Building on the eleven thematic sessions, the Forum unfolds across four days in Rome, bringing together High Level Panels, Euro-Med Talks and a wide range of workshops and special sessions organized with partners from across the Euro-Mediterranean region. This page presents the current programme, structured session by session as it stands today — a living document, still being finalized in the lead-up to the Forum.
Explore the Forum Programme
Tue, 29th Sept
High Level Panel
Special Session
Workshop
Euro-Med Talk
Plenary
Session 1
Session 2
Coastal wetlands: stories of balance between rivers, seas and people. Vulnerabilities and gentle mitigation strategies for today and tomorrow
Summary
Coastal wetlands face erosion, salinization and flooding. The workshop seeks shared methods and sustainable actions to restore balance between human and natural processes.
Panelists
Blue Economy in Lazio: strategies, innovation, value chains and projects to boost business, research, competitiveness and new development opportunities.
Summary
Blue Economy in Lazio: strategies, innovation, value chains and projects to boost business, research, competitiveness and new development opportunities.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Past, Present and Future of Global Water Assessments 25 years of UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme
Summary
As UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme (UNESCO WWAP) celebrates 25 years of work at the service of Member States and water communities worldwide, this event will retrace the trajectory of global water assessments during the last quarter-century and the foreseen needs and opportunities for the upcoming decades. It will also focus on the development of the United Nations World Water Development Report series (UN WWDRs), produced by UNESCO-WWAP on behalf of UN-Water through a multi-agency collaborative process, and elaborate on its fundamental role in the international water discourse in the context of major global processes, in particular the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and post-Agenda 2030 processes. It will discuss how the UN WWDRs has become a global reference to policy and decision-makers, and how to reinforce its key support to policy makers.
Panelists
Shared prosperity and transboundary water cooperation – Examples from the Balkan Region
Summary
Global changes, including climate change, and growing demands are increasing pressure on finite water resources, underscoring the growing importance of water diplomacy for strengthening regional cooperation, preventing disputes, and advancing sustainable water governance. However, comparatively little attention has been devoted to strengthening the human and institutional capacities required to negotiate and sustain transboundary water cooperation, highlighting the need to equip water leaders with strong competencies in water diplomacy.
IHP (via the UNESCO Office in Venice) and WWAP organizes this high-level roundtable discussion to explore opportunities, priorities, capacity needs, and potential partnerships for engagement on water diplomacy in South-East Europe.
Bringing together high-level decision makers, youth representatives, and development partners, the forum will generate evidence-based recommendations to inform UNESCO's future engagement on water diplomacy while contributing regional perspectives to the broader international dialogue leading to the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Opening Remarks
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Resilient Cities and Urban Water Systems: Advancing Urban Flood Risk Assessment and Disaster Resiliencein the Mediterranean
Summary
Bringing together advanced flood risk assessment methodologies (hydraulic modelling, monitoring, vulnerability mapping) with innovative solutions such as nature-based solutions (NbS), water-sensitive urban planning and design, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and smart technologies, this Special Session discusses how Mediterranean cities can build urban water resilience—transforming vulnerable zones into resilient ecosystems, while embedding these strategies into national climate policies.
Opening Remarks
Panelists
The role of water management in supporting agricultural resilience and food security across the Mediterranean: Scientific evidence and results on the ground from MASAF investment policies, beyond water efficiency alone
Summary
At the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry will
present its long-term national strategy to modernise collective irrigation schemes, increase water availability
and improve infrastructure and management efficiency. Addressing institutions, the research community,
practitioners and stakeholders in water management and agriculture, the event will showcase scientific
evidence from CREA and case studies on the direct and indirect benefits of irrigation investments. Taking a
systemic perspective, it will consider benefits in terms of water-use efficiency, water quality and availability,
aquifer recharge, biodiversity conservation, combating salinisation and the provision of ecosystem services.
AGENDA
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Water Credits - A Dialogue Among Front-Runners
Summary
Representatives from industry, finance, non-profit organisations and institutions will exchange perspectives on successful use cases and practical applications of water credits. The discussion will explore how this emerging paradigm can combine locally measurable impact with global liquidity.
Panelists
Regional cooperation: sharing experiences of water management in the face of climate change
Summary
What does water cooperation actually look like in the Mediterranean basin? In this session, we will review ongoing projects between France, Morocco, Tunisia, and Palestine, and share a first look at the new partnership between the Oum Er Rbia and Adour-Garonne basins (Morocco and France). The final part will be an open discussion where everyone can share their views on the real benefits and difficulties of cooperation between countries.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Ithar KHAIRALLAH
Agence de Bassin Hydraulique de l’Oum Er-Rbia - MAROC
Session 3
CEO Water Summit - The Value of Water (T2)
Summary
Water is increasingly a strategic economic factor, not merely an
environmental or utility issue — agriculture alone absorbs some 70% of
freshwater withdrawals. The panel confronts a central paradox: no
economy can function without water, yet it remains chronically
undervalued. This session brings together utilities, constructors and
financiers to discuss how to accelerate investment and modernise
infrastructure at scale.
