The Mediterranean Water Institute, AVITEM, and MedCities organized an event dedicated to Mediterranean local authorities and the role they play in comprehensive water management. The seminar served to prepare the next 10th World Water Forum (which will be celebrated in Bali), and to understand the needs of Mediterranean cities.

In the introduction, we were able to listen to the welcoming and encouraging words of Mr. Christophe Madrolle, Regional Councillor of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, representing Mr. President R. Muselier, a message from Mr. Ambassador Karim Amellal, Délégué interministériel à la Méditerranée and Mrs. Agnès Rampal, Vice-President of Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, Deputy Mayor of Nice and President of AVITEM. They all speak about global and Mediterranean findings and challenges.

There was also time to hear the introductions and perspectives from Mr.Alain Meyssonnier, Chairman of the IME who set the floor talking about global issues and challenges: the World Water Forum and its organization and the latest Mediterranean findings and challenges: conclusions of the Tunis Mediterranean Forum and message on the 6 Tunis themes for Bali.

Then, two round tables addressed three main topics, touching the Mediterranean cities and coastal areas:

• Discussions on a territorial strategy for long-term water management, with what political and technical governance?
• Innovative local solutions
• Contributions and prospects of regional cooperation

In this discussion, Mrs. Clare Hart, Vice-president from Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole et Delegate for International Outreach and European Cooperation also talked on behalf of the MedCities Presidency. Mrs. Hart underlined some of the projects that Montpellier is working on and also in which ones MedCities has an active role and experience on the water management topic, focusing on integrated water cycle planning, and the support for demand management. The association considers water as an ecosystem resource and not just an economic asset. Some of the examples:

• ValEUr Gabès project: Plan for the development of non-conventional water resources in Gabès in which we work the process of mobilizing stakeholders led by the municipality, with the participation of civil society, economic operators (major water applicants), and research. We find the consensus on priority interventions around seven concrete axes and work on the establishment of urban retention and infiltration basins/promotion of the concept of green mosques through feasibility studies for the reuse of ablution water.
• HERA / NATUREMED: Jerash/Bethlehem/Saida: working through the multifunctionality of nature-based solutions to address climate change, and improve green infrastructure while reducing water pressure; bilateral cooperation between Barcelona City Hall, which apart from financing provides technical expertise, and the three town halls. The MedCities secretariat, supports this sharing of their members’ experiences, criteria, and approaches, in a logic of capacity-building learning by doing.
• WEFE4MED: community of practice around the WEFE (water-energy-food-ecosystems) concept; strengthening the capacities of local authorities for the application of water energy ecosystem solutions in a logic of multifunctionality and maximization of impact.

Mme. Hart talked about the water management projects and the urgent need for cities to address this topic now more than ever; no tonly for the water scarcity and drought in the Mediterranean region but also because of the local authorities need to be able to manage their own resources:

« In the city of Montpellier as in the MedCities network, we always work on projects with an integrated approach to water management. »

“We put into practice everything we know and know about water within MedCities and other cities connected to Montpelllier. Decentralized cooperation is key”

« Water projects in which MedCities and Montpellier work emphasizes its sustainability and the green economy and with a strong point in favor of citizen awareness.

From MedCities we counted on member cities which explained examples in management, regeneration and water saving, some of the cases were explained by the Barcelona City Council (from its Water Agency, BCASA) ,Antalya, Bizerte, Marseille, and the Catalan Water Agency (from the Government of Catalonia).

Based on the morning’s discussions, MedCities moderated the discussion of the working groups that were asked to decide on commitments and responses to the local context in terms of short- and long-term planning, local and regional solidarity, governance, and the economic model within adaptation policies, among other relevant aspects.
The results of these workshops will be the basis of a joint document to be taken to the 10th Water Forum in Bali in May 2024.