Over 180 million people exposed to water scarcity: CDP highlights the role of development banks in accelerating investment.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) is taking part in the sixth edition of the EuroMediterranean Water Forum, taking place in Rome from 29 September to 2 October. Organised by the Italian One Water Committee, the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), the Forum is one of the leading international events dedicated to water security, climate change and the financing of investment in the water sector across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
As one of the regions most exposed to the effects of climate change, the Mediterranean faces increasingly complex challenges in water resource management. Against this backdrop—and given the designation of water resource management as the key thematic priority for 2026 under the Mattei Plan for Africa, in alignment with African Union guidelines, CDP is contributing to the Forum as a knowledge partner for the workstream dedicated to water sector finance. In this role, it fosters dialogue on the solutions needed to mobilize investment and strengthen the resilience of territories to the impacts of climate change.
During the event, CDP Chairman Giovanni Gorno Tempini took part in the High-Level Panel, “Blue Finance and Blue Investments for Water”, focused on the role of public and private finance in bridging the investment gap in the Mediterranean water sector.
“More than 180 million people in the Mediterranean are already exposed to water scarcity. Investment in the water sector is increasing and reached almost $50 billion in 2024, but the need remains enormous and is set to grow in the coming years. Turning these needs into concrete investments requires mobilising new capital, strengthening partnerships and making a growing number of projects bankable. The ambition is to build a Mediterranean approach to investment, capable of providing each project with the most appropriate financial instrument, technical expertise and risk-sharing arrangements. Water is a central issue for the future of the Mediterranean,” said Giovanni Gorno Tempini, chairman of CDP.
Furthermore, CDP promoted a special session titled "Financing Water Resilience in the Mediterranean: Fostering Investment through Public Development Banks and Strategic Partnerships." This session brought together development banks, financial institutions, and international organizations to examine how cooperation and finance can strengthen water security in the Mediterranean. The panel featured representatives from major multilateral and public development banks active at the European, Mediterranean, and international levels, including the World Bank Group, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), KfW, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and the Mediterranean Casse (Mediterranean development finance institutions).
The meeting was moderated and introduced by Enrico Petrocelli, Head of International Institutional Relations at CDP. It also featured a presentation by Claudia Falavolti, Head of Sovereign and Sub-Sovereign Financing – Development Cooperation at CDP, who outlined the institution's water-sector initiatives within the scope of international cooperation, with a particular focus on projects developed under the Mattei Plan for Africa and through key multilateral partnerships in the sector.