Delegations from 53 FAO African Member States will participate in the Conference. Members of Non-Governmental Organizations, farmer and civil society associations, and the private sector will participate in the official Conference and in the various parallel events.

WHY SIRTE 2008?

The Sirte Water and Energy Conference aims at unlocking the potential of water for development in Africa. In particular, it aims at:

• assessing the challenges faced by the agricultural sector, in view of the impending/glooming food crisis in Africa taking into account the strong linkages with energy and climate change;
• carefully examining how investment in the rural space can reverse trends to obtain well balanced sub-sectors that offset production risks, close food production gaps and ensure food security;
• analysing bottlenecks and constraints to accelerated water development in support of the continent's food and energy needs;
• proposing ways to promote and secure investment in water to maintain food and energy security in the region.

THE THEMES

• Prospects for food and energy demands by 2015 and projections for 2030-2050
• Defining the investment envelope
• Financing mechanisms and implementation strategies

Click here for the PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME OF THE CONFERENCE