Synopsis (short abstract)Five years have passed since the first Near East and North Africa (NENA) Land and Water Days in Amman, Jordan, 15-18 December 2013.
At this event, FAO and its partners established the Water Scarcity Regional Initiative along with its Regional Collaborative Strategy and Partnership. The initiative was endorsed by the ministers of agriculture at the 32nd session of FAO regional conference for the Near East in February 2014 in Rome and by the Arab Ministerial Water Council of the League of Arab States in May 2015. Positive developments include the prioritization of sustainable water management; dialogue around water issues and policies; innovative investments; and implementation of many new projects throughout the region. The adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created a comprehensive framework for countries, donors and international organizations to prioritize water management and sustainable food security in the region.
At the same time, many challenges facing the NENA region have intensified. Conflicts and protracted crises, and their spillover, are taking a heavy toll on people’s lives; on food security and nutrition; on water and agriculture infrastructure; all of which are delaying or slowing the implementation of development strategies and plans.
Climate change and droughts are dramatically impacting rural populations, further compounding the impacts of conflicts and leading to migration and refugee movements.
In this context the NENA Land and Water Days are being convened in Cairo during 31 March - 4 April 2019, to review the progress made in addressing water scarcity in the region, foster exchange of knowledge and experience among countries and partners, and chart the way forward; taking into account lessons, new challenges and opportunities for sustainable development.
The event will focus on the NENA region but will link to the global experiences through the participation of countries and experts from other regions (Asia, Africa and Latin America) for insights and knowledge sharing.
