An Interview with Maria Spena: Water, Climate and Cooperation in the Mediterranean

From September 29 to October 2, Rome will host our Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, bringing together delegations from 40 countries across the Mediterranean, the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula to address the critical global challenge of water resource management.
Organized by One Water Italy Committee, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the Mediterranean Water Institute—in partnership with the Arab Water Council, various UN agencies, and Italian institutions—the event will tackle key topics such as:

• Climate change mitigation and extreme weather events (droughts and floods)
• Water-energy-food-environment nexuses and risk management
• The role of the space economy in water resource management
• Utilitalia's 9th Water Festival and the Seawater Summit

All of these highlights are been explained by President Maria Spena in the interview with Il Sole 24 Ore. Beyond environmental concerns, water management is framed as a vital geopolitical issue for the Mediterranean basin. With over 500 million inhabitants—roughly 70% of whom live on the southern and eastern shores—projections indicate the population could exceed 630 million by 2050, concentrated heavily in southern regions.
Efficient water networks are crucial to sustain agriculture, urbanization, and demographic stability. Water scarcity acts as a contributing factor to instability and large-scale migration movements.
Finally, Italy's role in promoting "blue diplomacy"—using water cooperation as a tool for interstate collaboration, as seen in initiatives like the G7 Water Coalition and the Mattei Plan. The ultimate challenge for the Mediterranean region will be transforming this international cooperation into long-term infrastructure investments and sustainable management systems.