EMWIS Flash N°105, November 2012

EMWIS Flash - November 2012 Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean. For further information: www.emwis.net Monthly Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, SOGESID- It is available in English, French & Arabic. (French & Arabic versions are available few days later) Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism / Geo-Catalogue / UfM-Water

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In this issue N°105 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash105)
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HEADLINE
1- UfM supports development of the water data management systems in the Mediterranean

IN BRIEF
2- UfM and Turkey discuss concrete ways to support the Gaza Desalination Facility project
3- Halting Desertification in the Jucar River Basin (HALT-JÚCAR-DES) project
4- More than half of EU surface waters below ‘good’ ecological status
5- First pan-European Drought Dialogue Forum, Nicosia (Cyprus)
6- EU: Water management in Europe faces rising challenges as ecosystems weaken
7- JRC: Contributing to EU water protection efforts
8- GIZ: Addressing shared water risks with the private sector
9- Spain: EUR 50 million for water sector investments in Cantabria
10- Palestine: World Bank Invests in Expanded Water and Sewage Services for Gaza
11- Jordan: Disi project to start supplying Amman by July 2013
12- Morocco is threatened by water scarcity
13- Morocco: Launching a platform for implementing projects on access to water

14- Most MENA countries are using their precious water resources excessively
15- Radioactive Water Threatens Middle East
16- ESA - EMWIS collaboration on Earth Observation for better water management
17- Dry Lands Conference:  Climate Change, Food Security and Water Management
18- A new invention facilitating access to drinking water
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS  
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
PROJECTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat held in early November a two-day seminar to discuss the next steps towards the planning and development of a proposed project which aims at strengthening the management, sharing and monitoring of reliable data on water resources in the Mediterranean. The project was proposed by a consortium composed of the Ministry of Energy & Water of Lebanon (MEW), the Centre of Water Studies and Arab Water Security (COWFS) of the League of Arab States and the Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System network (EMWIS). The countries who agreed to participate in a first pilot phase of this overall project are Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. Discussions during the seminar, which brought together promoters and water experts form the initial pilot countries, focused on setting the final objectives of the project, communication and management issues and the fund-raising strategy. Both promoters and pilot countries analysed the synergies and coordination among the national components related to the creation of shared water information systems in each pilot country, and the regional components including methodology, capacity building and data reporting.  Pilot countries’ representatives presented their specific objectives and foreseen developments including the state of play, difficulties and the actors involved. All parties agreed that professional training was necessary in order to improve the production and exploitation of water data in the Arab countries. “We need to train our engineers to provide accurate information for the water information system,” said Chahra Ksia from the Arab Water Security Centre. As next steps to be taken, the UfM foresees the organisation of national Ministerial meetings, and meetings with potential donors. As Walter Mazzitti, President of EMWIS Steering Committee, stated: “This project may become the hat for others projects.” Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretariat, the Palestinian Water Authority and the Government of Turkey recently held talks on the technical and financial aspects of the Gaza Desalination Facility project which will require an investment of €310 Million. Turkey expressed its strong interest to support the project and a financial commitment will be discussed at the Prime Ministerial level in the coming weeks. UfM Deputy Secretary General, Rafiq Husseini, and the Minister of Water of the Palestinian Authority, Dr. Shaddad Attili met with the Minister for Forestry and Water Affairs of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroglu and other Turkish high officials. Discussions focused on the water crisis in the Gaza Strip and the recent UN report “Gaza, A liveable place by 2020” which highlights the disastrous implications of the current situation affecting the Gaza Strip. The Turkish authorities expressed their full support to the UfM project. On 22 June 2011, the Union for the Mediterranean “labelled” its very first project which consists in the construction of a 100 million cubic meters desalination facility and distribution system in the Gaza Strip which will help to address the major water deficit for a population of 1.6 million. The urgency for the Desalination Facility for Gaza has increased with the rising level of Humanitarian crisis in Gaza related to inadequate water resources with related impacts on human health. This humanitarian project will contribute to job creation and future economic and sustainable development in that highly populated region of the Mediterranean. The Arab states and France have already committed financially, and the European Investment Bank is financing the technical assistance towards the implementation of the project. Further information on EMWIS website

