In 2026, Italy will host the first Euro Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome. The Forum, which has previously focused solely on Mediterranean countries, will for the first time include all European and Balkan states. This decision was announced in Bali, Indonesia, during the 10th World Water Forum.

"The selection of Italy and Rome acknowledges over two years of continuous effort and an innovative, solution-oriented vision of cooperation that convinced the Mediterranean Water Institute and the World Water Council to choose our capital city and our project," explains the honourable Maria Spena in a statement released by the One Water Committee, of which she is the president. In Italy, the Committee brings together institutions, associations such as ANBI (National Association of Land Reclamation and Irrigation Consortia) and UTILITALIA (the Federation of Water, Energy, and Environmental Companies), and the Earth and Water Agenda (EWA) Foundation. "The One Water Committee's ability to engage the entire Italian system, from ministries to multi-utility companies, starting with ACEA, the Municipality of Rome, and the Lazio Region, which have been key players in this great and exciting challenge of ours, has been decisive."

Who will take part in the EuroMediterranean Water Forum

The success of Italy in being awarded the first Euro Mediterranean Water Forum is attributed not only to the One Water Committee's ability to engage a broad range of stakeholders. "First of all, the Forum will not be restricted to traditional water stakeholders like distribution companies or engineering firms, but will also seek to involve sectors such as food and fashion, which have a significant impact on water management," explains Emilio Ciarlo, Director of the Committee, to Renewable Matter. "The aim is to bring water to the centre of the public debate through a strong and innovative communication message. We are currently discussing these issues with other key organisations such as the FAO, Bioversity International, and the Water Management Institute, all of which are headquartered in Rome."

The expansion of the geopolitical scope was also a key factor in the appreciation of the Italian candidacy. "A crucial idea was to extend the Forum's focus from a purely Mediterranean to an Euro Mediterranean context," Ciarlo continues. The Mediterranean is recognised as a climate change hotspot, with a warming rate 20% higher than the global average. "This expansion is driven by the necessity to mobilise significant public and private investment. The Mediterranean countries alone are insufficient; thus, it is crucial to engage strong partners, from the European Commission to countries like Germany and Sweden, to achieve the critical mass of political attention and mobilisable capital needed for a structural impact. It will also be important to discuss interesting regions such as the Balkans or, further east, the Danube Basin, addressing different challenges and experiences."

The Forum's goals

Therefore, the agenda of the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum will not only include traditional topics such as access to water, desertification, the optimisation of irrigation water usage, or water resource management in urban areas. "We intend to place particular emphasis on issues related to risk and disaster prevention, as well as the resilience and adaptation of communities to new climate change scenarios," Ciarlo continues. "For example, it has become imperative to address the accelerated climate risks in the Mediterranean and new insurance schemes to manage them. Likewise, we aim to explore not just the concept of blue finance but to present products and positive case studies, thus transitioning from the hope for the involvement of private funds to the practical tools to achieve it.”

At the diplomatic level, Italy is actively working to strengthen cooperation with countries along the southern shore of the Mediterranean. The Mattei Plan for Africa, strongly endorsed by the government led by Giorgia Meloni, includes a dedicated pillar for water, in addition to its focus on education and training, agriculture, health, and energy. Planned initiatives encompass the construction of wells powered by photovoltaic systems, maintenance of existing water sources, investment in distribution networks, and awareness campaigns on the importance of clean, potable water.

The path towards the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum 2026

The journey towards the Euro Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome in 2026 will start as early as this autumn. Planned activities include meetings, workshops, and both national and international events, with presentations at COP29 and in various European and Mediterranean capitals. "The Euro Mediterranean Water Forum 2026 is not merely a culminating event," Ciarlo concludes. "Our commitment must be to maintain a continuous and consistent presence on the international stage and within the ongoing debate." Starting in August, we have several significant events planned: from the Water Week in Stockholm, to the Arab Water Council meeting in Abu Dhabi to which we have been invited, and the Cairo Water Week in November, as well as the COP at the end of the year. In 2025, we will also have the Jubilee in Rome, for which we are organising a major event dedicated to water and its spiritual, intercultural, and interfaith dimensions. We will hold meetings with stakeholders in the supply chain over the year and a half leading up to the event, many of which will take place across Italy and several between Brussels and Mediterranean countries. The ambition of the Forum is to be a landmark event that represents a significant shift in national, European, and international water policies, which constantly appears to be a no longer negligible player in environmental, social and economic dynamics.

This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano

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