Building water resilience and climate adaptation at the appropriate scale requires political commitment and great ambition. The new EU Regions for Water Resilience Alliance shows how regions can lead Europe’s response to water-related risks. Linked to the Water Resilience Strategy and the debate on the future of Cohesion Policy, the session will discuss place-based approaches to water challenges. It will showcase regional responses from mainland and islands, including vulnerable areas on retention, water quality and quantity, agriculture, tourism and preparedness. Speakers, together with the audience, will identify practical solutions and policy messages for an effective European response.
- Climate and environment | Cohesion | EU/ European | Investment and Finances | Local and regional | Maritime (oceans, coasts, islands) | Rural
- Code: 14PD263840
- Square Brussels, Copper Hall, Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium
Speakers
Moderator
Practical information
- When
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Wed 14/10/2026, 16:00 - 17:30 CET
- Where
- Square Brussels, Copper Hall, Mont des Arts, Brussels, Belgium
- Type of partnership
- Regional partnership
- Format
- Political/policy debate
- Theme
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Strong regions, strong Europe
- Languages
- English, German, Spanish
Partners
Reporting
Session summary
The event highlighted the need to translate the EU Water Resilience Strategy into concrete regional action, supported by predictable and accessible funding under the 2028–2034 EU budget. Regions called for stronger involvement of local and regional authorities in EU decision-making, greater investment in prevention, natural water retention and resilient infrastructure to address both droughts and floods. Key priorities also included simplifying access to EU funds, providing technical assistance to smaller municipalities and strengthening cross-border cooperation. The Alliance emphasised the importance of better coordination between water, agriculture, energy and environmental policies, alongside a permanent dialogue with EU institutions.
Quotes
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Water security is not only a local or national issue. It is a European challenge, and we need European cooperation to solve it.
Wielkopolska is a water-deficit region, and 82 % of its area is at high risk of drought and flash droughts. We will develop a regional master plan to support key projects and optimise the use of national and EU funds.
We aim to strengthen investment in water resilience, share experiences and best practices, and establish a permanent dialogue with EU institutions on behalf of the 29 regions of the EU Regions for Water Resilience Alliance.
Building a resilient Europe starts with its regions. Water can be a vulnerability or a driver of innovation and growth. Water resilience must be a priority in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, with regions as strategic partners.
Regions are advancing water resilience through efficiency, reuse and retention, but these solutions have limits. The next EU budget must prioritise water resilience, ensure direct regional access to funding and match EU obligations with adequate financing
Drinking water in Lower Austria comes exclusively from groundwater and springs. Demand is expected to grow by around 25 % by 2050, so we invest about €80 million a year in supply security and in interconnecting municipal networks.
After almost twenty years with hardly any investment, we have doubled our investment in the water cycle to €322 million a year. What we need from Europe is resources: a guaranteed allocation for water in the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
What matters is not only how much water we have, but whether it is available at the right time and in the right place. Let’s not only support crisis management but invest more heavily together in prevention – and give the regions a strong voice.
In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, summer rainfall is expected to fall by 30 % and river flows by 50 %, while water demand could double. That is why water is a major issue within our regional strategy Néo Terra.
