EUSDR Thematic Event on Climate Change & Water Management

The Slovak Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region organised a conference on climate change and water management, entitled ‘EUSDR Thematic Event on Climate Change & Water Management’, on 27 September 2021. The CESCI staff also attended the meeting in Bratislava to learn new information on the impacts of climate change and on the possible ways of adaptation. In a series of programmes, leading experts presented solutions for attenuating the effects of climate change through adaptation and mitigation, which contributes to the fight against the challenges posed by climate change.  During the conference, which consisted of six sessions, the audience learnt about several good practices from the Danube Region, involving tools for sustainable water management and water quality improvement. The event also provided an opportunity to take a closer look at the developments in the new Slovak water policy, which focuses on environmentally friendly water retention.

The morning presentations gave an insight into the history and current state of the creation of strategies in the EU and of regulations. Participants were given a detailed description of the negative natural, economic and social impacts of climate change, as well as the possible scenarios. The speakers proposed a solution to alleviate the tension between nature conservation and flood protection, to restore floodplain ecology and biodiversity, to use water retention and to reform the compensation of farmers. The use of the so-called ‘room for the water’ principle in river regulation and flood management, the creation of natural reservoirs and the pursuit of ecological solutions as a substitute for technical interventions were all discussed.

The afternoon programme highlighted the importance of the multisectoral approach and policy-making. Water is key for adapting to climate change, but it also has great potential in terms of prevention. A number of speakers stressed that nature and water conservation must play an increasingly more important role in water policy, supporting monitoring and nature-based solutions, while at the same time water policy in the 21st century must also reflect social and economic development patterns beyond climate change. A paradigm shift from crisis management to risk management is needed, as well as a general programming approach from the side of the government, covering the different institutions and sectors, both public and private. In the final section of the programme, good practices from Central and Eastern Europe were presented.

During the Slovak presidency, which will end at the end of October, climate change and the protection of biodiversity were top priorities, supported by the EUSDR conference held in September. The meeting provided the right opportunity to draw greater attention to the negative impacts of climate change and to solutions that could mitigate them. The main message repeated throughout the conference was a clear lesson for professionals and all participants alike: climate change is a transboundary challenge that requires collective action, and which has a major impact not only on future generations but also on our everyday lives.