Since more than 30 years, ICLEI Europe supports cities, towns and regions in their sustainability journey, improving water resilience, climate adaptation, circular economy and supporting the green digital transformation. Amongst others, ICLEI Europe works with cities, towns and regions on the development of tailored urban and regional adaptation and resilience strategies and action plans, integrating them into statutory planning processes, ultimately improving cities’ ability to safeguard citizens from the consequences of climate change.
This document that includes ICLEI Europe’s recommendations for the upcoming European Water Resilience Strategy builds on this decades-long experience. Regions, cities and communities today are exposed to droughts, floods, water management challenges and often severe water pollution. The EU Water Resilience Strategy must be built on the understanding of water being a cross-cutting priority across all sectors and policy areas, reflecting the urgency and life-threatening consequences of inaction. In that sense, it should also draw on the European Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change, the European Environment Agency's first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) and the experience from the ground, mainly of cities, towns and regions. The EU’s Water Resilience Strategy should address water quantity, quality, affordability, pollution and water governance issues in a holistic way, in a from the source to the sea approach.