Following on our commitment from the workshop ‘A Blue Deal through citizenship and stewardship’, which we organised during Civil Society Week in March 2024, together with the European Environmental Bureau and the CCMI (Consultative Commission on Industrial Change) Section of the EESC, on 17 July 2024 we submitted a proposal for a ‘European Citizens Initiative for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe’. In it, we have re-emphasised that Europe is increasingly experiencing the impacts of the global water crisis, grappling with droughts and floods, which compromise water quality and access to safe drinking water. Our continent faces a notable deficit in water efficiency across various sectors, including supply infrastructures, production processes, and consumption patterns, hindering the achievement of SDG 6 and risking European competitiveness due to water disruption risks.
Previously taken for granted, access to water is now becoming uncertain. Around 10 million people in Europe lack access to safe drinking water, while globally, the amount of available drinking water is insufficient to meet all needs. Agriculture, the largest water user, is particularly affected by water scarcity, highlighting the urgency for a Water-Smart Society that supports our farmers and necessitates proactive measures from industries. The Global Water Report 2020 by CDP highlighted that the cost of water risks to businesses could be more than five times the cost of addressing those risks through investment. As such, the hydrogen industry, essential for Europe’s green energy transition, presents an opportunity to lead in water stewardship. Producing one kilo of hydrogen requires about nine kilos of ultrapure water, and meeting European hydrogen targets will require around 90 million cubic meters of water annually. By embracing water-smart technologies, the industry can significantly contribute to a water-smart and resilient Europe. Such a proactive approach would support environmental goals and strengthen the industry’s long-term viability and public support.
The challenge extends to the European water policy landscape, which is currently fragmented and ineffective in addressing these pressing issues. Despite the advanced state of EU’s water legislation compared to the rest of world, many goals remain unfulfilled due to insufficient funding, delayed implementation, and lack of comprehensive integration of water concerns into sectoral policies. This results in water considerations being inadequately reflected in decision-making processes and absent in many key policy areas. In May 2024, the European Commission launched an awareness-raising campaign, WaterWiseEU, inviting European citizens to “See Water Differently” and aiming to build a water-resilient Europe by 2050. This campaign is a welcome step but needs to translate into political ownership and concrete actions.
Our ECI proposal recognises that citizens can contribute to innovative solutions to tackle water-related challenges in all dimensions: domestic, economic, and environmental. It calls for adopting a comprehensive strategic political priority on water integrated into all EU policies. A paradigm shift at EU level is critical to safeguard clean water for all and to facilitate a genuine transition towards a water-smart society. This entails a consolidated effort to enhance water governance, improve efficiency, and integrate water sustainability into all facets of policy and practice.
Despite the overarching goal of reducing the continent’s carbon footprint, investments in water-intensive projects continue in regions already facing severe water scarcity. Traditionally integrated within the Green Deal, aimed at achieving a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050, water issues require a distinct focus. The Declaration for an EU Blue Deal provides this focus and proposes to establish a platform for institutional, stakeholder, and citizen engagement.
Addressing water resilience necessitates a sector-specific approach. It is key to incorporate water considerations into each industry, particularly transition pathways, and propose tailored solutions rather than uniform water consumption reductions across the board. Given technological advancements, certain sectors could rapidly reduce their water footprint, while others may require more time to adjust. High-water-use industries need support in adopting more efficient technologies. Furthermore, ensuring the availability of the right skills is important. This approach will preserve jobs and create new opportunities, especially in clean technologies. Like any industrial change, the transition to water resilience will succeed only with adequate resources, both in financing and human resources.
The challenge of water resilience and decarbonisation demands equal and determined effort. The EU must adopt complementary policies addressing both concerns, considering water’s critical role within this context, extending beyond environmental remits. Questions such as water distribution and health exist independently of the climate issue. There is growing consensus that an EU Blue Deal could mark a crucial moment for Europe’s long-term water resilience. Such an approach must be paired with raising public awareness regarding water consumption and good practices. There is strong citizen support1 for additional EU measures to address water-related problems in Europe, and many Europeans feel that national stakeholders are not doing enough to use water efficiently.
We hope that, if successful, our ECI proposal will lead to the integration of the water dimension into all EU policies, which is crucial to ensure that water sustainability is woven into the fabric of European policies. This integration means assessing how each EU policy can impact water resources in terms of quantity, quality, and accessibility. This would ensure that water resilience and sustainability are primary considerations in policy formulation and implementation, shifting the paradigm from treating water as an infinite resource to recognising its critical role in the EU’s ecological and socio-economic landscape. After all, water is not only an ecological issue but intersects significantly with all socio-economic dimensions of Europe, including agriculture, industry, health, urban development, and energy production, and, above all, active and responsible citizenship.
The European Commission will now assess the proposal and let us know if it is accepted by 17 September 2024, and if so, we will organise a public launch of the ECI, to kick-start of the process of collecting the 1 million signatures from across EU’s citizens, on 11 October 2024, in Brussels, at our FLOW Project Co-Creation Event.
Stay tuned and we hope we can count on you to help us collect the 1 million signatures.