PRIMA will play a key role in the WEFE Nexus Mediterranean Conference, taking place 24–26 February 2026 in Nicosia, Cyprus, in a hybrid format.
Titled “Regional Conference on Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in the Mediterranean Source-to-Sea Continuum: From Strategy to Action”, the conference is organised under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), UNEP/MAP, and PRIMA, and within the framework of the PRIMA WEFE4MED Project and the GEF MedProgramme.
From Strategy to Action: advancing integrated solutions
The conference will focus on future pathways for implementing WEFE Nexus solutions, with a strong emphasis on moving from strategy to action. Discussions will address policy coherence, investment and financing mechanisms, innovation, and climate resilience, while promoting systems thinking and interdisciplinary approaches capable of delivering cross-sectoral benefits at scale.
At the heart of the conference lies the Strategy for the WEFE Nexus in the Mediterranean Source-to-Sea Continuum, jointly developed within the frameworks of UfM, the Barcelona Convention/UNEP MAP, and the European Union, with technical support from GWP-Mediterranean, the EU Water & Environment Support (WES) Project, and PRIMA.
PRIMA’s Contribution to the Regional Strategy
PRIMA has been involved in the development of the WEFE Nexus Strategy, contributing scientific expertise, innovation capacity, and links to the research and innovation community. The Strategy underwent extensive formal consultations with national governments, alongside a structured regional consultation process engaging civil society, financing institutions, academia, and other stakeholders.
This consultative journey was launched during the 1st Regional WEFE Nexus Roundtable in Rabat (June 2023) and continued at the 2nd Regional WEFE Nexus Roundtable in Tunis (February 2024), both attended by PRIMA. The Strategy was adopted at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) of the Barcelona Convention and by the 15th Meeting of the UfM Regional Platform on Water, in preparation for the 2nd UfM Ministerial Conference on Water in March 2026.
The adoption of the Strategy is expected to inject new momentum into sustainable development efforts in the Mediterranean, paving the way for the elaboration of a regional Action Framework to support implementation, foster synergies, and mobilise financing.
PRIMA: A Pioneer of the WEFE Nexus Approach
PRIMA has been at the forefront of the WEFE Nexus since 2019, when the approach was first introduced as a dedicated thematic area in PRIMA calls. To date, 12 WEFE Nexus projects have been funded, representing a total investment of €34 million.
Building on this foundation, PRIMA took a decisive step forward in 2024 by mainstreaming the WEFE Nexus across all its calls. With the 2024 and 2025 calls, 67 new projects integrating the WEFE Nexus approach are entering the PRIMA portfolio, mobilising a total budget of €114 million directly invested in Nexus-driven research and innovation across the region.
The WEFE Nexus Community of Practice: Turning knowledge into impact
Through the PRIMA-funded WEFE4MED Project, PRIMA supports the WEFE Nexus Community of Practice (NCoP), launched in 2024. The NCoP provides a collaborative platform to identify, test, and disseminate WEFE Nexus solutions, while showcasing their benefits to policymakers and stakeholders through concrete case studies.
As a key instrument for supporting the future Action Framework of the WEFE Nexus Strategy, the NCoP facilitates knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the scaling-up of solutions across the Mediterranean.
A Conference Focused on Action
The conference will:
- Contribute to the elaboration of an operational Action Framework aligned with the upcoming Rome Initiative;
- Showcase practical applications of the WEFE Nexus and Source-to-Sea approaches, including governance innovations, pilot results, digital solutions, and scalable investments;
- Promote the design of WEFE Nexus investments and improved access to financing;
- Strengthen alignment with regional climate initiatives, including the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative, to embed climate resilience into Nexus actions.
Event Details
The conference will take place 24–26 February 2026 in Nicosia, Cyprus, and online. It will be held under the auspices of the 2026 Cyprus Presidency of the EU, within the frameworks of UNEP MAP, UfM, and PRIMA, and with the support of the GEF UNEP MAP MedProgramme and the PRIMA WEFE4MED Project.
The event is organised by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean and the Cyprus Institute, in synergy with the EU WES BCA Project.
