More than half of 115 companies surveyed in Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine have experienced at least one significant adverse water-related event over the past five years, including business disruptions and rising costs, according to a report by WWF and EY denkstatt Austria released by WWF-Bulgaria.
The report, “Water Risks and Business Readiness in Central and Eastern Europe,” is based on a survey conducted between April and June 2026. The findings are indicative rather than statistically representative of all businesses in the region, WWF-Bulgaria said.
Drought and water scarcity are the most widely anticipated risks, cited by 49% of respondents, followed by floods and extreme rainfall at 46%. Deteriorating water quality, pressure on ecosystems and regulatory uncertainty are also among companies’ main concerns. Overall, 58% expect water-related risks to have a moderate or significant impact on their businesses over the next five years.
The report identifies a gap between companies’ exposure to water risks and their preparedness. While 46% have assessed risks within their own operations, only 23% have done so across their supply chains. More than half of respondents, or 53%, lack a dedicated water management strategy, and only 7% consider themselves very well prepared to manage water-related business risks.
Similarly, 48% of companies have assessed the impact of their own activities on water resources, compared with 25% that have assessed impacts across their supply chains. Nearly half expect their water management costs to remain unchanged over the next three years, while 28% plan to increase investment and only 4% anticipate a significant rise.
Water was long seen as a resource businesses could take for granted – reliable and available whenever and wherever it was needed. In Central and Eastern Europe, that assumption is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, WWF Central and Eastern Europe CEO Andreas Beckmann said, according to the press release. He noted that businesses depend on the health of nearby rivers, wetlands and freshwater ecosystems.
“The cost of inaction may prove much higher than the cost of preparedness,” said Willibald Kaltenbrunner, managing partner at EY denkstatt Austria.
The report comes amid recent water-related challenges across Europe. Low water levels in the Danube and Rhine caused difficulties for energy production and transport during the summer. In August, Hungary announced an unprecedented shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant due to low water levels, while Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant reduced the output of Unit 5 by 120 megawatts for the first time because of low levels in the Danube.
WWF Report Finds Water Risks Affect More Than Half of Surveyed Central and Eastern European Businesses 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-22 07:17:22
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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-10-22 07:17:22
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