Highlights

Rationale

Every year, World Water Day draws the world’s attention to key water challenges. World Water Day 2018 focuses on “Nature for Water” to raise awareness on Nature-based Solutions for Water (NbS) in the Mediterranean. NbS are defined as “… actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits.” (IUCN, 2016).

NbS use or mimic natural processes to cost-effectively contribute to better water management and resilience through their environmental, social and economic benefits, and can be applied from the micro- to the macro-scale, act systemically and are always context-specific.

Mediterranean youth has a key role in working towards regional water security and better water awareness. Indeed, young people are innovating with water in the entire region, and their actions and ideas should be recognized, shared and replicated to create a more secure regional water future and further mobilize other youth, especially in the Maghreb and the Mashreq. Water innovation also constitutes a valuable economic opportunity for youth, with the potential to create numerous green jobs that can further contribute to regional resilience.

The Workshop

Following the success of the first CMI Mediterranean Water Heroes Contest and the subsequent World Water Day youth workshop (“Youth Innovating with Wastewater for a Sustainable Mediterranean”, (Marseille, March 21-22 2017) and the resulting launch of the MedYWat network, the Center for Mediterranean Integration, the Swedish Institute Alexandria and the World Bank are pleased to have organized the “Young Mediterranean Water Heroes: Nature-based Solutions for a Water Secure Mediterranean” World Water Day youth workshop.

The second of CMI’s World Water Day youth events, this workshop took place from 11-15 March in Aanafora, a retreat center located between Cairo and Alexendria, Egypt, with the support of the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean, Switch-Med, CIHEAM, the Mediterranean Youth for Water (MedyWat) network, Revolve Water and UN Water.

It further connected and inspired young Mediterranean water experts to make a difference in the region’s water reality by gathering 45 Mediterranean young Mediterranean water activists selected through the second CMI Mediterranean Water Heroes contest and experts. The workshop was designed to encourage active engagement, peer learning, collaborative thinking and co-creation on the part of all participants. 

 Outcomes

• Strengthened awareness on water scarcity as a common regional public bad in the Mediterranean
• Capacity building among young Mediterranean water experts and stimulating youth entrepreneurship and activism, as well as civil society-based actions
• Connected young water practitioners and amplifyed the voice of youth in the Mediterranean water agenda
• Shared and promoted innovative NbS for water involving youth that can be shared and reproduced in the region
• Expanded and enriched the MedYWat network

Resources 

Agenda (EN)

Participants' Presentations 

Beyond Scarcity: Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa

The Water Information Network System (WINS): Sharing knowledge, Building capacity, Connecting people

Designing a Water Retention Landscape: Basic Concepts and Approaches

NbS for climate change at GDA Sidi Amor

Multi-Soil-Layering Technology: A New Natural Solution for Domestic Wastewater Treatment and Reuse

Water as a Human Right

Water, Employment, Migration in the Mediterranean Including through Nature based Solutions

Nbs for Water: A Green Entrepreneurship Opportunity for Mediterranean Youth

Women Storytelling around Water Issues in Northern Africa

Communicating on Nbs and Water to scale up the MedYWat Network

Water and Agroforestry for Rural Resilience in Mediterranean Agriculture - MARSADEV project in Egypt

Water Conservative Landscape Architecture

Water Harvesting and Management via Cultural Landscapes: Enhancing Scientific Understanding to Tackle Water Scarcity

Saving the Momentum! (In Photos)

See Full Album Here 

Photo Booth: Youth Solutions for Water Scarcity 

See Full Album Here 

Press Coverage