From planetary boundaries to policy and ethics at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum
The One Water Committee gathers in Rome for the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, providing a platform for dialogue among policymakers, civil society, and academia, with CMCC as a research partner and organizer of special sessions and side events on the water, energy, food, ecosystems nexus. “This is a very important chance to strengthen the science policy exchange on water related issues and translate the research we conduct at CMCC into concrete action and implementation,” says CMCC researcher and speaker at the event Marta Debolini.
Following the success of previous meetings, which focused exclusively on the Mediterranean region, the sixth edition of the Forum – taking place in Rome from 29 September to 2 October (register here) and bringing together over 5,000 participants and 40 international delegations – has broadened its scope to encompass the entire Euro-Mediterranean region. The mission is to foster cooperation and joint action, engaging not only Mediterranean countries but also the European Commission, EU Member States, the Balkans, the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and Sub-Saharan Africa.
At the heart of the Forum’s agenda will be issues such as drought, water scarcity, and the prevention and management of extreme events in cities; as well as emerging topics for the near future including the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus, new uses of water in the tech industry, financial and insurance products linked to water, and the protection of freshwater quality.
“The Forum continues a sustained line of initiatives, such as the Water Science and Govenernance event organized by CMCC in Venice and the sessions convened by CMCC at AGU, devoted to making those frameworks that the scientific literature treats as flagship, such as the systemic approaches underpinning the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus and the planetary boundaries concept, genuinely actionable,” says CMCC researcher and speaker at the Forum Guido Rianna.
As one of the research partners organizing the event CMCC is the organizer of the side event, Beyond Water: Operationalizing the Nexus within Planetary Boundaries, and will contribute to the session Advancing Zero Pollution through water-smart Mediterranean territories. Professor Donatella Spano, Vice President of CMCC and member of the One Water Scientific Committee, will also participate in plenary sessions and high level panels as a chair and speaker.
The CMCC side event, Beyond Water: Operationalizing the Nexus within Planetary Boundaries, will address planetary limits and their local operationalization, showing examples of how research and practical experiences are contributing to close this gap, from the global scale (scientific frameworks, safe operating spaces) to the basin and field scale (digital tools, decision support, living labs).
“In the last year the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus has been addressed in many aspects of CMCC research. Now it is important to understand how this work can be translated into practical implementation, and how this implementation can be done within the limits given by Earth’s natural life-support systems to keep the planet safe, stable, and habitable,” says Debolini.
The event will include guest speakers such as: Maria Cristina Rulli, Politecnico di Milano; Roula Khadra, CIHEAM; Patrizia Bianconi, Alliance of European Regions on Water Resilience; and Manuel Sapiano, Malta Water Agency and GWP-Med.
During the Advancing Zero Pollution through water-smart Mediterranean territories session Rianna will contribute to discussions on how climate change represents an additional stressor for water resource management, operating through strongly season-dependent mechanisms that reshape both water availability and water demand.
With the Mediterranean acting as an advanced laboratory of planetary limits – whereby it is warming 20% faster than the global average, renewable water availability per capita has declined by 68–78% since the 1960s, and 180 million people already experience water scarcity – the Forum provides a key moment for dialogue among policymakers, civil society, and academia. The goal is to address the pressing challenges ahead to ensure greater water security in the Mediterranean and ensure that the region becomes a space of connection between Europe, Africa and Asia.