Brussels warns of water conflict danger in EU

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🗞️ Driving the news: The European Union is facing imminent risks of water scarcity, which could lead to conflicts among member states unprepared for the impacts of climate change
• A European Commission document warns that this scarcity affects nearly every aspect of life, from food and water to economic activities and human health

🔭 The context: This warning is part of the EU's last major climate initiative before the upcoming bloc-wide elections and is accompanied by the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment
• The document identifies water shortages as a critical issue and notes that some regions, like Spain and France, have already experienced tensions over water supplies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The scarcity of water resources highlights the urgent need for better preparation and response to climate risks in the EU
• The commission's report underscores the broad impacts of climate change, including disasters like floods, wildfires, and crop failures, and stresses the importance of climate resilience for economic competitiveness and survival

⏭️ What's next: The Commission emphasizes the necessity of integrated water management and better climate resilience planning
• It also outlines actions for itself, including enhancing workers' protections, setting climate resilience requirements for EU spending, and fighting climate disinformation
• Additionally, it plans to issue guidance on making rural landscapes more resilient to climate risks

💬 One quote: “Climate resilience is a matter of competitiveness for economies and companies, and thus jobs. It is a matter of economic survival for rural and coastal areas, farmers, foresters, and fishermen,” (European Commission communiqué)

📈 One stat: The EU could face €1.6 trillion in annual damages from coastal flooding, with droughts and floods costing an estimated €9 billion and €170 billion a year, respectively, since 1980

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