The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) played a leading role in advancing the regional dialogue on sustainable water management during the 7th Arab Water Forum, held from May 4–6, 2025, at the Dead Sea in Jordan. Among its key contributions was the organization of a dedicated technical session on Sanitation Safety Planning (SSP), in collaboration with the League of Arab States and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development.

Under the framework of the Water Scarcity Initiative, a consultation workshop was held at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) in Amman, Jordan, to finalize the development of the Sanitation Safety Plan (SSP) for the Wadi Musa treatment plant. The workshop convened key stakeholders and technical experts to refine key findings and strategize the next steps for implementing the SSP through a national pilot project.

Building on its success in monitoring drought-related projects worldwide, the Drought Finance Tracker has expanded its coverage with the release of Drought Finance Tracker 2.0—now avai...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is proud to announce the successful inauguration of the Steering Committee for the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS). This pivotal event, held on December 9, 2024, marked a significant milestone in advancing governance and strategic operations for addressing water scarcity challenges globally.

The High-Level Rome Water Dialogue on the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture took place on 17 October 2024 during the World Food Forum. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the event brought together 381 participants in person and virtually, including 47 Member Nations represented by Ministers, Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives and other senior officials and several WASAG partners.

On September 30th, 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) successfully held the virtual launch of the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS) workplan for 2024-2025, under the theme "Integrated Water Solutions: Navigating Climate Change and WEFE Nexus Dynamics." This event marked a critical milestone in FAO's efforts to foster cross-regional collaboration and drive innovation in water resource management, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (FAORNE), under the Water Scarcity Initiative, recently conducted a comprehensive capacity development program on the safe agricultural use of sludge, held from June 24 to August 14, 2024.

The FAO-WSI team convened the second regional meeting on sanitary safety planning with national teams to review progress on the piloting of Sanitary Safety Planning (SSP) in three countries: Jordan, Tunisia, and Palestine, and to plan next steps. Representatives shared updates and prepared for upcoming regional events, such as Cairo Water Week, and discussed plans for a regional workshop in early 2025 to disseminate the findings. The meeting emphasized ongoing collaboration to improve the safe use of treated wastewater in Agriculture across the NENA region.

The consultative workshop took place on 3 July 2024, in Praia, Cabo Verde and hosted approximately 30 participants representing stakeholders from various agricultural organizations. Participants of the consultative workshop discussed with passion and detail several aspects of the pilot phase, such as the rich diversity of indigenous crops in Cabo Verde, the role of different institutions considering their capacity and expertise, the selection of sites and preliminary designs of the experiments. The experts are selecting the drought indigenous resilient crops for the implementation of the AWSAME Initiative and will share their experience with the other countries of the pilot phase: Malawi, Morocco and South Sudan.

In a significant step towards assisting the Arab countries in developing and implementing Sanitation Safety Plans (SSP) at national scale, FAO regional office of Near East and North Africa in collaboration with The Ministry of Water and Irrigation, The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan commenced the field work activities for the sanitary safety plan (SSP) for Wadi Musa Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently participated in a pivotal technical workshop organized by the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), PRIMA, and GWP-Med. The workshop, titled "Digital Transformation for Advancing Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in the Mediterranean Source to Sea Continuum," aimed to address water scarcity challenges through the integration of digital technologies within the WEFE Nexus framework.

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, along with his team from the Water Scarcity Initiative (WSI), visited the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) Space on the 9th of June, 2024. This visit aimed to strengthen ties and explore collaborative opportunities in agriculture and water management, both within Egypt and across Africa and the Middle East.

On May 22, 2024, the Asia-Pacific Water Scarcity Programme hosted the Southeast Asia Water Scarcity Synthesis Session at the 10th World Water Forum. Moderated by Fany Wedahuditama from the Global Water Partnership, the session focused on the region's growing water challenges due to population growth, industrialization, urbanization, and climate change. Tim Goodes from Australia’s Murray Darling Basin Authority opened the session with remarks that set the stage for the discussion. Caroline Turner from FAO emphasized the need for better water management and allocation to support agriculture. 

The FAO has been awarded King Hassan II Great World Water Prize for its innovative efforts in sustainable water management. Recognized at the 10th World Water Forum, FAO's groundbreaking projects enhance water efficiency in agriculture, crucial for global food security.

The recent Technical Preparatory Meeting for the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) convened stakeholders both physically at FAO headquarters in Rome and virtually online. The meeting concluded with a resounding call to advance coherence across global and regional water initiatives and tools.

In a joint effort to bolster sustainable cropland and water management in Libya, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and the Libyan Centre for Remote Sensing and Space Science, have unveiled the "MerWat-Libya" Geospatial Platform.

The collaborative effort between FAO and IHE Delft underscores the commitment to supporting Countries in harnessing the benefits of cutting-edge technology for sustainable development. By empowering stakeholders with the necessary skills and resources, the workshop marks a significant step towards building resilience and enhancing water and food security in Colombia.

The seminar, organized by UNESCO, brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from around the globe to deliberate on the theme of water as a catalyst for peace. Among the esteemed panelists was Mr. Marcelo Sadres, a renowned Regional Specialist in Water and Water Resources Management for Latin America. His participation added significant insights into the crucial nexus between water management and peace-building efforts in the region.