🌊 WATER4MED Participates in Beirut Workshop on Innovation and Scientific Research for Sustainable Agriculture

The WATER4MED project participated in the multi-stakeholder workshop “Partnership in Innovation and Scientific Research for Sustainable Agriculture in Lebanon”, held in Beirut on 3 September 2026 and organised by ICU.

The workshop brought together 64 participants, including representatives from public institutions, universities, research centres, farmers’ organisations, cooperatives, the private sector, civil society, and technical experts. The event also gathered four PRIMA projects implemented in Lebanon: WATER4MED, FUSION, WaterMellon, and NUSTALGIC.

As part of the first session, Prof. Gabriella Balacco from Politecnico di Bari presented the overall rationale of WATER4MED in the context of climate change and increasing pressure on water resources. The presentation introduced the project’s objectives, partnership, study sites, and its work on WP7 – Replicability and WP8 – Dissemination, Outreach, and Capacity Building.

In the second session, Dr. Amin Shaban, ICU Hydrogeology and GIS Expert, presented the technical activities implemented in Lebanon, with a focus on the Al Assi River Basin. His presentation highlighted the use of geospatial data, GIS-based maps, water sampling, and the mHM-MODFLOW-WEAP modelling framework to support hydrological and hydrogeological analysis.

The plenary discussion provided an important opportunity to connect technical work with institutional needs, local knowledge, and practical decision-making. Participants highlighted the importance of reliable data, stakeholder participation, capacity building, and the translation of scientific outputs into usable evidence for institutions and water users.

WATER4MED’s participation in the Beirut workshop strengthened the visibility of the project in Lebanon and reinforced its role in supporting sustainable, evidence-based water management across the Mediterranean region.

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