A Global Water Crisis Demands a Global Response

Droughts, floods and damaged ecosystems threaten food supplies, safe drinking water, jobs and homes. Water moves across borders through rivers, soils and the atmosphere, meaning that no country can secure its water future alone. In its opinion Water Diplomacy in Action: Restoring the Global Hydrological Cycle, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for the restoration of the global water cycle to become a shared international priority.

The opinion was drawn up by three rapporteurs: Milena Angelova, Carlos Trindade and Ioannis Vardakastanis.

Ms Angelova highlighted the EU’s role, stating that ‘the EU must use its diplomatic power to make water resilience an effective instrument of multilateral cooperation. At the UN Water Conference, it should champion a flagship initiative to restore the global hydrological cycle.’

This call underpins the EESC’s push for stronger ‘Blue Diplomacy’: international cooperation, cross-border water management and shared rules for water resources.

Mr Trindade stressed why this matters, stating that ‘water is a public good and a fundamental human right. With four billion people facing water scarcity, and the consequences felt in economic decline, inequality, conflict and migration, the EU must use diplomacy to make water a force for cooperation.’

Delivering this cooperation will require funding. The EESC recommends dedicated support in the EU’s 2028-2034 budget to restore water cycles at both local and large scales. Communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America should have easier access to European and other donor funding throughout restoration projects, combining public, concessional and private finance.

Better data is essential for turning investment into results. Understanding water availability and use helps target restoration, guide planning and track progress, while technology, artificial intelligence and digital tools can support this work.

Mr Vardakastanis said: ‘Protecting water systems protects livelihoods, communities and human dignity. By placing water at the heart of its external action, the EU can turn a source of conflict into an instrument of cooperation, peace and resilience – today, not in the future.’

This approach is also reflected in the EESC’s contribution to the 2026 UN Water Conference, prepared by its Consultative Commission on Industrial Change. Building on the EU Blue Deal, it calls for the social, environmental and economic value of water to inform policy across sectors and levels of government, with civil society involved throughout.

The benefits should be felt locally: more reliable water supplies, healthier soils and ecosystems and livelihoods better protected against droughts and floods. Giving communities a stronger voice and better access to finance is central to making that happen.

The 2026 UN Water Conference offers an opportunity to turn these priorities into global action. The EESC urges the EU to champion a flagship initiative to restore the water cycle and strengthen international law protecting the ecosystems that sustain it. Particular attention should be given to ‘green water’ – moisture stored in soils and vegetation that supports crops, forests and local rainfall.

The goal is a water-smart society that recognises water as a public good, changes how it is used and protects the natural systems that replenish it. By linking diplomacy, funding, evidence and community action, the EU can help turn shared responsibility into lasting water security. Restoring the water cycle means protecting food, livelihoods and communities that depend on it.