The Brussels Conference of the European Green Week on May 29 and 30, 2024 was also the starting point for the #WaterWiseEu campaign. These were announced by the Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič. The campaign aims to raise awareness for the resource of water. It aims to engage stakeholders and policy makers in a dialogue on strategies for greater water resilience in Europe by 2050.

Europe is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world and 70% of Europeans have expressed concerns about water scarcity and pollution. In recent years, EU countries have regularly struggled with droughts and floods. Growing demand due to the increasing population is gradually reducing the availability of water. A recent survey on environmental threats highlighted European citizens’ concerns about water issues such as pollution, scarcity and flooding. These figures make it clear that the issue of how we manage water must be a top priority. Water is not only a vital resource, but also the basis of our ecosystems and economy. The production of food, energy and goods depends on a stable water supply.

Alarming figures and forecasts

Šefčovič quoted some alarming figures: “According to the United Nations, the global demand for clean water will exceed the available supply by 40 percent by 2030. The World Bank estimates that the global food system will require 40 to 50 percent more water over the next three decades; municipal and industrial demand will increase by up to 70 percent and energy demand will increase by 85 percent.

Economic implications and strategic measures

The water sector, which generates €107 billion in added value and supports 1.7 million jobs in around 80,000 companies, is crucial to the green transition. Many key industries rely heavily on water. It is therefore of strategic importance to ensure water resilience across the EU.deutung, die Wasserresilienz in der gesamten EU zu gewährleisten.

Challenges in the water cycle

• Not enough water: Europe is the continent that is warming the fastest. Many countries are threatened by water shortages and more frequent drought
•  Too much water: Floods are becoming more frequent, more dangerous and more expensive. It’s time to make use of nature’s resilience.
• Pollution: Many of our rivers, oceans and aquifers are polluted by chemicals, plastics, agriculture and other sources.
• Poor management: We need water to produce our food and power our economy. Poor water management leads to overuse, loss or waste.

Key recommendations of the #WaterWiseEU campaign

The campaign includes several key recommendations:

• Building a “Water Smart Economy”: Integrated management and use of all circular economy opportunities to ensure that even wastewater is not wasted.
• Significant investments: Through the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) and Horizon Europe grants, which have already provided €1.3 billion for water research and innovation projects.
• Implementation of the revised Water Framework Directive: Improving access to safe drinking water for EU citizens.
• Financing the Blue Transition: Establishing a Blue Transition Fund to support the transition to a water-smart society.
• Investing in collaboration, research and innovation: support through Water-Oriented Living Labs.

Conclusion from the Brussels Conference

Water connects us all and is an essential part of our continent’s economy and competitiveness. It is time to tackle water as a stand-alone issue that goes beyond the EU Green Deal. Together, we must recognize the value of water and prioritize it in order to shape a water-smart future.

Each of these points represents a clear call to action for citizens and stakeholders across the EU, who can join the campaign via the dedicated information website. This provides communication tools to spread the message – just in time as summer approaches and water resources have been particularly stressed in recent years.

GWP has been dealing with the topic of Urban Water Resilience for several months in a working group that brings together members with an interest in the topic. Are you also interested in getting involved? Then please contact Lucie König at the GWP office.