5-Year Water and Youth Engagement Strategy

The Mediterranean Youth Unemployment Gap

Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is an intergovernmental organization of 42 member states from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin: the 27 EU member states and 15 Mediterranean partner countries from North Africa, Western Asia and Southern Europe. The UfM is a significant driving force for water security in the Mediterranean. The  intergovernmental agency shows its commitment to the water sector as shown and outlined in its Water Agenda,  Blue Economy Agenda, and Environmental Agenda. Despite these agendas, it still lacked a longer term strategic plan to  properly integrate young people into their agendas, related programs, processes and long-term planning goals.  

A long-term youth engagement strategy would be key to help close the youth-unemployment gap that exists within the Mediterranean. In particular, the MENA region is made up of 200 million young people (between the ages of 18-24 years)(1). However, despite a large youthful population, unemployment rates of this age demographic are the highest they have been in nearly 25 years, reaching 30% in 2017 (2).  Mediterranean youth must be prepared for an expanding water sector job market in response to COVID-19 and beyond.

Youth Consultation, Surveying and Focus Group Meetings Provide Strategy Insight

This project aimed to build off of the work completed in 2020 ‘Opportunities for preparing youth and water,’ as well as the preparatory stages for drafting the 5-Year Water and Youth Engagement Strategy for the UfM that was completed in summer 2021. Lindsey was subcontracted again by the UfM’s technical assistance firm Greentech to work on the project. These foundational projects sparked a number of initiatives in which Lindsey was key in initiating a survey, three consultation meetings, and two focus group meetings in order to collect input from key Mediterranean water and youth organizations on what ideas should be included in the strategy. 

Incorporating the feedback from youth, a draft outline of the strategy was developed for approval by the UfM.  Once approved Lindsey and the Greenteech team began to draft the Water and Youth Engagement Strategy. Nearing completion the team received final feedback from the aforementioned Mediterranean Water youth groups as well as UfM staff.

A Strategy that Builds the Capacity of Youth While Tackling Mediterranean Water Challenges

The result, a 5-Year Water and Youth Engagement Strategy that builds the capacity of youth whilst tackling the challenges of water in the Mediterranean region. The strategy aims to support youth through three main objectives including: 1) Attracting prime talent into the water sector, 2) Youth in political dialogue, and 3) Capacity building for a career in the water sector. In order to carry out the objectives, nine key programs had been developed.  

Lindsey will continue to work with Greentech to provide services to the UfM in order to work with its partners and help finance and implement the proposed strategy projects.

The final version of the 5-Year Water and Youth Engagement Strategy can be found here. 

(1) ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller. 2016. 8th Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab youth survey: Inside the hearts and minds of Arab youth. Dubai, UAE: ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

(2) Dasgupta, Sukti & O’Higgins, Niall & Bárcia de Mattos, Fernanda & Brewer, Laura & Elder, Sara & Gardiner, Drew & Larue, Josée-Anne & Nebuloni, Valter & Pinedo, Luis & Gonzalez, Susana & Tobin, Steven & Stefan, Kühn & Milasi, Santo & Horne, Richard. (2017). Global Employment Trends for Youth 2017: Paths to a better working future.