The impacts of climate change, land degradation and growing water scarcity are among the greatest challenges to achieving zero hunger and global food security. With agriculture accounting for over 72 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, the way in which water is used and managed in agrifood systems is central to agricultural production and food security, climate resilience and more broadly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
As part of the World Food Forum 2026 under the theme “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow”, the Rome Water Dialogue is a global platform dedicated to advancing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) to strengthen food and water security worldwide, promoting an integrated approach that connects water, land and soil management. It brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including policy makers, practitioners, representatives from academia, the private sector and the youth, to showcase and advance innovative solutions for resilient agriculture.
Join us in Rome or online to shape the future of water and food security. Registration to participate on-site closes on 7 October 2026.
Register here
The High-level Dialogue, which will take place on 14 October 2026, will focus on the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure. It will feature water tenure within national contexts to improve water governance and support more equitable, transparent, and sustainable allocation of water resources for water and food security.
Technical sessions, to be held on 12 and 13 October, will focus on innovative solutions for land restoration, drought management, and irrigation modernization. These sessions will also address the enabling conditions and financing needed to scale up solutions that nourish people and the planet—today and in the future.
Programme
Full agenda will be available soon
💧 Strengthening governance of water tenure through innovation and inclusive dialogue
Monday, 12 October 2026, from 9.00 to 10.30 (UTC+2), Red Room, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, and online.
This session aims to share the methodology of water tenure assessment for improving water accounting for more equitable, transparent, and context-appropriate allocation of water resources at local level.
It will present pilot assessments conducted in selected countries, as well as the outcomes of regional water tenure dialogues in Colombia and Thailand. The session will also help lay the foundation for the High-level Rome Water Dialogue taking place on 14 October.
This session will be available in English.
Draft agenda
Time (UTC+2)
Session segment
Moderator: Mr Jippe Hoogeveen, Senior Land and Water Officer, Land and Water Division, FAO
09:05-09:15
Keynote: Water tenure assessment and water accounting: Innovative tools to support water governance
09:15-09:35
Building Principles of Responsible Governance of Water Tenure from the field: Evidence from local assessments and sectoral and regional dialogues
Video on Principles
Presentation of draft principles and results from sectoral and regional dialogues on water tenure:
- Ms Sofia Espinosa Flor, Land Water Tenure Specialist, FAO
- Ms Jessica Troell, International Water Programme, Environmental Law Institute
09:35-10:05
Stakeholder perspectives: Benefits of water tenure for food security and climate resilience
Moderator: Ms Maria Alejandra Chaux Echeverri, Natural Resources Specialist, FAO Colombia- Mr Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha, World Farmers Organization
- Mr Lamine Samaké, Land and Water Tenure Expert, FAO Senegal
- Ms Beth Sua Carvajal Martinez, Governance and Inclusive Conservation Coordinator, Water Governance Programme, WWF Colombia
- Mr Mova Al’Afghani, Center for Regulation, Policy and Governance, Indonesia
- Ms Tania Sharma, Land Data Specialist, FAO
10:05-10:25
Interactive discussion
Moderator: Ms Maria Alejandra Chaux Echeverri, Natural Resources Specialist, FAO Colombia10:25-10:30
Wrap-up and key takeaways
💧 Restoration of degraded agricultural lands: Innovation from policy to practice for water and food security
Monday, 12 October 2026, from 10.30 to 12.00 (UTC+2), Red Room, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, and online.
The session will showcase innovative approaches to restoring agricultural lands to support sustainable agrifood system transformation and water security. Through successful case studies, it will also explore enabling policies, investment, innovation, capacity development and sustainability.
This session will be available in English.
Draft agenda
Time (UTC+2)
Session segment
10:30-11:00
Opening remarks
- Ms Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General, FAO
- H.E. Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan
- Ms Marina Afonina, Deputy Minister for Agriculture of the Russian Federation
- Mr David Martinez, Executive Secretary, Central American Agricultural Council
11:00-11:45
Panel discussion
- Ms Linxiu Zhang, Director, International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP)
- Ms Teresa Vendramini, Member of the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development of Brazil
- Ms Rosa Poch, Professor of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Lleida
- Ms Francesca Antonelli, Head of Rivers and Lakes, Wetlands International
- Ms Una Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Fibre Alliance
11:55-12:00
Closing remarks
- Mr Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
💧 Innovation, planning and investment in drought management and irrigation
Tuesday, 13 October 2026, from 9.00 to 12.00 (UTC+2), Red Room, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, and online.
