Nine European Union countries are vowing to develop new water conservation technology, as more intense drought seasons brought on by climate change have threatened food security across the Mediterranean region. 

The pledge came as part of a meeting of the so-called "MED9" countries in Cyprus, including leaders with France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Malta, Spain and Slovenia. According to the Associated Press, each country plans to share data and spin up research programs to address growing water shortages that have impacted the agriculture sector. 

"Climate change is a real threat to food production worldwide, and this risk is even more severe in the Mediterranean area,” Spain’s agriculture minister Luis Planas said at the gathering. "We must both fight climate change and, at the same time, adapt the working conditions of our farmers to this new climate situation."

Cyprus agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou said that Europe experienced its worst drought conditions in 500 years in 2023, and that technology like "smart" irrigation systems that disperse water based on weather and soil data can help cut water use by as much as 30%. Leaders are also pushing for more money from the European Union to fund water-saving technologies, as well as a common approach to conserving water for the entire EU.