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Regional Representative in MENA region, International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
Dr. Youssef Brouziyne is the International Water Management Institute’s (IWMI) Country Representative – Egypt, and Regional Representative – Middle East and North Africa. He brings significative experience in sustainability stewardship and resilience building across the water and agricultural value chains in North Africa, West Africa, and Southern Europe with multinational agribusiness corporations. He was previously a professor and researcher at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco from 2019-2022, where he managed and contributed to a portfolio of research and innovation projects around climate change impacts on agro-hydrological systems, climate-smart water and crops systems, as well as social and digital innovations for resilient and sustainable water and crops systems.
Currently, Dr Youssef Brouziyne is IWMI's representative in Egypt and the MENA region. Together with a highly skilled team in the MENA office and a diversified panel of partners, he strives to help stakeholders in the region move towards growth and sustainable development through innovative science-based water and climate solutions. He has a PhD in water and climate change from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, a Master’s in marketing and product development from IAE of Metz-France, a Master’s in integrated sustainable solutions for Mediterranean tree crops from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, and an agronomic engineering degree from the Hassan II institute for Agronomy in Morocco.
In most of the MENA region, the existing imbalance between available water supply and demand is expected to widen due to population growth, greater urbanization and higher water consumption. The largest use of water in MENA countries is for agriculture, which forms the foundation of the economies of many of the countries.
Under this situation, alternatives such as circular economy (CE) approaches are needed to supply water in view of the water scarcity and climate change challenges while addressing other resources needs and contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation. One of the essential dimensions of a CE is the creation and capture of value remaining in waste materials and maximizing that value to promote sustainable development.
Recovering the water, energy, nutrients and other materials embedded in wastewater is a key opportunity. This notion of wastewater recovery is gaining more attention in water-scarce countries as a way to meet the demand as non-conventional water resources can be used for irrigation in agriculture, industrial use and groundwater recharge.
In Oman, the circular economy can stimulate innovation and the development of new industries. By adopting sustainable practices in recovering wastewater and the associated resources, the country can diversify its economy, create new job opportunities, and enhance its global competitiveness including in the field of climate agenda. The circular economy model aligns with Oman’s vision for a greener and more resilient future, ensuring that economic growth is in harmony with environmental sustainability.
In this session, three key questions will be the background of reflection and discussion towards tangible recommendations to all stakeholders and possible projects and collaborations:
1. What are the main prospects of circular economy in Oman, in comparison to the rest of MENA, under the advances in technologies and the pressures brought by growth and climate change?
2. What is the Sultanate’s vision and strategies regarding the circular economy in the water sector, especially TE utilization and Carbon Capture?
3. What are the available capacities (Knowledge, technological, infrastructure, financial, regulatory and institutional) to be leveraged and/or expanded to make TE utilization and Carbon Capture more effective in water-related circular economy in Oman?
After the presentations, the participants will discuss and reflect on specific questions in small groups and will report back to the whole group. The general discussion should convey towards the following three outcomes:
1. Update and dissemination of the knowledge on the current status of circularity in the wastewater treatment in Oman among the different stakeholders.
2. Identification of promising development areas in the TE utilization and Carbon capture from technology, knowledge, Finance, and institutional settings towards optimal circular economy in the wastewater industry adapted to Oman’s opportunities and challenges.
3. Identification of examples of projects and cooperation opportunities for all stakeholders, including for the private sector, to effectively advance the agenda of circularity in Oman.