Session I
Session I
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water Scarcity and Non-Conventional Water Resources (T1)
Summary
Water scarcity is a defining challenge of our century: global demand is projected to rise 20-30% by 2050, with the Mediterranean among the world’s most exposed basins.
The panel addresses non-conventional resources — reuse, desalination — as structural responses
to structural scarcity. The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Advancing the operationalisation of the WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean: Lessons learned from Funded Projects for Innovation, Governance and Finance
Summary
This session aims to focus on the operationalization practical application of the WEFE Nexus approach, acknowledging its criticisms while striving to move beyond theory. The goal is to build solid evidence and provide policymakers and stakeholders with actionable tools to harness the recognized benefits of the Nexus, while avoiding the pitfalls of misinterpretation or oversimplification.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Financing Water Security in the Mediterranean: Mobilising Public Financial Institutions for Resilient Territories
Summary
This session will highlight the pivotal role that public financial institutions can play in financing water security across the Mediterranean territories. It will showcase the experience of the DialMed initiative - a unique cooperation platform bringing together Mediterranean Caisses des Dépôts from both the Northern and Southern shores -, and demonstrate that water represents one of the most powerful drivers for regional cooperation.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Beyond Borders: Cooperation and Innovation for the Sustainable Management of Transboundary Waters
Summary
Transboundary water resources represent a strategic challenge and opportunity for international cooperation. Rivers, lakes, and aquifers that cross multiple countries require a shared approach to ensure equity, sustainability, and resilience in the face of growing pressures such as climate change, urbanization, and intensive exploitation. These resources are key to global water security and the socioeconomic stability of countries within the same river basin.
In this contest and through the experiences shared by local authorities, UN Agencies, Academia, Research Institutions and private sector, the session, organized by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), aims at raising awareness on transboundary water governance, cooperation, and development finance, focusing on identifying actionable entry points for integrating water considerations into policy, planning, and investments.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
39th General Assembly of WAREG – European Water Regulators
Summary
The 39th General Assembly of WAREG – European Water Regulators brings together national and regional public authorities responsible for the economic regulation and oversight of drinking water and wastewater services across Europe. WAREG promotes cooperation, knowledge sharing and capacity-building among regulators and develops common analyses and positions on key regulatory challenges, including tariffs and affordability, service quality, investment and efficiency, consumer protection, water resilience and the implementation of European water legislation. At its 39th General Assembly in Rome, WAREG Members will discuss regulatory responses to climate change and water scarcity, tariff frameworks, European regulatory developments and the integration of municipal waste regulation into WAREG's activities, while strengthening cooperation with European and international partners.
Private session – attendance by invitation only.
Private session – attendance by invitation only.
Panelists
Europe’s First Earthquake-Resilient Aqueduct. Engineering Water Security for Resilient Territories
Summary
A pioneering infrastructure project designed to ensure water security in one of Italy’s most earthquake-prone regions.
The system combines seismic resilience, advanced engineering and strategic network redundancy to protect water supply during major seismic events.
A new European benchmark for safer, smarter and more resilient water infrastructure.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 4
CEO Water Summit — The Value of Water (T2)
Summary
Building on Session I, this panel widens the lens to industries where water is a critical but often overlooked dependency — from technology and finance to fashion, food and manufacturing.
Corporate leaders discuss how water moves from a compliance issue to a boardroom priority.
Session II
Session II
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Water Scarcity and Non-Conventional Water Resources (T1)
Summary
Water scarcity is a defining challenge of our century: global demand is projected to rise 20-30% by 2050, with the Mediterranean among the world’s most exposed basins. The panel addresses non-conventional resources — reuse, desalination — as structural responses to structural scarcity.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Cooperating for Mediterranean Water Security: Capitalizing on EU Funds through the Interreg NEXT MED Programme
Summary
This session will demonstrate how transnational cooperation effectively leverages EU funds to deploy scalable, real-world solutions on the ground for water management. It will present success cases of entities cooperating across the Mediterranean through the Interreg NEXT MED Programme.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Shaping the future of agriculture
Summary
This session explores the role of Italian agriculture in the sustainable management of water
resources, amid growing pressure on irrigation systems and food production. It addresses the
sector’s path toward greater efficiency, innovation and long-term resilience.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Water and Gender: The Challenge of Equality in Accessing Water Resources
Summary
Women and girls remain primarily responsible for water supply in many rural communities not connected to a water network, with impacts ranging from loss of educational opportunities to low participation in productive work and social life, to the risks associated with increased exposure to violence and deteriorating health.
