Community-Led Water Resilience: CIHEAM Brings a Mediterranean Perspective to the 7th Arab Water Forum

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – July 1, 2026

As water scarcity, climate change and land degradation increasingly threaten agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods across the Mediterranean and neighbouring regions, the CIHEAM will convene a high-level Regional Dialogue entitled "Community-Led Water Resilience: Water Risk Management and Nature-Based Solutions" during the 7th Arab Water Forum in Jeddah.

Organised by the CIHEAM General Secretariat in close collaboration with its four Mediterranean Institutes and in partnership with the Arab Water Council, the session will bring together experts, researchers, regional organisations, innovation actors and practitioners to explore practical pathways towards more resilient and inclusive water management.

From Strategy to Action

Building on CIHEAM Strategy 2030, the dialogue will highlight the Organisation's integrated approach to the water–agriculture–food nexus, demonstrating how water resilience has become a cross-cutting priority for sustainable agriculture, rural development, climate adaptation and food security.

Moving beyond technical solutions alone, the session will showcase how communities, farmers, local authorities, researchers, entrepreneurs and regional institutions can jointly design and implement resilient responses to growing water-related risks.

Drawing on experiences from the four CIHEAM Institutes, participants will discuss innovative approaches to water risk management, Nature-Based Solutions, digital technologies, entrepreneurship, participatory governance and capacity development.

From Local Innovation to Regional Action

The dialogue will progressively move from strategic perspectives to concrete field experiences before opening a broader discussion on the conditions needed to scale successful initiatives through stronger public policies, regional cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

The programme will feature contributions from the four CIHEAM Institutes, alongside representatives of the Arab Water Council (AWC), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Berytech, Planetek Italia and leading experts working on water governance, innovation and social inclusion.

Contributing to the Mediterranean Water Agenda

This Regional Dialogue marks another important step in strengthening CIHEAM's engagement on water resilience within the broader Mediterranean agenda.

Its outcomes will contribute to ongoing regional reflections in preparation for the Euromediterranean Water Forum, the next CIHEAM Ministerial Meeting, where water-related challenges will feature prominently, as well as future international discussions, including COP31 in Antalya and the 2027 World Water Forum, to be hosted by Saudi Arabia.

By connecting scientific knowledge, community-led experiences and regional policy dialogue, the session aims to identify practical recommendations and replicable approaches capable of strengthening water resilience, food security and sustainable development across the Mediterranean and the Arab region.

---

SESSION PROGRAM

09:00 AM – Opening and Welcome

• Strategic keynote by Teodoro Miano, Secretary General of the CIHEAM, on the theme: "Water Resilience, Food Security, and Community Action in the CIHEAM 2030 Strategy."

09:05 AM – From Strategy to Practice: CIHEAM Experiences Across the Mediterranean

• Roula Khadra (CIHEAM Bari): Nature-based solutions in the Mediterranean region.
• Mohamed Elhag (CIHEAM Chania): Remote sensing and geospatial technologies for risk management.
• Emirjona Kertolli (CIHEAM Montpellier): Integrated approaches linking water, energy, food, and ecosystems.

09:35 AM – Community-Led Solutions: Solutions in Practice

• Case studies presented by Bilal Derardja, Abdelouahid Fouial, and Aymen Sawassi to illustrate concrete benefits for food security, local economies, and social cohesion.

10:05 AM – Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Water Resilience

• Interventions by Nicolas A. Farhat (Berytech) and Gamal Allam (Planetek Italia) on innovative technologies, entrepreneurial solutions, and public-private partnerships.

10:20 AM – Regional Perspective

• Video message from the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) with Joan Borrell (Deputy Secretary General for Stability and Resilience) and Nisreen Tamimi (Deputy Secretary General for Sustainable Development).

10:25 AM – Regional Dialogue: Building Partnerships for Scaling Impact

• Moderation by Yasmine Seghirate (CIHEAM).
• Exchanges with Amal Azab of the Arab Water Council (AWC), Raul Compés (CIHEAM Zaragoza), and Noura Abdelwahab, expert in gender and social inclusion.

10:55 AM – Closing Remarks and Perspectives

• Concluding remarks by Teodoro Miano, Secretary General of the CIHEAM, summarizing the main recommendations and prospects for regional cooperation.