Webinar on Women’s Water Security in the Middle East

Webinar on Women’s Water Security in the Middle East 

This webinar brought together experts from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and Social Development Direct (SDDirect) to discuss the intersection of water insecurity, gender inequality, climate resilience, and peacebuilding in the Middle East. 

Opening the discussion, Katya Nell, MENA ECE Deputy Team Lead and FCAS Climate Adviser, MENA Departmentat FCDO, emphasized that water insecurity is one of the defining challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is already among the most water-stressed in the world. Climate change, population pressures, and unsustainable resource use are intensifying these challenges, with major implications for food systems, livelihoods, migration, and conflict. Nell highlighted that women and girls are disproportionately affected by water insecurity due to their central role in household water management and stressed the importance of integrating gender considerations into climate and water programming.

Findings from Beyond Security: A Plan for Women’s Water Security Policy and Governance in the Middle East:

Gihan Elhadidy, GIWPS MENA Policy Associate, presented findings from a newly launched paper. Elhadidy outlined how the region faces severe water stress and scarcity, compounded by climate change, conflict, and weak governance. The paper explored the “weaponization” of water, including direct attacks on water infrastructure and long-term asymmetrical water governance in transboundary river systems such as the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates. Elhadidy argued that water insecurity is not only a technical issue but also a governance challenge shaped by political power and exclusionary systems. She emphasized that women remain underrepresented in water governance despite their extensive knowledge and role in water management at the household and community levels.

Tamara Bah, GIWPS Gender and Climate Security Fellow, expanded on the governance and financing dimensions of water insecurity. Bah framed water security as a human security issue linked to livelihoods, health, dignity, and gender equality. Bah also underscored the importance of gender-disaggregated data and warned that without governance reform and explicit gender integration, new investments risk reinforcing existing inequalities. The discussion also focused heavily on financing mechanisms. Bah explained that the MENA region faces a massive water infrastructure funding gap and that blended finance models, including public-private partnerships, Islamic finance instruments, and green and blue bonds, are increasingly being used to scale water investments. However, she stressed that financing alone is insufficient without stronger institutions, better governance, and gender-responsive programming.

Field evidence: What this looks like in practice 

The webinar then shifted to theAl Murunah and Al Murunah+ projects, implemented by IWMI and partners across Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine. Sawsan Gharaibeh,  Regional Gender and Social Inclusion Researcher at IWMI and CGIAR, described Al Murunah as a climate adaptation initiative focused on resilient, nature-based water solutions. Early project data showed reductions in water insecurity and positive economic returns on investment across participating countries. Al Murunah+ was presented as a distinct, gender-transformative model integrating social investment directly into climate resilience programming. Rather than treating gender as a secondary “social” component, the project integrates household dialogue sessions, community leadership engagement, and climate-smart agricultural interventions to address gender norms that shape access to water, livelihoods, and decision-making. Couples participated in weekly sessions on resilience, budgeting, shared decision-making, and resource management, while community leaders were engaged to promote gender-responsive agricultural practices and women’s participation in water governance structures.

Alix Clark, Head of the MEL and Research Portfolio at SDDirect, Team Lead on the Al Murunah+ Evaluation, presented preliminary findings from the project’s baseline evaluation in Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine. The evaluation found that household resilience was generally low due to overlapping pressures, including conflict, economic crises, drought, and water scarcity. Climate shocks affected both household water access and agricultural livelihoods, particularly among households dependent on a single agricultural income source. The evaluation identified strong links between women’s economic empowerment, decision-making power, and household resilience. Households where women had greater participation in economic and household decisions were better equipped to navigate climate-related shocks. However, gender inequitable norms, restrictions on women’s mobility, unequal unpaid care burdens, and economic and emotional intimate partner violence significantly limited women’s ability to access work, leadership opportunities, and decision-making spaces.

Integrated Approaches to Gender, Climate, and Water Security

Speakers emphasized that gender-transformative approaches are not separate from climate resilience programming but central to its effectiveness. They noted that addressing harmful gender norms at the household and community levels is a prerequisite for strengthening water security, economic resilience, and social cohesion. The discussion also reflected on indigenous and Islamic traditions of water stewardship. Panelists highlighted that Islamic teachings frame water as a communal trust that must be shared equitably and protected from exploitation. Indigenous knowledge systems and traditional practices were similarly recognized as important resources for more sustainable and culturally grounded approaches to water governance and environmental management.

The speakers called for effective responses that require integrated approaches that bring together climate resilience, gender equality, governance reform, inclusive financing, and peacebuilding. Speakers further stressed that women must be recognized not only as beneficiaries but as decision-makers and leaders in shaping sustainable water governance systems across the region.

Featuring

Katya Nell
MENA ECE Deputy Team Lead and FCAS Climate Adviser, Middle East and North Africa Department, FCDO

Gihan Elhadidy
MENA Policy Associate, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

Tamara Bah
Gender and Climate Security Fellow, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security

Alix Clark
Head of the MEL and Research Portfolio at SDDirect, Team Lead on the Al Murunah+ Evaluation

Sawsan Gharaibeh
Regional Researcher, Gender and Social Inclusion, International Water Management Institute and CGIAR

Materials:

• Beyond Security: A Plan for Women’s Water Security Policy and Governance in the Middle East and Webinar Video 
• Al Murunah: Climate resilience through water security in MENA 
• A community in Wadi Seer inspires action for Jordan’s climate resilience
• Gender-Based Violence: Overcoming an Unseen Barrier to Effective Climate Action Report