3- On November 9th, the 3rd co-ordination meeting of the 2011 Halting Desertification in Europe Pilot projects was organised by the  EC (DG Environment) in Brussels, with the participation of the three projects of this action: 1. Assessment of water balances and optimization based target setting across EU River Basins (ABOT), 2. System of Economic and Environmental Accounts for Water in Guadiana River Basin (GuaSEEAW) and 3. Halting desertification in the Jucar River Basin (Halt-Jucar-Des). It was the occasion to present the stat of progress of those projects and their preliminary results.  Halt-Jucar-Des is coordinated by the Spanish Consulting firm Evaluación de Recursos Naturales, S.A. (EVREN), and the main partner is the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector (EMWIS/SEMIDE). A strong collaboration has been established with the Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ) to ensure the coherence of data compilation, assessment and stakeholders involvement. The project started in January 2012 and will end with a final conference early 2013 to discuss results with stakeholders in the river basin and with water authorities from South Med countries. This action aims to contribute to halting water scarcity, drought and desertification in the pilot basins by supporting the development of drought management plans and in particular the optimisation of measures based on updated water balances (water availability vs. existing demands) using the European Catchment and Rivers Network System (ECRINS) developed by the EEA as geographical reference and the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-W) at a monthly time scale. Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Water pollution and physical modifications are still affecting the ecology of many of Europe’s lakes, rivers, transitional water bodies and coastal waters. These problems are likely to prevent the water bodies reaching ‘good’ status by 2015, a target set by the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD). The report, ‘European waters - assessment of status and pressures’, published this month by the European Environment Agency (EEA), considers the status of 104 000 rivers, 19 000 lakes, and 4000 transitional and coastal water bodies reported by EU Member States according to the WFD and their river basin management plans (RBMPs). Water bodies are generally improving, but not quickly enough to meet the targets set by the WFD – in fact only 52 % of water bodies are predicted to achieve good ecological status by 2015, according to Member States own plans. Many European water bodies remain polluted by excess nutrients, mainly from fertiliser, the report notes. When fertilisers run off from croplands into a water body, it can create eutrophication, a process characterised by increased plant growth and harmful algal blooms, depletion of oxygen and subsequent loss of life in bottom water. Diffuse pollution from agriculture is a significant pressure for more than 40 % of Europe’s water bodies in rivers and coastal waters, and in one third of lakes and transitional waters. The challenges for river basin management are numerous and diverse, the report says. The RBMPs submitted by Member States distinguish between different types of pressures faced by river basins, however they include less detail on how these pressures will be addressed and to what extent selected measures will contribute to achieving environmental objectives in 2015. Further information on EMWIS website

5- The 1st pan-European Drought Dialogue Forum was held on 30-31 October 2012, in Nicosia, under the auspices of the Cyprus EU Presidency. The Forum was opened by H.E. Sofoclis Aletraris, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Cyprus. The forum was organized in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Cyprus Water Development Department. The objective of the Drought Dialogue Forum, was to create an exchange platform among policy-makers, stakeholders and the scientific community on science-policy interactions. The Forum is an interactive drought dialogue which aims at the reduction of future Europe’s vulnerability and risk to drought by using results provided by the research community. Policy makers and researchers were together in order to transfer the benefits from research to address real-life drought problems. A lot of research findings are already available on drought, but its impacts are still a major problem for water users and policy makers.  The pan-European Drought Dialogue Forum in Nicosia will have follow-ups in Lille (2nd Water Framework Directive Conference, June 2013), Greece in 2014 during the Greek EU-Presidency, and Brussels in autumn 2014 (concluding). Further information on EMWIS website.

6- Water pollution and excessive water use are still harming ecosystems, which are indispensable to Europe’s food, energy, and water supplies. To maintain water ecosystems, farming, planning, energy and transport sectors need to actively engage in managing water within sustainable limits. The EEA report ‘European waters – current status and future challenges’ shows a mixed picture for the status of Europe’s water bodies, while the findings are worrying when it comes to ecosystems' ability to deliver essential services. Strong ecosystems should be maintained, partly because they provide vital services which are often overlooked, the report says. For example, restoring a wetland is not only good for biodiversity but also water filtration, water retention and flood prevention. Although essential, these services are not accounted for in current financial and economic systems. Drought is increasing across Europe. The number of countries affected by drought per decade increased from 15 in the period 1971–1980 to 28 in the period 2001–2011. Climate change is expected to exacerbate this problem. Flooding is becoming more frequent, especially in Northern Europe. More than 325 major river floods have been reported in Europe since 1980, of which more than 200 have been reported since 2000.The river basin is the best geographical scale for making accurate ’water accounts’– in effect asset management to balance the incoming and outgoing resources, to evaluate pollution emissions and to make economical assessments.  Upcoming challenges for water resource management can only be met when water managers have the right information at their fingertips. Further information on EMWIS website

