RKNOW: Providing knowledge & guidance; and how well they can be applied - Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt), 12-14/05/2015

The Regional Knowledge Network on Systemic Approaches to Water Resources Management (R-KNOW) is a regional project funded by the European Union. The project aspires to create a Regional Knowledge Network on Water that will assist in strengthening the application of systematic approaches to water management and governance in five countries (Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Morocco and Egypt). It also aims to influence policy and decision-making processes as means to enhance good governance in the water sector.

As part of this initiative and partnership, RKNOW was responsible in promoting systemic approaches towards four thematic areas (Climate Change, Sustainable Technologies, Governance and the Water Food Energy Nexus) to disseminate knowledge, lessons learnt and experience during a regional forum that gathered more than 100 experts and practitioners from 15 different countries in the MENA region in Sharm el Shaikh, Egypt last May 12-14th, 2015.

The forum focused on bringing experience from the region to identify challenges in the regional and for the four thematic areas. It also focused on driving further stakeholder engagement, capacity building and knowledge sharing. It was also important to mention, that the forum helped in identifying the priorities of the Region to align a number of initiatives to achieve a future vision.

The forum conversed about how climate change effects have been globally recognized, with increasing temperatures leading to even higher evapotranspiration, which increases pressure on water resources. it is clear that already scarce water resources are under threat; with more than half of the Arab world using ground water as a main water resource, much should be done to help conserve it, manage it and further increase water governance.

Challenges facing the Water, food and energy nexus in the MENA region where found to include few synergies between sectors and stakeholders on all levels, limited understanding towards the benefits of the nexus approach, incoherent strategies across the three sectors and finally little experience on the ground when it comes to pilot projects.

Sustainable technologies have been recommended to be applied in specific locations according to need and context and this can be done through pilot projects that will test the technology on the ground with all relevant actors while ensuring that an adequate evaluation methodology is also in place.

The forum will be sharing key recommendations in the regional report which will be shared on the Regional Knowledge Network on Water next month.