The Water Pillar in the Mattei Plan
Development strategies, impact and opportunities for the Italian water industry
Water in Piano Mattei of Italian Government
The framework document of the Mattei Plan presented by the government outlines six pillars (education and training, agriculture, health, energy, infrastructure, water), including the one related to water.
In this regard, it is stated that “the interventions will involve the drilling of wells powered by photovoltaic systems; the maintenance of existing water points; investments in distribution networks; and awareness-raising activities concerning the use of clean and potable water.”
It is also evident that the issue of water affects the other pillars: from agriculture, the primary consumer of the resource, to health, with essential sanitation interventions linked to urban systems, as well as infrastructure and energy.
The enormous gap in investments and financing in the sector concerns various aspects: access to the resource, the sanitary conditions of many urban agglomerations, water infrastructure, the management of the integrated waste/water cycle, and the introduction of technological innovations related to smart water systems.
In 2026, Rome will host the First Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, which will be an opportunity to revive the country’s leadership in the water sector, given the growing social, political, and economic importance of water.
But what are the real needs of the continent? What are the priorities indicated in continental strategic plans (Africa 2063) and those of individual countries, particularly the nine included in the Italian government’s Mattei Plan? What are the financial instruments that can be mobilized at the international level and those from the private sector? What opportunities does our country have to offer its know-how, manufacturing, and engineering capabilities to positively impact the sustainable development of the continent in the water sector?
The debate aims to contribute to a comprehensive, equal, and concrete intervention strategy, in the spirit of the Mattei Plan, by bringing together African actors (from institutions and businesses), the Italian water supply chain (multi-utilities, engineering companies, innovation companies in the sector), and outlining a working roadmap for tangible results.
