Since its early days, as the Mediterranean Technical Committee of GWP (1999-2001), GWP-Med has been instrumental in developing the 'Vision for Water in the Mediterranean' and the 'Framework for Action for Water in the Mediterranean' in preparation for the 2nd World Water Forum (The Hague 2000).
Since 2002, in collaboration with parter organisations, GWP-Med has been working at regional, sub-regional, national, local and transboundary level, providing technical support to policy making; facilitating dialogue on water security and IWRM issues; and implementing demonstration actions.
Reflecting the GWP Strategy 2020, GWP-Med action is built on the organisation’s three strategic Goals:
- Goal 1: Catalyze change in policy and practice.
- Goal 2: Generate and communicate knowledge.
- Goal 3: Strengthen partnerships.
Themes addressed include a range of aspects of
- Governance for IWRM;
- Water Financing including Private Sector Participation;
- Adaptation to Climate Vulnerability and Change;
- River basin/transboundary water management;
- Joint IWRM/Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) planning;
- Non Conventional Water Resources Management - including at Urban level;
- Water Demand Management;
- Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystem Nexus;
- Integrated Groundwater Management;
- Stakeholders participation;
- Capacity Building; and
- Networking of targeted groups including decision makers, Parliamentarians and the Media.
Furthermore, GWP-Med addresses Gender; Equity, Youth and Poverty as cross-cutting issues in its work agenda.
Education is also among its areas of work through the Mediterranean Education Initiative for Environment and Sustainability (MEDIES – www.medies.net).
Among the processes, initiatives and programmes facilitated by GWP-Med, we could mention its role as
- Secretariat of the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI, 2003 -ongoing), led by Greece and partner countries and supported also by the EC.
- Member of the implementing consortium and Technical Director of the EC Regional Programme Sustainable Water Integrated Management – Support Mechanism (SWIM-SM, 2010-2015)
- Leader of the IWRM Component of the GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystems (2009-2015) with emphasis on catalytic actions for IWRM planning in Mediterranean Countries
- Executing Partner of the GEF Full-Size Project on Integration of Climatic Variability and change into national strategies to implement the ICZM Protocol in the Mediterranean (2010-2015)
- Technical facilitator of the joint Petersberg Phase II / Athens Declaration Process (2005-ongoing) on promoting transboundary water resources management in south-eastern Europe, led by Germany, Greece and the World Bank and assisted by UN agencies
- Technical facilitator of the Rabat Declaration Process on National IWRM Planning in North Africa (2006 – 2010), in cooperation with the African Development Bank, African Water Facility and UNEP Collaborating Centre on Water and Environment
- Secretariat of the formal Drin Core Group for the management of the extended Drin River Basin
- Implementing partner of the GEF/UNDP Drin Project (2016-2020)
- Facilitator, along with MIO-ECSDE of two regional Circles, COMPSUD (Circle of Mediterranean Parliamentarians for Sustainable Development) and COMJESD (Circle of Mediterranean Journalists for the Environment and Sustainable Development)