Aligning strategies for water resilience: CWP meeting with Claudia Olazábal, Head of the Water Management Unit of the European Commission

Barcelona, 17 March – On 17 March, the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) took part in a meeting organised by ACCIÓ, with Claudia Olazábal, Head of the European Commission’s Sustainable Water Management Unit. At this meeting, the European Commission’s lines of action on water management and resilience of the European Water Resilience Strategy were reviewed.

In his speech, Olazábal stressed that efficient water management is essential for the European Union’s green transition and to ensure the economic competitiveness of member states. He also highlighted that by 2030, the European Union has set itself the goal of increasing water efficiency by at least 10%, with a clear focus on digitalisation and the creation of more sustainable and resilient management models.

During the meeting, the members of the CWP had the opportunity to verify that their objectives and projects were aligned with the main axes of the European strategy. The meeting served as a space to discuss possible synergies between public and private initiatives in the field of water and to confirm that the CWP’s actions in the field of innovation, digitalization and sustainable water management respond to the needs and priorities of the European Commission. CWP representatives discussed the need to invest in infrastructure for efficient and affordable water supply, as well as the importance of continuing to drive innovation and research to address the global challenges of water, climate change and sustainability.

The meeting was attended by different members representing the Catalan Water Partnership (CWP) and associated entities: Jordi Cros, Head of Innovation at Adasa Sistemas and President of the CWP; Xavier Amores, Director of the CWP; Andreu Iglesias, Director of Engineering, Operation and Maintenance at Sorigué; Bernat Villarubias, Manager of Igualdina Purification and Recovery; Josep Xavier Pujol, Managing Director of the Tarragona Water Consortium; Daniel Montserrat, Director of AITASA (Industrial Waters of Tarragona); Fernando Cabello, Director of the AMB’s Water Cycle Services; Mario Ruiz, Head of Climate and Environmental Action at Aigües de Barcelona; Xavier Yague, CEO of Hidrotec; David Soler, Head of LIQUATS and Alicia Casart, Director of Infrastructure Studies at the Observatory for the Water Transition (OTH) of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

This meeting has been an opportunity for CWP members to share their knowledge and experiences in water management and to hear first-hand the objectives of the European Commission in this area. It also allowed attendees to discuss how to contribute to the implementation of Water Resilience at the European level, with a clear commitment to public-private collaboration. Jordi Cros, president of the CWP stressed that: “Catalonia and Spain have extensive experience in water management in complex situations such as droughts and floods, and can contribute their knowledge to countries that are now beginning to suffer the consequences of the climate crisis”, and highlighted the role of the CWP as a reference platform to promote collaboration between the different agents in the water sector.