
well…
info rmed
Austrians feel well informed about water-related issues: 61% feel
knowledgeable, compared to 43% of EU citizens on average. One
in 10 Austrians believe they are very well-informed (vs. 5% for
the EU). About a quarter (28%) do not feel well informed.
AT
10
No t info rmed
at all
51
EU27 5
28
38
0
25
No t a
pro blem at
all; 21
Compared to European citizens on average, Austrians are less
concerned about the quality of water: one-fifth (21%) do not feel it is a
problem, compared to 7% of EU citizens on average. Just over a third
(36%) think it is a very or fairly serious problem, vs. 68% in the EU.
30
EU27
country
data
A very
serio us
pro blem ; 9
DK/NA ; 2
How serious is the problem of water quantity in your country? This
covers issues such as : too much water, causing problems such as
floods, or too little water due to droughts or over-consumption. It is …
No t a
pro blem at
all; 29
Water quantity is even less of a concern for Austrians: roughly twothirds (67%) think it is not a serious issue, compared to 35% of EU
citizens on average. In Austria, 31% of citizens are concerned about
water quantity, while twice that number (63%) are worried in the EU.
A fairly
serio us
pro blem; 25
38
No t a
serio us
pro blem; 40
11 3
A fairly
serio us
pro blem; 22
27
EU27
24
36
No t a
serio us
pro blem; 38
100
A very
serio us
pro blem ; 11
7 3
21
1
75
Problems with the quantity of water
Q3.
16
50
DK/NA ; 3
How serious is the problem of water quality in your country? This
covers issues such as : pollution, ecosystems that are disturbed by
physical structures, such as dams, canals. It is …
9 1
40
Problems with the quality of water
Q2.
DK/
NA
country
data
Changes in the quality of water
Q4.
Do you think that, over the last 5 years, the quality of rivers and lakes
in your country has …
Deterio rated
Austrians are less apprehensive about the changing quality of
water than EU citizens on average: 16% think that water quality
has deteriorated (vs. 37% in the EU), 42% feel it is unchanged and
a similar number (39%) believe it has improved.
AT
16
Q5.
EU27
M o derate...
Little
impact
No impact
at all
22
12 32
Use o f water, and po llutio n, by industry
25
11 22
Ho useho lds’ water co nsumptio n, waste water
GALLUP
®
27
50
6
75
100
EU27
61
38
37
30
19
27
21
29
37
19
0
2
DK/
NA
61
To urism
30
25
Use o f water, pesticides, fertilizers in agriculture
Energy pro ductio n - hydro po wer, co o ling water
39
37
AT
Shipping - po rts, canals, spills
DK/
NA
While the highest proportion of EU citizens (72%) see industry
as having the largest impact on the status of water in their
country, Austrians feel that agriculture has just as big an
influence (61% see a large impact of both). Other listed factors
have much less impact in the opinion of Austrians.
Can you please tell me how much impact you think
each of the following has on the status of water in
your country? Does it have a large impact, moderate
impact, a little impact or no impact at all?
Large…
Impro ved
42
0
Impact of various factors on the
status of water
Stayed
the same
29
30
25
31
50
75
23
72
51
45
35
48
28
6
0
100
23
32
30
5 23
13
13
27
33
25
6 24
18
11 3
10 3
14
66
50
43
5 7
12
17
8
75
European
Commission
6
13
100
Flash Eurobarometer on water
FLASH EUROBAROMETER
26-31 January, 2009
AUSTRIA
%
Threats to the water environment
Q6.
66
Chemical po llutio n
I am going to read out a list of threats. Can you please tell me which
you believe are the main threats to the water environment in your
country? [READ OUT – ROTATE – MULTIPLE ANSWERS]
38
33
31
37
Changed water eco systems
Flo o ds
In line with the EU averages, Austrians see the same factors as
major threats to the water environment: chemical pollution and
climate change are considered to be the main dangers. Only the
problem of changed water ecosystems is seen as more of a
concern for Austrians than for the rest of Europe (38% vs. 33%
in the EU). Water shortage is seen to be far less important than
for the EU on average (14% vs. 30% for the EU).
23
21
20
Dams, canals and o ther physical changes
A lgae gro wth
14
Water sho rtage
Others
Do n’ t care abo ut this issue
DK/NA
75
48
50
Climate change
30
30
1
1
0
1
3
3
AT
EU27
Impact of climate change on water
Q7.
Please tell me, from the following list, what you think will be the
most important impact of climate change on water in your country?
[READ OUT – ROTATE – ONE ANSWER ONLY]
Changed eco systems
23
24
21
M o re flo o ds
Austrians express more worries about changed ecosystems and
flooding (30% and 24%, respectively) than the rest of EU
citizens do (23% and 21%); they are less concerned, though,
about water scarcity and rising sea levels (15% and 14% vs. 20%
and 22% in the EU).
Increasing pro blems with water scarcity and
dro ughts
15
Rising sea levels
14
Others
Q8.
No
DK/NA
Yo u used less water (by no t leaving taps running,
by taking a sho wer instead o f a bath, by installing
water saving appliances etc.)
No significant impact o f climate change o n
water
AT
7
6
7
[**]
11
AT
EU27
EU27
78
20
78
Yo u used eco -friendly ho useho ld chemicals
[*]
22
Looking across the EU, more Austrians claimed to have used ecofriendly household chemicals in the past two years compared to EU
citizens on average (78% vs. 60% in the EU). They were less likely,
however, to have used less water (78% vs. 84% in the EU) but more
liable to have avoided the use of pesticides in their gardens** (86%
vs. 78%).
There are different ways of reducing water-related
problems. In order to reduce these problems have you
done any of the following in the last two years?
[READ OUT – ONE ANSWER PER LINE]
Yes
20
1
1
DK/NA
Personal involvement in reducing
the various water-related problems
30
Yo u avo ided the use o f pesticides and fertilizers
in yo ur garden
16
86
0
25
84
2
6
60
75
33
7
78
9 5
50
14 2
100
0
25
19
50
3
75
100
Base: * all respondents / ** excluding respondents who said this was not applicable
Public consultations on the
River Basin Management plans
Q9.
The EU requires Member States to prepare a plan for the
management of water resources to achieve good water quality
by 2015, these are the River Basin Management Plans, and
to consult the public and interested parties in this process.
Are you aware of a consultation by the authorities on the
river basin management plans where you live? And are you
planning to express your views in this consultation?
A ware and
will take part
A ware and
have already
taken part
AT
9
EU27
6
0
GALLUP
®
A ware, but
no t interested
1
2
In Austria, those who are aware of the public consultation
process are more willing to express their views (10%) than
similarly informed EU citizens (8%); Austrians having no
information about the process are more likely to decline (41%) to
participate than uninformed Europeans overall (33%).
No t aware and
no t interested
7
No t aware, but
will take part
No , because
autho rities wo n't
listen anyway
41
6
36
33
25
DK/
NA
1 5
44
50
3
75
6
100
European
Commission