Special Session: UNEP (Dolmabahçe B (2) Hall)
- Day: Day 2
- Time: 14:30 - 15:30
- Room: Dolmabahçe B (2)
- Moderator(s): Elizabeth Sellwood
Elizabeth Sellwood
Senior Advisor, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Prof. Kasım Yenigün
Director General , Directorate General of Combating Desertification and Erosion
Prof. Yusuf Serengil
Istanbul Cerrahpasa University
Henk Ovink
Executive Director, Global Commission on the Economics of Water (GCEW)
Natasha Carmi
Senior Water-Peace Programme Manager, Geneva Water Hub
Sera Tolgay
Researcher, University of Cambridge (Gates Scholar)Special Session: UNEP
Nature-Based Solutions for Water and Climate Resilience
Major changes to water resources are under way across large global regions. Areas experiencing drying have increased by twice the size of California annually, creating “mega-drying” regions across the Northern Hemisphere. These changes have been described by the World Bank as continental drying and were also outlined by the UN University INWEH in their 2026 Water Bankruptcy report. Solutions to such challenges are urgently needed.
This session focuses on nature-based solutions to enhance water resilience across the Mediterranean and West Asia regions. Investment in water resources management can unlock progress across climate, biodiversity, land, food, and health. Acting early can reduce risks and deliver multiple benefits, including disaster risk reduction and increased socio-economic welfare. Nature-based solutions have proved highly effective in a range of settings around the Mediterranean region