Commissioner Roswall gives an opening address at the 9th Water Festival

Distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted to be part of the 9th edition of the Water Festival.

And I cannot think of a more suitable host than a city built on water innovation.

Thousands of years ago, engineers connected Rome to water far beyond its walls.

Those systems helped Rome prosper and become one of the great cultural and economic centres of the ancient world.

They explain why this city became known as Regina Aquarum – Queen of the waters.

And they demonstrated something that remains true today: water is not simply a resource.

It is the hidden architect behind every successful society.

Today, despite that innovation, Rome is facing water scarcity on a massive scale.

The rich, fertile fields around it, parched.

Hundreds of your famous nasoni [drinking fountains in Rome] turned off.

Across Europe, and especially across the Mediterranean, busy cities and rural communities, small farmers and big industry are grappling with these same challenges.

All of this made worse by a summer of record heat, severe drought, and destructive wildfires.

This summer left us with no doubts about the vital importance of water.

Power plants closed down and industry shut up shop, hydroelectricity reduced, ecosystems damaged, agricultural yields hit, and soils sucked dry.

The summer's extremes are estimated to have cost the EU 180 billion euros, and counting. 

So, yes, today is a celebration of water.

But today is also a clarion call for action. A stark warning to us all. And a reminder of what we stand to lose.

Because life without a secure and clean water supply is a frightening thing to behold.

Water is a story of hope and perseverance.

We know what we need to do to solve this problem.

Here in this room, we have the stakeholders, the experience, and the high-level political engagement needed to drive change.