On 25 September, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius held with Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources, the second EU-China Water Policy Dialogue meeting in Beijing, China.

During the dialogue, both parties demonstrated a solid dedication to tackling the growing issue of water stress on a national, regional, and global level. They also expressed a willingness to work together on matters of mutual interest, such as managing water resources in an integrated manner, addressing the interrelated issues of water, energy, food, and ecosystems, ensuring water security, adapting to the impacts of climate change, managing flood risk and drought, deploying nature-based solutions effectively, and utilising cutting-edge technologies to make informed decisions.

Commissioner Sinkevičius said, “The whole world is now facing an unprecedented water crisis, exacerbated by climate change. Water is becoming increasingly scarce at the very moment when society and the environment need it all the more”.

Bold commitments and actions are needed to ensure sustainable development and prosperity of people and the planet.

European Commissioner agreed with Minister Li to intensify policy dialogue on water, exchange knowledge and best practices on water reuse, flood risk, and drought management.

Moreover, the meeting gave a chance to contemplate the fruitful collaboration between the EU and China at the UN Water Conference held in March. This led to a call for action to all partners to execute the findings of the Interactive Dialogue named “Water for Sustainable Development” and guarantee the implementation of the Water Action Agenda, which was the primary result of the UN 2023 Water Conference.

In this context, Commissioner Sinkevičius welcomed the recent resolution by the UN General Assembly on the follow-up of the UN 2023 Water Conference, which is considered a crucial step towards sorely needed regular intergovernmental discussions on water at the UN. He called for joint efforts to address the accelerating global water crisis, with the engagement of sectors beyond water and environment, particularly agriculture, energy, and finance.