2nd Thematic Group meeting on Improving Water Resilience in Rural Areas through the CAP
This was the second and last meeting of this Thematic Group (TG), which examine how to best utilise the CAP’s potential for improving water resilience in rural areas.
- Programming period: 2023-2027
Page contents
Event information
- Date: 6 November 2025
- Location: Brussels, Belgium
- Organisers: EU CAP Network
- Participants: 46 participants from 20 Member States (MS), including Managing Authorities (MAs), Paying Agencies (PAs), National Networks (NNs), farmers and farming organisations, environmental NGOs, European and national/regional stakeholder organisations, farm advisors and the European Commission (DG AGRI, DG ENV, DG CLIMA).
- Outcomes: Recommendations on how to scale up action for water resilience in rural areas.
- Web page: 2nd meeting of the Thematic Group on Improving Water Resilience in Rural Areas through the CAP
In the second meeting of the Thematic Group (TG), members discussed and identified the factors that need to be in place to scale up action to improve water resilience in rural areas in a sustainable way.
Delivering for water resilience: report back from informal discussions and inspiring examples
Carlo Vromans (the Netherlands, Deltaplan Agrarisch Waterbeheer) and Nicolás Aranda Perez (Spain, ceiA3) provided feedback on the two informal discussions held between the TG meetings.
The first discussion focused on achieving better cooperation and combining CAP interventions to facilitate greater action on water resilience. Carlo Vromans highlighted that effective cooperation requires the involvement of a wide range of actors (farmers, supply chain actors, knowledge institutions, etc.) and good facilitators and project management are required to help address tensions and mistrust. Long-term engagement from all partners is required to overcome the challenges of scaling up from pilot projects. Territorial planning is beneficial to identify the range of CAP interventions that can be used in combination to support action on the ground (LEADER, investments, including non-productive, eco-schemes, agri-environment-climate, cooperation, advice). However, the CAP alone cannot provide all the solutions: a better integration of CAP support with other funding sources and market-led developments is necessary.
TG members presented examples showcasing how these principles were already being used in practice in different parts of the EU.
Recap of key messages from informal sessions and inspirations from practical examples– EU CAP Network
(PDF – 3.54 MB)
On behalf of Jacob Demant-Ladefoded (Denmark, MA), Kaley Hart (EU CAP Network) presented the way in which cooperation between stakeholders underpins the green transition in Denmark and led to the Green Tripartite Agreement. Alongside a tax on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock and drained peatlands, a Green Land Fund has also been set up, with ambitious targets for tree planting, restoring lowland soils and creating new national parks. A new nitrogen regulation incentivises action. Implementation will take place through local partnerships.
Csaba Vaszko (Hungary, regional authority) reported on the setting up of a catchment-level group on the Hungarian/Romanian border, bringing stakeholders together to carry out a catchment-based water balance assessment. This has led to a revision of the transboundary water agreement (which was outdated), improved the landscape's water retention capacity and changed agricultural practices. The main challenge was the lack of technical expertise on these topics amongst water engineers and advisers.
Corinna Friedrich (Germany, DVL) reported on a Bavarian initiative, ‘Bodenständig’ (rooted in the soil), focusing on improving soil and water management through: (i) sustainable farming actions; (ii) landscape-level measures; and (iii) measures on water bodies. A facilitator and a planner are funded once sufficient interest in taking action is communicated to the Bavarian Office for Rural Development by a group of local stakeholders. Measures are funded via a combination of regional and CAP funds. Eighty projects are currently underway.
Szilvia Bencze (Homoród-Küküllő LEADER Association) presented a LEADER example from Romania. Despite water resilience being identified as an issue in the LAG's Local Development Strategy, no applications were forthcoming due to a lack of awareness about the issue locally. Funding from the Communities for Climate initiative enabled the introduction of expert knowledge and a community facilitator to address the issues faced by one local community whose pasture-based farming systems were severely impacted by drought. A study visit to neighbouring Slovakia, showcasing nature-based solutions, helped turn scepticism into action. This small pilot has now expanded into broader inter-institutional discussions on solutions to these types of issues at a larger scale.
In the second discussion on knowledge sharing and capacity building, Nicolás Aranda Perez highlighted the importance of location-specific advice, given the diversity of soils and cropping conditions. Well-trained advisers are necessary to translate the latest technological advances into practice, but also to inform farmers about the financial feasibility of options and the effects of different solutions over time. The value of peer-to-peer exchanges and demonstration farms was emphasised. Institutions should work together to better use digital tools to improve forecasting and to put in place early warning systems. Some of the barriers identified were the lack of flexibility of the available measures and the lack of long-term strategies.
