Access to water in future a huge challenge, warns Hogan

Sustainable water management must be at the very top of the political agenda, said European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan.

He told an informal meeting of European Union agriculture ministers in Malta that 2016 was the hottest year on record and a new high for the third year in a row.

“We are approaching this debate from a position of strength — namely the hard-won global consensus outlined in the COP21Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

“We have a strong impetus for action and a clear framework for moving ahead. But the challenge remains enormous.”

Noting the UN describes water as “a lifeline for humanity”, Mr Hogan said this is certainly the case in the context of delivering sustainable food security.

“As human populations continue to grow rapidly and economies expand, water resources are being depleted and polluted at an alarming rate,” he said.

Mr Hogan warned that water quality is deteriorating across Europe. Scarcity of water, which was typically affecting many southern EU member states, is now increasingly felt in many northern European regions, which limits water availability for the agricultural sector.