How is Europe planning to deal with drought

Lack of water is a fact of life in Malta. There are no lakes or rivers in the island between Italy and North Africa and do not receive much rainfall. And with a warm, dry climate, a population of 563,000 – and more than six that in annual tourism trips – every drop matters.“We live without enough water forever,” said Thomas Bajaa, a marine biologist and recently elected member of the European Parliament. However, he told DW that the scatter has forced his country to innovate.Today, two-thirds of its drinking water comes from the sea, the unique water that is mixed with the minimum supply of ground water. Other technical solutions, smart water meters, leakage management and wastewater reuse also helps in investing in use, driving the tap. For now, at least.

Already one-fifth part of Europe under water stress

But as the temperature increases and the weather patterns become rapidly incredible due to climate change, Malta’s water challenges are expected to spread.The European Environment Agency (EEA) reported that in many European cities and regions, there is still confidence in old water management practices, almost fifth of the continent faces water tension every year. It was noted that Europe is estimated to double the demand for water by 2050, causing lack of water in the future.Loek Charpentier, who advocated the industry body water Europe, said, “Europe is at the forefront of the growing water crisis – which endangers the industry, agriculture, ecosystem and civilians to reach water.”Excessive heat and long periods of drought, once rare in Europe, is becoming an annual problem in many regions. According to data from the European Union’s Copernic Climate Change Services, several heat waves broke the temperature records in 2024 with the Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region, suffering from heat stress and water reserves the most.The first European Climate Risk assessment released by the European Environment Agency in March 2024 stressed that these new weather extremes were already disrupting the ecosystem, agriculture and economic activity, human health and water supply. Drought and extreme heat can also “increase existing risks and crises … leading to water and food insecurity, disruption of significant infrastructure, and threat to financial markets and stability.,

Lack of water leads to ‘growing struggle’

Ethanis Georges of the European Water Movement Advocacy Group said, “When we talk about water, no one sees, both water pollution and lack of water.” “This is a vast environmental and social justice issue, because if you have rare water, you have growing struggles. [We’ve seen] It is already in other regions of the world. ,In 2012, the European Water Movement led the Right 2 Water campaign signed by the European Union citizens, which asked the European Commission to ensure that the water remains a public service and “ensure that all residents enjoy the right of water.”Drinking water instructions, the main law of the European Union on drinking water, was revised after the campaign and implemented in 2021. This forces European Union member countries to improve “access to safe drinking water” for all citizens.And yet, EEA data suggests that some 30% of the European Union citizens still lack water every year.

Can a new European Union’s water strategy fix it?

The European Commission finally is due to introducing its water flexibility strategy in early June, after taking away from the agenda in view of the 2024 European Union elections and the right -wing criticism of the European Union’s ambitious climate schemes. Strategy is expected to focus a lot of focus on efficiency, reuse of water and technical reforms – especially in areas that rely on water, such as industry and agriculture.“We want to address the root causes of water challenges in the European Parliament in the European Parliament for environment and water flexibility in the European Parliament, which includes the effects of pollution, deficiency and climate change.” He also highlighted the plan to “promote the competitive edge of our European Union’s water industry”.The MPs called for the European Union Commission to be “ambitious” in their update for the current water management and climate adaptation strategy, which Bajaha called “scattered, regional and unaware”.The synergy of the report said, “This means real, binding action by promises. He admitted that while water management is a national issue, lies in the Treaty of the European Union, member states also need to understand that it is a responsibility shared in the boundaries.

Solution: Modernization of infrastructure, promote efficiency

European Union MPs said that the Commission should prioritize the funds dedicated to water flexibility-to modernize the infrastructure of the water, use artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to establish money, nature-based solutions and to promote efficiency, monitoring and safety.“We need money to invest directly in innovation, the center-left socialists and the Democrats Group Bajda, to invest directly in a clever manner of water management, in industry, in agriculture,” Center-left socialists and Bajra of the Democrats Group told DW. “Let’s invest through public-private partnership, using [European Investment Bank] To increase investment, but also a direct line in the coming [EU] Budget.”

Can the untouchability solve the global water crisis?

“Drought and climate adaptation is only part of the big puzzle,” in an email, Charpentier in Water Europe. “Europe should encourage investment in areas – from citizens and businesses to local and regional authorities.”

Restoring water by giving back the place ‘

However, environmental campaigners are disappointed that what he said was said by successful efforts by conservative and distant MPs to dilute the role of nature-based solutions, stating that this is a “worrying example” before releasing the strategy of the Commission. He has taken steps to weaken the nature restoration and conservation goals along with measures to address water pollution.,In a statement, Living River Europe NGO coalition said, “We cannot fast to deal with an continent to repair clean water or broken water cycles, without working with nature.” Nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetlands and disrupting rivers that disrupt obstruction, are brown infrastructure and environmentally stable.Jorges of the European Water Movement said, “When you are beneficial, you cannot follow the environment, social and moral objectives,” said Georges of the European Water Movement, which campaigns against privatization of water services. He told DW that the energy was intensive to create and operate new, modern infrastructure such as uninterrupted plants and dams, and required expensive maintenance.Conversely, he said, an approach that helped maintaining more water in the soil and helped to recreate the groundwater reserves – for example, by using permeable surfaces in cities, or by giving more space and streams – more durable was more durable.“If you take a look at both [types of] The solution, what is easy, what is the most efficient cost? “Georges said.” It is just giving nature back. ,