The EU and China will meet in Brussels on Monday, 2 February, to discuss joint action on water resilience at the third EU–China Water Policy Dialogue.
The talks will be co-chaired by Jessika Roswall, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Li Guoying, China’s Minister of Water Resources, the European Commission announced on Friday.
Both sides are expected to confirm they want to continue cooperation on global water challenges, including water scarcity and water stress.
The meeting will also look at ways to build “resilient, climate-proof water systems and societies” and to safeguard them for future generations.
Leaders will discuss priorities for the 2026 UN Water Conference and aim to align positions on issues including creating a regular inter-governmental process on water.
Focus areas and next steps
Roswall said global water demand is projected to exceed available resources by 40% by 2030.
She also emphasised that droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and pointed to the EU Water Resilience Strategy as setting out solutions.
The Commission said the EU and China are prepared to work together on climate-resilient river basin management, making cities more resilient to floods and droughts, and water restoration.
Roswall is due to present the EU Water Resilience Strategy during the dialogue and at a subsequent high-level conference of the China–Europe Water Platform, which will take place after the meeting.
The Commission informed the strategy is structured around three pillars — restoring and protecting the water cycle, building a water-smart economy, and ensuring clean and affordable water for all.
It added that the strategy includes a “water efficiency first principle”, meaning demand reduction and efficiency measures should be prioritised first, followed by water reuse, with increased supply treated as a last-resort option.
EU–China cooperation on water began in the mid-2000s and was expanded in 2017 with a memorandum of understanding that established the EU–China Water Policy Dialogue.
