22 March 2018. World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about taking action to tackle water-related issues. This year’s theme explores the need to preserve nature to overcome water challenges such as environmental damage, water pollution and water scarcity. The Mediterranean region is one of the most water-scarce areas in the world and freshwater, together with the pollution of the existing resources, has reached alarming levels, with more than more than 180 million people being considered water poor and an additional 60 million facing water stress. Promoting regional partnerships and creating sustainable cooperation mechanisms on water use is needed to reverse this… read more
The desalination plant will supply drinking water to 2 million Palestinian inhabitants, thereby ensuring a sustainable solution for the chronic and longstanding water shortage and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where over 95% of the water is not drinkable due to the over-pumping of a polluting Coastal Aquifer International donors pledged €456 million to the project (more than 80% of the total cost), which will make possible to start the biggest ever infrastructure project in the Gaza Strip. Brussels, 20 March 2018. Today, the European Commission and the Government of Palestine, in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), hosted… read more
The blue economy has an enormous potential for job creation and investment in the Euro-Mediterranean region and thus for human and sustainable development, integration and stability. More than 400 key players from across the region are gathering on 29-30 in Naples at a conference devoted to job creation and investment potential of the blue economy in the Mediterranean…. read more
The Initiative, which involves Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia, was launched in 2016 to increase safety and security, promote sustainable blue growth and jobs, and preserve ecosystems and biodiversity 4 July 2017, Brussels-. The “Workshop on the Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean” was held in Brussels on 4th July 2017 to discuss the best possible governance structure of the Initiative. It was proposed to set up an operational coordination through a Western Mediterranean Task Force linked to the UfM Working Group on Blue Economy; it was… read more
•Ministers in charge of water from the UfM Member States recalled that the Mediterranean region is particularly vulnerable to water scarcity and that climate change exacerbates the pressure on existing water resources in the region. •They agreed to develop a Union for the Mediterranean Water Agenda to help UfM Member States implement sustainable and integrated water management policies and contribute to a sustainable livelihood for the region’s citizens, recalling the importance of the Paris agreement and reaffirming their commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development. •Ministers also called for an improvement of access to finance in order to face… read more
Barcelona, 22 March 2017 – The Mediterranean region is one of the areas in the world most vulnerable to climate change as well as one of the most impacted by human water demand, where more than 180 million people are affected by water poverty and an additional 60 million face water stress to some degree. These figures highlight the scale of the challenge faced by the countries in the region. On World Water Day the UfM Secretariat emphasises the crucial need to continue enhancing regional cooperation to successfully address this issue of growing concern. By promoting collaborative work in the… read more
Around 100 representatives of governments, agencies, civil society, private sector as well as environment and climate change experts are gathering today, and until Thursday, at the UfM headquarters. The aim of the meetings is to advance the regional agenda on environment and climate change for the next years and support all UfM Member States in the implementation of the Paris Agreement through their nationally determined contributions…. read more
Barcelona, 14 March 2017. The Director-General for EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement at the European Commission, Christian Danielsson, visited the UfM Secretariat today. Danielsson and Sijilmassi opened the 1st UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change, held in Palau de Pedralbes, Barcelona. The 1st UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change is a follow-up to the Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate Change held on 13 May 2014, which defined a Euro-Mediterranean Agenda for Sustainable Development, and aims to discuss the advancement work on the recommendations made by the Ministers. The Director-General for EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement at the European… read more
More than 50 representatives of governments, international organisations and the scientific community will meet today, for the first time, at the UfM headquarters, to set the ground for the publication of the first ever assessment report on the impact of climate change in the Mediterranean region…. read more
Youssef Chahed, Head of Government of Tunisia, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, and Fathallah Sijilmassi, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), gathered today in Bizerte to launch the “Integrated Programme for the Protection of Lake Bizerte against Pollution”, labelled by the 43 UfM Member States…. read more
