update Updated 26 August 2025
category Climate change adaptation EURO-INBO Governance News Transboundary cooperation
The 22nd International EURO-INBO Conference, held in Parma from 19 to 23 May, was organised by the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO), at the invitation of the Po Basin Authority and the Municipality of Parma, in partnership with the French Office for Biodiversity.
Through thematic sessions, interactive workshops and high-level exchanges, this edition enabled the 220 participants from 37 countries to discuss the major current challenges of integrated water resources management (IWRM) at the level of river basins, with a focus on the importance of integrating water, energy, food and ecosystems in the implementation of the WFD at the level of national and transboundary basins.
INBO organised several participatory workshops on concrete projects such as GOVAQUA and Water4All, which explored ways of moving towards more sustainable, equitable and resilient water management.
At the end of the event, a summary report was published highlighting the main themes discussed:
- The approach to the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus in agriculture, which is both vulnerable and a key player in the face of growing water and climate-related challenges, must evolve towards sustainable and resilient water management through structural reforms, innovation and cooperation.
- Adaptation to climate change highlights the need for integrated, cross-sectoral, preventive and long-term management of water-related risks – floods and droughts – in a context of climate change, combining nature-based solutions, cross-border cooperation, technological innovation and sustainable investments to strengthen territorial resilience and water security.
- The growing challenge of emerging pollutants in Europe reveals the shared ambition to achieve good ecological status of waters through innovation in governance, strengthening the link between science and policy, and developing solutions adapted to local and cross-border contexts.
- Restoring Europe’s rivers, supported by dedicated policies and local and cross-border cooperation, is essential to building climate resilience and ensuring a sustainable ecological transition.
