News and Activities

More than 140 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors, financing institutions, and the private and banking sector, came together for 3 days sharing experiences and discussing needs, challenges and next steps during the “Conference on Water Governance in MENA and wider Mediterranean region” that was held in Barcelona, on 12-14 December. The Regional Conference was organised under the auspices of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), by two UfM-labelled projects supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), namely the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector project led by GWP-Med, and the Regional Water Integrity Capacity Building Programme in MENA, led by SIWI UNDP Water Governance Facility. The Conference was organised in close and strategic synergy with the EU-funded Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism (SWIM-H2020 SM) regional project.

The 3rd Consultation Workshop on enhancing the potential for Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure in Lebanon, with emphasis on the role of Banks was organised in Beirut on the 8th November 2017, as part of the National Policy Dialogue on Water Governance and Financing. The Workshop involved more than 25 targeted representatives of relevant public institutions, private banks, regional organisations and NGOs.

The investment potential in wastewater treatment and reuse in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) was discussed at a session organised by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) during the recent World Water Week in Stockholm (27 August – 1 September 2017). This was part of the “MENA Focus” set of 4 sessions, led by key institutions in the Region.2017 was the 2nd year that a dedicated MENA Regional Focus was part of the World Water Weeks’ programme, alongside the Regional Focus Days for Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition to the (co) organization of sessions, GWP-Med is coordinating the overall “MENA Focus”.

The Dialogue on “Governance and Financing of water projects in Lebanon: Private Sector Participation and the role of Banks in investments” was successfully launched on 27 March 2017, representing a strategic synergy of the UfM/Sida project “Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector” and the European Union funded project “Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM)-Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism”.

On the occasion of the 2017 International Women’s Day, and drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, GWP-Med has asked women water champions from the Mediterranean water community to reflect on: How can the water sector step it up for gender equality?

The Water-Employment-Migration nexus triggers a multi-faceted crisis posing major socio-political, economic and environmental risks in several regions (Africa, Asia, Europe), with the Mediterranean been in the eye of the cyclone.

The 2nd Regional Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled project “Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector” was organised on 5-6 December 2016, in Tunis, Tunisia, by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in close collaboration with the H2020 Pollution Reduction & Prevention Investment Group (PRPI) & National Action Plan process. It convened more than 110 decision makers and representatives of government, civil society, international organisations, donors and financing institutions and the private sector.

The First High Level Ministerial Panel on Responding to Climate and Environmental Challenges in South East Europe (SEE) took place on 1^st April 2016, in Podgorica, in the framework of the South East Europe Strategy 2020 and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).

‘Improving water governance for achieving financial sustainability in the Mediterranean’ was the topic of the event organised by the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), within the ‘Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector’ project, during the World Water Week in Stockholm, on 25 August 2015. The event - closely related to this year’s theme on ‘Water for Development’ - focused on the needed pro-poor, inclusive and gender-sensitive actions for better governance and on the impact that this can have on the financial sustainability of the water sector leading to sustainable development.