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Despite adequate water resources, two-thirds of the world's population has limited access to clean water. The reasons are the unequal distribution of resources, the waste and pollution of water and the lack of a transnational strategy to guarantee sustainable water management. According to the UN Water Report of 2016, this situation will aggravate in the upcoming years: By 2030, half of the world's population would live in water-short regions, 75-250 million of them on the African continent. In addition to that, 24-700 million people need to be relocated in the next 15 years due to an inadequate water supply.

Therefore, it is an urgent matter to work together to find solutions for an efficient water management and to minimize the consequences of water scarcity. Under the so-called water diplomacy, an attempt is made to enable agreements and cooperation between states and regions to ensure the shared and peaceful use of water resources (sea, rivers, etc.). Many examples such as water diplomacy around the Danube and the Senegal river show that regional and international non-governmental organizations as well as the civil society are highly engaged in this area and oftentimes, outcomes are closely linked to their work.

Mediterranean countries are already affected by climate change and water scarcity. For this reason, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the International Center for Mediterranean Studies (CEMI) invite interested people to join our conference on the challenges and potential solutions for the use and preservation of water resources in Tunis. Many experts from the Mediterranean region and other European countries will discuss on water scarcity, sustainable water management and possibilities of a common water strategy.