7- The JRC published two new assessments on the effectiveness of various measures to improve water availability and water quality by 2030 in support of the European Commission's "Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources". As part of these assessments, a modelling environment was developed to assess optimum combinations of water retention measures, water savings measures, and nutrient reduction measures for continental Europe to 2030. Economic costs and benefits were also taken into account. The analyses outline several measures that could lead to improvements in water availability and water quality. Simulations were carried out to assess the effects of these measures on several hydro-chemical indicators, such as the water exploitation index, environmental flow indicators, nitrate and phosphate concentrations in rivers, and flood risk. Economic losses due to water scarcity were also taken into account for the agricultural sector, the manufacturing-industry sector, the energy-production sector and the domestic sector. The study shows that this modelling software environment can technically deliver optimum scenario combinations of measures that improve various water quantity and quality indicators. However, additional work is needed before final conclusions can be made about using the tool, especially in the areas of economic loss estimations, water prices and price-elasticity, and the implementation and maintenance costs of individual scenarios. The reports give a unique analysis of the effects of several measures on future water availability and quality in Europe and thus provide a solid foundation for potential measures to be taken by national authorities. Further information on EMWIS website.

8- In a recent survey of 315 companies on the Global 500 Index, 59 per cent reported exposure to water-related risks (Carbon Disclosure Project 2011). The most common cause is water scarcity, caused by a growing supply-demand imbalance and exacerbated by climate change. The Water Futures Partnership, founded in 2009 between SABMiller, WWF and GIZ, has taken a range of innovative approaches to help the private sector tackle these risks where they also affect society, known as shared water risks. The partnership facilitates public-private-civil society collective action to improve water management in selected watersheds across three continents. Activities include river restoration, pollution control, wastewater treatment and eliminating thirsty invasive plant species. Further information on EMWIS website

9- The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a EUR 50 million loan to the Cantabria Region to help finance its investment in water and sanitation facilities. The project is designed to increase the reliability and efficiency of the water supply in coastal areas and improve wastewater management through the construction of four treatment plants and various sewerage infrastructure schemes, enabling the Region to comply with the wastewater quality aspects of the EU urban wastewater treatment directive. The sanitation investments are partly included in the Operational Programme for the Environment and will be cofinanced by ERDF funds. Against a background of water shortages, these schemes will have clear environmental benefits, contributing to the efforts to adapt to climate change and meet water demand. The sanitation investments will also help to reduce pollution by improving the quality of discharges into surface and coastal waters, thereby fostering the reuse of domestic wastewater for non-domestic purposes and meeting the objectives of the EU directives. The planned investments under this loan form part of the Water Supply Master Plan and the Sanitation Master Plan for Cantabria. The project is scheduled for completion in 2016. The schemes financed by this loan meet the EU’s objectives for environmental protection, an area in which support for projects in the water sector is a key sphere of EIB activity. Further information on EMWIS website

10- A US$6.4 million grant to improve and expand coverage of water and sewage services in Gaza was approved by the World Bank Group Board of Directors. The Gaza Water Supply and Sewage Systems Improvement Project will finance the rehabilitation and expansion of existing water and wastewater systems and enhance the capacity to provide and maintain water and sewage services. Gaza citizens depend heavily on underground resources for their water supply. Though the only significant available source, groundwater is over utilized and badly contaminated. The over-drafting of the sole aquifer is causing a decline of the groundwater table and a deterioration of water quality. Moreover, most sewage is returned to lagoons, wadis and the sea. The area is now choked with untreated sewage threatening Palestinian health and life, as well as remaining water resources and the environment. The World Bank has had a longstanding focus on water and sanitation in its program for West Bank and Gaza and is stepping in now to help address the critical deterioration of the Gaza water system. The project will fund the construction of water tanks to collect and blend water from different sources in order improve the quality and efficiency of Gaza water supply and wastewater services. In addition, major well fields supplying the middle and southern governorates will be connected. The project will also rehabilitate water distribution networks and water wells. Along with helping the utility improve water collection and reduce system losses, the project will also support more efficient billing and enhanced customer services. A strategic partnership with the Islamic Development Bank will allow a contribution of US$11.14 million in parallel financing to the project. Further information on EMWIS website.

