Suwailem: The importance of benefiting from Italian expertise in light of common challenges in the fields of water and climate
Dr. Hani Sweilem, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, met with Dr. Marco Riccardo, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, Dr. Emilio Carlo, Director General of the Single Water Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum, and Rola Khadra of the Italian Bari Institute, on the sidelines of the activities of the "Sixth Arab Water Forum". Held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the field of water. The Italian side referred to the Mattei Plan for Africa launched by the Italian Prime Minister at the beginning of this year, which includes a group of projects covering five political axes: water, energy, agriculture, health and education. Dr. Sweilem stressed the importance of benefiting from Italian expertise, especially in light of the common challenges in the fields of water and climate facing the Mediterranean region. His Excellency also stressed the importance of synergizing the efforts of active organizations in the Mediterranean region to maximize the benefit for all countries in the region.
The status of the "Water Knowledge Program" project was also discussed. Which is being implemented in cooperation with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation to enhance and build the capacities of water workers in Egypt. Dr. Sweilem referred to the positive reactions he observed from participants in the training courses held under the umbrella of this program, expressing his appreciation for the support provided by the Italian side to the Regional Training Center for Water Resources and Irrigation and the African Center for Water and Climate Adaptation, and Egypt’s aspiration to launch a second phase of the program soon.
The Italian side addressed the ongoing arrangements for holding the "Euro-Mediterranean Forum" It is scheduled to be hosted by Italy in 2026, where it was agreed on the importance of coordination between the forum and Cairo Water Week, and Dr. Sweilem welcomed participation in this important forum, especially in light of Egypt’s leading role in placing water at the heart of climate action.
Sweilem stressed the importance of the Italian side’s support for the AWARe initiative and its various paths, noting that the initiative seeks to implement projects that achieve tangible results in the field of adaptation to climate change on the ground, as proposals have already been prepared for projects that bring together countries with common needs. His Excellency also reviewed the measures taken during the past period to provide funding from donor agencies to implement projects in the field of water and adaptation to climate change in a number of Arab and African countries.
At the end of the meeting, Sweilem invited the Italian side to participate in the activities of the Seventh Cairo Water Week to enrich discussions and exchange experiences between different countries, and the Italian side confirmed its aspiration to participate in the activities week.
