On October 13-14, 2025, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) took part in the Cairo Water Week 2025, one of the leading international events and platform for knowledge exchange, policy dialogue, and promotion of innovative solutions to tackle water scarcity and climate change challenges.
On October 13, 2025, the AICS delegation, represented by Dr. Tiberio Chiari, Head of Cairo Office, and Dr. Paolo Sertoli, Head of Maputo Office and AICS Focal Point for Water, participated in the joint panel organized by the One Water Committee and CIHEAM Bari, held within the framework of the One Water project, an initiative funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Themed Towards a Unified Strategy Vision for Water Security in the Mediterranean, the session focused on promoting an integrated and shared approach to the water challenges common to Mediterranean countries.
During the panel, AICS presented its main interventions in the field of water resources management. On this occasion, Dr. Paolo Sertoli outlined the key strategic directions of Italian Cooperation and AICS in the water sector, recalling the DGCS Water Guidelines of 2015 and presenting the more recent AICS WASH Guidelines of 2025, which together define the framework for future action. He also emphasized the role of AICS in advancing the Piano Mattei through regional cooperation, a key opportunity to further strengthen AICS’ role in Euro-Mediterranean water governance.
Dr. Tiberio Chiari presented the intervention of AICS Cairo in water sector with a particular focus on the EU-ZIRA3A project, funded by the European Union. In his remarks, Dr. Chiari highlighted the role of Water User Associations as key instruments to ensure equitable distribution of water resources, prevent conflicts, and foster community empowerment.
Following this session, AICS Cairo hosted a Networking Event as a sideline initiative to the One Water project session, providing a valuable opportunity to consolidate partnerships and foster new synergies among Mediterranean stakeholders.
On October 14, 2025, during the 6th Annual Conference on Water Finance and Investment – Water Finance: Regional Priorities & the Role of Banks, organized jointly by EU and Union for the Mediterranean, Dr. Paolo Sertoli participated in the panel titled Finance for water resilience: EU policies and instruments. He highlighted several AICS initiatives and projects in the Mediterranean area, including references to projects in Tunisia (TANIT), Albania (new initiative in partnership with ANBI and CER), Palestine (desalination plant in Gaza), Egypt (EU-ZIRA3A delegated project), and Lebanon (Zahlé Wastewater Treatment Plant – WWTP). Moreover, in agreement with DGCS, the main financing lines of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and Italian Cooperation were illustrated, with reference, among others, to the Piano Mattei for Africa and the Climate Fund. In this framework, Dr. Sertoli stressed the crucial role of private sector participation in sustaining the long-term impact of initiatives, underlining how this can be facilitated through the use of tailored financing tools.
AICS’ participation in the Cairo Water Week reaffirms Italy’s commitment to supporting inclusive and sustainable models of water governance, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
