Frequently asked questions
FAQs - الأسئلة الشائعة
Welcome to our help center, designed to provide you with answers. Here you will find our الأسئلة الشائعة (al-‘as’ilat al-shā’i’ah), the Arabic for “Frequently Asked Questions.” Browse the topics below to find the solutions and information you need.
AMWAJ means ‘waves’ in Arabic and the English acronym stands for:
A Mediterranean Water And Journalism community for climate action
AMWAJ started as a stand-alone initiative in 2014 with a media training for Mediterranean journalists in Amman, supported by GIZ Jordan. This resulted in a bilingual Arabic-English report about Water Scarcity in Jordan. Since then, AMWAJ has conducted numerous training courses (see: 8). In 2022, the AMWAJ initiative became the AMWAJ Alliance, broadening to incorporate new members in the form of like-minded associations, companies, organisations, and institutions working to advance water-related solutions around the Mediterranean.
The AMWAJ Alliance has been managed by REVOLVE Mediterraneo since 2018. A non-profit organisation registered in Barcelona, Spain, REVOLVE Mediterraneo is part of the REVOLVE Group. In 2025, REVOLVE MENA was registered in Beirut to further reinforce AMWAJ operations for the Middle East and North Africa.
The first AMWAJ Forum took place in November 2016 in Amman, Jordan, under the patronage of HRH Prince Hassan of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and with the support of PepsiCo MENA and other strategic partners.
Communicating water-related issues is at the core of AMWAJ activities. A precursor to AMWAJ’s conception was REVOLVE’s award-winning ‘Water Around the Mediterranean’ report. The report was presented at World Water Week in Marseille and led to the commissioning of two sequel reports by the Union for the Mediterranean in 2016 and 2017.
Water is essential. It is the source of life. All ecosystems (natural or human-made) include water in some way. At a regional level in the Mediterranean, water and the sea also symbolise movement and exchange. At AMWAJ, we care about communicating and raising awareness about the importance of preserving and restoring water ecosystems. We cover water-related issues in different sectors, from agriculture to urban water management, from technological solutions like desalination to river basin management.
Launched in 2024, the Fellowship is geared towards supporting early career journalists in their coverage of water-related topics around the Mediterranean. The goal is to boost their reporting skills while providing the opportunity to do valuable field work that results in original multimedia content.
https://amwaj-alliance.com/media/early-career-journalist-fellowship/
AMWAJ has led numerous journalist training and media literacy courses, including: a training course for journalists in Ramallah, Palestine, with the support of the Swedish Environment Agency (SEA) in 2020; the Innovate4Climate (I4C) hosted by the World Bank Group in 2022 and 2023; and a training on environmental justice in the MENA region with the support of Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung Middle East in 2025.
https://amwaj-alliance.com/our-services/trainings-for-journalists/
Istidama means ‘sustainability’ in Arabic and is the AMWAJ program for supporting innovative small-scale initiatives with fundraising campaigns. AMWAJ has supported the Beirut River Project for river restoration and the Jibal farmer association in southern Lebanon as well as the Blue Filter project for providing clean water to Gaza.
AMWAJ recognises Palestine as a sovereign state and considers that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is unsustainable on all levels, and the Israeli war on Gaza started in 2023, became an act of genocide as per the UN definition of genocide. AMWAJ is in favour of full compliance with international law in all instances of armed conflict and supports a theoretical two-state solution while recognising that the realistic possibility of this occurring is diminishing.
AMWAJ supports international law and a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus issue, in line with United Nations resolutions.
As a platform focused on water, climate, and sustainability in the Mediterranean, AMWAJ mission is to enhance dialogue, knowledge-sharing and environmental cooperation including across divided communities.
AMWAJ supports a peaceful resolution to the ongoing tensions between Algeria and Morocco and calls for the reopening of borders to foster economic cooperation and regional integration. Both countries share a deep cultural and historical bond, and reconnecting their societies can open the door to greater trade, shared use of natural resources, and joint development projects, particularly in sustainability and renewable energy.
We also encourage stronger cultural and academic exchanges, especially among youth, to rebuild trust and shape a shared Mediterranean future grounded in dialogue, knowledge, and opportunity.
AMWAJ considers that the Sahrawi people have the right to determine their own future through democratic and peaceful means in the Western Sahara. We recognise the Polisario Front as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people and support a revised and just resolution of the status of Western Sahara that respects international law and upholds the principle of self-determination. If the will of the Sahrawis is independence, then that desire should be recognised and respected.
Building on the broader goals of the AMWAJ Alliance, the Green Hydrogen Cluster places a strong focus on the intersection of water and energy, particularly the potential of seawater electrolysis as a sustainable method for hydrogen production. The Cluster seeks to connect regional strengths to drive innovation, support local initiatives and position the Mediterranean as a frontrunner in the global shift towards clean energy alternatives.
The AMWAJ dreams of seeing the emergence of a water and energy community that is based on the sharing of natural resources for greater regional cooperation and sustainable economic development for all people around the Mediterranean.