The Mediterranean Resilience through Investment and Sustainable Ecosystems (MED-RISE) events promotes the role of the private investment across the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus within the Cairo Water Week 2026
The 1st MED-RISE “High Level Conference on Mobilising Private Investment across the WEFE Nexus, from Source to Sea” and the “Experts Roundtable and Investment Clinic. From Dialogue to Investment Partnerships”, was co-organised by the EU WES-BCA project, the Delegation of the European Union to Egypt (EUD Egypt), the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) and the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med), on 26-27/10/2026, within the Cairo Water Week.
The 2-day events were directly contributed to the EU WES-BCA Regional Activity “Climate Change Adaptation in the Mediterranean Source to Sea Continuum: the role of the private sector in a WEFE Nexus approach”.
Through sharing experiences, reviewing projects as case studies and interactive dialogue, the 1st MED-RISE events elaborated on advancements achieved, challenges faced and opportunities arising in Mediterranean countries for mobilising private sector investments for climate-resilient WEFE Nexus projects.
Priorities for action identified, ideas registered towards building a project pipeline for action, and operational partnerships promoted through the MED-RISE events contribute to the EU Pact for the Mediterranean, the European Water Resilience Strategy, the emerging Action Framework of the Strategy on WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean Source to Sea Continuum, the UfM agenda on strengthening capacities for finance mobilisation through the Rome Initiative on Water launched at the 2nd UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water, September 2026), the UNEP/MAP Barcelona Convention Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development 2026-2035. as well as the EU-Egypt Water Partnership.
Among others, initial findings were presented on the ‘Private Sector Engagement in the Water Sector through a WEFE Nexus approach for Climate Resilience’ in Morocco and Jordan (two pilot countries of the WES-BCA activity), as well as of a related brief Regional Action Framework that would draw lessons and recommendations for potential replication and scaling across other WES-BCA Partner Countries.
Furthermore, the formation of a Thematic Community of Practice (CoP) on Private Sector Engagement in WEFE Nexus Financing for Climate Adaptation and Resilience was showcased regarding the promotion of collaborations between private and public partners for knowledge exchange, peer learning and networking, in synergy with the PRIMA WEFE4Med Booster project and other partners.
MED-RISE will carry its results to the United Nations 2026 Water Conference (Abu Dhabi, 8-10 December 2026), whose sixth interactive dialogue is dedicated to investments for water, while its second one addresses water prosperity including WEFE Nexus. MED-RISE would unfold further on based on needs and capacities.
The participation of hi level stakeholders was large, in fact, three (3) Ministers of Water from Egypt, Jordan and Palestine honored with their presence MED-RISE Conference. Here are their short statements, along with those of other dignitaries:
H.E. Prof. Dr Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Arab Republic of Egypt, discussed the impact of sea level rise on groundwater levels in the Nile Delta and outlined Egypt's efforts to address these challenges through infrastructure modernization, smarter management and the implementation of Egypt's National Water Strategy 2050 and the development of the WEFE Nexus approach in Egypt.
H.E. Eng. Raed Abu Soud, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan stressed the importance of transboundary water cooperation, calling for implementation of the UN Water Convention to ensure fair water sharing among Middle Eastern and North African countries.
H.E. Dr. Ziyad al-Mimi, Head of Palestinian Water Authority, pointed out the Water Authority's work to improve water security in Palestine, including the development of emergency and recovery plans for Gaza.
H.E. Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, EUD Egypt stated: “MED-RISE is a platform, accessible to every partner and the European Union contributes three things to it: First, a guiding framework: the Pact for the Mediterranean and the European Water Resilience Strategy, whose external dimension we implement alongside partners through Global Gateway. Second, tools for sharing risk: guarantees, blended financing and project development support, enabling a bankable initiative in Alexandria, Amman or Agadir to secure a financing partner. Third, a proven record. In Egypt alone, our water grants dating back to 2007 have helped attract nearly 3.5 billion Euros in investment. Our contribution sets the rest in motion.”
Mr Frédéric de Dinechin, Senior Policy Advisor, Water, Stability and Resilience Division, Union for the Mediterranean, acknowledged the importance of regional cooperation - the MED-RISE process- in addressing water finance challenges across the Mediterranean region, as a continuous effort aligned with the five priorities of the UFM Second Ministerial Declaration on Water.
Mr Youssef Tadros, Programme Manager, Environment, Water & Agriculture, DG-MENA, European Commission, underlined the EU's strategic role in advancing water resilience and sustainable investment across the region. The upcoming EU regional initiative supporting the green agenda of the Pact for the Mediterranean will dedicate EUR 8 million to strengthening water resilience, innovation and regional cooperation. It will build on the momentum of the second UfM Ministerial on Water and will strengthen synergies with its Rome initiative.
Professor Michael Scoullos, Team Leader, EU WES-BCA, emphasised that the high-level endorsement of the Strategy for WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean Source to Sea Continuum by both UfM and UNEP/MAP ministers, is an optimistic landmark that needs to be followed by the completion and concrete implementation of its Action Framework, critical component of which is the financing. EU WES-BCA is committed to work with the other five organisations for advancing regional cooperation and institutional coordination on climate change adaptation financing with emphasis on mobilising private sector investment and formation.
Mr Vangelis Constantianos, Executive Secretary and Regional Coordinator, GWP-Med, noted that mobilising private investment for Mediterranean resilience requires well-prepared projects that meet bankability criteria, clear rules and effective risk sharing. MED-RISE can assist in bringing such priorities into focus. Blended finance can help deliver integrated water, energy, food and ecosystem solutions, with affordability, environmental protection and tangible benefits for communities at their heart. At GWP-Med, we see success in operational partnerships that translate shared priorities into measurable impacts, and we are committed in MED-RISE’s next steps, also as a tangible contribution to shaping the Action Framework of the WEFE Nexus Strategy as well as for advancing the Rome Initiative.
The Mediterranean is a climate and water stress hotspot where water scarcity, food security, energy transition and ecosystem degradation are increasingly linked: water allocation decisions affect food production and energy demand; energy choices affect the cost and carbon footprint of desalination, pumping and treatment; agricultural practices affect aquifers, rivers and ecosystems; and ecosystem degradation increases exposure to floods, drought and coastal risks. Therefore, a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus in a Source-to-Sea Continuum approach, particularly in the vulnerable Mediterranean region, is no longer an optional technical lens, but a governance necessity and can act as investments’ enabler for meeting climate resilience objectives through adaptation and mitigation co-benefits.
WES-BCA, in close cooperation with the EU and its institutional partners UfM and the Barcelona Convention, as well as with GWP-Med and PRIMA, have been instrumental in preparing and promoting the Strategy for WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean Source-to-Sea Continuum and its Action Framework.
Stay tuned for more info on the development of this activity and its concluding online consultation event by the end of this year.