11- Eighty-seven per cent of the Disi Water Conveyance Project in Jordan has been completed and the mega-venture is progressing according to schedule, a source involved in the implementation of the project declared recently. Fifty-five per cent of the project’s production wells have been drilled and 97 per cent of the pipes have been laid, added the source, who requested anonymity. “Blueprints and procurement of materials have been completed, as well as 88 per cent of construction work” the source noted. The Disi project, which started in 2007 and is scheduled to finish next year, entails drilling 64 wells, 55 of which will be used for the generation of water, while nine will serve as piezometer wells to measure the elevation of water. The piezometer wells and 30 production wells are ready, according to the source. The pipeline starts at the ancient Disi aquifer in southern Jordan and ends in Amman, passing through several water stations in Maan, Tafileh, Karak and Madaba. Being carried out on a build-operate-transfer basis and implemented by Turkish company GAMA, the Disi project seeks to provide the capital with 110 million cubic metres of water annually. Experimental pumping from the aquifer is scheduled to start later this year, according to officials at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, who expect 20-30 million cubic metres of Disi water to be pumped to Amman by February next year. The project, which is viewed as the Kingdom’s first step towards achieving water security, will be ready in July 2013. When it is operational, water supply in Amman and Zarqa is expected to improve because subscribers will start receiving water continuously instead of once a week, according to the ministry.  Further information on EMWIS website.

12- According to a report prepared by the High Commission for Water, Forests and the fight against desertification, Morocco has taken a further step towards water scarcity, adding that by 2020, the share of water for every citizen will be reduced by 49%, which means that Moroccan citizens will have less than 400 m3 per year. During the presentation of this report, the High Commissioner for Water and Forests, Mr. El Abdeladhim Hafi, highlighted the serious deterioration of groundwater reserves, particularly in the Souss region (southern of the kingdom). He also warned against the loss of tens of millions of m3 of water due to sediments and mud in several dams. It is true that the demand for potable water mobilizes more than 700 million m3/year. The coverage rate is 80% in urban areas and 30% in rural areas where 70% of the population consumes less than 20 liters / day / capita, the sixth of the daily consumption of a city. The annual rainfall volume estimated at 150 billion m3, but only 30 billion m3 can be considered as national water resources. Due to lack of rainfall in March, the Moroccan government had to develop a program of support to the agricultural sector. For the implementation of this program, a budget of 1.53 billion dirhams was allocated primarily to safeguard the livestock in the affected areas. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- Last 9 and 10 October, a Forum on decentralized solidarity mechanisms for Water and Sanitation in the Mediterranean was held in Oujda, Morocco. The forum focused on solidarity decentralized financing mechanisms for projects of access to drinking water and sanitation in the Mediterranean. This event was attented by more than 150 experts, organizations, elected officials and representatives of civil society in charge of the management of drinking water, sanitation, land use planning and international cooperation from several Mediterranean countries. They have expressed their commitment to make every effort to design and develop solidarity mechanisms and decentralized innovative financing dedicated to widespread access to potable water. The recommendations emphasized the promotion of actions for the benefit of the most vulnerable groups, including women and children, as well as activities for rural areas, particularly those exposed to a degraded environment. A motion to establish a multi-stakeholder platform Mediterranean fostering new partnerships for projects access to water and the environment, inter alia was adopted on this occasion. Further information on EMWIS website

