The countries of the region need to strategically plan their water resources management and allocation, review their water, food security and energy policies, formulate effective investment plans, modernize governance and institutions and account for transboundary surface and groundwater. Good practices need to be adopted to ensure alignment with the imperatives of setting the sustainable limits of water consumption and making the best use of each single drop of water, including the use of non-conventional water sources.

This regional project intends to set the proper framework through four major work packages:

• Establishing a robust water accounting system providing the evidence base for the full water and for monitoring progress in the achievement of the targets while assessing the institutional effectiveness to govern water resources.
• Implementing a series of interventions to increase water efficiency and productivity in selected farming systems of the countries to help in achieving SDG 6.4.
• Ensuring that higher efficiency and productivity achievements for the 2030 timeline are attained within ‘safe operational boundaries of water use’ defining the conditions for ‘water sustainability’ for sustainable, socially equitable and human rights based development.
• Communication strategy and results dissemination.