In this contest and through the experiences shared by local authorities, UN Agencies, NGOs and private sector, the session, organized by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), aims at stimulating the discussion on the issue of women's and girls' physical and economic access to water resources, especially in contexts of climate and social crises.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Water as a common good and climate change: global citizenship education as a catalyst for change
Summary
CSOs build water and climate change awareness by integrating Global Citizenship Education with the
school system to engage Youth and Communities with innovative tools for the necessary change.
Panelists
From Digital Early Warning Systems to Climate Services for Water: Strengthening Tunisia’s Resilience to Climate Extremes
Summary
This session presents Tunisia’s efforts to modernize water forecasting and management through digital early warning systems and advanced climate services. By connecting scientific data with governance mechanisms, the session highlights how to move from reactive crisis management towards an anticipatory and preventive approach to hydro-climatic extremes in the Mediterranean.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Monitoring together to advance in the digital governance of water resources
Summary
The Integrated Monitoring and Forecasting System (SIM) aims to implement preventive measures for scheduled land maintenance and the maintenance or modernization of infrastructure, as well as to support continuous monitoring of the environment and territory at a national level in order to support interventions preventing climate change-related risks. It can make a valuable contribution to the Mediterranean Water Agenda, the multinational strategy for the sustainable management and protection of water resources in the Mediterranean basin. As a cutting-edge technological infrastructure unique in Europe, SIM perfectly aligns with the goals of climate resilience, cross-border cooperation, and digital transition promoted by the Mediterranean agenda, through the following operational pillars: Marine and Coastal Pollution Monitoring; Precision agriculture; Hydrogeological instability and water resources.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Wed, 30th Sept
High Level Panel
Special Session
Workshop
Euro-Med Talk
Plenary
Session 1
The New European Water Vision (T3)
Summary
Fifty years into European water policy, from the Water Framework Directive to today, the EU faces a convergence of climate, growth and pollution pressures. The panel builds on the Letta and Draghi reports, which place water security at the core of European competitiveness.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Blue Finance and Blue Investments for Water (T4)
Summary
The Mediterranean faces a structural investment gap of USD 40-80 billion a year.
The panel contrasts the EU shore’s modernization needs — network losses, PFAS, digitalization — with the southern and eastern shore’s expansion needs, and the blue finance tools able to bridge both. The Euro-Med Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
The Mediterranean WEFE Nexus Community of Practice: A catalyst for integrated natural resources management and climate resilience
Summary
The session will bring together the Mediterranean WEFE Nexus Community of Practice (NCoP) and the wider WEFE community to share experiences and discuss lessons from implementation and opportunities for wider uptake. It will explore how policy, financing and regional cooperation can support the replication and upscaling of successful solutions.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Capacity Development at the Heart of Water Security: Investing in the Future of Mediterranean Societies
Summary
Capacity gaps – institutional, human, financial and technological – remain among the main constraints on progress towards SDG 6. Drawing on the UN-Water SDG 6 Capacity Development Initiative (CDI), co-coordinated by UNESCO and UN DESA and now deployed in nine pilot countries including Jordan, this session brings together UN agencies, donors, universities, water education institutes and training providers to discuss how Mediterranean countries can move from one-off training to nationally led capacity development and why it should be treated as a long-term investment in water security and in the future of Mediterranean societies.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Building a Water Smart Economy in the Euro-Mediterranean Area - The Role of Business
Summary
Water is becoming an increasingly strategic issue for the resilience and competitiveness of economies across the Mediterranean. This session will present the findings of the research Building a Water Smart Economy in the Euro-Mediterranean Area: The Role of Business, exploring how businesses can contribute to sustainable water management and more resilient productive systems.
Moderator/s
Panelists
39th General Assembly of WAREG – European Water Regulators
Summary
The 39th General Assembly of WAREG – European Water Regulators brings together national and regional public authorities responsible for the economic regulation and oversight of drinking water and wastewater services across Europe. WAREG promotes cooperation, knowledge sharing and capacity-building among regulators and develops common analyses and positions on key regulatory challenges, including tariffs and affordability, service quality, investment and efficiency, consumer protection, water resilience and the implementation of European water legislation. At its 39th General Assembly in Rome, WAREG Members will discuss regulatory responses to climate change and water scarcity, tariff frameworks, European regulatory developments and the integration of municipal waste regulation into WAREG's activities, while strengthening cooperation with European and international partners.
Private session – attendance by invitation only.
Private session – attendance by invitation only.
Panelists
One Water II: Turning Regional Dialogue into Collective Action
Summary
Presentation of the consolidated outcomes of the ONE WATER regional consultation process across
the Maghreb, Mashreq and Western Balkans, translating three years of regional dialogue into shared
priorities and future cooperation.