14- The precipitation in the MENA region will decrease between 5 percent and 30 percent. Thus, recharge of groundwater and replenishment of surface waters in the region will decrease. The World Bank (2012) reported that 2010 was the warmest year since the 1800s, with 5 of the 19 countries setting national high-temperature records being Arab countries. Average global surface temperature are likely to rise between 0.6° to 4°C by 2100 (Barghouti 2009), leading to an increase in evaporation and evapotranspiration. These projected trends, when combined, would indicate increases in floods and droughts, which would negatively affect the populations and economies of the region. An important observation was made by Gregoire (2012), who reported an increase in the frequency of natural disasters in the MENA region. He noted, through collation of data from FAO and CRED, that the frequency of reported weather-related natural disasters more than doubled between the two periods 1988–1997 and 1998–2007, where 50 occurrences of droughts, floods, and extreme weather were reported in the former and 116 in the latter. Gregoire noted that droughts have been associated with more intense rainfall, resulting in soil erosion, land degradation, excessive runoff, and flooding. What was observed between 1988 and 2007 in terms of natural disasters serves as a small-scale preview of what might occur in the future should the reaction to climate change remain “business as usual,” with little effort given toward adaptation or mitigation and even less toward building resilient communities able to survive the coming changes with a decent quality of life. Further information on EMWIS website

15- The Middle East and North Africa suffer from water shortages and pump millions of liters a day from ancient aquifers. But the water contains high levels of naturally-occurring radioactive contamination. Experts fear this will increase the cancer risk for millions of people.  Millions of cubic meters of water are now being pumped from such aquifers every day in the Middle East and North Africa. The Disi aquifer project in Jordan will pump about 100 million cubic meters a year from the aquifer to deliver it to the capital Amman through pipelines. But radiation experts warn of an invisible danger. Tests have revealed that the water contains high levels of naturally occurring radioactivity, with samples exhibiting radiation levels well above World Health Organization (WHO) radiation guidelines. The health risk doesn't just affect Jordan, but virtually all of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Jordan is only a small part of the problem. The same geological conditions that make the water from the Disi aquifer radioactive prevail in large parts of the Middle East and North Africa. The problem probably applies to all sandstone aquifers in the region, which means that it affects hundreds of millions of people. Only 10 percent of the Disi aquifer passes through Jordanian territory. The rest is in Saudi Arabia, where it's called the Saq aquifer.  In a research published in 2008, the BRGM, the French national geological service, encountered a strange phenomenon: Contamination with radionuclides appears to be especially high in places where the water level in the aquifers is declining the most precipitously. While the reasons are unclear, say the French scientists, the water threatens to become "unfit for both human consumption and agricultural use. The problem of radioactive contamination of the groundwater is complex and probably widespread," the French geologists conclude.  Further information on EMWIS website.

16- EMWIS Technical Unit and the European Space Agency (ESA) joint again their forces to organize a regional training session targeting water managers and remote sensing centres representatives from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. This event is a follow up of the brainstorming workshop that took place in Frascati (Italy) in September 2010 as the training topics are targeting some key priorities identified in the concept note produced as a result of the 2010 workshop for the use of earth observation technologies for water management such as hydrology modelling, water efficiency for irrigation, water consumption for agriculture, rainfall. Training sessions are organised over two days (2-3 December) while the third day is dedicated to a workshop to revise the concept note, integrate some capacity building on earth observation into the project under preparation with the Union for the Mediterranean on  the creation of Shared National Water Data Management Systems in Mediterranean countries and to discuss coordination with the project recently launched by World Bank and Nasa aiming at improving local and regional management of water and agriculture by means of remote sensing technology. Further information on EMWIS website

17- The International Conference on Food Security in Dry Lands aimed to develop recommendations in areas related to policy strategies and investments to boost agricultural production, enhance food security and increase resilience to price shocks. Conference participants focused on issues related to food security, water management and responsible investment. The Conference, which took place from 14-15 November 2012, in Doha, Qatar, brought together representatives from government, academia, development agencies, civil society and the private sector. In his address to the Conference, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the particular vulnerability of dryland inhabitants to climate change impacts and food insecurity. Noting that drylands occupy 40% of the planet's land area. Ban called for action on reducing land degradation and improving water security through reforming agricultural practices and making food systems sustainable. He noted that such an approach is at the center of the Zero Hunger Challenge that will promote efficiency through the food chain, reduce impacts and waste and nurture soil. He added that these efforts will manage risk by improving the ability to forecast weather and develop climate-resilient crops. Further information on EMWIS website.

