The impacts of global warming and pollution are growing increasingly evident: access to clean water - the very source of life - is under threat, not just in the world's arid regions, but here in Europe.

The two-day European water conference provides a forum for discussing how the EU intends to meet these challenges. “What is becoming abundantly clear is that if we are not ambitious with respect to the management of scarce water resources, we will not be able to cope,” said environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.

Seas, river basins, pollution, floods and droughts all come up for discussion and delegates include ministers for the environment, representatives from conservation groups and the United Nations.

On the agenda is the new water information system for Europe (WISE), designed to provide information on current and future water policy and background information on issues like water scarcity and river basin management.

Also up for discussion will be the water framework directive, the EU's path to good water quality throughout Europe by 2015. A report published on 21 March to coincide with the conference reveals that much remains to be done: some countries are lagging behind and cross-border pollution is a problem.

Check out the world water day site.