By Jialan Deal
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the League of Arab States (LAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last week in Cairo, Egypt. The agreement was signed on behalf of IWMI by Youssef Brouziyne, Regional Representative in the Middle East and North Africa, and Ambassador Shahira Wahbi, Director of the Department of Housing, Water Resources, and Disaster Reduction of the LAS.
Under this agreement, the Secretariat of the Arab Ministerial Water Council (SAMWC) of the LAS and IWMI will exchange their research and development agenda and strategies for better collaboration on regional water security. The two parties also committed to more active communication on programming and activities. Moving forward, IWMI will review the implementation of SAMWC recommendations with its partners in member states, and SAMWC pledged to utilize the results of development research and studies carried out by IWMI.
Brouziyne said, “I am pleased to celebrate this important milestone for IWMI in the region. Strategic cooperation with the League of Arab States means better alignment between IWMI’s research agenda and the joint efforts of Arab states for water security. I look forward to this agreement leading to a closer partnership as we confront the water and climate challenges in the MENA region together.”
With this MoU, IWMI and the LAS will continue to address joint topics of high priority such as groundwater sustainability, wastewater treatment and reuse, coherence of water and agricultural policies and the use of digital tools in irrigation management. Through partnerships with the LAS and other relevant stakeholders, IWMI seeks to enhance regional coordination on water security goals.
