Water scarcity is becoming a structural issue across Europe—not just in the traditionally drier South. In our recent foresight study for the European Parliament’s STOA PANEL, we foresee a growing gap between water demand and available supply across the European Union. Once considered a regional or seasonal problem, water scarcity is now a year-round concern in many parts of Europe, including the typically water-abundant regions. The problem is worsening, driven by climate change, overuse, and fragmented governance. Therefore, looking towards 2050 means looking towards innovative solutions and a common European approach. Our findings, and reflections are discussed in a recent interview with our colleague, Maria Kottari. The full STOA study can be accessed here.
Regional Disparities, One Common Challenge
Water scarcity affects Europe unevenly, but no region is untouched. Southern EU countries (Spain, Italy, Greece) already face some of the highest water stress levels due to their dry climate and intensive agricultural water use. Climate change exacerbates the problem, with rising temperatures, more frequent heatwaves and longer periods of drought, especially in Southern Europe. Meanwhile, Northern and Eastern regions deal with water stress linked to industry and energy production. Due to consumption patterns and climate change, even typically water-rich countries like Belgium and the Netherlands have suffered shortages during droughts.
In many key European river basins, water is being withdrawn faster than it can naturally refill, leading to declining groundwater and river levels. This over-extraction, combined with climate impacts, makes water scarcity a persistent, year-round issue across the EU. The fact that even wetter countries report shortages shows that this is a pan-European challenge. Addressing it requires “long-term, sustainable water management solutions across the continent.”[1] Isolated national efforts are not going to be enough.
Fragmented Governance and the Need for an Integrated approach
Current water governance in the EU is fragmented, which limits the effectiveness of any response to water stress. While EU water legislation (notably the Water Framework Directive of 2000) has improved water quality, we need more policies to address water quantity and scarcity. Previous EU initiatives, such as the 2007 plan on Water Scarcity and Droughts and the 2012 Blueprint for Water Resources, have been slowly implemented and don’t reach their goals. Targets are not met due to insufficient funding, delays, and a failure to integrate water policy into other sectors. The current approach is “insufficient to address the pressing and growing issues of water availability”. The EU needs an ambitious, cohesive strategy. An integrated EU water strategy should incorporate water considerations into agriculture, energy, industrial, and climate policies. It requires cross-border coordination, since rivers and aquifers are not bound to national boundaries. In short, water should be treated as a strategic resource and water security should be a top priority across all policy areas.
Towards a Water-Smart Europe
Addressing water scarcity in the EU requires innovative technological solutions, public investment, and cooperation on an EU-wide scale. Key priorities include:
- Nature-Based Solutions (NBS): Working with nature can improve water resilience. Restoring wetlands, reforesting catchment areas, and adopting sustainable urban drainage are proven ways to store water and mitigate floods and droughts. NBS not only improve water availability but also quality, benefit ecosystems and biodiversity. In our study we suggest scaling up NBS through funds like the European Investment Bank for immediate impact.
- Digital Tools and Innovation: Smarter water management can decrease water waste and inefficiency. For example, smart irrigation systems and soil moisture sensors help farmers use water more precisely, and leak detection networks prevent losses in municipal supply. Advanced metering can monitor groundwater and rivers in real time to avoid over-extraction. Adoption of these technologies, however, has been slow among smaller users, due to cost barriers. EU support for water-saving tech – from AI-powered management platforms to recycling and desalination research – could improve the uptake.
- Cross-Sector and Cross-Border Cooperation: Water policy doesn’t operate in isolation. An intersectoral framework is needed to balance the water needs of agriculture, industry, energy, and households with ecosystem protection. This means planning water use alongside food and energy production, and sharing data and best practices between sectors. Likewise, EU countries need to cooperate on shared water resources to prevent upstream-downstream conflicts and ensure fair use. Joint river basin management plans and regional agreements can turn water into an area of collaboration rather than competition. The EU can facilitate this by funding cross-border projects and platforms for coordination.
- Strategic Investment and Policy Integration: Ensuring water security will require sustained investment in infrastructure and innovation. EU funding instruments, like the Green Deal, cohesion funds and the Common Agricultural Policy, need to prioritize water availability. This could mean modernizing irrigation networks, building wastewater reuse facilities, and supporting water-efficient technological innovations. To ensure alignment with other strategic investments, water availability should be integrated into regional development and climate adaptation plans.
Water scarcity in the EU is a shared problem that demands a shared response. No single country can solve this problem on its own, especially as climate change increases widespread water shortages. Solutions are available, from nature-based methods to digital innovations, but they are only effective in a coordinated way, backed by EU collaboration and policy support. To safeguard water availability in the future, the EU should act fast to develop a united water strategy and invest in long-term water security. The key takeaway is clear: water may be a local resource, but securing it is a European responsibility.