WASAG Technical Preparatory Meeting Demonstrates Collective Commitment in Addressing Water Scarcity in Agriculture by Advancing Coherence on Global, Regional and National Levels!

The recent Technical Preparatory Meeting for the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) convened stakeholders both physically at FAO headquarters in Rome and virtually online. The meeting concluded with a resounding call to advance coherence across global and regional water initiatives and tools.

A significant highlight of the event was the regional session organized by FAO-RNE, titled “Bridging Global and Regional Efforts: Advancing Coherence between WASAG and FAO Regional Initiatives and Tools in Addressing Water Scarcity”. The session aimed to foster focused discussions among stakeholders on strategies and opportunities for enhancing coherence between WASAG and FAO regional initiatives.

The session aimed to deepen understanding of the importance of coherence through interactive discussions and knowledge-sharing, it sought to identify practical strategies for strengthening collaboration and coordination between global and regional initiatives and platforms.

The Technical Preparatory Meeting for the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) concluded with a declaration reaffirming the commitment of participants to addressing water scarcity challenges in agriculture. The declaration underscores the collective effort and determination to address water scarcity challenges and build sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems worldwide. The declaration highlighted several key points, including:

• Acknowledgment of the Praia Call for Action, as adopted during the Second WASAG International Forum in Cabo Verde, emphasizing the theme of making agriculture resilient to climate change.
• Confirmation of WASAG as a partnership for all FAO Members to collaborate on addressing water scarcity in agriculture, focusing on agreed priorities and required solutions.
• Commitment to mobilize greater political support for creating an enabling environment, including policies, institutional arrangements, and financing, to address the effects of water scarcity and climate change on global food security.
• Request for FAO to convene a Plenary Assembly of partners every second year in Rome, starting from 2026.

The Technical Preparatory Meeting for WASAG demonstrated a collective commitment to addressing water scarcity in agriculture through enhanced cooperation and coherence at all levels, specifically recommending greater collaboration at global, regional and national levels, including through ongoing mechanisms, such as the Regional Water Scarcity Programmes/Initiatives, the Inter-Regional Technical Platform on Water Scarcity (iRTP-WS), and other initiatives by partners, to better support countries,

To watch the recording of the sessions, click the following LINK