On 8 June 2026, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall delivered the opening address at the final day of Venice Climate Week, calling for water resilience to become a central political and strategic priority. In her speech, Roswall argued that water is where climate change becomes concrete, citing rising seas, extreme rainfall, floods, droughts, and water scarcity as urgent challenges. She stressed that water must unite where other issues divide, as no nation or community can solve these challenges alone.
Roswall outlined the European Union's Water Resilience Strategy, adopted in June 2025, which has three objectives: restoring and protecting the water cycle, building a water-smart economy, and ensuring access to clean and affordable water for all. She noted that the EU is already investing in infrastructure, water efficiency, urban planning, and digital solutions, and supporting projects abroad such as hydropower in Asia, desalination in the Middle East, and sanitation in Africa. A key new initiative she announced is the development of a Sponge Facility to coordinate and scale up nature-based solutions for natural water retention across Europe, aiming to move these from niche projects to mainstream practice.
Roswall highlighted that 2026 is a decisive year for building synergies across policy areas, with the international community gathering for the COPs of the three Rio Conventions on desertification, biodiversity, and climate change, all of which have key deliverables for the water agenda. She pointed to the upcoming UN Water Conference in December as a milestone for transformative action. The Commissioner emphasised that water cooperation must become a central pillar of diplomacy, noting that nearly half the world's population depends on transboundary river basins, and that the EU has unique experience from the Rhine to the Danube.
Roswall also addressed water injustice, stating that communities least responsible for climate change are often most exposed to water stress, and that women and girls bear the brunt of water scarcity. She called for a resilience agenda rooted in solidarity and listening to local communities. Concluding her speech, Roswall envisioned the Mediterranean as a flagship for climate resilience cooperation, where water becomes an opportunity for partnership rather than a source of competition.
The speech contained concrete proposals, including the Sponge Facility and a call for integrated water action across policy areas, but lacked specific numerical targets or budget figures. It shifted the EU's foreign policy approach towards a more cooperative and diplomatic stance on water issues, emphasising partnership and shared solutions over unilateral action.
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