From July 17 to 18, 2024, the city of Valencia, Spain, hosted the 2^nd UNESCO Regional Training Course on "Conjunctive Management Solutions of Surface and Groundwater: Governance and Policies." The course took place at the headquarters of the Jucar River Basin Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar), a key institution in water resource management in the region.

Organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations (MENBO), the training was part of activities under the UNEP/GEF MedProgramme, Child Project 2.1 “Mediterranean Coastal Zones: Water Security, Climate Resilience and Habitat Protection” and its component 2 on “Management of Coastal Aquifers and Related Ecosystems”, executed by UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP). 

Building on the success of the 1^st regional training held in Valencia in May 2023, the 2^nd training integrated outcomes from a series of national dialogues on conjunctive water management conducted by UNESCO in April 2024 . This 2^nd training specifically focused on strengthening participants' skills in developing and improving governance frameworks and policies for the conjunctive management of surface and groundwater.

For two days, the training gathered officially designated country representatives and groundwater experts from seven beneficiary countries: Albania, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco and Tunisia with a noteworthy participation of women professionals.

Representatives from UNESCO-IHP, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain, the Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar and MENBO delivered the keynote addresses, emphasizing the need for stronger policies and governance structures to address the complexities of conjunctive water management.

After the welcoming remarks, participants engaged in five thematic sessions led by experts in the field. Each session featured up to four interventions from national groundwater experts followed by open floor discussions, particularly aiming at receiving feedback from country representatives. Key topics covered by the course included: 

• institutional settings for conjunctive management, 
• policy frameworks and legislation for water resources management, 
• stakeholders’ engagement in conjunctive management, 
• financial mechanisms for sustainable conjunctive management, 
• communication and information sharing. 

The course provided a platform for the Mediterranean countries to exchange experiences and best practices on the beforementioned aspects of conjunctive water management. For example, representatives from Albania and Morocco shared their successes in stakeholder engagement, while experts from Lebanon discussed innovative financial mechanisms for sustainable management. The exchanges also created opportunities for collaboration and mutual support among the countries involved.

On the second day, participants took a technical visit to the Water Tribunal of Valencia. This historic institution is responsible and known worldwide for the efficient settling of disputes between farmers regarding the use and exploitation of irrigation water. In 2009, UNESCO designated the Tribunal as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The completion of the 2^nd Regional Training Course marks another milestone in UNESCO and MENBO's efforts to promote sustainable water management practices globally. Plans for future training courses and collaborative initiatives were also discussed, with a focus on expanding the reach and impact of training and international projects.

For more information about the training please visit the MENBO website: https://www.remoc.org/events/UNESCO/UNESCO-2024-07-17-Course/UNESCO-2024-07-17.html