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Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) has joined more than 30 professional associations, local authorities, NGOs and financial organisations calling on the European Commission to put nature-based solutions at the centre of its forthcoming European Climate Resilience Framework.

In a letter dated 14 September to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the organisations argue that Europe’s growing exposure to floods, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, water scarcity and other climate-related risks requires a more integrated approach to climate adaptation.

For the food and beverage industry, the call puts particular emphasis on the resilience of water systems. The signatories say the destabilisation of the water cycle is increasingly connecting risks that have traditionally been addressed separately, with implications for agriculture, food production, water services, energy and businesses.

The coalition argues that degradation of landscapes, soils and water systems is contributing to Europe’s vulnerability. Wetlands, floodplains, peatlands, healthy soils, coastal ecosystems and forests can naturally retain water, recharge aquifers, regulate temperatures and help moderate extreme weather events, according to the letter.

The organisations are calling on the European Commission to make nature-based solutions a key priority in the legislative component of the Climate Resilience Framework.

They also want the EU to establish legal incentives and financing mechanisms that encourage member states to manage landscapes and water systems with greater emphasis on water and climate resilience and the preservation of ecosystem services.

Among the proposed measures are national targets for additional natural water retention, delivered through locally driven approaches that take account of regional needs and capacity. The signatories are also calling for public and private investment to be aligned and mobilised to accelerate the deployment of nature-based solutions.

The letter argues that nature-based measures should not be viewed as a replacement for engineered infrastructure. Instead, it calls for them to be combined with infrastructure where necessary as part of a broader, systems-based approach to climate adaptation.

According to the signatories, restoring the ability of landscapes, soils and water systems to retain, store and regulate water could address multiple climate risks simultaneously while also supporting objectives linked to climate mitigation, public health and security.

The issue has particular relevance for food and beverage manufacturers and their supply chains, which depend on reliable water availability and functioning agricultural and natural ecosystems.

The letter points to the European Water Resilience Strategy, which recognises the importance of protecting and restoring the water cycle and scaling up natural water retention. It says stable water cycles are fundamental to economic resilience, food production, health, public safety, energy security and long-term competitiveness.

The group also says responses to the European Commission’s recent consultation on the Climate Resilience and Risk Management Framework identified nature-based solutions as a significant priority, citing the Commission’s consultation summary as reporting that they were mentioned in at least 60% of responses.

NMWE is one of more than 30 signatories to the letter, alongside organisations including EurEau, the European Water Association, Eurocities, the European Environmental Bureau, IFOAM Organics Europe, The Nature Conservancy, Triodos Bank and WWF.

The coalition is making its appeal ahead of the European Commission’s forthcoming Climate Resilience Framework and the 2026 State of the Union address.

The signatories describe the framework as an opportunity to translate the EU’s climate adaptation and water resilience ambitions into legislative measures and investment that can strengthen Europe’s capacity to manage increasingly interconnected climate risks.