Moderator/s
Panelists
The Arno Water Resilience Lab - A collective action for freshwater stewardship
Summary
The purpose of the panel is to present the Arno Water Resilience Lab, an innovative cross-sector platform addressing the river basin's vulnerability to droughts, floods, and pollution through a nexus approach. Bringing together public authorities, industry, science, and finance, the session explores how basin-wide collective action can build long-term water resilience for one of Italy's most economically vital regions.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 2
Blue Finance and Blue Investments for Water (T4)
Summary
The Mediterranean faces a structural investment gap of USD 40-80 billion a year.
The panel contrasts the EU shore’s modernisation needs — network losses, PFAS, digitalisation — with the southern and eastern shore’s expansion needs, and the blue finance tools able to bridge both.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
The New European Water Vision (T3)
Summary
Fifty years into European water policy, from the Water Framework Directive to today, the EU faces
a convergence of climate, growth and pollution pressures. The panel builds on the Letta and
Draghi reports, which place water security at the core of European competitiveness.
The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue
with practitioners and sector experts.
Keynote
Panelists
Protecting Coastal Aquifers and Related Ecosystems for a Water-Secure Mediterranean through science and integrated management approaches
Summary
The special session will share solutions and lessons from UNESCO’s MedProgramme work in five priority Mediterranean coastal aquifers. Participants will explore integrated responses to overexploitation, pollution, seawater intrusion, ecosystem degradation, and climate change.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Towards Resilient and Innovative Groundwater Governance in the Mediterranean to Strengthen Water Security by 2050
Summary
This session explores the conditions required to build modern, proactive and resilient aquifer governance in the face of climate pressures in the Mediterranean. Building on Tunisia's modernization strategy and a broader regional dialogue, the workshop aims to define concrete trajectories to move away from reactive crisis management to sustainable and concerted groundwater preservation.
Moderator/s
Keynote
The Rome Initiative on Water: From Vision to Investment
Summary
Presentation of the vision and proposed architecture of the Rome Water Investment Flagship (RWIF), jointly developed by CIHEAM Bari and the Union for the Mediterranean, connecting the regional priorities emerging from the ONE WATER process with project preparation and future investment opportunities.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Session 3
Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus (T5)
Summary
Global crises — climate, demographic shifts, conflict — cannot be addressed through siloed
sectoral approaches. The panel traces how Integrated Water Resources Management evolved into
the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus, a governance framework for interdependent resource systems.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Beyond Source2Sea Approach (T6)
Summary
Coastal and island areas concentrate both vulnerability and opportunity — climate change,
coastal erosion, groundwater salinisation and the growth of the blue economy.
The panel promotes integrated governance connecting the sea, water resources and local
communities beyond a river’s mouth.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Telling the Story of Water through Ethics, Art and Theatre
Summary
Water is not only a natural resource: it is a cultural, ethical and symbolic element that shapes societies,
identities and shared futures. This session explores how art, theatre, storytelling and public dialogue can
help raise awareness of water-related challenges and inspire collective responsibility.
Bringing together representatives from institutions, science, faith, culture and the arts, the panel will reflect
on new ways of communicating water issues beyond technical and policy frameworks. The discussion will be
complemented by the presentation of IN HERE / OUT THERE, a video work by artist Federica Belli, inviting
audiences to reconsider the relationship between land, sea and human perception.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Water for All People: Equal Rights and Opportunities. 2026 UN World Water Development Report
Summary
The 2026 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR), Water for all people: equal rights and opportunities, highlights the critical relationship between gender equality and sustainable water management. Across the Euro-Mediterranean region, women play a central role in water use and management, food production, family care, and community resilience. Yet, they remain underrepresented in water governance institutions, technical professions, policy processes, and investment decisions.
As the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum aims to foster cooperation and collective action towards water security in the Mediterranean, this session will explore how gender-responsive policies and inclusive governance can contribute to more resilient, sustainable, and equitable water systems. The discussion will also examine how gender equality can strengthen water diplomacy, climate adaptation, and socio-economic development across the region.
Opening Remarks
Closing Remarks
“Water and Health” - Advancing Sustainable Water Resources Management and Accelerating Progress towards SDG 6
Summary
Water and health are connected across the entire water cycle. The interconnections are particularly evident in the Mediterranean region. Increasing water stress, recurrent droughts, extreme heat, floods, saline intrusion, pollution, ageing infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change are placing increasing pressure on both water and health systems. These pressures have direct and indirect consequences on food security, livelihoods, and ecosystem integrity. Addressing these interconnected challenges requires integrated and sustainable water resources management approaches that place human health and well-being at the center of water policies and investments.
The forthcoming United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2027) will provide an opportunity to reflect on the multiple linkages between water and health and to explore innovative and inclusive solutions that can accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 while contributing to broader health, environmental, and development objectives. The roundtable will explore how countries and institutions can act earlier, coordinate responsibilities and direct investment towards preventing harm. Panelists will share practical experience and identify approaches that could be adapted across the region.
Opening Remarks
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Financing Water Resilience in the Mediterranean: Fostering Investment through Public Development Banks and Strategic Partnerships
Summary
“Financing Water Resilience in the Mediterranean: Fostering Investment through Public Development Banks and Strategic Partnerships” explores how public development banks, international financial institutions and strategic partners can work together to scale up investments in water resilience across the Mediterranean. The session will focus on financing solutions, partnerships and coordination mechanisms needed to address growing water challenges and support sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure in the region.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 4
Beyond Source2Sea Approach (T6)
Summary
Coastal and island areas concentrate both vulnerability and opportunity — climate change, coastal erosion, groundwater salinisation and the growth of the blue economy. The panel promotes integrated governance connecting the sea, water resources and local communities beyond a river's mouth.
At the end of the session, the UNIDO-WTCA Global Call 2026 Award Ceremony, promoted by UNIDO ITPO Italy and the World Trade Centers Association, will take place.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus (T5)
Summary
Global crises — climate, demographic shifts, conflict — cannot be addressed through siloed
sectoral approaches. The panel traces how Integrated Water Resources Management evolved
into the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus, a governance framework for interdependent
resource systems. The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical
lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water Heritage and Innovations: an Italian perspective
Summary
Ensuring water and sanitation for all requires a combination of the knowledge and experience of traditional water management with new approaches driven by science, technology, and innovation. Italy offers a distinctive perspective in this transition, where water traditions and local knowledge coexist with a dynamic ecosystem of scientific research, technological development, and innovation in water uses, management and governance practices. This side event will explore how Italy’s experience can contribute to a broader transformation of the water sector, highlighting the value of combining traditional knowledge, modern hydrological research, and cutting-edge technologies. The event will showcase experiences, successful case studies, and innovative approaches that demonstrate how science, technology, and innovation can support water security and strengthen water governance. It will also examine how emerging technologies can contribute to evidence-based policies, improve decision-making, and accelerate progress towards SDG 6 in the Mediterranean.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
The Performance Improvement Program for Drinking Water Networks in Southern Tunisia
Summary
The Performance Improvement Program (PAP), implemented by SONEDE, aims to sustainably improve the efficiency of drinking water networks and reduce water losses across seven districts: Kairouan, Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid, Gafsa, Gabès, Médenine and Tataouine.
The program is built around four complementary pillars:
- The Geographic Information System (GIS) strengthens and digitalizes knowledge of the water networks, supporting their management, sectorization and the identification of anomalies.
- Metering improves the measurement of water distributed and consumed through more efficient metering systems, helping to reduce apparent losses and improve network performance monitoring.
- Leak detection and investigation focus on identifying and promptly repairing physical water losses, using specialized equipment and strengthening the skills of Water Efficiency teams.
- Finally, pipeline rehabilitation provides a long-term solution by replacing or rehabilitating the most deteriorated sections of the network and improving its reliability.
Together, these four pillars contribute to preserving water resources, improving network efficiency and strengthening the quality and reliability of water services for citizens.
Panelists
From Water Ethics to Governance: Action-research Models and Local Experiences
Summary
The workshop explores how ethical reflection on water can be translated into concrete practices of governance linking university research (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna – Pisa) and the experience of leading Italian water utilities (ACEA s.p.a., Acqua Novara.VCO, Gruppo CAP). Starting from the idea that decisions about water are never purely technical, the event examines the values embedded in choices concerning allocation priorities, infrastructure, scarcity, water quality, sustainability, responsibility, and justice. Its aim is to show how making these values explicit can strengthen the transparency, legitimacy, and public justification of water-related decision-making.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Thu, 1st Oct
High Level Panel
Special Session
Workshop
Euro-Med Talk
Plenary
Session 1
Water Governance: Cities, Basin Authorities and Stakeholders Commitment (T9)
Summary
The Mediterranean is heating roughly 20% faster than the global average, turning water
governance into both a fault line and a strategic lever for stability. The panel addresses the
fragmentation of responsibility across cities, basin authorities and levels of government.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Extreme Events and Climate Change: Prevention and Management (T7)
Summary
The Mediterranean is warming faster than the global average, and the region faces
the simultaneous experience of scarcity and excess: recurrent droughts alongside increasingly
severe floods. The panel addresses integrated prevention and disaster-risk management across
the Maghreb, Mashreq and Balkans. The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more
technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
International Water Summit — Technology and Innovation for Resilience at the Service of Territories
Summary
The International Water Summit, organised by ANBI, brings together Italian institutions, private companies, research bodies and European agricultural associations to discuss technology and innovation for water resilience across territories.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Blue Knowledge for the Mediterranean. Research, Higher Education, Research Infrastructures and Scientific Diplomacy for Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation and Shared Prosperity.
Summary
The session will explore how research, higher education, research infrastructures and scientific diplomacy can strengthen Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and contribute to water security and climate resilience.
Opening Remarks by Institutional Representatives and Keynote Speakers
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
The Resilience Advantage: Leading Through Water Risk
Summary
Climate risk is accelerating while resources to respond remain constrained. For water leaders, the challenge is no longer how to invest, but how to anticipate risk, priorities action and build resilience before disruption strikes. If this happens, how to respond and recover as fast as possible. This session brings senior Italian and Dutch water leaders together to explore what it takes to stay ahead and how to respond to an increasingly uncertain future.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
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Task Force on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus under the Water Convention
Summary
The 10th meeting of the global Task Force on the Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems (WFEE) Nexus under the Water Convention will bring together policymakers, experts, basin organizations and international partners to strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation on transboundary water resources.
As internationally shared rivers, lakes and aquifers face increasing pressures, the meeting will explore how to reconcile multiple water needs in a transboundary context.
Discussions will focus on the implementation of nexus strategies at regional level, including the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)’s newly adopted WEFE Nexus Strategy for the Mediterranean and similar initiatives from other regions of the world. Participants will exchange experience on how to translate strategy into action at transboundary level, and how to enhance water resilience through cross-sectoral cooperation.
The meeting will also inform relevant initiatives towards and beyond the 2026 UN Water Conference - particularly under Interactive Dialogue (D) “Water for Cooperation, chaired by Finland and Zambia - and help shape future activities of the Task Force under the Water Convention.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Calabria’s Water: A Unified Service for the Territory
Summary
Discussion among experts from the Integrated Water Service sector on the Calabria case and the key challenges shaping the development of water services in Southern Italy, including: fragmentation of service management, governance, the water divide, infrastructure gaps, climate change, service quality levels, investment needs, the economic and financial sustainability of start-up phases, and management models.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 2
Extreme Events and Climate Change: Prevention and Management (T7)
Summary
The Mediterranean is warming faster than the global average, and the region faces
the simultaneous experience of scarcity and excess: recurrent droughts alongside increasingly
severe floods. The panel addresses integrated prevention and disaster-risk management across
the Maghreb, Mashreq and Balkans.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water Governance: Cities, Basin Authorities and Stakeholders Commitment (T9)
Summary
The Mediterranean is heating roughly 20% faster than the global average, turning water
governance into both a fault line and a strategic lever for stability. The panel addresses the
fragmentation of responsibility across cities, basin authorities and levels of government.
The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue
with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Panelists
-79eecb0e.webp?src=images/speakers/Siham_Laraichi%281%29.jpg&thumbnail=140,140,&type=webp,85&hash=df5c1ff2)
From Data to Action: Digital Tools for Water-Related Ecosystem Governance, Management and Restoration in the Mediterranean
Summary
The session will present and demonstrate two regional platforms – the Mediterranean Wetlands Geoportal (Mediterranean Wetlands Observatory) and Plan Bleu Observatory's MapX platform, under "WESR: MEDITERRANEAN", followed by a roundtable with end-users at river basin, national and pan-Mediterranean level. The aim is to identify concrete recommendations on how digital tools and monitoring systems can better support evidence-based water governance, wetland restoration and climate resilience.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Advancing EU Water Alignment - High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on the EU accession process and water resources governance in the Western Balkans
Summary
High-level ministerial roundtable bringing Balkan water and environment ministers into dialogue with EU
and Mediterranean partners on EU water alignment and regional cooperation.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Operationalizing IWRM: Shaping the High-Level Segment Dedicated to Basins and Watershed at the 11th World Water Forum
Summary
Building on the outcomes of the INBO World Basin Summit 2026 in Rio de Janeiro and the 2nd Stakeholder Consultation Meeting for the 11th World Water Forum in Jeddah, this session translates prior technical and political commitments on basins and watersheds into a unified roadmap. It channels the Euro-Mediterranean region’s perspective into the political process ahead of Riyadh 2027, while contributing to the momentum of the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Made in Europe for Water Security
Summary
This session explores how water security, industrial resilience and technological innovation can strengthen Europe and the Mediterranean. It will examine desalination, water reuse, membrane technologies, manufacturing capacity and public-private cooperation as pillars of a resilient regional water ecosystem.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Reuse of treated wastewater: a strategic lever for water security, in the context of climate change in the Mediterranean
Summary
On the example of Tunisia, this Side Event takes an in-depth look at the political, institutional, regulatory and economic conditions that are essential for a successful change of scale, moving from programmes and pilot projects to widespread macroeconomic implementation.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 3
One Health, One Water (T8)
Summary
One Health, One Water” recognises that human, animal, ecosystem and water health are
functional mirrors of one another. The panel addresses how antimicrobial resistance, chemical
contamination and ageing infrastructure compound today’s water-related health threats.
Moderator/s
Panelists
A New Tech Blue Hope – Digital and AI: Water Innovation (T10)
Summary
Digital tools and AI offer real opportunities to reduce leaks, optimise networks and anticipate droughts and floods — yet the digital sector is itself a fast-growing consumer of water and energy.
The panel confronts this structural paradox at the heart of the sector’s technological promise.
The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Hydrodiplomacy: Advancing the Right to Water for Peace and Stability (T11)
Summary
Transboundary waters account for roughly 60% of the world’s freshwater flows,
with more than three billion people living in shared river and lake basins.
The panel treats water as one of the few practical spaces where cooperation
can continue even amid political tension. The EuroMed Talk revisits this same
theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
-bbbf5456.webp?src=images/speakers/Tugba_maden%29.jpg&thumbnail=140,140,&type=webp,85&hash=304b6949)
Keynote
Panelists
Water Across Generations: Young Leaders and Senior Experts Shaping the Future of Mediterranean Water
Summary
An interactive intergenerational dialogue bringing young water professionals and senior experts
together to shape a shared vision for the future of water in the Mediterranean.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Governance: A Key Role for Water Resilient River Basins
Summary
As climate change accelerates extreme weather events across Europe, conventional water management approaches are no longer enough to secure our water future. This session brings together three European initiatives (Water4All, InnWater, and GOVAQUA) to showcase how innovative water governance, policy integration, and collaborative decision-making can build resilient river basins. Join us to explore practical tools, real-world examples, and actionable governance pathways driving robust river basin management in a changing world.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Water Resources Management in Armenia: Ethical Perspectives – Policy-making Implications
Summary
The workshop examines the challenges facing Armenia’s water sector by bringing together university research and climate, engineering, governance, and ethical perspectives. A specific attention will be devoted to Armenia as technological and social laboratory of exclusive interest for the entire Euro-Mediterranean context. The ethical intergenerational perspective related to possible technical solution will be put in line with long-term policymaking decisions.
Keynote
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Financing the Domestic Water Cycle: Italian Regions in Dialogue
Summary
Special session on financing the domestic water cycle in Italy: Regions, ARERA, the EIB and Sogesid discuss governance constraints, investment gaps and the instruments available to turn territorial needs into bankable, executable projects — with a view to launching a PA-Blue Finance Working Table as a lasting legacy of the Forum.
Opening Remarks by Institutional Representatives and Keynote Speakers
Panelists
Francesco Gargani
PwC Italia
From Climate Science to Regional Water Action - Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI) Water Task Force: From Scientific Assessment to Cross-Border Solutions, Hydro-Diplomacy and Climate Finance
Summary
This event will present the main results of the Scientific Task Forces of the EMME-CCI, an initiative of the Cyprus Government, aiming to bridge science and policy and identify key cross-border projects to address the climate crisis across the EMME region. This event provides a platform to discuss cross-border projects and assess their feasibility and bankability, turning research into action.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Water energy food ecosystem Nexus
Summary
Water generates value well beyond the water sector itself, influencing industrial competitiveness, food security, the energy transition, and territorial protection. In this session, part of the journey of TEHA's eighth edition of the Valore Acqua Community, the new WEFE Integration Index will be presented: a measure of European countries' ability to preserve natural capital through the integrated and sustainable management of water, energy, food, and ecosystems.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Session 4
A New Tech Blue Hope – Digital and AI: Water Innovation (T10)
Summary
Digital tools and AI offer real opportunities to reduce leaks, optimise networks and anticipate droughts and floods — yet the digital sector is itself a fast-growing consumer of water and energy. The panel confronts this structural paradox at the heart of the sector’s technological promise.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
One Health, One Water (T8)
Summary
“One Health, One Water” recognises that human, animal, ecosystem and water health are functional mirrors of one another. The panel addresses how antimicrobial resistance, chemical contamination and ageing infrastructure compound today's water-related health threats. The EuroMed Talk revisits this same theme with a more technical and vertical lens, in dialogue with practitioners and sector experts.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Up-Scaling and Mainstreaming Nature-Based Solutions at the Basin Level
Summary
This session will explore how Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can be scaled up and mainstreamed at the river basin level to address growing challenges of water scarcity, ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Building on existing European, Mediterranean, and national policy frameworks, the discussion will highlight practical experiences from river basins and identify the policy, financial, and technical mechanisms needed to support prioritisation of NBS in policies and related implementation. The session will also promote regional cooperation and knowledge exchange, strengthening the integration of ecosystem-based approaches into sustainable water, climate, and biodiversity strategies.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Italy’s Partnership Actions and International Commitments under the WHO/UNECE Protocol on Water and Health
Summary
Policy-oriented multistakeholder dialogue on how Italy can progress on implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health
through coordinated national action, partnerships and international cooperation.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Towards implementation of the Strategy on Water-Energy -Food-Ecosystem Nexus in the Mediterranean Source to Sea Continuum
Summary
This session will present the ‘Strategy for WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean S2S Continuum’ &
advancements with its Action Framework as a pioneering and transformative process for sustainable
development in the Mediterranean and demonstrate practical benefits of the inter-disciplinary
approach aiming at attracting partners’ commitment for scalability, innovation and investments.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Feasibility of a PPP to Deploy Treated Wastewater Reusediterranean Countries: Insights from the Southern Tunisia Study and Experience Sharing with Other Countries in the Region
Summary
How can treated wastewater reuse become bankable? Lessons from a PPP feasibility study in southern Tunisia, compared with experiences across the Mediterranean.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water Security in the Mediterranean: Connecting Knowledge, Skills and Regional Cooperation
Summary
The CIHEAM workshop will bring together the political, scientific and capacity-building dimensions related to water security. Building on the key messages drawn from CIHEAM’s contributions throughout the Forum, the discussion will explore how knowledge, education and training, innovative approaches and regional partnerships can help translate shared priorities into concrete actions and strengthen water resilience across the Mediterranean.
