The European Commission has launched a European Water Academy to address shortages in skills and expertise needed to manage Europe's increasingly strained water resources.
The initiative comes as climate change, pollution, ageing infrastructure and gaps in specialised skills place growing pressure on European water systems, with consequences for ecosystems, agriculture, industry and energy production.
Rather than operating as a single training institution, the Academy will function as a network linking public authorities, universities, water professionals and industry across Europe, with eight partner organisations joining as first participants.
The programmes will cover areas including wastewater treatment, leak detection and drinking-water production, forming part of wider EU measures to strengthen water resilience and advance zero-pollution objectives.