General Information

Description

In September 2023, the Blue Peace Middle East regional mechanism members embarked on a study tour to the Guadiana Basin, a transboundary region shared between Spain and Portugal, to explore lessons on shared water management and the implementation of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus approach. The event spanned one week and brought together experts and government representatives from both countries. The participants, engaged in site visits, roundtable discussions, and meetings with specialists from various sectors, including water management, agriculture, energy, and environment. A key focus of the tour was the Albufeira Convention, the 1998 bilateral agreement that governs water sharing between Spain and Portugal. The delegation also examined the Alqueva Multipurpose Project, a large-scale dam that transformed a semi-arid region into an agricultural hub, while contributing to renewable energy generation and ecosystem preservation. This experience offered valuable insights for the Blue Peace ME initiative, highlighting the importance of transboundary cooperation, trust-building, and applying the WEFE Nexus to foster sustainable resource management in the Middle East​.