On Tuesday 27 March, the GMF and the U.S. Mission to the European Union hosted a Young Translatlantic Network lunch discussion on water security with Ingrid Verstraeten, from U.S. Geological Survey, and Efastathios Dalmangas, from DG Development and Cooperation, European Commission.

After the World Water Forum held in Marseille on March 20, the transatlantic community is more aware than ever about the risks that water scarcity presents to global stability and the need for coordinated policies to ensure access and supply to the most vulnerable regions. The two speakers gave an introduction about the water issue. Ms. Verstraeten underscored the need for a technical and practical approach based on a reliable flow of information and data and Mr. Dalmangas argued that at the end of the day political will is a prerequisite for international cooperation.

The discussion brought up the fact that water security is a multidisciplinary topic, which needs to be addressed using a number of lenses (scientific knowledge, environment, food security, energy, political and international relations, cooperation and development policies). Mr. Dalmangas talked about what the European Commission is putting in place to provide a platform (financial and political tools) in order to facilitate the cooperation in water management. The discussion also touched upon topics such as the involvement of private investment in water management as well as the issue of groundwater contamination from shale gas.