EU countries concerned about water shortages

By Alimat Aliyeva

Representatives of 21 European Union countries sent a joint letter to Brussels, which emphasizes that water is a strategic, vital resource, and water supply should become an "absolute priority" in the EU, Azernews reports.

The letter reflects the countries' concern about the increased droughts, water shortages and floods throughout the bloc, which, according to the signatories, "are no longer an anomaly in Europe".

According to the European Environment Agency, about 20 percent of the European territory and 30 percent of Europeans suffer from water scarcity every year. The economic losses from this amount to approximately 9 billion euros per year, and this figure does not include damage to ecosystems.

In a letter addressed to the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, EU member states called for a holistic approach with a "higher level of coherence."

According to the authors of the letter, such an approach is "necessary to ensure the consistency of all legislative and planning processes in order to protect ecosystems, regulate water consumption at all levels and ensure the safety of water supply."