Preparing for water resilience in the mountains: from awareness to action

Mountains are real water towers for Europe. The Alps alone provide 40% of Europe’s freshwater, and many areas, both mountainous and lowland, depend on mountain run-off. Mountain areas are therefore key to Europe’s water resilience. However, as a result of global warming, water resources are shrinking due to melting ice, and precipitation is becoming more erratic and unpredictable.

Water is a vital resource, and many communities are already experimenting with water cut-offs during periods of water scarcity. In a context of diminishing resources and increasing consumption, conflicts over water use are on the rise. In addition to the primary water needs of ecosystems, many economic sectors depend on access to water, such as mountain agriculture, tourism and energy.

This webinar aims to raise awareness of the challenges of water management in mountain areas, and to share experiences in order to build resilience. The webinar will first address fundamental issues such as the water crisis in mountain areas, the lack of data and knowledge on water, and the role of local and regional authorities in water management. In a second section, the webinar aims to illustrate how Europe’s mountain areas are approaching water resilience. Practitioners will share inspiring and replicable experiences that help to value, conserve or rationalise water.

In particular, the webinar will present innovative Horizon Europe projects for better water management in agriculture. A LEADER-funded initiative will also complete this panorama of inspiring initiatives for mountain areas.