As part of the European Union’s Green Week, held in Brussels, ‘Euronews’ science correspondent Jeremy Wilks questions experts about water pollution, droughts and floods, and wonders when we will wake up about water.
Now more than ever, water is on everyone’s minds.
Whether due to pollution, floods, droughts or climate change, there are many water-related problems that concern us.
Discover our upcoming Euronews live debate on water resilience, where we’ll ask exactly how we can become water-wise.
Presented from the European Union’s Green Week in Brussels, with our science correspondent Jeremy Wilks at the helm, we will pose questions from the public to a panel of three experts.
We will discuss topics such as water quality in urban areas, tensions with agriculture and industry, water recycling, regeneration and desalination, nature-based solutions for rivers and waterways, as well as security of supply for all Europeans.
Starting at 10:00 CET on May 29, we’re giving you everything you need to know ahead of the event and how you can learn about one of the most pressing issues we’re facing today.
Meet our panel of Water Resilience experts
The Dra. Florika Fink-Hooijer She is the Director General of the Environment Department of the European Commission, having held several senior management positions in the organization.
A lawyer by training, Florika is recognized for her strong management and leadership skills and her deep experience in developing and shaping EU policies.
She is an expert in foreign and security policy, as well as humanitarian aid and disaster risk reduction.
Florika also has extensive experience leading complex inter-institutional and inter-governmental negotiations. In his current role, he is responsible for the implementation of the objectives of the European Green Deal, specifically in the crucial areas of the circular economy, biodiversity and zero pollution.
Accompanies him on the panel Henk Ovink.
He is the executive director and founding commissioner of the Global Commission on the Water Economy.
This Commission, created in May 2022, was promoted by the Government of the Netherlands with the aim of transforming the world’s understanding of the economy and water governance.
It also places much greater emphasis on equity, justice, efficiency and democracy than its political predecessors, the 2006 Stern Report on the economics of climate change and the 2021 Dasgupta Report on the economics of biodiversity.
Henk himself is a leading expert on our topic, having acted as the first World Water Ambassador for over 8 years.
As part of this role, he co-led the second United Nations Water Conference in 2023, which brought together more than 10,000 people from all continents, backgrounds and professions.
At that event, Henk was instrumental in getting the world community to commit to more than 800 actions with the aim of consolidating a water secure world for all.
In 2013, former President Obama entrusted him with the work of the Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction Task Force and Henk received the Department of State’s Gold Honor Award for his exceptional work and leadership in water diplomacy.
ADVERTISINGTogether with him he will answer the questions Arnaud Valleteau de Moulliac. He is the CEO of ‘Veolia Water Technologies’, a water treatment subsidiary of the Veolia group, based in France and valued at 1.65 billion euros.
Arnaud joined the group in 2003 and has since held various positions, from business development to operations and general management.
With decades of experience, he has a degree from the École Polytechnique and HEC in Paris, and is passionate about the ecological transformation in Europe.
This is everything our panel will discuss at the event
In the modern world, the resilience of water has ceased to be a mere political issue and has become a concern for all.
Although the future of water may sometimes seem bleak, many politicians in the EU – and around the world – are increasingly supporting this issue together with the industry.
ADVERTISINGIt is increasingly clear that nature is part of the solution and, with that idea in mind, we will begin the debate with the multifaceted topic of water pollution and its repercussions on health.
We will talk about banning PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, we will address how to clean urban areas and improve water treatment.
We will also discuss the relevance of nature-based solutions to soften the blow of drought and floodswith discussions ranging from helping restart the water cycle to the relevance of high-energy solutions such as desalination.
The varied and competing uses of water are a hot topic today, with agriculture, industry and domestic users at odds. We will look at this issue, as well as the nuances around water and security.
Throughout the debate, the constant threat of climate change and the role of companies in the water sector will also be hot topics.
ADVERTISINGAs an open debate, we will answer questions from attendees, who come from both ordinary environments and the world of water.
We look forward to questions – and answers – to some of the most debated topics across Europe on water issues.
Have you ever wondered who exactly plans and ensures cross-border cooperation for firewater supply or why cities – think Paris before the Olympic Games – seem to need a special boost before they start investing ambitiously in quality? of water and flood prevention?
These are some of the questions we will ask ourselves, along with whether the EU can back up its claims that it is a defender of sustainable solutionswhether it can achieve its 2030 climate goals and whether rivers, seas and oceans need a specific legal status to guarantee the success of this policy.
Tune in to get all the answers you’re looking for on Wednesday, May 29 at 10:00 CET here.
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