Environmental Justice Atlas charts European water management conflicts

Building hydropower plants, building dams, denying the right to water to Roma people, pollution of drinking water, protests against water privatisation and hydroelectric power plants. This is just a small selection of European water management conflicts that are mapped in the Environmental Justice Atlas. The list is far from complete, but it gives an impression of water conflicts in Europe.

The Global Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas) documents and catalogues social conflicts around environmental issues. It is an online interactive platform managed by a team of researchers and activists. The content and data are the result of the work of hundreds of collaborators who tell their own stories of resistance or write about what they witness. The atlas is a work in progress. Newly documented cases and information are continuously added to the platform. However, many cases are still undocumented, and new ones continue to emerge. The absence of data does not indicate the absence of water management conflicts.

Majority of conflicts in Southern and Eastern Europe

Most of the documented water management conflicts in the atlas are located in Southern and Eastern Europe. This does not mean there are no conflicts in Northern Europe, but rather that they have not been registered.  Across the world, communities are struggling to defend their land, air, water, forests, and livelihoods from damaging extractive activities that have heavy socio-environmental impacts.

PFAS pollution in Sweden

In Sweden, PFAS pollution in drinking water is a significant issue.  In May 2024, the Swedish Armed Forces have announced that they were appealing to the PFAS verdict at the Swedish Supreme Court. According to a ruling in April 2024 the Swedish armed forces were found responsible for PFAS pollution of groundwater and must pay damages to Uppsala Water.

Environmental justice

The EJAtlas collects the stories of communities struggling for environmental justice. It aims to make their movements more visible, highlighting their claims and testimonies. The EJAtlas also attempts to serve as a virtual space for those working on issues of environmental justice to get information, connect with other groups working on related issues, and increase the visibility of environmental conflicts.