SESRIC participated in the First Meeting for Networking of Water Centers of Excellence in OIC Member States organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and OIC General Secretariat on 24-25 February 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. SESRIC also provided technical content to enrich the relevant sessions of this meeting.

During the opening session of the meeting, H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK delivered Welcoming Remarks. She emphasized SESRIC’s efforts to promoting socio-economic development through research, policy guidance, trainings and technical cooperation in key areas of environment, agriculture, and food security. H.E. SELÇUK also highlighted the upcoming OIC Water Report, which focuses on building resilient water systems and promoting innovative water management practices to combat the increasing water stress in OIC countries.

The meeting brought together policymakers, experts, and representatives from water centers of excellence from 25 OIC countries, including Algeria, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. Ambassadors of Jordan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, and Somalia were also present at the inaugural session.

During the technical sessions, SESRIC delivered a comprehensive presentation entitled “Strengthening Water Resources Management in the OIC Member Countries: OIC Water Portal and SESRIC’s Activities Related to Water." The presentation covered SESRIC’s ongoing activities, particularly in water and agriculture. It also provided a detailed overview of SESRIC’s capacity-building efforts in the water sector as well as a focus on the OIC Portal on Water Resources. This portal was established to facilitate information sharing among member countries, ensuring that information on water resources is accessible to stakeholders and serving as a collaborative platform for addressing shared water challenges. For further details about the OIC Water Portal, please visit: OIC Portal on Water Resources.

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