CMI World Water Day 2019 Regional Youth Workshop, 25-28 March 2019 (Marrakesh, Morocco)

Background 

Every year, World Water Day draws the world’s attention to key water challenges. World Water Day 2019 focused on “Leaving No One Behind - Water and Migration”, or how to provide safe water and sanitation for all by 2030, including the most marginalized groups such as refugees and migrants.

In order to better understand the complex interlinkages between water and migration and address this issue from a youth perspective, CMI organized the third edition of its flagship regional youth workshop between March 25-28 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Objectives

This third edition built on the first two CMI Mediterranean Water Heroes Contests and World Water Day youth workshops: “Youth Innovating with Wastewater for a Sustainable Mediterranean”  (Marseille, France, 2017) and “Nature-Based Solutions for a Water Secure Mediterranean” (Anafora Community, Cairo, Egypt 2018), to further expand the CMI-managed Mediterranean Youth for Water network (MedYWat) which was launched in 2017.

Expected Outcomes

The 2019 CMI World Water Day youth workshop aimed to stimulate inter-generational learning between young Mediterranean water practitioners and senior experts, notably through the CMI Call for Papers on Water and Migration, while further involving and supporting the CMI-managed Mediterranean Youth for Water network (MedYWat) and enhancing collaboration with key regional players on the water and migration theme.

Resources

Agenda

Press Release (EN-FR-AR)

Setting the Stage: Water and Migration 

• Dorte Verner, Lead Agriculture Economist, Food and Agriculture Global Practice, World Bank
• Michela Miletto, Deputy Coordinator, UNESCO World Water Assessment Program (UNESCO WWAP) 
• Eva Mach, Program Officer, Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division(MECC), International Organization for Migration
• Ashok Swain, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, University of Uppsala, Sweden 
• Giorgia Prati, Migration and Rural Development Consultant, Food and Agriculture Organization 

Session 1: Water Governance and Forced Displacement

• Session Leader: Anders Jagerskog, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, World Bank Water GP
• CMI 2019 Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest Winner  
• “The Impact of the New Refugee Discourse on Water Governance in Lebanon and Jordan” by Hussam Hussein (Jordan/Italy), Alberto Natta (Italy), Abed Al Kareem Yehya (Lebanon) and Baha Hamadna (Lebanon)
• “The Impact of the Wall on Water Access and Human Migration in Palestine”, by Kholoud Al Ajarma (Palestine), Faissal Aziz (Morocco), Ghadeer Arafeh (Palestine), and Lamis Qdemat (Palestine)
• “Addressing The Water-Migration Nexus: The Role Of Water Governance In Migration Policy”, by Fatine Ezbakhe (Morocco), Anas Tallou (Morocco) and Jamal Mabrouki (Morocco)

Session 2: Climate Change and Migration

• Session Leader: Roula Khadra, Scientific Administrator and Water Resources Management Expert, IAMB Bari - Italy, International  Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) 
• Majd El Naber, Sustainable Development  Senior Researcher, WANA Institute, Jordan
• CMI 2019 Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest Winner
• MedYWat Research Group 2: “Water Stress and Human Movement: Eco-Camps as an Exemplary Solution” by Kholoud Ajarma, Ines Gasmi (Tunisia), Amr Madi (Egypt) and Stefano Basso (Italy)

Session 3: The Water-Emplyment-Migration (WEM) Nexus

• Water, Migration and Employment - Global Water Partnership Mediterranean​
• Workshop Matrix
• “The WEM Nexus within the UfM Policy Framework of Actions”, Almotaz Abbadi, Managing Director, Union for the Mediterranean
• CMI 2019 Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest Winner (Zeineb Ettih PPT)
• MedYWat Research Group 3: “Water Crisis, Unemployment, and Forced Migration in Palestinian Refugee Camps”, by Ghadeer A. Arafeh, Faissal Aziz, and Baker M. Abu Rjelah (Palestine) 

MedYWat Coordination Session

• Call for Working Papers
• C4D Presentation
• MedYWat Presentation

The Event in Photos 

The workshop is organized in collaboration with the World Bank and MedYWat, with the support of CIHEAM, CEWAS Middle East, GIZ, the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean and UfM.