Alongside 27 organisations and NGOs, ICLEI has signed an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to protect EU freshwater and marine ecosystems. The letter stresses the need for the EU to put nature-based water resilience back on the agenda ahead of the EU elections. As we face more extreme weather events, it is critical that the EU accelerates actions to address water scarcity, and protect society against related issues including droughts, flooding, wildfire, and sea level rise.

The Initiative for Water Resilience aims to

• Prioritise nature-based water resilience in the upcoming legislative mandate
• Prioritise nature-based water resilience over infrastructure and ensure adequate funding from both private and public sources
• Reduce water demand in regions where it is scarce, at both the local and regional level
• Accelerate the implementation of and enforcement of current and upcoming legislation

Read the letter in full here.