Water is life, and Europe is facing an urgent need to protect this vital resource.

With Europe warming faster than any other continent, the effects are already visible: more frequent droughts and floods, rising water stress, and mounting economic losses. Currently, only 40% of EU surface waters meet good ecological standards, and water-related disasters have already cost the EU over €360 billion in recent decades.

Three Core Objectives for Water Resilience

The Strategy sets out a roadmap for making Europe water-resilient by 2050 by focusing on three main objectives:

1. Restore and protect the water cycle – using nature-based solutions, improving water retention in landscapes, and combating pollution.

2. Build a water-smart economy – prioritising efficiency, reuse, and sustainable supply in agriculture, industry, and energy sectors.

3. Ensure clean and affordable water for all – empowering communities to take part in water governance, and improving access for vulnerable populations.

Why This Matters for RETOUCH NEXUS

At RETOUCH NEXUS, we fully support this strategic direction. Our work focuses on integrating water governance into the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus – an approach directly aligned with the Strategy’s goals of improving resource efficiency, tackling water scarcity, and promoting participatory governance.

Many of the Strategy’s priorities – nature-based solutions, stakeholder engagement, circular approaches, and integrated planning – are central to RETOUCH NEXUS activities across our case studies in Europe.

Towards a Resilient Future

This new Strategy is a call to action for policymakers, businesses, farmers, and citizens to rethink how we manage water. It highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation, investment in innovation, and digitalisation to strengthen Europe’s water systems.