Near East and North Africa’s Water Scarcity Initiative

LAS, ICARDA and FAO discuss successes of the "Near East and North Africa's Water Scarcity Initiative" at its 39th Conference.

The escalation of water scarcity is one of the most impelling challenges facing Arab countries. Fast paced population growth, climate change, changing consumption patterns are all factors that are adding pressure to the already limited resources across the region.

Acknowledging the urgency and scale of the water issues faced by the Arab countries, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched in 2013, a Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity. The main objective of the Initiative is to promote cooperation among NENA countries to identify and streamline policies, governance and best practices that can significantly and sustainably improve agricultural water productivity in a context of severe intensification of water scarcity and negative impact of climatic changes.

To look at the regional efforts that have contributed to the sustainable use and management of water in the Region, on 9 June 2015, FAO organized a side event on “Near East and North Africa’s Water Scarcity Initiative” at FAO Conference, 39th Session, which is convened in Rome from 6-13 June 2015.

Representatives from Egypt, the League of Arab States, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and FAO discussed successes from the regional initiative.

Chaired by FAO’s Assistant- Director General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, Mr. Abdessalam, the side event will showcase FAO's achievements and provide evidence on how the Organization has brought about changes and impact in the countries of the region.