Building Water Resilience – Connecting Policy, Action and Communities
12 November 2026 | Tullamore Court Hotel, Co. Offaly
About the Conference
The conference takes place at a pivotal time for water resilience in Europe. The EU Water Resilience Strategy has set a new direction for European water policy, with attention now turning to implementation.
Taking place during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and recognised as an Associated Presidency Event, the conference offers a timely opportunity to connect European policy ambitions with the challenges, experience and action already taking place across Ireland.
Hosted by An Fóram Uisce – The Water Forum, Building Water Resilience – Connecting Policy, Action and Communities brings together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and communities to explore what greater water resilience means for Ireland in practice – what is already happening, where the gaps remain and what needs to happen next.
What is the EU Water Resilience Strategy?
In June 2025, the European Commission adopted the European Water Resilience Strategy to improve how water is managed across the EU, strengthen water security and support a more competitive and innovative economy.
The Strategy sets out three main objectives:
- Restoring and protecting the water cycle as basis for sustainable water supply.
- Building a water-smart economy together with citizens and economic actors in a way that supports EU competitiveness, is attractive to investors and supports a thriving EU water industry.
- Securing clean and affordable water and sanitation for all at all times, and empowering citizens for water resilience.
To deliver these objectives, the Strategy identifies five main areas of EU action:
- Governance and implementation
- Public and private investments and infrastructure
- Accelerating digitalisation and AI
- Boosting research and innovation
- Security and preparedness
The Strategy includes over 50 key actions, with progress monitored through the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy Actions Tracker.
Why does it matter for Ireland?
Ireland faces growing pressures on its water resources from pollution, climate change, population growth and increasing demands on water infrastructure.
The EU Water Resilience Strategy provides an important policy context for considering how Ireland can respond to these pressures while protecting water quality, securing water supplies and strengthening the resilience of aquatic ecosystems.
At the conference, Veronica Manfredi, Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment, will present the EU Water Resilience Strategy, providing an opportunity to explore its priorities and relevance to Ireland.
Explore the Conference Programme
Useful links
Click on the links below to learn more about the EU Water Resilience Strategy and our upcoming conference.
Water resilience strategy – European Commission
European Water Resilience Strategy