One of the most dramatic and recent developments of modern times is shown by falling water tables and its impact on agriculture and farmers. Urban water stress goes hand in hand with frequent droughts, rivers running dry and lakes and reservoirs with less and less water. Competition for water between the needs of urban areas, industry and farmers is increasing. Over 1,1 billion people are still denied access to safe drinking water and more than double this number do not have access to sanitation.
Increasing temperatures cause the melting of glaciers and high mountain ice, transforming perennial rivers into seasonal rivers. Over-pumping of aquifers has become a problem for most of the bigger grain-producing countries.

Greens reaffirm the view that beyond the technical solutions that help to improve water management and increase the efficiency of its use, water is a public good and not a commodity comparable to others. For Greens, water access is a human right.

Because water is a vital good to mankind and survival, water management must be ensured by public authorities and not by private companies. Adequate management of water requires coordinated policy making at all levels. The participation of those directly affected in decision-making, particularly women, is a key component of establishing an integrated water management strategy.

Cross-border dialogue and agreements on water management are necessary to build trust and avoid water–related political tensions or conflicts. Greens will operate to avoid demands for water resources leading to political or even military conflicts.
Irrigation efficiency in agriculture including the promotion of sustainable crops and organic farming which need less irrigation, reuse and recycling in the industrial sector, better indoor and outdoor water management in urban areas would create very large savings. Increasing the efficient use of water is a key aspect of green politics.

Greens will work to strengthen global and local efforts to monitor and prevent water-originated tensions as one of the key aspects of our commitments in the coming decades.