Euro-Mediterranean Forum 2026 (Water and Environment): From the MED Water Lab 2025, Guidelines and Policies to Strengthen Sustainable Water Resource Management

Rome, September 16 – A two-day meeting focused on water security in the Balkans took place at the CIHEAM Bari headquarters and later at the Fiera del Levante, as part of the “MED Water Lab 2025” initiative. The event addressed the challenges and opportunities of water management across the broader Mediterranean region, within the framework of the ONE WATER project, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The meetings successfully produced and refined shared guidelines, synthesizing key recommendations and policy directions aimed at promoting responsible and balanced management of our “blue gold.”
Among the distinguished speakers were Biagio Di Terlizzi (Director, CIHEAM Bari), Marco Rago (Vice President, ONE WATER Committee), Hussein El-Atfy (Secretary General, Arab Water Council), Alain Meyssonier (President, Institut Méditerranéen de l’Eau), and Frédéric de Dinechin (Senior Policy Advisor, UfM Water, Environment and Blue Economy Division). Their contributions highlighted the critical need to strengthen regional cooperation to ensure the sustainable management of water resources.

The first session, chaired by Emilio Ciarlo (Director General, ONE WATER Committee), brought together representatives from Balkan countries—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—who presented their national strategies, with a particular focus on agricultural water savings, water reuse, and climate change adaptation. Thematic working groups explored methodologies, implementation challenges, and policy recommendations. These outcomes will inform the ONE WATER project roadmap in preparation for the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum 2026 in Rome.

At the Fiera del Levante, the Forum was introduced as “a Forum of hope and concrete commitment—not of apocalyptic visions, but of objectives, solutions, and innovation—engaging businesses, research institutions, and emerging stakeholders, from technology to fashion.”
Biagio Di Terlizzi emphasized that through the ONE WATER project, CIHEAM Bari is collecting data, strategies, and best practices from across the Euro-Mediterranean region to develop guidelines for the responsible use of water resources ahead of Rome 2026. He also expressed satisfaction with the productive exchanges that emerged during the Balkan Regional Meeting, whose results were presented in a dedicated roundtable.

In closing, Marco Rago reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to enhancing its international role in water diplomacy and sustainable water resource management, noting that the Forum represents a pivotal milestone on the path toward achieving Mediterranean water security by 2050.