18- A young Italian student has developed a system that could greatly facilitate the lives of thousands of people with no access to drinking water. Faced with the global crisis of water, Gabriele Diamanti, graduate designer proposes a new solar furnace to transform salty seawater into drinking water. He called his invention "Eliodomesticois". It is very simple, but really effective. Specifically, the solar oven while working as a ceramic coffee "upside down." It suffices to pour salt water in the black part above water which is then heated by the sun. Once the evaporation process started, the cumulative pressure will push the vapor through a pipe in the middle, which will condense on the cover of the bowl bottom of the device to finally flow into a cup receiving the valuable liquid desalinated . A total of 5 liters of drinking water each day can be collected through this system that costs just 50 dollars (39 euros). And if the student has used the Alpine clay, the concept can also be adapted to any material. Similarly, the invention is completely royalty free which means that anyone can create a Eliodomestico at home. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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19- Libya: Mr Alhadi Suleiman Hinshir nominated Minister of Water Resources. Mr. Alhadi Suleiman Hinshir has been nominated Minister of Water Resources in the new government of Libya. Libya’s General National Congress has approved last November 2nd, the new government proposed by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. A total of 105 members voted in favour, with nine voting against, and 18 abstentions. Among the list also: Minister of Agriculture: Mr Ahmed Ali Al-Orfi. Further information on EMWIS website

20- "Vacancy Announcement: World Water Council Executive Director": Every three years, the World Water Council organises the World Water Forum with over 20,000 participants from around the world. The World Water Council’s multi-cultural and dynamic headquarters in Marseille, France, employs highly motivated individuals and is seeking to appoint its Executive Director. Duty station: World Water Council, Headquarters (Marseille, France) Reporting to: President. Availability: 01 January 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- Senior-level (P4) Monitoring and Evaluation Position at the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) based in Geneva, Switzerland. The application deadline is 30 December.  Further information on EMWIS website.

22- Innovation award bestowed on efforts to promote household water treatment: The P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program has won the 2012 Social Innovation Award from the Economist. This P&G programme is a member and strong supporter of the WHO/UNICEF Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage Network. Further information on EMWIS website.

23- Third Call of Mediterranean Office for Youth (MOY): The Mediterranean Office for Youth (MOY) finances the mobility of students and young professionals in the Mediterranean area. The eligible countries of the Mediterranean basin that can apply to this initiative are the following: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.  Applications must be submitted both electronically and by mail, no later than January 31, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

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PUBLICATIONS
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24- "Europe: Water resources in the context of vulnerability": This report published by EEA (European Environment Agency) describes how the natural cycle of water availability is continuously coming under threat from a variety of different pressures like droughts and water scarcity, pollution, and flood risks which all increase the vulnerability of the freshwater ecosystems and societies. Further information on EMWIS website

25- "European waters: current status and future challenges - a synthesis": This report published by EEA (European Environment Agency) is a synthesis of the main messages from nine EEA reports dealing directly or indirectly with water ecosystems or the pressures acting upon them. Further information on EMWIS website

26- "Using scenarios to improve understanding of environment and security issues": The Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) is running the joint project 'Security implications of climate change in the OSCE regions' with the aim of improving understanding of the links between global megatrends and environment, and the security of food, fuel and water in different regions. This brochure provides a project overview, which includes the results of workshops carried out so far. Further information on EMWIS website

27- "National Capacities for the Management of Shared Water Resources": This report provides a holistic view on shared water resources in the ESCWA region that takes into account the current challenges facing countries of the region and reflects them into the recent regional institutional and legal development in order to identify the gaps and clarify the prospects for sustained cooperation on shared water between countries of the region.  Further information on EMWIS website

28- "Removal and relationships of microbial indicators in a water treatment and reclamation facility": A wastewater treatment and reclamation facility in north-east Spain was monitored over 1 year to determine the occurrence and concentrations of different microbial indicators (Escherichia coli, fecal enterococci, somatic bacteriophages and spores of sulfite-reducing clostridia).  Further information on EMWIS website

29- "Water Challenges and Cooperative Response In the Middle East and North Africa": The Stimson Center announced the release of a new report, Water Challenges and Cooperative Response in the Middle East and North Africa. Home to more than 7 percent of the world’s population, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is endowed with less than 1.5 percent of the world’s renewable freshwater.  Further information on EMWIS website.

