By : JD
Jordan Daily – The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) said it has significant initiatives to combat the severe water crisis in the region. The Mediterranean, a climate change hotspot warming at a rate 20% faster than the global average, is home to 180 million water-poor individuals and another 60 million facing varying degrees of water stress.
In a statement released on World Water Day, the UfM noted it is promoting the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus approach, emphasizing the interdependence of these elements. It has identified and funded projects that address water scarcity and contribute to socio-economic development and regional stability. These include the MENA Water Matchmaker, enabling farmers in Jordan and Palestine to reuse treated wastewater, and the WEFE Nexus for Sustainable Development in MENA, enhancing environmental sustainability in Egypt and Jordan.
As a founding member of the Blue Mediterranean Partnership, the UfM aims to mobilize at least €1 billion in sustainable blue economy investments in the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions.
In the coming months, the UfM will present the Mediterranean water perspective at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, and the 10th World Water Forum in Bali. It will also organize online capacity-building sessions for public officials on the sustainable blue economy and blue transformation.
Last month, the UfM held the 2nd Regional Roundtable on the WEFE Nexus for the Mediterranean at the 5th Mediterranean Water Forum in Tunis and the 2nd UfM Stakeholder Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy in Athens. Over 350 participants attended workshops on topics ranging from marine research and innovation to sustainable tourism and the blue finance process.
“Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are internationally-recognized human rights. The Union for the Mediterranean, driven by its mission to foster regional cooperation, is committed to enabling collective action in this field,” said Almotaz Abadi, the UfM Deputy Secretary General in charge of Water, Environment, and Blue Economy.
