Europe will Lead Water Economics

Gammeltoft is head of the unit "Protection of Water and Marine Environment, of the European Commission. His opinion is that Europe has to take the lead. Europe needs to take a similar role in adaptation as it did in mitigation. Water use can be decreased by using new technology, but also by adressing the growing demand." He adressed a fully packed room with more than 300 decision makers and professionals who visited the symposium, organised by the European Water Partnership and Friends of Europe.

A similar view came from the Chinese speaker Bin Liu, from the ministry of water resource in China. Compared to the EU, China's water use per person is moderate. Mr Liu expressed the ambition to decrease water use by 10%, and also stressed that Europe should take the lead and work closely together with Asia.

Other ideas expressed at the symposium: dedicated delta managers, the importance of water pricing, looking for global, tailormade solutions.

In 2006, the first European Policy Summit on Water organised by Friends of Europe and the EWP provided a Europe-wide platform to debate the EU's water policies for the first time. This year, the third annual summit is dedicated to the European Regional Process for the fifth World Water Forum, bringing together international institutions, national and local governments, industries, NGOs and other stakeholders from the water sector in Europe and beyond to discuss three issues of great importance to Europe:

• Climate Change and Adaptation
• Finance
• Water Scarcity and Droughts

At the moment of writing, the symposium was only halfway. Soon you will find a full report on the European Policy Summit 'Saving Europe's Water'.