Launch of the National Technical-Scientific Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum

Rome, 14 May 2026 – The first meeting of the National Technical-Scientific Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum took place in Rome, marking a key milestone on the road to the international event scheduled from 29 September to 2 October 2026 at La Nuvola, EUR.
More than 60 experts attended the meeting, including representatives from institutions, ministries, technical bodies, universities, consortia and professional associations, confirming the Forum’s ambition to establish itself as an authoritative and multidisciplinary platform to address the water crisis in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The meeting provided a first, meaningful opportunity for dialogue among leading stakeholders, laying the groundwork for the work of the Technical-Scientific Committee, which will be responsible for shaping and ensuring the quality of the Forum’s scientific and thematic agenda.

The Manifesto at the Heart of the Forum’s Vision
A central moment of the meeting was the presentation of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum Manifesto, a document outlining the initiative’s vision, key messages and thematic priorities, and promoting a solutions-oriented approach based on international cooperation, innovation and shared responsibility.
Opening the session, the President of the One Water Committee, Maria Spena, highlighted the importance of joint efforts:
“By bringing together the most competent and dynamic forces addressing water challenges, our ambition is to ensure that our work reaches decision-makers’ desks, giving international visibility to the know-how of Italian companies, institutions and organizations.”
Spena also emphasized that the Forum will address, from a technical and scientific perspective, the main challenges related to the water crisis in the Mediterranean, focusing on key themes such as blue economy and blue finance, the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus, water diplomacy, and digitalization, with particular attention to the growing impact of artificial intelligence.
The Director General Emilio Ciarlo and Marco Rago, Advisor to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Organizing Committee, underlined the strategic relevance of the initiative:
“We have succeeded in bringing together the very best”, said Rago, stressing how water issues cut across the entire Italian system. The Forum has already established a privileged dialogue with the European Union and major international organizations, thanks to the contribution of co-organizers such as the Mediterranean Water Institute of Marseille, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the strategic partnership with CIHEAM Bari, represented by its Director Biagio Di Terlizzi.

A Broad and High-Level Debate
The discussion was opened by Mauro Grassi, environmental policy expert and member of the One Water Committee, setting the stage for a wide-ranging exchange among institutions, technical bodies and the scientific community.
Among the key contributors were Ornella Segnalini, Councillor for Public Works and Infrastructure of the Municipality of Rome; Andrea Piccioli, Director General of the Italian National Institute of Health; Laura D’Aprile, Head of the Department for Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security; Roberto Milletti, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry; Maria Siclari, Director General of ISPRA; and Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Their contributions enriched the discussion with institutional and technical perspectives on key water management challenges.
The participation of the River Basin District Authorities was also particularly relevant, including Alessandro Delpiano, Secretary General of the Po River Basin Authority; Marco Casini, Secretary General of the Central Apennines Basin Authority; and Vera Corbelli, Secretary General of the Southern Apennines Basin Authority, highlighting the strategic role of territorial governance in water management.
Further contributions came from major sector stakeholders, including Utilitalia, represented by Water Sector Director Tania Tellini, and ANBI, represented by Vice President Caterina Truglia, alongside leading representatives of regional environmental protection agencies, including Vincenzo Infantino, Director General of ARPA Sicilia, and Tommaso Aureli, Director General of ARPA Lazio.
Also present was the Italian Civil Protection Department, with Paola Pagliara, Director of Office II – Risk Forecasting and Prevention, and technical officer Andrea Duro.
Overall, the contributions highlighted the complexity of water security challenges and the need for an integrated approach capable of linking governance, innovation and strategic planning at both national and Euro-Mediterranean levels.