Protecting water in the natural environment is an ongoing task, made more challenging by climate change and pollution. It is a challenge intertwined with water resilience and nature protection.

Natural mineral water is sourced from underground aquifers and packaged in its natural state, so our sector is highly invested in safeguarding soil health, healthy habitats and water cycles to preserve sources for generations to come.

During NMWE’s official Green Week partner event, key stakeholders and policymakers discussed proactive measures to ensure sustainable water management.

Collaborating for conservation

Starting in early 2023, NMWE and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have been engaged in an initiative to develop a framework for monitoring biodiversity in water catchment areas and implementing effective measures to safeguard it.

Opening the event, IUCN’s Water for Landscapes Manager, Maria Ana Borges, described the critical state of freshwater biodiversity and the rapid loss of wetlands, and advocated for a collaborative approach to conservation.

Borges emphasised the necessity of integrating biodiversity into water management strategies, stating, “these ecosystems are key for both water and food security, tackling climate and nature crises, and driving sustainable development”.

Key insights on advancing sustainability

The panel discussion which followed looked at the action and cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of water resources and the protection of biodiversity in the face of climate change.

Our invited panellists provided valuable insights into various aspects of water and biodiversity management, from their areas of expertise:

Luca Perez, Deputy Head of Unit for Sustainable Freshwater Management at the European Commission, advocated for stronger collaboration between public and private sectors, emphasising that “we need to find ways to accelerate action”.

Sergiy Moroz, Policy Manager for Water and Biodiversity at the European Environmental Bureau, envisioned success as “wetlands being flooded and full of wildlife, and water not being polluted and available for everybody to enjoy.” But in order to achieve that, urgent, large-scale collaborative actions are needed in water and biodiversity management to address shared environmental risks.

Paul Brotherton, Freshwater Manager for Wetlands International Europe, discussed the vital role of wetland restoration in enhancing water resilience. “Restoring these areas and the natural water retention benefits biodiversity and the many plants and animals that are inhabiting those.”

Achim Drewes, Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations, Nestlé Waters emphasised the importance of partnerships pointing out, “we are currently working on having all our sites across Europe certified for water stewardship standards” and noting that “nature-based solutions will have positive impacts on biodiversity”.

Klára Hálová, Head of the Water Category & Education Programme, Mattoni 1873, highlighted the sector’s shift from passive to active water protection, and called for legislative support to drive sustainability. Hálová remarked, “We started with biodiversity, and we are coming to water resilience as well because these things are very closely interconnected and also very closely interconnected with climate change.”

Joining forces for greater impact

The discussion underscored the critical need for collaborative efforts across the full range of stakeholders to ensure sustainable water management and biodiversity protection in the face of climate change. All of panellists stressed the importance of public-private initiatives, legislative support, and nature-based solutions in driving significant environmental progress.

Find out more

Check out our biodiversity map for examples of just some of the work our sector is doing through collaborative projects with all types of stakeholders across Europe. We will be adding further projects to the map in the near future.

And find the full recording of this event on our YouTube channel.