The Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum concluded on 2 October in Rome after four days of policy, scientific, technical and business exchanges aimed at strengthening water resilience across the Mediterranean.

Organised by One Water Committee Italy, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), and the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), the Forum brought together policymakers, experts, businesses and practitioners to advance practical responses to the region’s growing water challenges. The Forum combined high-level political discussions with a showcase of technological and process innovation in the water sector. It highlighted practical solutions to shared challenges, promoted cross-border cooperation and reinforced the need for stronger collective action to improve water security across the Mediterranean.

The event followed the second UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water, held on 28 September, where ministers from the 43 UfM Member States met for the first time since the 2017 Ministerial in Malta to review progress on the UfM Water Agenda and identify priorities for regional cooperation up to 2030.

At the closing ceremony, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica underlined the strategic importance of water resilience for the region’s future. She said: “Water is life, and water resilience is a priority for Europe and the Mediterranean. Water knows no borders, and neither can our response. Through the Pact for the Mediterranean, we will launch a new regional initiative for water resilience, focused on better coordination and preparedness. In parallel, the EU will continue supporting sustainable infrastructure and more joint investment. Governments, financial institutions and the private sector all have a role to play. Securing our water means securing our shared future.”

Today’s discussions in Rome also reflected a broader political momentum around water resilience. In early September, in her State of the Union address, President von der Leyen highlighted water and food security as central to Europe’s resilience agenda. Against a backdrop of rising water stress, the Forum confirmed the Mediterranean’s shared determination to advance resilience through knowledge-sharing, innovation and a more integrated approach linking water, food and energy systems.