Will Europe’s next crisis be a water crisis?

Abstract

Water is an important factor in the effects of climate change and, at the same time, it is a victim of global warming. Extreme weather events such as prolonged heat, which causes droughts and flash flooding, have been reported by various European countries. Given these challenges, many EU member states have set up action plans for water management. The recent National Water Strategy from the German federal government is one of them. While these policies help to tackle country-specific challenges, given the fact that Europe shares water resources, coordinated action is also needed at the EU level. The EU Water Framework Directive and related legislation are key instruments in this regard. However, the implementation of water-related policies and regulations at EU level needs to shift from crisis management to risk management, taking an integrated, cross-sector approach, in order to prevent water challenges from becoming Europe’s next crisis.