5-7 February 2024, Tunis – The 5th edition of the Mediterranean Water Forum, co-organised by the Union for the Mediterranean, the Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau, and the World Water Council in coordination with the Republic of Tunisia, took place this week in Tunis with the aim of unifying Mediterranean voices ahead of the 10th World Water Forum in Bali this May. Months after the kick off meeting in València, stakeholders converged to address a wide range of challenges and highlight best practices in a region heavily impacted by water scarcity and climate change.
Around 400 participants from across the Mediterranean region, including government officials as well as those from the private sector, academics and civil society organisations, took part in the forum. With ‘Together for Shared Water Sobriety’ as the motto, attendees discussed the connections between water and human dimensions as well as productive systems. The event also served to raise political awareness of the need to support of water as a human right, with the newly drafted Tunis Declaration describing it as essential to climate change adaptation and resilience in alignment with the UfM Water Agenda.
UfM Deputy Secretary General Almotaz Abadi drew attention to the importance of ensuring equitable access to water, which is defined by the United Nations as a fundamental right. He stressed that the UfM, driven by its mission of regional cooperation, is committed to participating in joint initiatives fostering projects, recommendations, and policies that improve water management. His speech underscored the significance of leading the change towards a more sustainable future while also highlighting the pivotal role of the private sector in securing financial resources and investment.
“Digital transformation and digital technologies are considered levers for paradigm shift and increased transparency in the water sector, as they will play a major role in supporting production and consumption methods towards effective, smart and sustainable water management,” said Abdelmonaam Belaati, the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries of Tunisia. “The time has truly come to accelerate the implementation of programs to combat climate change on the ground, within the framework of practical and tangible Mediterranean cooperation.”
The time has truly come to accelerate the implementation of programs to combat climate change on the ground, within the framework of practical and tangible Mediterranean cooperation.
The 2nd Regional Roundtable on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in the Mediterranean was held within the framework of the Mediterranean Water Forum. The draft WEFE Nexus Strategy in the Mediterranean Source to Sea continuum was presented building on talks initiated months prior in Rabat. There was also a side event in which gender dynamics within the context of the WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean were discussed to bolster the role of women in sustainable water resource management.
Tunis Declaration of the 5th Mediterranean Water Forum
