inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS)

inter-Regional Technical Platform – Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS)


RTP-WS logo final-03Delivering on SDG 6 and SDG 2 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is considered a cornerstone towards achieving the global goal of "Leaving No One Behind". Yet, despite continuous global and national efforts, it remains a challenge. Various regional and global reports indicate deficiencies threatening the achievement of the objectives of the water-related targets in the 2030 Agenda.

According to the 2020 FAO State of food and agriculture report, water scarcity currently affects 3.2 billion people, of whom 1.4 billion live in rural areas, and 60% of irrigated lands are highly water-stressed. In the absence of urgent action, the situation will deteriorate, under the combined effects of a growing population, economic development, and climate change.


Read more >

News
Tunisian Workshop Marks a Milestone for Cross-Regional Learning and Collaboration on Water, Land and Ecosystem Integration!
12/05/2025

The inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS) launched its first cross-regional capacity...

FAO Advances Sanitation Safety Planning at the 7th Arab Water Forum!
07/05/2025

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) played a leading role in advancing the regional dialogue on sustainable water management...

Blogs
Integrated Water Resources Management
28/05/2025 Dr Mohamed Dawoud Professor at National Water Research Center (Egypt) and Senior Water Advisor, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, UAE

Groundwater aquifer recharge with treated wastewater is a sustainable solution to address water scarcity, enhance water security, and mitigate over abstraction of groundwater reserves. Technically, this process involves advanced treatment of wastewater to remove contaminants such as nutrients

Blog- Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation
16/03/2025 Dr. Amgad Elmahdi, Regional Manager for MENA at the Green Climate Fund-GCF,

Water security is a cornerstone of sustainable development, yet financial constraints continue to limit the scale and impact of climate adaptation efforts. Traditional funding approaches often view water as a public service rather than an economic asset, leading to chronic underinvestment.

Blog-Water Productivity Tools and Analytics
03/07/2024 Job Kleijn

It was a sunny day, just after my coffee back at my desk at the embassy in Sana'a. In front of me was a written request from a municipality in Yemen for help in solving problems with the domestic water supply.

Knowledge products
Solar Irrigation
29/10/2024
Sustainable Land and Water Management
15/05/2024
Water Productivity Tools and Analytics
07/03/2024
Sustainable Agriculture
13/08/2023

Webpage
Events

24/ 8

2025

28/8

2025

Stockholm (Sweden), Hybrid Event, 24/08/2025 - 28/08/2025

Water is fundamental to global efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience to safeguard ecosystems and communities. World Water Week 2025 will address the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, emphasizing both mitigation and adaptation while advancing the broader goal of resilience.

 

12/ 10

2025

16/10

2025

Cairo (Egypt), 12/10/2025 - 16/10/2025

Cairo Water Week 2024 serves as a pivotal platform for experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore innovative solutions and foster collaboration. By highlighting the critical link between water and climate, the event aims to drive sustainable development and strengthen communities worldwide. Through insightful discussions, interactive workshops, and knowledge exchange, it catalyzes trans...

E-learnings
Best Practices
Water sharing: From underground to common ground
16/11/2023

Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, FAO’s Water efficiency, productivity and sustainability in the NENA regions project...

In Ecuador, FAO and GEF have helped more than 1 000 farmers to adopt more climate-smart ways of managing livestock, helping bring down GHG emissions. ©FAO
Finding greener, more climate-resilient ways of producing our food
11/02/2021

When we see the news reports on climate change, it often includes footage of factory chimneys and traffic jams. We may or may not realize that agriculture...

Forests play a key part in keeping our planet healthy, but unsustainable practices and changes in land use are putting them at risk.
Tackling climate change head-on
22/04/2022

If we want to tackle climate change, our agri-food systems are one of the key places to start. We need to look at the way we farm, the way we eat and...

According to Paul, it is technology that will encourage rural youth to stay and modernise the agricultural sector instead of migrating.
What Water Means for One Farmer, Once a Migrant Now a Returnee, in Kenya
22/03/2021

Water. For all people, it means health, hygiene and hydration. For the spiritual, it can mean a connection with creation, community or oneself. For...

Sharing Water in Rwanda’s Breadbasket
27/08/2020

Water. For all people, it means health, hygiene and hydration. For the spiritual, it can mean a connection with creation, community or oneself. For...

Rainwater Harvesting and Agroecological Irrigation Make Farmers More Resilient in Senegal
23/03/2020

Last September in Senegal, more rain fell in a single day than in the usual 3-month rainy season. Intense rain in shorter periods of time followed by...

Water Catchment, Reserve and Promotion of Rational Use of Water in San Andres and Providencia, Colombia
01/10/2013

The increase in population in the Colombian archipelago increased the demand for water for human consumption and food production, which could not be...

Combination of Practices to Improve Environmental Protection and Production in Las Piedras River Basin in Colombia
31/07/2011

Las Piedras river basin that originates in the Colombian Massif is of great importance for Colombian hydrology, it is a tributary of the Cauca River...

Linking Water, Food, and Gender Equality for Sustainability: Learnings from Myanmar
31/12/2019

This study is a part of a three-year project which was initiated in 2019. It is proposed to be conducted in three phases and is now in its final phase....

Modernizing Irrigated Agriculture to Protect and Restore Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in South-East Asia
31/12/2021

The project is under implementation. It is being implemented in three phases between 2019 to 2021: each phase is approximately a year long. Asia contains...

Irrigation Performance Assessment Project Cambodia
31/12/2020

The yearlong project was implemented between Oct 2019 to Dec 2020. This project is part of the Next Generation Irrigation and Water Management for the...

Resilience Stories from Africa
Resilience Stories from Africa
31/12/2016

Today, 100 million people in Africa face acute hunger, and the continent’s population is expected to increase from 1.2 billion to 2.5 billion in 2050,...

Mobilising Commercial Finance to Scale up Investment Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agricultural Water Management
Mobilising Commercial Finance to Scale up Investment Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agricultural Water Management
28/01/2020

Sustainable water use in agriculture has a key role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and other policy...

Maghreb- A Pole of Excellence for Unconventional Waters Utilization
Maghreb- A Pole of Excellence for Unconventional Waters Utilization
26/11/2021

While Maghreb countries are committed for the implementation of the SDGs, water remains a key factor of sustainable development for the region. The...

Farmers Field Schools For Improved Water Productivity
30/11/2021

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region has the lowest per-capita fresh water resource availability among all regions of the world and in the coming...

Crop-Growth Models Supporting Optimal Solutions For Climate Change Adaptation
19/01/2022

The Near East and North Africa (NENA) region has the lowest per-capita fresh water resource availability among all regions of the world and in the coming...


Key databases and software models

  • AQUASTAT: FAO’s global water information system
  • AQUACROP: The industry-leading crop–water productivity software model 
  • AQUAMAPS: Global spatial database on water and agriculture
  • CROPWAT: A decision support tool developed by the Land and Water Development.
  • CLIMWAT: A climatic database.

Contacts