UfM Regional Platform on Water
Context
The Mediterranean region faces significant water scarcity, with per capita freshwater availability among the lowest globally. This scarcity poses serious challenges for socio-economic development and increases the risk of water-related conflicts. Despite containing only 3% of the world’s freshwater resources, the Mediterranean is home to over 60% of the world’s water-poor population—approximately 180 million people. Natural water scarcity is exacerbated by population growth, rising demands for food and energy, pollution, transboundary competition, and the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events. The COVID-19 pandemic has further stressed water resources, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable water management as a foundation for resilience and development in the region.
The UfM Regional Platform on Water adopts a cooperative and comprehensive approach to implement the UfM Water Agenda, which includes a Policy Framework for Actions 2030 and a Financial Strategy. The platform promotes a holistic, integrated, and long-term strategy for sustainable water management.
The Platform's objective
Through its working groups, the platform aims to fulfill the UfM Ministerial mandate by fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and technical cooperation. This collaborative effort aligns with the global agenda, particularly in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” along with related goals.
Working groups
The UfM Regional Platform on Water comprises four Working Groups that tackle water management challenges in the Mediterranean region through a comprehensive approach:
- Working Group on Water, Environment, Food, and Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus: This group focuses on creating integrated policies that balance the interconnected resources of water, environment, food, and ecosystems.
- Working Group on Water Access, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH): Concentrating on innovative solutions, this group aims to improve water supply and sanitation, ultimately enhancing health and environmental outcomes.
- Working Group on Water, Employment, and Migration (WEM) Nexus and Water Climate Change Actions (WCCA): This group links water management with employment and migration, promoting climate resilience and the involvement of youth and women.
- Working Group on Water Finance and Investment (WATFIN): Previously known as the UfM Water Finance Task Force, this group aims to enhance knowledge sharing and capacity development in water finance and investment among member states through regional activities and expert networking.
Policy framework
The first UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water (Malta, 2017) established a collaborative framework to tackle water challenges in the Mediterranean. It aimed to enhance cooperation among UfM member states, promote integrated water resource management, and ensure the sustainable and efficient use of water resources. The declaration highlighted the need for joint actions to improve water governance, increase resilience to climate change, and support water-related sustainable development goals.
In December 2018, the UfM’s Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) endorsed the UfM Water Agenda and the UfM Financial Strategy for Water, developed by the UfM Regional Platform on Water. Since January 2019, UfM member states have been responsible for implementing the Water Agenda with support from the UfM Secretariat, and various partners.
The UfM Water Agenda includes a Policy Framework for Actions 2030 and a financial strategy, serving as the region’s first comprehensive roadmap for water management.
The Policy Framework for Actions 2030 is a living document that evolves to meet the needs of all countries, outlining technical and financial recommendations to ensure water It delineates strategic objectives and initiatives to address water-related challenges in the Mediterranean, around four thematic areas:
- Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
- Water-Employment-Migration (WEM)
- Water and Climate Change Adaptation (WCCA)
The UfM Financial Strategy for Water is a strategic document that aims to boost financing for investments that enhance water security in the region, including access to water and sanitation, protection against droughts and floods, and sustainable growth. It identifies common challenges and goals, outlines 10 strategic objectives, and proposes 47 actions tailored to each member state’s individual circumstances and capacities.
Documentation
Key dates
- The UfM Regional Platform on Water was mandated by the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Water on 22 December 2008, Dead Sea, Jordan.
- The First UfM Ministerial declaration on Water (Malta, 2017)
- The UfM Water Policy Framework for Actions 2030 was endorsed at the Senior Officials Meeting in December 2018 and its implementation has been ongoing since then.
- The UfM Financial Strategy for Water was endorsed at the Senior Officials Meeting in December 2018 and its implementation has been ongoing since then
Key partners
- European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)
- DG ENV
- Ministry of water and irrigation, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency-SIDA
- Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation -AECID
- PRIMA
- UNEP-MAP
- GWP-Med
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)
- SEMIDE/EMWIS
- SIWI
- IME
- INWRDAM
- Cewas
- MedYWat
- ENTREMED
- UNESCO WWAP
- OECD
- OECD Istanbul
- IUCN
- MIO-ECSDE
- LAS
- Arab Water Council
- House of Climate
- Plan Bleu
- SUEN
- SDC
- GENEVA WATER HUB
- MENA WATER FORUM
- ESCWA
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Related content
Financial Strategy for Water: lays out a menu of options to increase the financial sustainability of the Mediterranean water sector – including making the best use of existing financial resources, and mobilising additional financial resources. A series of policy brieves have been elaborated since 2019 to help member states adapt and implement the regional agenda with a plethora of recommendations in different water finance related domains.
Further to the activities led in the framework of the UfM Regional Platform on Water and its WGs, the UfM organizes every year the Annual Conference on Water Finance and Investment (ACWFI) in partnership with key stakeholders in the region. The Conference provides an additional platform to raise the profile of water investment and finance issues on the Mediterranean political agenda and to continue supporting UfM countries to improve their water investment and finance policies.
