19 other member states sign letter calling for water to be ‘priority in next legislature’
Most European Union (EU) countries have endorsed a Portuguese initiative calling on the European Commission to prioritise water due to a water scarcity affecting the EU bloc.
According to an open letter addressed by Portugal and 19 other countries, the minister for the environment and energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, calls for water to be a priority during the next legislature and “for this commitment to be materialised through comprehensive actions at EU level, including adequate and effective funding, the promotion of innovation, evidence-based decision-making processes and the strengthening of international cooperation”.
The Portuguese minister was the first signatory of the letter warning of the “increasing frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and water scarcity across Europe.”
“According to the European Environment Agency, around 20% of Europe’s territory and 30% of its population suffer from water stress every year. The associated economic cost is estimated at €9 billion per annum, and could reach €65 billion by the end of the century, without even accounting for environmental damage,” she said.
In the letter, released by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the minister highlights the increased frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and water scarcity, emphasising that “the losses are felt mainly in agriculture and food systems, in the energy sector and in public supply”.
With regard to floods, “a study published by the European Commission in 2021 estimated the total costs of mitigating flood risks for the period 2016-2021 to be at least €14 billion,” the letter adds, also stating the need for greater coordination at European level, covering water in all its dimensions: freshwater and saltwater resources, ecosystem protection, human consumption, agriculture and food systems, energy and industries.
Maria da Graça Carvalho has also emphasised the importance of research and innovation in the water sector, stating that they are necessary to “find new solutions to tackle water scarcity, as well as to improve existing ones.”
“This document underlines the importance of scientific research and the need to strengthen funding in these areas, through traditional financial instruments, but also through innovative ways that can mobilise private investment,” she said in the statement released by the Ministry.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovenia also signed the letter.
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