Lyon, 4.-6. April 2024
Water for all, water for peace. At its annual meeting, the European Water Movement reaffirms the public and democratic management of this vital resource, which should be preserved as a common good, with opposition to any form of privatization, commodification, use as a means of warfare and expropriation.
In the face of environmental, social and political emergencies, natural heritage and water resources must be preserved through prevention and protection. In the face of shortages, droughts and floods, guaranteeing water for everyone must take priority over excessive or illegitimate industrial or agricultural use. It is imperative to restore damaged/destroyed ecosystems and water quality that is dramatically polluted with chemicals, PFAS, microplastics, among others. For this purpose, support for the agro-ecological transition must be ensured, and strict measures should be adopted in connection with the use and disposal of toxic substances.
The implementation of the human right to water and sanitation for all requires the exclusion of water from liberalization, commodification, financialization and grabbing. Water management must be public, transparent and participatory, with the active role of citizens and workers. Supported and monitored by public-public partnerships, it must ensure accessibility, quality of services and investments in infrastructure and maintenance to reduce leakages in networks.
Countries that are in the process of joining the European Union, especially the Balkan ones, must not be a victim zone. Their water bodies are part of the European water system and must be protected from the risks of destructive mining projects; countries in the neighborhood of the EU cannot be treated only as a source of extraction of critical materials.
The European water movement is extremely concerned about the current state of war and the height of conflicts in which water plays a key role. Water must not be used as a geopolitical tool or, worse, as a weapon of war, as in Palestine, Syria-Iraq, Ukraine, Turkey and other regions. The European Water Movement reaffirms its unquestionable support for these populations and their refugees. It demands an immediate ceasefire on all fronts of the war and joins the UN appeal “Water for Peace”.
In addition, we express concern about the increasing militarization of society and demand an end to and active opposition to the criminalization and discrediting of movements that defend common goods and fundamental rights, and we make a general request for freedom of dissent, access to information and speech.
These examples are expressed in an open letter addressed to the EU institutions, elected representatives and candidates in the next European elections, who are requested to urgently renew the Initiative for Water Resilience , which is articulated on such points of view.