Deputy Caretaker Environment Minister Koleva Addresses Conference on "Blue Diplomacy"

Yoanna Vodenova

Deputy Caretaker Environment Minister Koleva (middle) at the conference, Apr. 16, 2024 (BTA Photo)

Sofia,

16.04.2024 11:39

(BTA)

"Achieving sustainable and efficient water management, along with reducing drought and water scarcity, is only possible with an integrated approach that takes into account the new climate reality at European and global levels. This approach must be tailored to the national specificities of each country," Deputy Caretaker Environment Minister Reneta Koleva Tuesday told a conference entitled Building a Water Smart Society through Blue Diplomacy.

Koleva highlighted two European documents on climate risk assessment and management, protection of people and prosperity. She said both documents point to the increasing pressure on water resources and the need for proactive measures and management of risks arising from climate change. Bulgaria shares these concerns as it is located in a region vulnerable to climate change and increasing frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods, the Deputy Minister said.

Particularly sensitive are the issues related to water supply for drinking purposes, agricultural needs, and providing opportunities to use water from alternative sources for the economic sector and water ecosystems, Koleva noted.

The event was opened by BICA Board Chairman Vasil Velev, who noted that water resource scarcity, which is increasing in the face of climate change, has the potential for forced migration of over 1 billion people.

Pietro Francesco De Lotto, President of the Consultative Commission for Industrial Change (CCMI) to EESC said that society is becoming increasingly aware of the global cost of water, while there are countries struggling to access quality and safe water. According to him, countries are not fully motivated to work to improve the way people use water. Europe may be well advanced in this respect, but its targets have not yet been met, he said. Water is relevant to all life on Earth, the expert stressed.

The half-day high-level conference, organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in partnership with the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), Water Europe and Veolia, brought together European and Bulgarian stakeholders, policymakers, industry representatives, organised civil society, academia and media, on Tuesday at the Royal Hall of the Sofia Balkan Palace Hotel.

The objective is to promote the need for an EU Blue Deal and a water-smart strategy at the national level and open up opportunities to engage with local stakeholders and identify avenues for knowledge transfer.

/RY/