The Union for the Mediterranean, together with the Spanish Agency for Cooperation, AECID, have organised a key session in the framework of the Arab Water Convention, the Interactive Session 4 on Design Thinking Challenge (Future Lab). In the event, spokespersons have pitched new and innovative, out-of-the box ideas that could help make non-conventional water resources in the region more financially attractive.

The Arab Water Council supported by the League of Arab States and the Union for the Mediterranean have organized its Arab Water Convention, dedicated this year to address the use of Non-Conventional Water Resources (NCWR) as a strategic solution and explore wealth of emerging opportunities and boosting investment.

There is consensus about the fact that water management should be based on an integrated approach (Integrated Water Resources Management, IWRM). Water policy and management need to reflect the inherently interrelated nature of hydrological resources, and IWRM is the accepted alternative to the sector-by-sector, top-down management style that has dominated the past. The basis of IWRM is that the many different uses of water resources are interdependent.

At the same time, current pressure on the availability of water resources has led us to resort to non-conventional water resources (NCWR) as an efficient and sustainable solution. However, some of these NCWR come at a very high cost. That is the case of desalination, as a matter of fact, which process is highly costly. Using renewable energy is key to reduce the costs.