The water scarcity challenge in the Arab Region is more pressing now than ever before. Declining water quality and quantity, decreasing groundwater levels, increasing population and urbanization, and climate change pose serious threats for countries in the region to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and uphold the basic human rights of access to water and sanitation.

As water scarcity is a multi-dimensional challenge, it is necessary to respond to the threats with a coordinated and multi-sectoral response. Actions are required at all levels of society and governance, from the community level through the national level policy, and fiscal environment to the transboundary and regional level of coordination and cooperation.

As part of the regional Water Scarcity Initiative and aligned with the 2019 Cairo declaration from the First Joint Meeting of Arab Ministers of Agriculture and Water, FAO in collaboration with various partners is organizing a high-level Water event present current challenges and opportunities in addressing water scarcity in the region.

The meeting aims to provide an inclusive forum and dialogue environment for decision makers, development partners, donors, civil society organizations and scientists to discuss and debate advances and innovations in the field. The meeting will provide inclusive, multi-sectoral output messages that will feed into the intergovernmental high-level processes on Water Scarcity and Sustainable Development.