A dedicated IW Twinning Workshop will be held on 9 February 2026 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, bringing together GEF IW groundwater projects for peer exchange and collaborative learning. The workshop will convene representatives from the following GEF-funded projects: MedProgramme Child Project 2.1 (GEF ID: 9687); Guarani Aquifer (GEF ID: 10139); Pantanal–Upper Paraguay River Basin (GEF ID: 10554); and the Cambodia–Mekong River Delta Aquifer (CMDA) project (GEF ID: 10520). The workshop agenda will focus on key thematic areas, including:
- Aquifer management and groundwater-dependent ecosystems
- Conjunctive water management
- Governance and policy aspects
- Lessons learned and knowledge sharing
The twinning workshop is organised back-to-back with the Symposium on “Coastal Aquifers, Sustainable Futures”, which will take place on 10–11 February 2026, also at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The symposium is organised in the framework of the GEF/UNEP MedProgramme and will present the main outcomes of UNESCO’s component of the MedProgramme Child Project 2.1. It will bring together representatives from governments, scientific institutions, regional organisations, and development partners to exchange knowledge and foster collaboration on the sustainable management of coastal aquifers.
Objectives
The IW twinning workshop aims to:
- Facilitate the exchange of experiences, challenges, and technical expertise among projects working toward similar objectives across different regions;
- Strengthen portfolio and partner capacity through direct peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and practical skill transfer;
- Enhance the ability of participating projects to implement effective management strategies at local, national, and regional levels for the sustainable management of shared groundwater and surface water resources; and
- Promote south-south knowledge exchange through the sharing of lessons learned and best practices.
Attendance by invitation only.