As a Water Europe board member for college C ‘Utilities’- Could you tell us what drives you personally to have this role at Water Europe? What do you want to achieve?
Water flows through many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Water and wastewater utilities contribute to these goals, often facing unprecedented challenges that require integrated solutions and collaboration both horizontally and vertically with a diverse range of stakeholders. Water Europe (WE) facilitates this cross-sectoral communication and influences water policy, governance, and innovation accordingly. I want to contribute to WE’s goal of fostering productive dialogue within the utility sector and between utilities and other sectors. Additionally, I want to support WE’s efforts to secure adequate public financing for water, ensuring that utilities can continue to fulfill their ever-increasing role in achieving the SDGs.
Representing the utilities at Water Europe, what do you consider the challenges and main needs of this college and how do you contribute to addressing these within Water Europe?
My perspective is inevitably shaped by my experience in the European South, where water scarcity, urban heat, and floods are pressing challenges. However, sustainable water (resource) management, including reuse, is a common challenge for most water and wastewater utilities. The growing demands in water and wastewater treatment is another shared concern. To ensure that even these fundamental pillars of SDG6 are met by European utilities, a strong Water Resilience Strategy and adequate public financing are essential. Effective governance at all levels, from the European to the utility level, can foster the much-needed symbiosis with cities, polluters, and consumers, advancing water resilience through various paths and ensuring extended producer responsibility.
Utilities are traditionally regarded as the problem owners and the ones in need of innovative solutions. How can utilities become more ambitious in adopting existing innovations and what role can the Water-Oriented Living Labs play in this regard?
Given the complexity of today’s pressing water-related challenges, the realization and sustainability of solutions often depend on mutual attunement between utilities and a diverse range of critically relevant stakeholders. Water-Oriented Living Labs provide a framework for interdisciplinary co-design and co-implementation of projects. They therefore offer a precious space for the necessary vertical and horizontal collaboration in designing and implementing a single activity or even an entire investment plan. Whether or not innovation is the starting point of a WOLL, it is difficult to imagine solutions to pressing challenges without it.
To build a Water-Smart Society, what actions should we prioritize?
As a board member for College C, I would prioritize ensuring that there is an enabling environment at the European and local levels, as well as within the utilities, for them to implement water-smart strategies and investments that efficiently address their pressing challenges. Whatever the combination of circular water, multiple waters, digital water, and resilient water might be in the solutions they need, the utilities must have the resources (human, structural, technical, policy, financial, etc.) to invest in them, as well as the vision and culture to create the necessary alliances with other members of a water-smart society. I would also prioritize inclusive water, ensuring universal access to water services and water literacy, promoting conservation, sanitation, and sustainable water practices.
