Value of Water Community
In 2019, The European House – Ambrosetti established the Value of Water Community with the goal of involving the different players of the extended water supply chain (network managers, service providers, representatives of the world of agriculture, industrial players, technology providers, software developers, etc.) and the relevant Italian and European institutions, with a view to establishing a constructive, permanent dialog.
On the last World Water Day (Marc 22, 2022), we presented the White Paper 2022 "Value of Water for Italy" and the decalogue of concrete proposals and actions developed for Italy, with the aim of sharing a vision of common development for the extended supply chain of water and fostering more sustainable production and consumption models in the country.
- Presentation by Valerio De Molli - Opening Value of Water 2022
- Presentation by Valerio De Molli - Position Paper
- Presentation by Benedetta Brioschi - Circular water and Smart water
- Presentation by Benedetta Brioschi - Water Service Divide
- Presentation by Valerio De Molli - Decalogue of proposals
- Press release - March 22, 2022
Press conference - February 23, 2022
- Press release - Italians and water: 8 paradoxes slowing down development and sustainability
- Presentation by Benedetta Brioschi - Press conference Valore Acqua 2022
- Presentation by Valerio De Molli - Press conference Valore Acqua 2022
- Presentation by Luca Mercalli - Press conference Valore Acqua 2022
Press review
- Water management, the gap between North and South Italy - Sky TG24
- The European House-Ambrosetti: 90% of citizens does not know the cost of water - Repubblica
- Water, among fake news and bad habits: 8 paradoxes about the Italian "blue gold" - La Stampa
- How much does water cost? How do we save it? Find out the 8 paradoxes about water - Corriere Buone Notizie
- In Italy water is less expensive but it keeps being wasted - Avvenire
- Public water: in Italy, water's costs and consumption levels are lower than the rest of Europe - Il Giornale di Brescia
Our Mission
“To be the Think Tank of reference for the development of scenarios, strategies, best practices and policies for the extended water supply chain in Italy and the optimization of its development at the national, regional and municipal level so that the country can become a benchmark of reference in Europe and worldwide”
Today, more than ever, an efficient and sustainable water supply chain is indispensable for the future of all areas and is becoming increasingly important on a systemic level. It is fundamental, therefore, to have a vision and strategy capable of bringing together the contributions of all players in the extended water supply chain.
Managing climate change and strategies for adapting to it are an area that appears with greater frequency on the agendas of government and institutions, and when speaking about adapting to climate change, water resource management is a necessary part of the discussion. The World Risk Report also recognized the water crisis as one of the main global risks that is highly-probable and one with major impact for the population.
On a global level, it is estimated that by 2030, 40% of the world’s population will be living in conditions of water stress. The causes for this are, on one hand, population growth and the increase in the irrigated agricultural production required to meet a rising demand for food and, on the other, pollution and the impact of climate change. Analysis by the Observatory of the Value of Water Community has shown that Italy is also a country facing high climate vulnerability (in next-to-last place in Europe for its ability to adapt to climate change).
It is increasingly urgent that maximum attention be given to water management and having sufficient resources (including starting from those made available in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
Documents from the 2nd edition
Documents from the 1st edition
Sustainable Development Goals
The availability of a fully efficient water supply system is essential for a country and its economy to function and be competitive. 10 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced by the United Nations in September 2015 are affected by efficient management of water resources.
In this scenario, optimization of the water resource is a common goal for all the stakeholders in the extended water supply chain: the managers and operators of the civil and industrial sectors, the representatives of the world of agriculture, the providers of technology, software developers local and national institutions.
On the basis of these considerations, The European House - Ambrosetti has launched the first edition of the Value of Water for Italy Community.
Given the very positive reactions to its first two years of activity, The European House – Ambrosetti has decided to make the Observatory of the Value of Water for Italy Community—now in its third year—a permanent initiative.
Overall, the Value of Water Community currently represents nearly €10 billion in turnover (approximately one-third of the extended water supply chain), employing more than 14,000 people and with a water grid of over 164,000 km serving more than half of the Italian population.