50th Anniversary of IHP and 60 years of UNESCO Water Sciences

In the framework of the 50th Anniversary of IHP and 60 years of UNESCO Water Sciences, the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability organize on Friday 13 June 2025 in UNESCO Paris (11:00-12:30) the side event "Examples of WEFE NEXUS Approach in Advancing Urban Water Management, Hidrodiplomacy and Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Water Infrastructure Projects", in collaboration with the Cyprus Institute (CYI), University of Balamand (UOB),  UNESCO Chair at St’Andrews College Mumbai Inter-religious and Inter-cultural dialogue in the frame of Sciences Water member of Unesco Family Water and the UNESCO Chair on Urban Resilience at University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Denmark.

UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme marks its 50th anniversary from 10-13 June 2025, with panel discussions and performances at UNESCO HQ in Paris.

As the global community accelerates efforts to cope with the challenges of climate change, Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) through its application in hydrological sciences is emerging as a powerful tool for advancing sustainable resource management. The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus provides a holistic framework to understand and optimize these interconnected systems—critical for addressing global climate and development challenges.

Friday 13 June 2025 - 11h00 to 12h30

Time: 11:00 to 12:30 

Format: Hybrid (in-person & virtual) 

Location: Room VIII 

Virtual access: Join via Zoom 

Time	Description	Speaker(s)
11:00-11:05	Opening with Institutional Introduction	-        Sarantuya Zandaryaa, UNESCO-IHP -        Jordi Morató, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, UPC, Spain -        Fadi Comair, Cyprus Institute, CYI
11:05-11:45	Session 1: Harnessing AI for WEFE Nexus Assessment: Innovating Water Management and Governance at the urban scale to shape the next generation of NDCs. Presentation of the SureNexus WEFE Award.	-        Jordi Morató, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, UPC, Spain -        Ali Rhouma, PRIMA Foundation -        Nicola Tollin, UNESCO Chair SDU, Denmark -        Rachid Mrabet, INRA, Morocco -        Alice Aureli, IWRA, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, UPC, Spain -        Jose Luis Martin, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, UPC
11:45-12:25	Session 2: CYI Hydrodiplomacy Partnership Program (HPP): A WEFE-NEXUS Approach	-        Fadi Comair, CYI Hydrodiplomacy Partnership Program (HPP): A WEFE-NEXUS Approach -        Giuseppe Musumeci, Innovative financing of water infrastructure -        Prof. Ilan Juran – Executive Director, W-Smart, NYU -        Mme Jeannette Pretot, Presidente Ambassade de l’eau -        Mr.Jean- Paul Dussausse, Vice-presidentl MEDURABLE  -        Dr. Makarius C.S. Lalika, Chairholder of Unesco Chair in Ecohydrology of Sokoine University of Agriculture Tanzania, Hydrological Services and Nature-based Solutions Along Mara River Wetlands, Tanzania (tbc) -        Prof. Ignasius D.A. Sutapa, Executive Director of Asia Pacific Centre for Ecohydrology (APCE) - Unesco C2C Indonesia, Subak development model as integrated organic agriculture cluster to strengthen natural food sustainability and enhance circular economy (tbc), -        Unesco C2C Indonesia, Subak development model as integrated organic agriculture cluster to strengthen natural food sustainability and enhance circular economy (to be confirmed) -        Dr. Ronald Yesusdhas, Outcomes of research in Mumbai of WASH issues (tbc) -        Prof Sebastian M. Michael, Institute of Indian Culture affiliated to the University of Mumbai for Sociology & Anthropology, The role of women in rural economy related to the nexus among water, food and energy -        Eurico de Carvalho Filho, Water and environment engineer / Senior Project Manager at DHI France. Title: DHI’s Global Hydrological Model (GHM): Advancing Real-Time Hydrological Applications.
12:25-12:30	Conclusions	-        Jose Luis Martin, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, UPC -        Giuseppe Musumeci, UNESCO Chair, St’Andrews

This Side Event will explore how AI-driven tools can enhance WEFE Nexus assessments, enabling data-driven insights, improving scenario analysis, and supporting integrated resource planning and enhancing water management at the urban scale. By leveraging AI, policymakers can develop the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are more adaptive, equitable, and effective in meeting sustainability and climate resilience goals. The event will showcase practical applications, share insights from case studies, and explore policy implications to support informed decision-making.

This side event also brings together a diverse group of experts to discuss the groundbreaking Hydrodiplomacy Partnership Program (HPP), developed by the Cyprus Institute (CYI) and the University of Balamand (UOB). The focus of this session is to explore how a WEFE-NEXUS approach can revolutionize hydrodiplomacy practices across the Mediterranean region and beyond.

Through insightful presentations, interactive discussions, and case studies, this event will highlight the transformative potential of the HPP. Attendees will gain an understanding of how WEFE-NEXUS frameworks can be implemented to address transboundary water conflicts while promoting equitable resource sharing.