Towards an EU Water Resilience Strategy: Innovating for a water-efficient future

Share

On January 15th, the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg and Hansgrohe hosted a panel discussion on the EU Water Resilience Strategy. Baden-Württemberg’s Environment Minister Thekla Walter opened the event highlighting its importance for contributing to both greater water resilience and strengthening the sector’s competitiveness.

The EU Commissioner for Water Resilience – Jessika Roswall took the stage, laying out a holistic source-to-sea approach to the EU’s water issues. She also provided some main lines of the future strategy:

– Repair the water cycle
– Reduce water risks for economic sectors by building a water-smart economy
– Invest in research and innovation for water
– Leverage Europe competitiveness and leadership as global solution providers

Commissioner Roswall also stressed out how the farming community can contribute to solving water issues, noting that farmers can achieve significant water efficiency through investments in water reuse. Other sectors, such as energy and construction, also present strong potential for water savings. You can find the full speech here.

Hans Juergen Kalmbach followed with his keynote speech highlighting that a Water Resilience Strategy for Europe must take into account the efficient use of water in residential and commercial buildings as water use by households and services account for 13%.

Hildegard Bentele, Chairman of the MEP Water Group and Shadow Rapporteur on the Environmental Quality Standard Directive participated in a panel discussion moderated by Durk Krol, Executive Director of Water Europe, along with:

– Dr. Ing. Hannes Spieth, CEO, Umwelttechnik Baden-Württemberg GmbH
– Veronica Manfredi, Director, Directorate-General for the Environment, European Commission
– Volker Meyer, General Manager, Federal Association of Gas and Water Companies (FIGAWA)

The panel delved into various topics, including crisis management, the importance of investing in solutions for mitigating extreme climate events, the digitalization of water infrastructure, and the role of water pricing.

A central theme of the discussion was water reuse beyond agriculture, echoing WE study released after the summer. The conversation emphasized the importance of water reuse in buildings and raising awareness about the value of water in domestic use. To achieve a water-smart society, the Water Resilience Strategy could unlock numerous opportunities, including the adoption of smart metering and the deployment of water-saving technologies in buildings.

Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and get informed about the news, events and activities of Water Europe.