ASSEDEL is pleased to share that our panel discussion “Water Security and Human Rights: A Joint Challenge Affecting All” held on Wednesday, May 7th, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg was a great success. It was the first of the event series on Climate Justice that we are willing to organize this year, aimed to examine how climate change affects human rights in Europe, by framing environmental issues as a shared challenge.
Our panel discussion, co-hosted by MEP Kai Tegethoff, representative of Volt Europe within the Greens and European Free Alliance, not only highlighted the significant challenges surrounding this topic but also explored concrete actions and possible solutions to address these issues and involve and bring awareness to civil society.
We had the honour to bring together leading figures in the field:
Kai Tegethoff is a German Member of the European Parliament, representative of Volt Europe within the Greens/EFA group. With a background in civil engineering and previous experience as a lecturer and researcher in Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management, he brought a valuable technical and political perspective to the discussion. During his intervention, he emphasized the need for a more sustainable and nature-based approach to water management in the EU, stressing the importance of investing in resilient infrastructure and raising public awareness. As climate change leads to more erratic weather patterns—causing droughts in some areas and floods in others—vulnerable communities are hit hardest, often lacking insurance and resources to cope with increasing damages. MEP Tegethoff underlined how water insecurity is not only an environmental issue, but also a social and political one, potentially fuelling instability. He called for a renewed focus on restoring natural ecosystems and rethinking how we manage water flows, arguing that nature should be seen as a partner rather than an obstacle. Finally, he stressed the necessity for the European Parliament to strengthen efforts to engage citizens and civil society in shaping future water policies, and to ground these actions in solidarity and shared responsibility.
Margarita Churaeva is an environmental activist and a former member of the Youth Advisory Board of FLOW (Future Lives with Oceans and Waters). Throughout her contribution, the speaker presented the two-year project, funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme and coordinated by Radboud University, in partnership with UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI from Germany, and Volonteurope network. FLOW was designed to enhance the understanding of the connection that young people have with water and to explore actionable plans to guide policymakers and solutions that would involve the visions of youths. Finally, Ms Churaeva focused on the role of civil society in defending water security rights, highlighting the impact that successful projects like FLOW may have on participants, increasing awareness on shared challenges.
Veronica Manfredi, Director for Zero Pollution, Water Resilience and Green Urban Transition at the European Commission’s DG Environment, brought over two decades of experience in EU environmental law and policy to the discussion. In her contribution, she highlighted that unsustainable water management practices, worsened by climate change, are driving increasing water insecurity across Europe. Rather than simply restoring water availability, she argued for the need to reform the entire water cycle through strong legal frameworks, building on existing instruments like the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive—both shaped in part by citizen-led initiatives. Ms Manfredi emphasized that the right to water is closely linked to the European Pillar of Social Rights, and that member states are under legal obligation to ensure progress, particularly in identifying and supporting vulnerable groups. She also called for more efficient use of water resources, pointing to the significant losses caused by leaks in water systems, and advocated for a combined approach that includes ecosystem restoration, technological innovation, and better financing for local water access. Finally, she stressed the urgency of minimizing pollution and called for a broader, more integrated Ocean Pact to complement existing water resilience strategies.
Jerry van den Berge is a researcher in the Water Resources Management Group of the Wageningen University, whose work focuses on water governance and social justice. During his intervention, he presented the Right2Water movement, the first successful European Citizens’ Initiative, which he coordinated in 2013 with the aim of “bringing citizens closer to the EU” by demanding the implementation of the human right to water in European legislation. According to Dr. van den Berge, water must be available, affordable, and accessible to everyone, and of sufficient quality at all times. Drawing on examples such as Portugal, he illustrated how privatization shifts the focus from public service to profit, while cases of re-municipalisation have led to better service, lower prices, and less pollution. He concluded by underlining that privatizing water is incompatible with the implementation of the human right to water, and that water services should be guided by principles of justice and solidarity, not market competition. Please click here to find out more about his contribution.
Following the panellists’ contributions, we opened the floor to the audience, which led to a dynamic and engaging exchange between participants and speakers.
Additionally, there were exhibited a series of photographs from the Guardian report ‘It’s not drought – it’s looting: the Spanish villages where people are being forced to buy back their drinking water’. The report, written by Grace Livingstone and accompanied by powerful images by photographer Paola de Grenet, documents the harsh reality faced by communities in Catalonia and Valencia. These regions have been severely affected by both drought and flooding, forcing residents to rely on private companies for basic water supplies. The exhibition aimed to visually highlight the human impact of environmental degradation and water privatisation.
Finally, MEP Tegethoff presented a QR code linked to the ongoing initiative designed by Volt Europe. This tool allows people to share their experiences and personal stories regarding the impact of climate change on their lives or on the lives of someone close to them, in order to gather direct and qualitative information. Please click here to find out more.
Overall, the discussion focused on water security as a fundamental human right and explored how climate change increasingly threatens this right in both immediate and long-term manners. As environmental challenges grow, the need to address them collectively becomes more urgent. Climate justice is not the sole responsibility of governments or institutions – it is a shared concern that affects us all. Environmental issues, especially those related to water, transcend borders and require collective awareness, responsibility and action. Access to safe and sufficient water is essential for health, dignity and equality, yet this right is increasingly under threat all over the world and also in Europe. Climate change is exacerbating water-related pressures and existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities. In this context, the principle of leaving no one behind of the 2030 Agenda must remain at the heart of our response.
To see the presentation of the event, click here.