Nature-based water resilience cannot wait

In the face of more intense and frequent extreme weather events related to climate change, the EU should accelerate its action to address recurrent water scarcity and protect society against the effects of droughts, floods, wildfires and sea level rise. All Europeans should be ensured of their basic right to clean and healthy water. We are convinced that achieving water resilience through nature-based solutions should be a political priority under the next European Commission, with healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems — rivers, lakes, wetlands, deltas and coastal areas — at its core. Thus, we, the signatories of this Open Letter, call on the President of the EU Commission to launch the communication on the EU's Water Resilience Initiative before the 2024 European elections as set out in the European Commission Work programme for 2024.