30- "Water crisis: Switzerland – part of the problem and part of the solution": Water scarcity, climate change, food insecurity, and migration are among the challenges that require concerted solutions at the international level. Three times each year, the Global Brief will look at the way the SDC addresses these issues and the results it achieves. Further information on EMWIS website

31- "Water Trading and Global Water Scarcity: International Experiences": The book studies the institutional framework and how transactions have been undertaken, drawing some lessons on how trading can improve.  Further information on EMWIS website.

32- "Decentralization of drinking water & sanitation services": by Frédéric Naulet, Stephanie Oudot & Janique Etienne. In the 1990s, the issue of decentralization has emerged in many countries. States face a crisis of legitimacy, greatly weakened by structural adjustment policies, decentralization reforms have emerged as a way of bringing the "low" local companies government, and initiate development dynamics local. In drinking water and sanitation, decentralization policies have often resulted in the transfer of project management skills to local authorities from these reforms.  What are the effects of decentralization policies on governance of water and sanitation services? Under which conditions these reforms can contribute to improving services? How sustainable capacity of local governments? & other questions are addressed in this book that transcribes the proceedings of a workshop held in August 2011 at the initiative of AFD and Gret. Further information on EMWIS website (Only in French)

33- "New publication: a global survey of urban water tariffs": This paper, A global survey of urban water tariffs: are they sustainable, efficient and fair? (with Christopher Gasson), was just published. Further information on EMWIS website

34- TourMedEau is a project funded by the European Union under the program Ciudad - Cooperation In Urban Development And Dialogue - which aims to develop a system of sustainable water management in tourist areas of the Mediterranean. TourMedEau has published its newsletter n°5. Further information on EMWIS website.

35- Water Resources Management, Vol. 26, Issue 15 is available. Further information on EMWIS website

36- Water Policy Volume 14 Number 6 is available. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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37- Designing the 2015 Global Climate Change Agreement: "EuropeAid/133686/C/ACT/Multi". The European Commission (EC) has issued a call for proposals for ‘Designing the 2015 Global Climate Change Agreement’ under the Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources including Energy (ENRTP). The programme helps developing countries and partner organisations to address environmental and natural resource management issues. The global objective of this call for proposals is to support the negotiations under the ADP (Durban Platform for Enhanced Action).  This is a restricted Call for Proposals. In the first instance, only Concept Notes must be submitted for evaluation. Thereafter, applicants whose Concept Notes have been pre-selected will be invited to submit a Full Application Form. The deadline to submit applications is 22 December 2012 at 13:00 hrs (Brussels date and time). Further information on EMWIS website.

38- The European Commission has published a contract forecast notice for the second phase of the Euromed programme for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters (PPRD) South with a budget of €5 million. The reference is EuropeAid/133524/C/SER/Multi.  The overall objective of this technical assistance contract is to reduce vulnerability to, and the social, economicand environmental costs of, natural and man-made disasters in the ENP South region (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,Libya, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia), thereby enhancingregional and national sustainable development and climate adaptation. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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39- CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering) and CIHEAM – Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari are organizing 1st Inter-regional Conference on Land and Water Challenges entitled “Water, environment and agriculture: challenges for sustainable development”. The Conference will be held in Bari (Italy), from 10 to 14 September 2013. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is March 31, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

40- EIST Special Issue - Transitions Through a Lens of Urban Water - Call for Papers: The Call for Papers below, for a Special Issue in preparation for the journal Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions.  December 10^th, 2012: deadline for submission of abstracts. Further information on EMWIS website.

