European Union-Union for the Mediterranean-African Development Bank Conference on Water Finance and Investments, 30 -31 October in Cairo

The 'European Union-Union for the Mediterranean-African Development Bank Conference on Water Finance and Investments: Applying a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Approach to Water Finance and Investments' was held during the Cairo Water Week from October 30th to 31st, 2023, adopting a hybrid format. This edition of the EU-UfM Conference on Water Finance and Investments marked an expansion of its geographical scope through a collaborative effort with the African Development Bank (AfDB). These conferences have been consistently organized by the EU delegation in Cairo and the UfM since 2019, with the primary objective of elevating the importance of water investment and finance issues on the Mediterranean political agenda. They also aim to continue supporting UfM countries in enhancing their water investment and finance policies. In 2021 and 2022, the European Union and the African Development Bank co-organized the European Union-African Development Bank Water Investment Forum, which took place within the framework of Cairo Water Week. Given the shared goals and target regions, the EU and the UfM are actively considering integrating these events into a single platform that would cover both the Mediterranean region and the entire African continent. In the past editions of the EU-UfM water and investment forums, special emphasis was placed on desalination in 2021 and climate change in 2022. The 2023 edition placed a distinct focus on the WEFE Nexus, aligning with the interests of UfM member states and stakeholders. This choice stemmed from the outcomes of the 1st Regional WEFE Nexus Roundtable in the Mediterranean and the 13th Meeting of the UfM Water Expert Group (WEG13) held concurrently in Rabat in June 2023. Stakeholders emphasized that advancing integrated policy-making in the WEFE Nexus requires adequate financing.