This session will explore how to transform national drought strategies into actionable, investment-ready portfolios that can attract diverse financing mechanisms, including the application of IRMA (irrigation potential and needs mapping) and other data-driven tools. By linking strategic policy frameworks with targeted investment opportunities, the session will highlight innovative ways of leveraging technology and analytics to unlock more effective and scalable drought-resilience solutions.
This session will be available in Arabic and English.
Draft agenda
Time (UTC+2)
Session segment
Moderator: Mr Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO (TBC)
09:05-09:15
Welcome and opening remarks
09:15-10:20
Ministerial panel on drought resilience and irrigation development
- H.E. José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency, Dominican Republic
- H.E Vladimir Jokovic, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Montenegro
- H.E Saeb Abdulhalim Khresat, Minister for Agriculture, Jordan
- H.E. Moustapha Zakia, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Syrian Arab Republic
- Mr Marco Rago, Special Envoy for International Water Policy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy
10:20-10:35
Introduction presentations
- The cost of unpreparedness: Systemic drought resilience for a food-secure future: Mr Rein Paulsen, Director, Office of Emergencies and Resilience, FAO
- Moving from crisis response to proactive management: GEF investments to strengthen drought resilience: Mr Edoardo Borgomeo, Senior Freshwater Specialist, Global Environment Facility
- From national drought plans to bankable portfolios: FAO's stepwise investment methodology: Ms Stefania Giusti, Programme Officer, Land and Water Division, FAO
10:35-11:15
Technical panel discussion: FAO, partners and country dialogue on drought management
- Mr Juan Carlos Mendoza, Director, Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Mr Narayan Iyer, Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- Mr Nizar Zaied, Manager, Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
- Mr Giovanni Munoz, East and Southern Africa Service Chief, FAO Investment Center
- Mr Wang Yingchun, Director-General, Bureau of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, China
- Ms. Shalala Hasanova, Head of the Strategic Development Department of Water and Amelioration Scientific Research Institute, Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency
Technical panel discussion: the country perspectives
- H.E Hussein Sabbagh, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to FAO (TBC)
- H.E Kais O. B. Abu Dayyeh, Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to FAO (TBC)
- Ms Phyllis Martha Klorkor Mends, Alternate Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ghana to FAO (TBC)
Q&A
Moderator: Ms Nora Berrahmouni, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO
11:15-11:20
Introduction presentations
FAO’s IRMA approach: investment based on potential. Demonstration and official launch of the tool:
- Ms Stefania Giusti, Programme Officer, Land and Water Division, FAO
Technical panel discussion: FAO, partners and country dialogue on irrigation development
- Mr Juan Carlos Mendoza, Director, Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Mr Narayan Iyer, Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- Mr Nizar Zaied, Manager, Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
- Mr Giovanni Munoz, East and Southern Africa Service Chief, FAO Investment Center
- Mr Wang Yingchun, Director-General, Bureau of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, China
- Ms. Shalala Hasanova, Head of the Strategic Development Department of Water and Amelioration Scientific Research Institute, Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency
11:20-11:45
Technical panel discussion: the country perspectives
- H.E Hussein Sabbagh, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to FAO (TBC)
- H.E Kais O. B. Abu Dayyeh, Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to FAO (TBC)
- Ms Phyllis Martha Klorkor Mends, Alternate Permanent Representative of the Republic of Ghana to FAO (TBC)
💧 High-level Rome Water Dialogue - Global Dialogue on Water Tenure: Innovative water governance for food and water security
Wednesday 14 October 2026, from 9.00 to 12.00 (UTC+2), Plenary Hall, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, and online.
The High-level Rome Water Dialogue will discuss insights from national and regional water tenure dialogues and gather multi-stakeholder feedback to inform the refinement of draft water tenure principles and collective commitments for the next steps of the Global Dialogue on Water Tenure, as mandated by the Committee on Agriculture (COAG).
Interpretation in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish will be available.