41- The XIth International Symposium on Environment, Catalysis and Process Engineering (ECGP’11), 26-28 June, 2013, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France calls for abstracts submission up to 31th of January, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

42- Call for abstracts for the 5th Delft Symposium on Water Sector Capacity Development to be held in Delft (Netherlands) on 29- 31/05/2013.  Abstract deadline: 15 December 2012. Further information on EMWIS website

43- Call for abstracts for the 12th International Conference CCWI 2013: Computing and Control for the Water Industry: “Informatics for Water Systems and Smart Cities”.  The main focus of the conference is on water supply/distribution and urban drainage/sewerage systems. Submission of abstracts: 1 February 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

44- The "International Symposium on Materials and Sustainable Development" will be held from 6 to 9 May 2013 in Boumerdes (Algeria). The CIMDD'2013 wants to be a global forum for researchers and PhD students of various branches and specialties to present and discuss recent innovations and new techniques in materials science and sustainable development. December 31, 2012 is the deadline for registration and papers submission. Further information on EMWIS website

45- Call for abstracts for the CMTDE 2013: The 4th Maghreb Conference on Desalination and Water Treatment to be held in Hammamet (Tunisia) from 15 to 18 December 2013. Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

46- SHF - Call for papers for "Extreme hydrological events in 2013: Extreme events of floods: from the study to the hazard risk management for hydraulic structures", Lyon, November or December 2013. The deadline for abstracts submission is: January 15, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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47- Water Security for Policy Makers and Practitioners Short Course 10–14 June 2013: The course is designed for entry and mid-level water and development policy-makers and professionals in government, donor, NGO or implementing agencies, environmental journalists, consultants and activists wishing to take their knowledge of water resources further. This course will be held at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK from the 10–14 June 2013 for a fee of £1,500 (inc. of accommodation). Further information on EMWIS website.

48- Call for Applications for the e-Learning Course on International Water Law: The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the University of Geneva have the pleasure to invite you to apply for their e-Learning Course on International Water Law that will take place from 1 February to 4 March 2013. Applicants must be between 25 and 45 years old and have a background in law, political science, economics or international relations, or have work experience in freshwater issues. The deadline for applications is 17 December 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

49- Call for applications for the International training course: "Integrated Sustainable Coastal Development – MENA region": September 9–27, 2013 in Sweden & February 2–13, 2014 in Jordan. Closing date for application is: February 15, 2013. This course will be organized next year for participants from Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. The participants would only have to pay their international travel to Sweden; all other costs are covered. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- The European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) and Venice International University(VIU) announced their annual European Summer School in Resource and Environmental Economics for postgraduate students. The 2013 Summer School will take place from June 30th to July 6th, at the VIU campus on the Island of San Servolo, in Venice, located just in front of St. Mark’s Square. The theme of this Summer School is Uncertainty, Innovation and Climate Change. Deadline for applications: February 1st, 2013.  Further information on EMWIS website

51- The Erasmus Mundus Programme in Flood Risk Management: Global Change, Hydroinformatics and Planning (FLOODRisk) focuses on integrated flood risk management. Start date: Annually in September. Duration: 24 Months. Locations: Delft (the Netherlands), Dresden (Germany), Barcelona (Spain) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). Degree: Successful candidates receive MSc degrees from TU Dresden, UNESCO-IHE and UPC, Barcelona. Apply for the 2013/2015 Programme now.  For applicants who wish to receive an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship: for applicants from non-European countries: 6 January 2013 and for applicants from European countries: 13 January 2013. For those who intend to finance the study by private means: 1 August 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

52- "eLearning on Floods from WISE-RTD": These elearning modules help visitors to explore the WISE-RTD water knowledge portal in an interactive and entertaining way. It focuses on resolving important water issues with the help of advisors by combining policy, science and industry perspectives. The 1st module was related to "Dealing with Floods". The second elearning module is dedicated to "Preventing Future Floods". After completing the course you will understand: 1. how policy-implementers, researchers and consultants think and act to prevent future floods by using the WISE-RTD Water Knowledge Portal to find and use information; 2. why it is so challenging to achieve good communication links between policy, science and industry. Further information on EMWIS website.

53- Global Campus for Water & Development receives green light: The UNESCO-IHE Governing Board approved the plans to start preparation activities for the UNESCO-IHE Global Campus for Water & Development. The Global Campus will close the gap in the broad field of specialist capacity needed in the field of water worldwide by providing more education at a regional level to young talented people via partners and in the future also in collaboration with regional UNESCO-IHE institutes.  Further information on EMWIS website.

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EVENTS (Full Agenda)
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PROJECTS (Projects database)
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WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP7, INTERREG, etc.)

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