5 December 2023 – The Union for the Mediterranean held the First Online Conference on Digital Transformation of the Water Sector in the Mediterranean, a valuable platform for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and explore innovative solutions for water institutions and utility service providers in the region. This conference also served as a first step for a Roadmap Towards Digitalisation of the Water Sector in the Euro-Mediterranean Region as UfM Member States deem it essential to formulate effective strategies to achieve Sustainable Development Goals and address pressing water-related issues in the region. Participants discussed the Mediterranean region’s unique water management challenges, which… read more
EBRD, EIB, UfM, EC, AFD, CDP, KfW, donors and beneficiary countries sign cooperation agreement at COP28 Blue Mediterranean Partnership to support transition to a sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean region Partnership to start operating in early 2024 Partners aim to mobilise at least €1 billion in investments At COP28, partners and donors involved in the Blue Mediterranean Partnership reinforced their support for developing the sustainable blue economy in the southern Mediterranean region. The parties involved signed a letter of intent to make their participation in the Partnership official and to make the Partnership operational in early 2024. The Blue… read more
Brussels, November 15-16, 2023 – The 7th UfM Task Force on Environment convened in Brussels and online, bringing together national representatives and regional stakeholders to deliberate on crucial environmental issues pertaining to the Euro-Mediterranean region. Chaired by the EU and Jordanian Co-Presidency alongside the UfM Secretariat, the meeting highlighted significant developments across various fronts as described in the 2030 GreenerMed Agenda. Delegates engaged in joint discussions focused on the upcoming COP28 for Climate Change and COP16 for Biodiversity, as well as the implementation of the approved Global Biodiversity Framework. The exchange allowed Member States to outline the priorities and needs… read more
30-31 October 2023, Cairo. The fourth edition of the EU-UfM-African Development Bank Conference on Water Finance and Investments took place on 30 and 31 October as part of the Cairo Water Week. Water security is of utmost importance to the Euro-Mediterranean region and Africa: access to clean water, sustainable management, and the ability to combat droughts, floods, and water pollution are essential to their overall wellbeing and socioeconomic prosperity. These challenges were highlighted from a financial perspective at this event within the broader context of the interdependencies binding water to energy, food, and environmental sustainability — the WEFE nexus. This… read more
October 18, 2023, Valencia – The Union for the Mediterranean in collaboration with the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), the World Water council, and in coordination with Spain and Tunisia discussed pressing water challenges in the region at the 5th edition of the Mediterranean Water Forum’s kick-off meeting on October 18 in Valencia (Spain). This took place with the aim of creating a robust platform for stakeholders to converge and strategize around complex water issues ahead of the full event in Tunis next February leading up to the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. During the kick-off meeting, participants from diverse backgrounds,… read more
6 October 2023, Barcelona. The Mediterranean region is currently grappling with the challenge of over 80 million hectares of degraded land. Moreover, more than 400,000 hectares of forests are lost to wildfires each year, placing at least 16 animal and plant species in Mediterranean forests at the brink of extinction due to environmental threats, including climate change. Also, land abandonment rates in the Mediterranean have surged, reaching as high as 30%. This alarming trend not only jeopardizes our cultural landscapes but also threatens the invaluable services they provide. From 2nd- 6th October, the Young Leadership Programme Mediterranean 2023 (YLPMED 2023)… read more
6-7 June 2023, Fez, Morocco – UfM Deputy Secretary General in charge of Water, Environment and Blue Economy Almotaz Abadi met the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka in the margins of 3rd International Conference on Water and Climate (ICCS). In their meeting, they discussed the important role water and blue economy sectors are playing to mitigate the climate change impacts. The minister have briefed on the effect that Morrocco is doing to cope with the impact of the climate change specially their Plan on the Water Desalination as well the wastewater treatment and reuse to respond to the… read more
22 June 2023, Tangier. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and Plan Bleu/RAC (UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan) co-organized Hub 3 on the Sustainable Management for Water Resources”, in the framework of the MEDCOP Climate in Tangier, Morocco. The HUB3 was inaugurated by the Vice president of Tangier-Tetouan-Alhoceima region, HE Rafik Belkorchi, Deputy Secretary General of the UFM Almotaz Abadi and Ahmed Bouari, Director at the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries. The first session focused on the Water Energy Food Ecosystems Nexus and Integrated Coastal Zone Management and was contributed by speeches from many actors including the Coordinator of the GEF… read more
Prior to the meeting, the 1st Regional Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Roundtable in the Mediterranean was held back-to-back on 6 and 7 June 2023 in Rabat, Morocco 07-08 June 2023, Rabat – The UfM 13th Water Expert Group (WEG13) meeting took place on 7 and 8 June 2023 in a hybrid format at the Direction Générale de l’Hydraulique of the Ministry of Equipment and Water to review progress at national level in the implementation of the UfM Water Agenda, including the UfM Financial Strategy for Water, since the 12th meeting of the Water Expert Group took place in May 2022 in… read more
As a semi-enclosed sea and world tourist destination, the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastics, threatening Mediterranean species, ecosystems and human health. The UfM takes action to turn these challenges into solutions by supporting on-the-ground projects that identify plastic leakage hotspots and provide scientific evidence and recommendations to policymakers, as well as engaging stakeholders to develop solutions to plastic leakage and reduce usage. The newly UfM-supported project Toumali develops sustainable waste management systems in the tourism sector in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. The project Plastic Busters collects and analyzes plastic litter in the Mediterranean, with a notable focus on marine… read more
