Representatives from 10 countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and partners active in the region gathered to discuss the current status of transboundary water cooperation, its benefits, persisting and emerging challenges as well as possible avenues for progress. They considered existing tools and approaches that could be used to prompt the strengthening of transboundary water cooperation in the region and therefore support the achievement of SDG 6, and specifically its target 6.5 on implementing IWRM at all levels.

Participants shared good practices and lessons learnt from existing cooperation processes in transboundary basins of the region, for examples in the Orontes River, the Al-Disi Aquifer System and the Nile River Basins. Discussions highlighted the broad range of benefits generated by cooperation over the management of transboundary surface and groundwaters, as well as the crucial need to cooperate to increase resilience to climate change and to address water scarcity.

Interactive group discussions tackled the need for improvement of data and information exchange, both at national and transboundary levels, to sustainably manage transboundary water resources.
The workshop illustrated the important role of international water law in supporting transboundary water cooperation. The opportunities for MENA countries of joining the Water Convention were discussed, focusing on the legal and institutional frameworks it offers, as well as the platform for exchange of experiences and possible support through concrete projects. Representatives from Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia shared updates on progress in their process of accession to the Water Convention.
Finally, countries discussed possible pathways to improve cooperation for a better management of transboundary water resources, including through the intersectoral Nexus approach and by considering good practices for water allocation in transboundary basins.

Outcomes of the discussions held during the workshop will be considered as an input from the MENA region to the on-going work under the Water Convention on data and information exchange as well as on water allocation.

The workshop was jointly organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), ESCWA (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in the framework of the project “Making water cooperation happen in the Mediterranean” with financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and in the framework of the European Union-funded project to promote and support accession to the Water Convention at global level.

Related information is also available:
-    On ESCWA website at: https://www.unescwa.org/events/workshop-enhancing-transboundary-water-cooperation-mena-region
-    On GWP-Med website at: https://www.gwp.org/en/GWP-Mediterranean/WE-ACT/News-List-Page/transboundary-water-cooperation-deliberated-during-mena-regional-workshop-in-beirut-3-4-march-2020/

A back-to-back workshop Supporting the monitoring and implementation of the SDGs - Transboundary water cooperation SDG 6 indicator 6.5.2 for the Arab region was held on 5 March 2020.