Innovative Solution

Adaptation, water, energy, networking, integrated approach, hydropower, urban, agriculture, tourism, private sector

policy

communication, institutional

The European Water Partnership (EWP) has taken the initiative to create a European Dialogue Platform on Climate Change Adaptation: Water and Energy, focusing on identifying climate adaptation measures in fields linked to both water and energy, as well as on issues encountered when implementing climate adaptation measures linked to water and energy use, consumption, management or production.

This solution aims at bringing together actors from sectors linked to water and energy to discuss climate change issues and explore ways to coordinate approaches to climate change adaptation through common definitions, methodologies, sharing best practices, and producing policy recommendations. The overall objective is better integrated implementation of adaptation measures leading to a more sustainable and coherent development in and between water and energy-linked sectors.
The Platform will deal with water, energy, and climate change, and include stakeholders from:water utilities; water managers; government bodies; international organisations; energy agencies; energy producers; energy utilities; energy transmission and distribution system operators; academia and research; civil society organisations; agriculture; tourism; forestry; urban areas and other water and energy users / consumers.

The solution will be implemented in Europe, but outcomes of the platform can also be shared with other stakeholders worldwide, as a second step. The platform will be a multi-level one, with links between the local, regional, national, and transnational actors and stakeholders.

The initiative is being developed by the European Water Partnership.
The strategic actors in the implementation of the project are the governmental actors, who can provide the political impetus to facilitate an integrated policy approach to adaptation to climate adaptation in the water and energy sectors, the water managers and energy operators, who should participate in the dialogue in order to coordinate adaptation strategies, the stakeholders (government, the private sector, civil society and research) who will ultimately implement the policy requirements and/or be impacted by adaptation measures.
The EWP secretariat will, through the Platform members and process, follow-up initiatives of the dialogue to evaluate their success for effectiveness and impact.

The EWP has set up the Steering Committee of the Dialogue Platform, which will be its decision-making body. It includes representatives from the power-generation sector, water management, the private sector, government, and research.
More than 15 interviews were carried out with key experts in order to identify issues of concern.
A Kick-off meeting on the 25th October 2011 collected inputs for drafting of a survey, launched in November, on priority climate change issues in water and energy sectors.
A Policy Roundtable will gather in December to confirm survey results, discuss solutions and political issues and concerns. Roundtable results will be disseminated among Platform members, at political fora and to the general public.

It has been widely reported that the water and energy sectors lack coordination when considering adaptation to climate change. However, with energy and water being so closely intertwined, it is almost impossible to have sustainable and effective policies without coordination. As coordination is still marginal, and adaptation measures still are not widely implemented, by bringing interested stakeholders together, it is extremely difficult to have an overall and all inclusive view of the effects of one measure.

By bringing key stakeholders together in a dialogue, the initiative would enable to develop a view of the needs and fit for purpose measures that could be implemented.

The added value of the platform and its specificity will be that it focuses on water and energy-linked issues of adaptation to climate change. The focus on water and energy only will allow for a tighter thematic focus and invite stakeholders outside of these specific sectors to contribute their own perspective on water and energy climate change challenges.

The main indicators for the progress and success of this initiative will include the degree of participation and representativeness of the participants (especially for the exchange process of the Platform) and the number of political and consultative fora to which the Platform contributes. A long term indicator would be to identify measures being implemented as a result of the Dialogue Platform contributions.

The solution should interest levels and stakeholders who participate in the Platform either actively at Roundtables or via surveys and similar exchanges. These stakeholders are multi-sector, as defined above, and also from different levels – local, national or European.
This solution requires a participatory commitment from sector actors in order to generate enough information and political position in order to leverage decision-makers such as management and government commit to the recommendations. The Platform requires a full time implementation management with part-time coordination with a good communication infrastructure and expertise in facilitating dialogue processes and events. Also important for facilitation is a good access to a stakeholder network of participants in the relevant sectors and also decision-makers such as governments and EU Institutions.

National Governments, local authorities, the European Parliament, the Council of the Regions of the European Union, and the European Commission should commit to the added value of this Dialogue Platform as a key contribution to a solution. Government and non-governmental organisations and interest representation institutions, as well as business and civil society should also contribute to the Dialogue process in order to promote actions of decision-makers.
A stakeholder base is building from multiple sectors and we have invitations to participate in EC consultations dealing with climate change issues, including the White Paper on climate change and the EU Blueprint.

Website: http://www.ewp.eu/activities/water-and-energy-climate-cca/
Contacts: Félix Danos
Project Manager – Climate Change
European Water Partnership (EWP)
Avenue de Tervueren 216
B – 1150 Brussels
t: +32 2 735 06 81 | f: +32 2 735 06 82
Email: f.danos@ewp.eu