Inauguration of the Steering Committee of the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS) at Bangkok Soil and Water Forum, 2024!

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is pleased to announce the successful inauguration of the Steering Committee for the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS), held on December 9, 2024. Chaired by Dr. Abdulhakim Elwaer (FAO), FAO Assistant Director- General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, the event brought together five FAO Assistant Director-Generals, the NSL Director and the Regional Programme Leads along with the iRTP-WS Executive Secretariat, to formally inaugurate the Steering Committee of the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS). This milestone event marks a significant step in advancing governance and strategic operations to address global water scarcity challenges.

Launched in June 2022, the iRTP-WS serves as a " Center of Excellence" for fostering partnerships, scaling up pilot initiatives, and synergizing innovative approaches to tackle the impacts of water scarcity and food security. The platform bridges critical gaps in water, land, and agricultural management by offering transformative solutions to complex development challenges.

During the event, the Steering Committee (SC) was formally established as the platform’s primary governing body and the Rules and Procedures that governs the iRTP-WS structure and partnerships was officially endorsement. The meeting was also an opportunity to explore resource mobilization strategies for the iRTP-WS, including co-funding opportunities for 2026-2027 initiatives, to ensure the platform’s financial sustainability.

Additionally, the discussions highlighted several key takeaways aimed at advancing the strategic objectives of the iRTP-WS platform. The Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), was tasked with developing a comprehensive work programme for 2026-2027 to support external funding efforts.

The event also underscored the need to strengthen coordination between iRTP-WS and FAO’s regional and global water initiatives and to develop a robust communication strategy to enhance partnerships with relevant organizations, thereby amplifying the platform’s reach and impact.

It was agreed that a call for applications to join the Steering Committee and the Technical Advisory Group will soon be announced on the iRTP-WS platform website. This initiative aims to invite partner organizations and individual experts to actively contribute to and support the iRTP-WS’s efforts in addressing water scarcity challenges.This important step underscores FAO's commitment to fostering innovative partnerships and delivering integrated solutions to water scarcity challenges, to advance resilient Agrifood systems.