Interlink no 68: May 2025 - Expect stories from the world of AVK 🌍

Water is a strategic asset

The report “EU BUSINESS PRIORITIES ON A FUTURE – PROOFED EU WATER POLICY”, was just launched by Business Europe to the European Parliament.

The report states: “Water is essential for the economy and the successful implementation of key EU initiatives, but increasing pressure from climate change makes equitable access for all users more critical than ever.“

Water is undeniably one of the most vital resources on our planet, serving as the foundation of life for both humans and nature. Unlike other resources, the emphasis is not only on the quantity of water consumed but also the specific way it is applied.

For industry and business, water holds fundamental importance, being a critical resource across all sectors. For instance, it is utilised in manufacturing or industrial processes across various sectors such as construction, food production, pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel and aluminium production, chemicals, fuels and paper manufacturing. Industries use and consume substantial quantities of water for both cooling and production processes.

A significant portion of this water is recirculated and regenerated, indicating that many companies are already implementing efficient water management practices. Water also serves as a key energy source for power generation, with hydropower and nuclear providing reliable baseload electricity, flexibility, and storage capacity to stabilize the grid in times of increasing shares of intermittent renewable energy. Moreover, water is essential for other economic sectors such as agriculture and urban water cycle.

It cannot be said enough to the politicians how important water is, and it seems that the message is received, due to the impact of climate change. Massive floods, draughts, and everything in between. Rivers are running dry, power stations in danger of losing cooling water, and cities flushed away due to heavy rain, wildfire getting out of control due to lack of water.

Groundwater is the most crucial resource in meeting the worlds freshwater needs and provides a resilient component to water supplies challenged by crisis and change.

But sustainable groundwater exploitation is a tricky task.

Groundwater is not easily visible to us, and it finds its own way through the labyrinths of the subsurface. We will never be able to achieve a complete understanding of the groundwater dynamics, which lends a bit of mystery to the art of aground water-based water supply.

Enjoy reading.