Over the last year, GWP-Med and the Institut Méditerranéen de l'Eau (IME) coordinated the Mediterranean Cross-Continental Process preparing the Region’s input to the Forum. The main messages from this Regional Process are synthesised in a Position Paper on ‘Addressing the crisis and ‘nexus’ through innovation and good governance’.
GWP-Med will also have an active role on site at the Forum, leading and co-ordinating four Sessions:
- on Effective Water Governance in the Mediterranean, focusing on whether effective water governance is a myth, elaborating on challenges, opportunities and responses from the Region. [INR.4.2.MED, 14 April 2015, 14:40-16:40, Gyeongju Hyundai Hotel, Room GHH_B109 / B1F Geumgang]
- on Science & Technology in Europe and the Mediterranean, focusing on their linkages for managing global water challenges by finding ways to overcome the barriers for improved research uptake. [INR.S&T.EU, 14 April 2015 - 14:40-19:00 – GHH_201 - 2F - Ruby Emerald]
- the Live World Final & Award Ceremony of the 7th WWF Water Showcase, where the Non Conventional Water Resources Programme in the Mediterranean, implemented by GWP-Med and a range of partners with the support of Coca-Cola, is the only non-Asian case among the nine World Water Forum Showcase Global Finalists. [15 April 2015, 11:20-13:20, Daegu Inter-Burgo Exco Hotel, Daegu, Room B101]
- the Final Mediterranean Session, that will synthesise the thematic sessions, and will have an additional focus on the way towards a Regional Water Knowledge Platform. [R.Final.MED, 16 April 2015, 9:00-13:20, GHH_B108 - B1F –Jade]
GWP-Med will participate and contribute actively in a number of other sessions, within and well beyond the Mediterranean Regional Process.
Further information on all Mediterranean sessions can be found on the timetable.
The way up to the Forum
The Mediterranean water community has always had a strong presence at the World Water Fora, with the Mediterranean Cross-Continental Process being a steady component of each World Water Forum, voicing the Mediterranean water community’s core messages, highlighting its experience and concretising the Region’s contribution to each Forum. The Process towards the 7th World Water Forum, launched in February 2014, has been coordinated by the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), in close collaboration with GWP-Med. It comprised a series of milestone meetings, including the 5th Beirut Water Week (Beirut, 22-23 May 2014), the Kick-off meeting (Rabat, 18 June 2014), the 2nd Mediterranean Water Forum (Murcia, 25-27 November 2014) and the Mediterranean Concluding Workshop (Athens, 1 April 2015). Regular meetings of the Mediterranean Process Steering Committee were held back-to-back with these events, guiding the overall preparatory process. Using a multi-stakeholder, consultative approach, the Process gathered key national and regional stakeholders representing a wide spectrum of Mediterranean organisations involved in the water and environment sectors - authorities, private sector, civil society, institutes, initiatives, donors, and mobilised an informed and structured dialogue, aimed at an inter-regional exchange of views on common challenges and priority actions for the world water community. The work of the Mediterranean Process has been structured in six working groups, focusing on the thematic priorities identified at the beginning of the Process, namely effective water governance; integrated water resources management; sanitation for all; adaptation to climate change; improving education and capacity building; and science and technology.
The Athens Concluding Workshop, held at the GWP-Med premises in Athens, on 1 April 2015, functioning as the final Steering Committee meeting of the Mediterranean Process, finalised the Mediterranean contribution for Korea and compiled the collective views into a Position Paper reflecting the key regional concerns and transmitting clear messages from the Mediterranean Region to the global water community.