Opening Remarks
Moderator/s
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Fri, 2nd Oct
High Level Panel
Special Session
Workshop
Euro-Med Talk
Plenary
Single Session
Hydrodiplomacy: Advancing the Right to Water for Peace and Stability (T11)
Summary
Transboundary waters account for roughly 60% of the world’s freshwater flows,
with more than three billion people living in shared river and lake basins.
The panel treats water as one of the few practical spaces where cooperation can continue
even amid political tension.
Moderator/s
Keynote
Panelists
Water, Land, and Infrastructure: Geologists and Engineers for Safety and Sustainability
Summary
This session examines the interactions between geology, engineering, and water resource management in the Mediterranean context, which is characterized by increasing climate and hydrogeological vulnerability. Technical, regulatory, and strategic solutions are presented to enhance territorial safety, protect groundwater resources, and adapt infrastructure to emerging climate scenarios.
Panelists
Mediterranean Cooperation in Research and Education - Institutional Perspectives on Water Resilience: the Role of Training, Research and Cooperation Projects
Summary
This side event will introduce MediCoRe, a collaborative network that brings together research
institutions, key stakeholders, and representatives from 17 Mediterranean countries. The network
addresses the pressing challenges facing the Mediterranean basin, with a particular focus on water
resources, climate resilience, and sustainable development. The Side Event aims to foster a broad
discussion on the role of joint research, innovation, and capacity-building initiatives in addressing
Mediterranean climate challenges, while strengthening institutional engagement and promoting crossborder
cooperation. It will provide a platform for discussing shared priorities, identifying opportunities for
collaboration, and advancing coordinated solutions to enhance the resilience and sustainability of the
Mediterranean region.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Resilient Territories: Governing Water, Designing Adaptation
Summary
The workshop will explore how territories can adapt to the impacts of climate change on water resources and the wider territory, focusing on the path from adaptation planning to concrete interventions on the ground. It will bring together the different dimensions of this process: knowledge and monitoring, investment planning, water resource management and territorial protection, and infrastructure design and delivery. The discussion will focus on the conditions needed to strengthen coordination across these areas and bridge the gap between adaptation strategies and their concrete implementation.
Moderator/s
Panelists
Water Education for Climate Adaptation: a Global Repository for Present & Future Generations
Summary
The session brings together key institutional stakeholders—including representatives from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Agriculture Commission—alongside WAMU+NET experts and professionals. Together, they will discuss how building shared educational tools can foster regional and international resilience. Furthermore, this side event is deliberately designed as a strategic platform to seek new partners and secure financial resources, while serving as an open call for water museums and research institutions to join the WAMU+NET network and actively contribute to this shared global project.
Opening Remarks by Institutional Representatives and Keynote Speakers
Panelists
Closing Remarks
Advancing Zero Pollution through water-smart Mediterranean territories A ZeroPollution4Water Cluster and Water4All Water-Oriented Living Labs Network joint session
Summary
How can innovation help Mediterranean territories respond to water scarcity, pollution and climate pressures? Through the experiences of the EU-funded projects ToDrinQ and UNIVERSWATER, the Attica Water Lab and Axarquía Living Lab, both part of the Water4All Water-Oriented Living Labs Network, and alongside scientific and water utility perspectives, this session will explore how science, innovation and territorial collaboration can turn successful demonstrations into sustained implementation and replicable solutions across the Mediterranean.
Panelists
The role of Trenchless Technologies in the integrated water service in Italy: state of the art, barriers to their wider adoption, and future perspectives
Summary
The panel discussion aims to take the stock of the current status of Italy’s integrated water and wastewater infrastructures, highlighting the contribution that trenchless technologies can provide to a sustainable and resilient development of market sector.
The panel will feature representatives from Italian water companies and industry in the sector to discuss current applications and key benefits of trenchless technologies.
Panelists
