Hybrid session – International Workshop & Living Lab Water scarcity solutions. Ponza (LT), Italy. 26th and 27th September 2026

26th September: 11:30 – 18:15 (CET+1). 
27th September: 9:00 – 12:30  (CET+1). 

Mediterranean islands and coastal tourism destinations are facing increasing water scarcity pressures driven by climate change, seasonal tourism demand, and structural inefficiencies in water management systems. Addressing these challenges from the perspective of sustainable tourism requires not only innovative technical solutions, but also integrated governance approaches, stakeholder engagement, and policy alignment across sectors.

The workshop will be organised in the framework of Circle the MED Forum, https://www.circlethemed.com/ ensuring synergies with this major Mediterranean-level event and facilitating the participation of a wide range of institutional, technical, and civil society stakeholders.

The workshop will focus on the presentation and discussion of AQUAMAN’s Catalogue of Transferable Water Scarcity Mitigation Solutions, which brings together ready-to-use technical, nature-based, hybrid, and governance-oriented interventions drawn from project partners’ experiences, as well as from other EU-funded initiatives and programmes. These include, among others, nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse, green roofs for stormwater management and urban cooling, and demand-side water efficiency measures applicable to tourism facilities.

Beyond dissemination, this activity will be an interactive forum for dialogue, enabling stakeholders to assess the applicability, transferability, and upscaling potential of the proposed solutions in different Mediterranean contexts. Particular emphasis will be placed on stakeholder feedback, cross-project synergies, and the involvement of civil society and youth organisations. The event will also support the initiation of the first set of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) within the Water Scarcity Mitigation MED Alliance, formalising stakeholder engagement.

Objectives

• Discussion on governance frameworks, policy instruments, and incentives supporting sustainable water management.
• Exchange of experiences among Mediterranean institutions, tourism actors, and EU-funded projects.
• Engagement of local and regional stakeholders.
• Build the Water Scarcity Mitigation MED Alliance through stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange among public authorities, experts, and stakeholders.
• Gather feedback and suggestions to enhance the effectiveness and transferability of project outputs.

Expected outcomes

• Increased awareness and understanding of innovative and transferable water management solutions among Mediterranean stakeholders.
• Strengthened cooperation between public authorities, tourism actors, researchers, and civil society organisations.
• Collection of policy- and practice-oriented inputs to feed AQUAMAN’s capitalisation activities and the transfer feasibility study.
• Enhanced synergies among EU-funded initiatives promoting climate resilience, sustainable tourism, and environment protection.
• Start of formal cooperation through the signing of a first set of MoUs with key stakeholders

Target audience

• Local and regional authorities responsible for water and tourism management.
• Water management agencies.
• Tourism industry representatives and SMEs.
• Research & academia specialising in water management, climate adaptation, and tourism sustainability.
• Civil society organisations working on environmental sustainability and water governance.
• Partners of AQUAMAN Project, partners of other Interreg Euro-MED Thematic Projects and other European and Mediterranean projects addressing sustainable tourism and water scarcity in islands and coastal areas.

AGENDA: Coming soon