Public funding will play a major role in financing the substantial investments needed to implement the water resilience strategy. Nevertheless, a significant role has also to be played by regulation. Alongside targets for an efficient water service management, tariff and quality regulation should also include proper incentives, on one side, to prioritise investments for environmental sustainability and resilience against the climate change, possibly privileging nature-based solutions, and, on the other side, to foster circular economy practices, in particular encouraging water reuse.
WAREG will give an interim update on its 13 Common KPIs and discuss how these metrics enable risk-based oversight and incentives for regulators while offering utilities, consumers and investors a transparent benchmark of service quality and efficiency.
Embedding Extended Producer Responsibility schemes into the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive recast, so that manufacturers of persistent pollutants (e.g. PFAS, microplastics) contribute to their remediation.
WATERUN Project – Research Findings of the Policy Brief (Policy and Regulatory Framework Analysis of Urban Water Runoff)
WATERUN is Horizon Europe funded project and aims to develop an innovative methodology to contribute to the implementation of urban water runoff (UWR) management plans in cities based on the Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) concept. This methodology will provide preventive and mitigation solutions and best management practices adopting a holistic perspective (from source identification to decision making) for diffuse water pollution control in urban catchments. The target is to transform the UWR management by the development of identification, planning and risk-based tools and new working procedures (guidance) with the early involvement of the main urban water management and governance actors (co-creation process), ensuring a wider and faster adoption. Key Partners of the Project are: Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste (AIMEN), Dublin City University, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ), Aarhus University, TILIA Gmbh, Office International de l’Eau, European Water Regulators, University of Jordan, Aarhus Vand. Detailed information about WATERUN is available at: https://www.waterun.eu/
Water Governance 2027 Synergy Group – Innovative Governance for Water Resilience – Focus on Economic aspects
Europe faces escalating water challenges, including droughts, floods, and pollution, exacerbated by climate change, resulting in billions of euros in damage. By launching the Water Resilience Strategy, the EU raised water higher on its agenda than ever before. The EU’s Water Resilience Strategy points out that water-related inequalities can harm economic, social, and territorial cohesion within the EU, underlining the need for increased investment in sustainable water management and innovation. It also recognizes the interconnectedness of water with energy, food, industries and ecosystems, advocating for a holistic approach to water governance. Appropriate economic tools and measures can help the achievement of a more sustainable and secure water future. Three Horizon Europe projects – InnWater, GOVAQUA and RETOUCH NEXUS – provide actionable and complementary solutions to strengthen the economic aspects of water management.
