Water Conflicts Have Arrived in Europe!
Many regions in Southern Europe, as well as central Germany, are suffering from severe drought. Germany is one of the regions losing the most water worldwide. Regionally, the public drinking water supply is increasingly competing with the profit interests of industry, the energy sector, and agriculture for the dwindling water resources. In many areas, groundwater levels are dropping dramatically. Household consumption has already been significantly restricted in some places, while industrial operations are allowed to pump, consume, and pollute this precious public resource in large quantities, almost for free. Whether it’s Tesla, Currenta, or RWE – the industry continues to secure long-term extraction rights to pump large amounts of groundwater over vast areas despite the climate crisis. Companies like Aldi Nord and Coca-Cola are increasingly purchasing public wells to secure their own mineral water bottling or as a capital investment for future droughts. Even though flood disasters like the one in the Ahr Valley in 2021 may suggest alarming abundance in some regions, they hardly replenish groundwater levels.
The situation is so serious that we can no longer ignore this perspective. In many global water conflicts, emancipatory movements play a crucial role. Many of us reacted with shock and curiosity to the actions of the “Earth Uprisings” in Saint Soline in southwestern France: In March 2023, over 30,000 people protested against the construction of mega-water reservoirs for industrial agriculture. Hundreds were injured by the police while attempting to reach the construction site. We also need a strong water movement in our country as a central step toward a just adaptation to climate change.
The seeds of the movement are already sprouting – whether in the water protest against Tesla in Grünheide, the actions of water protectors in the coal mining regions of the Rhineland or Lusatia, or agricultural alliances against animal feed imports and factory farming.
Together with local citizens’ initiatives, left-wing organizations, environmental associations, and NGOs, we have begun to establish a nationwide network and develop strategies to fight for fair water distribution and use in the coming years. Step by step, we want to build a powerful, broad movement for water justice in Germany that will make clear demands on local, state, and federal politics, put pressure on the big water consumers, and work on regional and nature-based solutions to the water crisis.
Locally rooted, globally connected – with water, we can fight for justice and shift power relations. It’s time for a water movement that no one can ignore!
Water Conflicts Have Arrived in Europe!
Many regions in Southern Europe, as well as central Germany, are suffering from severe drought. Germany is one of the regions losing the most water worldwide. Regionally, the public drinking water supply is increasingly competing with the profit interests of industry, the energy sector, and agriculture for the dwindling water resources. In many areas, groundwater levels are dropping dramatically. Household consumption has already been significantly restricted in some places, while industrial operations are allowed to pump, consume, and pollute this precious public resource in large quantities, almost for free. Whether it’s Tesla, Currenta, or RWE – the industry continues to secure long-term extraction rights to pump large amounts of groundwater over vast areas despite the climate crisis. Companies like Aldi Nord and Coca-Cola are increasingly purchasing public wells to secure their own mineral water bottling or as a capital investment for future droughts. Even though flood disasters like the one in the Ahr Valley in 2021 may suggest alarming abundance in some regions, they hardly replenish groundwater levels.
The situation is so serious that we can no longer ignore this perspective. In many global water conflicts, emancipatory movements play a crucial role. Many of us reacted with shock and curiosity to the actions of the “Earth Uprisings” in Saint Soline in southwestern France: In March 2023, over 30,000 people protested against the construction of mega-water reservoirs for industrial agriculture. Hundreds were injured by the police while attempting to reach the construction site. We also need a strong water movement in our country as a central step toward a just adaptation to climate change.
The seeds of the movement are already sprouting – whether in the water protest against Tesla in Grünheide, the actions of water protectors in the coal mining regions of the Rhineland or Lusatia, or agricultural alliances against animal feed imports and factory farming.
Together with local citizens’ initiatives, left-wing organizations, environmental associations, and NGOs, we have begun to establish a nationwide network and develop strategies to fight for fair water distribution and use in the coming years. Step by step, we want to build a powerful, broad movement for water justice in Germany that will make clear demands on local, state, and federal politics, put pressure on the big water consumers, and work on regional and nature-based solutions to the water crisis.
Locally rooted, globally connected – with water, we can fight for justice and shift power relations. It’s time for a water movement that no one can ignore!