Similar to the first Forum in April 2019 in Sulaymaniyah (Silemanî) in Iraqi Kurdistan, the 2nd Mesopotamian Water Forum (MWF) will be a civil society gathering. It will address water and water-related issues in the basin of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. The MWF aspires to be an inclusive platform where marginalized voices can be heard in discussions regarding the water rights of people and nature as well as the dominant water management policies.

In a statement about the upcoming event, the organizers said the following:

"Mesopotamia, nowadays populated by dozens of different ethnic-religious cultures, is the region in human history with the first systematic irrigation systems, water infrastructures and first cities and states. But the challenges facing the region today are more dramatic than anything ever faced in its previous history. The recent (and ongoing) wars and armed conflicts, combined with systematic discrimination against minority cultures; the increasing climate crises which have been experienced dramatically since the end of 1990s; and the systematic ecological destruction arising from the disastrous water policies imposed by the four regional states (Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey) for profit and domination have made the life for dozens of million people much more difficult and created a status of ecocide.

The MWF seeks an alternative trajectory that emphasizes the need for a water policy framework based on sustainability, participation and social equity. The MWF seeks to transform water into a means for solidarity and peace, advocating against the use of water as a tool for domination and oppression. It promotes transboundary water cooperation among civil society organizations, activists, researchers, journalists and community representatives dedicated to sustainable and equitable water management. And it challenges state governments to change their water and water-related policies.

In mid-June 2025 we will provide all the necessary logistical information about the planned Mesopotamian Water Forum, which will take place in Amed (Diyarbakir), in Turkey. The planned dates are 16 to 19th of October 2025. We will also issue an invitation to activists of civil society, farmers, researchers, artists, representatives of communities (municipalities) and others, not only from the Mesopotamia region, to join with workshops, art, exhibitions and other ideas."

Initial organizers (later to be expanded):

• Mesopotamia Ecology Movement

• Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality

• Ecology Association Amed (Diyarbakır)

• Ecology Association Wan (Van)

• Ecology Association Mêrdîn (Mardin)

• Diyarbakir Coordination of Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB)

• Save the Tigris Foundation, all Mesopotamia

• Humat Dijlah, Iraq

• Al Masalla, Iraqi-Kurdistan

• Nextep Organization, North and East Syria

More information and contact:

Instagram: @mwf2025amed

X/Twitter: @mwf2025amed

Official email: [email protected]