The Urban Water Agenda (also known as the Urban Water Agenda 2030) is a European policy and municipal cooperation initiative designed to safeguard freshwater resources and accelerate the implementation of European Union water legislation at the local level. Originating from the 2016 Leeuwarden Declaration and formally structured in 2017, the initiative was commissioned by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment and coordinated by Eurocities alongside ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.
The project focuses on assisting municipalities in meeting the requirements of directives such as the EU Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. It targets practical challenges confronting urban utilities and local governments, including aging pipe infrastructure, flood mitigation, urban runoff, wastewater reuse, and river basin governance. The initiative’s methodology relies on direct consultations, technical workshops, and structured knowledge exchanges among a core cohort of participating European cities, including Lisbon, Leeuwarden, and Porto. Key figures involved in formulating its strategic roadmap include Nathalie Guri of Eurocities and Karen Dalgaard-Sanning from DG Environment.
A primary milestone of the initiative was the 2017 Porto Declaration on the Urban Water Agenda 2030, through which participating local leaders committed to integrating water conservation into long-term municipal planning, enhancing resilience to extreme weather, and supporting circular water systems. Operating across the European Union, the agenda serves as a collaborative bridge between EU-level environmental policymakers and city administrations managing local water infrastructure.