TG members highlighted four examples. Noemi Nemes (Navdanya International) presented Water Stories, an online platform connecting people interested in water issues, which provides resources and courses on water management. She also presented the Water Management Guidebook, a tool developed by Climate Farmers encouraging regenerative practices. Jennie Barron showed the CAP-funded initiative ‘Greppa Naeringen’ (catch the nutrients), building farmers’ capacity (via advisors) on sustainability, climate and water issues, and providing investments. Finally, Nicolás Aranda Perez highlighted a mobile app (TIC4BIO) developed to help farmers plan precision irrigation, monitor consumption and detect water losses and inefficiencies through the olive oil production cycle.
One is not enough – From single to systemic approaches
A dynamic fishbowl discussion allowed participants to reflect on the enabling factors and changes required to facilitate a transition towards more joined-up, collaborative, landscape-scale and longer-term approaches towards water resilience in rural areas.
Amongst the key points made by TG members were the following:
- Landscape-scale solutions for water resilience should be informed by strategic planning of which land uses are required where, with consideration of both water scarcity and excess water, and of the multiple land uses. This should consider the role of nature, catchment hydrology and the needs of the whole agri-food chain.
- To achieve long-term water resilience, funding needs to be available for longer periods – more than 10 or 20 years – but questions arose about how this was feasible given the EU budget's 7-year cycle.
- Changes in mindset are needed to move towards more systems thinking. Farmers need sufficient support to achieve this – both in terms of funding and advice.
- Knowledge exchange is critical to this, but advisory services often lack up-to-date skills and technological knowledge to provide holistic advice to farmers.
- Farmers would benefit from being offered packages of measures that can be implemented to deliver the range of necessary actions.
- The proposal for a transition payment in the next CAP could help support this shift, with the potential to fund the transition to more sustainable and water-resilient farming systems.
- Additional funding/loans from private sources, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), are needed to complement EU funding.
More action to reduce water waste and increase water reuse would also be beneficial.
Group discussions – Solutions and recommendations to stimulate greater action on water resilience
TG members discussed possible solutions to overcome some of the difficulties currently being experienced and developed recommendations for achieving them.
The main recommendations identified can be summarised under three themes.
Sharing knowledge on water resilience
- Promote the establishment of demonstration sites on action in catchments at the community level in different MSs, looking at the different situations and contexts (climatic, cropping systems), involving multiple stakeholders.
- Fill the knowledge gaps in some advisory services so they have the technical skills required to advise on holistic water-resilience solutions, including nature-based solutions.
- More basic training on water and agroecological practices should be provided to farmers.
- Use CAP support to provide a platform that facilitates knowledge sharing and awareness-raising on water resilience across countries and stakeholders, including through the EU CAP Network.
Holistic and landscape-scale approaches to water resilience
- Focus on a holistic approach to water resilience, integrating water, soils and biodiversity.
- Territorial/landscape scale planning to utilise the mix of CAP and other instruments required that reflect the hydrological conditions and replace the current situation of fragmented projects and a focus on single plots or actions.
- Water resilience should be embedded further into eco-schemes, with a particular focus on nature-based solutions.
Governance and the availability of financing opportunities
- Governance of water is often fragmented and requires greater collaboration at the catchment level among farmers, other water users, and public bodies/government to avoid conflict and inappropriate investments, and to encourage the development of strategies for water retention at the river basin level.
- Clear baseline requirements should be introduced that link nature, agriculture and water management.
- Current CAP schemes tend to cover the costs incurred by farmers, but to be competitive with market-based incentives, they need to offer a stronger incentive element.
- Revisions are required for all transboundary water agreements to ensure they account for the impact of climate change on water availability.
Josselin Roulliard (Ecologic) summed up the key messages from the day, highlighting the following key factors that would support the upscaling of action for water resilience in rural areas:
- Integration of CAP measures, stakeholders (farmers, other water users, authorities) and approaches (at catchment level).
- Knowledge – Education and training of all actors, especially farmers and advisors, for a holistic approach to transition.
- Ambition and regulations – Ensuring stability, a strong baseline (keep conditionality) and a long-term vision.
- Collective action and engagement at all levels, from national to EU.
- Incentives beyond compensating the costs of changes in practices that set direction and offer long-term perspectives for agricultural businesses and agri-food systems, exploring also options available under sectoral interventions.
Next steps
This was the last meeting of the TG. A document outlining relevant examples proposed by TG members will be produced, demonstrating how greater action for water resilience in rural areas can be achieved.
Other relevant resources are available – and regularly updated - on the page of the Thematic Group.
Wrapping-up – EU CAP Network
(PDF – 650.38 KB)
Author(s)
EU Cap Network
