ESCWA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Arab countries in developing bankable, climate-resilient water projects, enhancing regional cooperation, and expanding access to global financing mechanisms. This was highlighted during its participation in Cairo Water Week 2025, held from 12 to 16 October.
ESCWA co-organized three major events, including the 7th Meeting of the High-Level Joint Technical Committee on Water and Agriculture, convened by the League of Arab States with the support of ESCWA and the FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa. Nineteen Arab countries reaffirmed their commitment to aligning water and agriculture policies to strengthen food and water security. Participants examined regional efforts to scale up the use of non-conventional water resources in agriculture, as well as initiatives to improve agricultural water allocation systems, enhance climate resilience, and apply geospatial and remote sensing technologies to bridge data gaps in water and agriculture through regional knowledge platforms such as the Arab Groundwater Knowledge Platform and the RICCAR Regional Knowledge Hub.
During the High-Level Session on "Arab Region Commitments to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference: Investment in Water" co-organized by ESCWA, ministers from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Senegal shared their national experiences and financing perspectives. They emphasized the need to develop innovative financing mechanisms and stronger public-private partnerships to scale up investments in water, sanitation, and irrigation infrastructure. ESCWA highlighted the Arab Initiative for Mobilizing Climate Finance for Water, and stressed that mobilizing water finance is central to climate adaptation, sustainable development, and regional stability, while helping countries identify investment priorities, develop project pipelines, and enhance access to climate finance.
ESCWA also co-organized the third Joint Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Water, held by the League of Arab States in partnership with several regional partners. Participants reviewed the assessment of the progress made since the first joint ministerial meeting in 2019 in advancing coordination between the two sectors. They addressed challenges and opportunities, including improving water productivity, advancing sustainable groundwater management, and developing climate-resilient food systems. They also shared national experiences to guide future joint actions.
ESCWA reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Arab countries by providing knowledge in finance and technology and strengthening capacity-building to develop resilient water and food systems that promote security and inclusive growth.
