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The Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, held in Rome from 29 September to 2 October 2026, provided an opportunity for INBO and the International Office for Water (OiEau) to make progress on several areas of international cooperation, with a particular focus on the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) initiative. Funded by the European Union and co-organised with the African Network of River Basin Organizations (ANBO), P2P currently brings together 21 pairings between river basin organizations and water management authorities around the world. The aim is to foster exchanges between professionals, share experiences and develop cooperation that meets the practical needs of the organisations concerned. The project also includes an innovative educational programme on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), as well as a ‘Knowledge Platform’ currently under development. These exchanges of experience form part of a series of international events: the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum in Rome (September–October 2026), the United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi (December 2026) and the 11th World Water Forum in Riyadh (2027).
Basin Day, organised by INBO and its partners in Rome on 1st October, was one of the highlights of the EuroMed Forum. Dedicated to IWRM at the basin level, it notably helped to inform discussions ahead of the 11th World Water Forum scheduled to take place in Riyadh in 2027. P2P played a significant role by illustrating how the principles of cooperation and river basin management can translate into exchanges and concrete actions between organisations. The project was also discussed during the high-level panels on water governance. The discussions revealed interest extending beyond the project’s partners alone, with several organisations highlighting the potential of this approach to strengthen international cooperation.
P2P was also discussed during the bilateral meetings organised by the INBO delegation with European institutions, national authorities and various international partners.
These exchanges helped, in particular, to prepare for the United Nations Water Conference, scheduled for December 2026 in Abu Dhabi, where cooperation between basins is expected to feature prominently. P2P is identified there as a particularly operational component of ‘Basins for Cooperation’, one of the two flagship initiatives of the Finnish and Zambian co-chairs of the ‘D’ interactive dialogue dedicated to cooperation. Several side events are also expected to enable organisations involved in P2P to share their experiences.
From Rome to Abu Dhabi, then Riyadh and the Euro-INBO in 2027, the aim remains to advance these cooperative efforts over the long term, by raising the profile of the achievements of the 21 partnerships and by making peer-to-peer exchanges a practical means of improving water management at the basin level.