Water is central to agriculture that accounts for 72 percent of global freshwater withdrawals. Water is not only crucial for food production, but is also essential for food processing, preparation and transportation. Ending hunger and malnutrition and achieving food security require access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. Agricultural systems substantially rely on the availability of good quality water. Nevertheless, practices in the agrifood systems can directly impact water systems, such as agricultural pollution and overuse of groundwater. Water quality and availability are directly linked to soils, which provide a number of ecosystem services related to water, such as storage and infiltration of water, water holding capacity, the regulation of floods and the auto-purification of water from contaminants. Considering these strong interlinkages and synergies between water and soils, more holistic and integrated approaches for managing both natural resources are necessary at all levels, national, basin-level, regional and global.

Following the first edition of the Rome Water Dialogue hosted by FAO in November 2022 and building on the UN 2023 Water Conference, FAO is committed to continue its Water Journey towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, providing the necessary platform for cross-sectoral discussions. "Water resources management for the four betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life, to achieve Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals" has been selected as the theme of the 43rd Session of the FAO Conference held beginning of July 2023, and has been adopted by FAO Member Countries as the biennial theme for all FAO Governing Bodies during 2024-2025, highlighting the crucial importance of water to achieve all SDGs and FAO's commitments towards a water secure world.

Given the importance of the integrated management of water, soils and land resources, the Water Rome Dialogue 2023 will coincide with and benefit from the "Global Symposium on Soil and Water". This will enable technical exchange among participants of the two events with the reporting and closing plenary session jointly organized to provide an opportunity for cross-fertilization and exchange on the technical discussions and outcomes from both events.

In particular, the Rome Water Dialogue 2023 will provide an opportunity to: (i) raise awareness on the interlinkages, synergies and holistic solutions relating water to soils, land, climate change, biodiversity, fisheries, forestry, agriculture, food security and nutrition; (ii) foster collective implementation of FAO's eight commitments to the UN 2023 Water Conference; (iii) discuss FAO's further engagement during the biennium 2024-2025 on the theme of water as well as FAO's milestones on its Water Journey; and (iv) deepen the connections between agriculture and water sectors.

This will be a two day event, open to water experts and representatives from national governments, international organizations, NGOs, financing institutions, research institutes, the civil and private sectors and the media.

DRAFT AGENDA - a detailed agenda will be soon available

DAY 1 (4 OCTOBER 2023) (CEST) 

08.30 – 09.30  

Welcome Coffee 

09.30 – 10.00  

High-Level Opening:

• Remarks by FAO Director-General  
• Remarks by high-level guests 

10.00 – 10.15  

Keynote Presentation: FAO’s Water Journey  

10.15 – 11.30  

Technical Session 1: Data, information, innovation, and technology:

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session 

11.30 – 12.30  

Technical Session 2: Water scarcity, flood, drought, and climate change  

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session  

12.30 – 14.00  

Lunch Break 

14:00– 15.00  

Technical Session 3: Water Infrastructures and financing  

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session 

15.00 – 16.00  

Technical Session 4: Water tenure and governance  

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder Panel moderated discussion 
• Q&A Session   

16.00 –17.00  

Technical Session 5: National Water Roadmaps and strategies 

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder Panel moderated discussion 
• Q&A Session 

DAY 2 (5 OCTOBER 2023) (CEST) 

08.30 – 09.00  

Welcome Coffee  

09.00 – 10.00  

Technical Session 6: One Water, One Health, One Planet   

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session  

10.00 –11.00  

Technical Session 7: Nature-based solutions in Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Aquaculture  

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session   

11.00 –12.00  

Technical Session 8: Water stewardship of the private sector  

• Keynote presentation 
• Multi-stakeholder panel discussion 
• Q&A Session  

12.30 – 14.00  

Lunch Break 

14:00 – 16:30  

Joint Plenary Session - Rome Water Dialogue 2023 & Global Symposium on Soil and Water  

The Rome Water Dialogue 2023: Reporting back by rapporteurs  

• Session 1: Data, information, innovation and technology  
• Session 2: Water scarcity, drought, flood and climate change  
• Session 3: Water Infrastructure and financing  
• Session 4: Water tenure and governance,   
• Session 5: National Water Roadmaps and strategies  
• Session 6: One Water, One Health, One Planet  
• Session 7: Nature-based solutions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture  
• Session 8: Water stewardship of the private sector  

The Global Symposium on Soils and Water: Reporting back by rapporteurs 

• Theme 1: Soil and water management in dryland agriculture  
• Theme 2: Soil and water management in irrigated agriculture  
• Theme 3: Soil and water management under One Health framework  
• Theme 4. Integrated soil and water management and effective governance  

16:30 – 17:00  

Joint Closing Ceremony 

The Rome Water Dialogue 2023 & the Global Symposium on Soil and Water 

REGISTRATION

Register HERE to the online High-Level Opening and Technical Sessions, 4 October and 5 in the morning.

Register HERE to the online joint Plenary Session and Closure of the Rome Water Dialogue and the Global Symposium on Soils and Water, 5 October, 14:00-17:00.

If you want to attend the event onsite in the Plenary Hall at FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy, please submit your request filling in the form HERE.