Draft agenda
Time (UTC+2)
Session segment
09:00-09:25
Welcome and opening remarks
Moderator: Mr Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO- Dr QU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO
- Mr LI Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
- Dr Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- H.E. Retno L. P. Marsudi, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Water (video message)
09:30-09:35
Introductory presentation: The road towards the principles on responsible governance on water tenure
09:35-09:45
Outcomes of the regional dialogues
Moderator: Ms Nora Berrahmouni, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO- Mr Alue Dohong, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, FAO
- Mr Rene Orellana Halkyer, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO
09:45-09:50
Presentation on the draft principles of responsible governance of water tenure
Mr Stephen Hodgson, International Environmental Lawyer, Brussels, the Kingdom of Belgium, and Member of the Water Tenure Expert Group
09:50-11:25
Ministerial panel discussion
Moderator: Mr Rene Orellana Halkyer, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO- H.E. Sara Aagesen Muñoz, Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain
- H.E. Qurbon Hakimzoda, Minister for Agriculture, Tajikistan
- H.E. Ibrahim Yumakli, Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye
- H.E. Abdulaziz bin Malek Al Malek, Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation, Saudi Arabia
- H.E. Arsen Zhakanbayev, Vice Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Kazakhstan
- H.E. Satyajit Arjuna Rodrigo, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to FAO, Embassy of Sri Lanka
- Mr Chayan Muangsong, Secretary-General, Office of the National Water Resources, Thailand (video message)
High-level panel discussion
- Ms Antje Frehse, Director-General for Agricultural Trade Policy, EU-Affairs and International Cooperation, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, Germany
- Mr Salahddine Dahbi, Director General of Water, Ministry of Equipment and Water, Morocco
- Ms Xinyang Chi, Deputy Director General, International Economic and Technical Cooperation and Exchange Center (INTCE), Ministry of Water Resources, China
- Mr Winfried Wicklein, Director General, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
11:25-11:55
Stakeholder panel discussion: Principles of responsible governance of water tenure, policy innovations and stakeholder feedback
Moderator: Ms Nora Berrahmouni, Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, FAO- Mr Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Mr Dionicio Canahui, Food Sovereignty Program Coordinator, International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty
- Ms Alina Mubashir, Youth Policy Board Member, World Food Forum for Asia and Pacific
- Ms Barbara Schreiner, Executive Director, Water Integrity Network (WIN)
- Mr Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha, President, World Farmers Organization (WFO)
💧 How can young leaders drive water action? Building capacity and leadership in FAO and beyond
Wednesday 14 October 2026, from 14.00 to 15.30 (UTC+2), Philippines room, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, and online.
This interactive session celebrates the achievements of the first cohort of FAO's Agrifood Leadership Education Programme (ALEP) on Water Action. Through project showcases, participant stories and dialogue with senior FAO professional, the event will highlight how leadership development, mentorship, inclusive technical capacity development, and youth-led innovation are strengthening integrated water resources management while creating pathways to scale impactful solutions across agrifood systems.
This session will be available in English.
💧 Youth Assembly Session
Thursday, 15 October 2026, from 14:00 to 15:30 (UTC+2), Ethiopia Room, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy and online.
The session will underscore the importance of youth in advancing sustainable water management in agrifood systems, where agriculture is the largest freshwater user. It will highlight youth-led innovation, the inclusion of local perspectives, and intergenerational dialogue as key elements of resilient water governance. The session will connect young people with policymakers to help shape future water solutions.
This session will be available in English.
Draft agenda
Time (UTC+2)
Session segment
Moderator: Manal Bidar and Jeremy Repetto, Youth Policy Board Representative water thematic leads
14:00-14:10
Opening
- Nora Berrahmouni, Deputy Director of Land and Water Division, FAO
14:10-14:40
Segment 1
- Mr Roman Diatka, Counsellor, Permanent Representative of Czech to FAO
- Ms Manal Bidar and Mr Jeremy Repetto, WFF Youth Policy Board water thematic leads
- Ms Lucie Chocholata, Capacity Development Officer, Land and Water Division, FAO
14:40-15:00
Segment 2
- Mr Arafat Hanani, ALEP-WA Participant - Spotlighting youth-led initiatives
- Ms Rosaida Dolce, Water and Environment Specialist, Land and Water Division, FAO
- Mr Leunell Chris Buela, co-founder AQUASMART, Thematic Research Challenge winner of the Integrated Water Management for Food Security Prize
- Ms Jesse Papirio, co-founder, Rise Nutrition
15:00-15:20
Interactive discussion
- Mr Jeremy Repetto, WFF Youth Policy Board Water Thematic Lead
15:20-15:30
Wrap-up and key takeaways
- Ms Manal Bidar, WFF Youth Policy Board water thematic lead
💧 Rome Water Dialogue: Exhibition
From Monday, 12 October 2026, to Friday, 16 October 2026, Atrium, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy.
Building on the success of previous Rome Water Dialogue exhibitions held during the World Food Forum, the 2026 exhibition will highlight innovative solutions for the integrated management of water, land and soil resources.
Register here to attend on-site or online
