Debate: Water crisis and droughts in the EU as a consequence of the global climate crisis and the need for a sustainable, resilient water strategy for Europe
Date: TUESDAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2024
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

Let me just reiterate that the initiative that we will put forward will, first of all, focus on a number of immediate actions that can be taken by the current Commission, while also mapping the key issues and launching a public debate. However, this will not prejudge the political choices that will have to be made by the new college as from the autumn of 2024.  The aim of the Water Resilience Initiative is, first of all, to take stock of the main water challenges and opportunities faced by the EU and outline a series of immediate actions, as well as to include the stakeholders, involving EU institutions, Member States, relevant stakeholders, local and regional authorities, private sectors, NGOs and academia but also, most importantly, keeping the political momentum. So the debate in this House is extremely important to keep that momentum going.  The initiative now is being developed around the three key objectives: protect and restore the water cycle; towards an EU water-smart economy; and clean water and sanitation for all. This is with three enablers: governance, finance and investment; research and innovation; and an international section. For each we are in the process of identifying concrete, immediate actions that can be taken by the current Commission, as I have said.  Now, there was also an important question as regards the data. So, absolutely, the Commission of course uses the data and we base our recommendations, our further work, on the data that the Member States feed to the Commission, and then that data, of course, is used by the Environment Agency.  Our planet is the engine of the water cycle, and we have to look after this engine. If we want adequate supplies of clean water, we need to nurture and restore the ecosystems that purify water and hold it in store – not just our soils and our forests, our rivers and wetlands, but our marine waters too, where coastal communities depend on non-polluted water for fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.  Success will depend on scaling up action and funding to create a water-smart economy which optimises the use of scarce resources, meeting the needs of current and future generations.  In agriculture, this means a more efficient use of water, wastewater reuse, soil management and vegetation cover, drought resistant crops and restoration of damaged areas. In energy and transport, it means preparing for disruptions to hydropower, plant cooling and waterborne transport. For drinking water, it means promoting leakage reductions with additional supply infrastructure as a last resort.  Adaptation solutions will be required in every aspect of life, in every sector, on every time scale. Nature-based solutions are particularly well-suited for climate resilience to water impacts, and where that’s not feasible, let’s opt for hybrid green-grey solutions.  Lastly, we need wider recognition of the fact that water is a public good, so more must be done to deliver on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation in the EU and globally. To achieve it, we need strengthened governance of water resources, increase awareness, to promote research and innovation, including digital solutions, and, of course, mobilising increased public and private funding.  These investments must be part of the comprehensive strategic vision and hence the need for a water resilience agenda. The support of this House is going to be essential and crucial for delivering this agenda.