Water on the agenda

The biennial Rencontres Internationales Monaco et la Mediterranee (RIMM) [1] have been discussing water.

Created in 2001, the International Monaco and the Mediterranean Meetings take place every two years in Monaco. It's a chance for experts to get together to discuss ways in which the Mediterranean culture and natural environment can be protected. March 2009 saw the 5th edition of the meetings taking place in Monaco's Oceanographic Museum and the subject this time around was sustainable management of freshwater in the Mediterranean. Scientists, cultural and political leaders met to investigate how our ancestors managed water supply, and to consider what we can learn from the past in order to provide a better future.

The theme is certainly a pressing one for the Mediterranean basin; fresh water is unequally distributed, 30 million people have no access to clean water and 27 million don't have access to basic sanitation. With the effects of climate change, some experts predict that by 2050, 2 billion people in the world will not have enough water, so it's important to start finding solutions now. Monaco is playing its part having reduced fresh water consumption by 10% since 2000 and hoping to increase this another 8% by using sea water in the Principality's cooling systems by 2011.

Prince Albert closed the meeting on Sunday with an expression of hope for the future, sustained by the RIMM participants who got together to share a common vision of managing water resources equitably.