Water scarcity directly impacts different spheres of our societies and ecosystems, which demands a coordinated and cross-sectorial approach.
Just as melting ice caps have become symbolic of climate change in the Arctic, the shortage of water has become the image most commonly associated with this same emergency in much of the Mediterranean. The region is already one of the 25 “hotspots” impacted by climate change in the world. With a rapidly growing population, and more than 180 million people affected by water poverty, joining forces to address this common challenge is of the utmost importance.
The UfM, in collaboration with partners, promotes initiatives and projects that use the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem Nexus (WEFE Nexus), an approach that highlights the interdependence of water, energy and food security.
We invite you to continue reading to glimpse the work undertaken to protect and restore our Mediterranean region.
The UfM firmly believes water-related issues will continue to worsen unless the issue is tackled in a collaborative and environmentally conscious manner by a diverse range of public and private sector actors.
To this effect, the UfM Secretariat has identified and financed projects, with funds from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, that address water scarcity by contributing to broader socio-economic development and regional stability:
The MENA Water Matchmaker 2 project used renewable solar energy to pump treated wastewater for irrigation, benefitting nearby farmlands in Jordan and Palestine. Directly impacting more than 40 farmers, the project supported families and created seasonal job opportunities with a high focus on women and youth.
The WEFE Nexus can be characterised as an optimisation problem, its challenge lying in understanding the complex relationships between different sectors, which can be complementary or conflicting. Pilot projects are essential for moving from theory to practice, which is the aim of the WEFE Nexus for Sustainable Development in MENA initiative implemented in Egypt and Jordan.