{"id":3171778,"date":"2025-07-03T12:19:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T12:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webalkans.eu\/youth-voices-for-a-water-resilient-future-reflections-from-expoapa2025\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T15:04:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:04:36","slug":"youth-voices-for-a-water-resilient-future-reflections-from-expoapa2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webalkans.eu\/en\/youth-voices-for-a-water-resilient-future-reflections-from-expoapa2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Youth Voices for a Water-Resilient Future: Reflections from EXPOAPA2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Megi Marku<\/em><\/p>\n

From June 23-25, 2025, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of experts, innovators, and decision-makers in Bucharest for EXPOAPA2025<\/strong> and the Regional Water Forum \u201cDanube – Eastern Europe.\u201d<\/strong> Hosted at Romexpo, this gathering brought together over 100 exhibitors, national authorities, international organizations, and water sector professionals united by one mission: shaping a sustainable and resilient water future.<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t just another conference. It was a call to action and a powerful reminder that the future of water in Europe depends on inclusive, cross-generational collaboration.<\/p>\n\n

Setting the Stage: Opening Day Insights<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The event opened with remarks from Ilie Vlaicu<\/strong>, President of the Romanian Water Association, and a compelling keynote by Roxana M\u00eenzatu<\/strong>, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission. Her message emphasized the EU\u2019s support for innovation and sustainability within the sector.<\/p>\n

A standout moment on Day 1 was the #Skills4Water session<\/strong>, which spotlighted the urgent need for education and capacity development in a sector undergoing green and digital transformation. Another key feature was the International Technical-Scientific Conference<\/strong>, where experts shared adaptive strategies to manage the impacts of climate change on water systems- a topic that deeply resonated with all participants, myself included.<\/p>\n\n

Youth Perspectives at the Roundtable on Water Resilience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Day 2 marked a personal milestone: I participated in the high-level Roundtable on \u201cWater Resilience in Eastern Europe\u201d<\/strong>, chaired by European Commissioner Jessika Roswall<\/strong>. I joined an esteemed group of representatives from the European Water Association<\/strong>, IAWD<\/strong>, national water associations, academia, and private sector leaders.<\/p>\n

The discussions revolved around the newly launched European Water Resilience Strategy (EWRS), <\/strong>a much-needed blueprint for restoring water cycles, ensuring access to clean water, preparing for disruptions, and building a water-smart economy.<\/p>\n

As a youth delegate and co-author of the Youth Position Paper on EWRS<\/strong>, I had the honour of presenting youth perspectives on the Strategy. Our paper, developed in collaboration with young experts from EYWP<\/strong> and WYPW<\/strong>, was acknowledged by the European Commission during the consultation phase- an encouraging sign of institutional openness.<\/p>\n

In my intervention, I strongly welcomed two new initiatives under the EWRS:<\/p>\n\n