We are already witnessing the outlines of how climate change is reshaping the waterscape in Europe, sometimes in shockingly rapid ways. Adaptation to climate change and enhancing resilience is thus a key challenge for water management and economic sectors in the European Union.

In the context of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has announced a new, more ambitious EU strategy on adaptation to climate change for the beginning of 2021. Sustainable and resilient water management and adapting to water-related impacts of climate change across sectors is expected to be a key component of the new strategy. It is therefore timely to explore ways in which EU policy and EU initiatives could contribute to enhancing climate resilience in EU Member States and beyond.

The main objectives of the conference are to:

• Discuss appropriate measures and policy instruments to achieve resilience towards climate change.

• Explore policy recommendations for EU activities to enhance adaptation efforts at EU, Member States’ and transboundary level.

• Provide input to and support the ongoing development of the new EU adaptation strategy and other relevant EU policy processes and instruments.

Organizer

Initiated in the context of the German EU Council Presidency, the conference is organised by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, Portugal, and the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenia.