Nature Based Solutions to enhance water security in the Middle East
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the most water-scarce region in the world. Throughout the MENA region both surface and groundwater resources are over exploited because of increasing water demand. Agriculture is by far the largest user of water and is a major cause of depleted aquifers, rivers and reservoirs. The goal of this project is to increase water security in the MENA region through the integration of Nature Based Solutions for Water (NBSW) and Agricultural Water Management (AWM) in the face of climate change and land degradation. Implemented by the MENA regional office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the central premise of this project is that appropriately designed on-the-ground NBSW and AWM interventions can, in tandem, enhance water security in the agricultural regions of the Middle East, thereby increasing the resilience of households and communities. The program will strengthen, empower and catalyse national capacities for the implementation and up-scaling of integrated NBSW/AWM. Working with government and non-government stakeholders in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt, it will develop action-oriented field examples and recommendations that overcome technical and non-technical barriers to uptake and long-term sustainability of NBSW/AWM. It will generate evidence and understanding of the contribution NBSW/AWM can make to sustainably increase water security. Women, youth and marginalized people will be specifically targeted, with their engagement and input contributing to the delivery of co-developed pragmatic approaches to investing in NBSW/AWM in the region.