EMWIS Flash N°78, March 2010

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- Barcelona has become the "capital and driver of Mediterranean unity", according to the new Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Ahmad Masadeh, speaking as the UfM presented him at the ceremony to open its new Barcelona headquarters on 4 March. This new stage in Euro-Mediterranean relations is intended to achieve a more dynamic association of EU countries and their Mediterranean partners, according to a press release from the EU's Spanish Presidency. The ceremony at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona was attended by the Foreign Ministers of Spain, France, Egypt and Jordan, the European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle, the Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, the High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilisations Jorge Sampaio, the Catalonian President José Montilla, and the Mayor of Barcelona Jordi Hereu. The UfM welcomed, from its beginning, the principles, values and goals set out 15 years ago in the Declaration of Barcelona: to work together to make the Mediterranean a place of peace, development and human and cultural dialogue. The six priority projects of the organisation are the de-pollution of the Mediterranean, maritime and overland highways, civil protection, alternative energies and producing a Mediterranean Solar Energy Plan, the creation of the Euro-Mediterranean University and the development of business in the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

3- The availability of water is the key issue for farmers in the Mediterranean as a result of climate change, Agriculture Ministers from 13 Mediterranean countries have heard. A Spanish EU Presidency press release said that at the 8th meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), held in Istanbul, Spain's Minister of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa, highlighted the importance of implementing policies that encourage the agricultural sector to adapt to climate change. The Minister said water availability was one of the major consequences of climate change for the agriculture of Mediterranean countries and pointed out that water was an essential element for improving food safety, for increasing crop productivity and for promoting the economic development of rural areas. She added that saving water would not be enough and that reusing waste water and using desalination when possible would be needed; she went on to stress the need to continue exploring new ways of obtaining these resources using as little energy as possible in order to reduce their cost and their environmental consequences. Discussions at the meeting focused on ‘The effects of climate change on food security and food safety in the Mediterranean Region and actions to be taken'. A CIHEAM press release issued ahead of the meeting said that, "Since all regional climate models agree in considering the Mediterranean region as one of the potentially most severely affected by climate change in the world, attempts to assess the future of Mediterranean food production must consider the complex interaction of factors determining the use of land and water resources, the choice of most suited crops and their interactions with social dynamics." Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Water experts called for greater coordination and sharing of information among Arab countries to tackle the challenge of water scarcity and the threat of climate change. During a one-day seminar on 30 March 2010 on water security in the Arab world, experts from Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and other countries discussed means to deal with the current water crisis in the Middle East and beyond. The seminar's recommendations included adopting water security as a permanent file for discussion at Arab summits and conducting studies on the impact of decreasing rainfall on the environment. Experts also called on organisations around the Middle East to look into the impact of recent natural disasters that hit the region, including flash floods in Saudi Arabia and Yemen as well as hurricane Juno which hit Oman in 2007. Water harvesting during rainy seasons and improvement of infrastructure in impoverished countries with high populations were mentioned as important measures to help reduce the water deficit in these countries. Recommendations also included the need to establish a joint database of surface and underground water resources and to identify water borders for Arab countries, particularly Jordan, one of the most water impoverished countries in the world. Experts at a conference held earlier this month warned that water scarcity compounded by climate change may hinder the Kingdom's ability to meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The Ministry of Environment in December 2009 launched a $4.3 million programme to develop the Kingdom's adaptation to climate change and sustain its MDG achievements. Experts say natural sources of water such as rain and underground aquifers will not be enough to secure the needs of Jordan's population of six million. They said the Red-Dead Canal and the construction of desalination plants represent the ideal solution to ease the impact of water scarcity and enhance water security in Jordan. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) announced its Annual Conference on 4-5 November 2010 in Beirut: "Water: Sustainable Management of a Scarce Resource". The conference will debate a comprehensive report on water, being prepared by AFED experts. The report, highlighting the need for more sustainable management of a scarce resource, is the third in a State of Arab Environment series published by AFED. It follows the publication of two reports, Arab Environment: Future Challenges in 2008 and Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries in 2009, which were highly acclaimed. AFED's Secretary General Najib Saab explained that, "Policy recommendations will be prominent throughout the report, leading to reforms necessary to develop a sustainable water sector in the Arab region." Describing the water dilemma in Arab countries, Saab said that "Per capita share of water is declining due to swift increase in population, major water sources are from outside Arab borders or shared, and most available water resources are already developed," adding that "needs exceed availability, which requires rational use of available sources in all sectors and developing new sources, such as desalination and rain harvesting." Edited by Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry, former chief of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the AFED water report will be a joint effort of leading experts and research centers across the region and beyond. AFED Annual conference has become the major environmental gathering in the Middle East, due to the timely themes discussed and the wide spectrum of participants, representing major players from the private and public sectors, along with civil society, academia and media. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- Governments of 27 member states of the European Union and 14 other European countries has just recognized that access to water and sanitation is a right for every human being and not merely a need as tried to pretend the United States and some other states during the last World Water Forum. The statement which was joined by 14 other European countries makes more than 160 the number of states that have officially recognized the right to water in international fora. Previously, the highest representatives of the UN, UNESCO, WHO, UNDP, parliamentary bodies of the EU and Europe Council, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the highest religious authorities and representatives of civil society had always defended this right. Further information on EMWIS website.

9- EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle has signed a memorandum of understanding in Tunisia for the new National Indicative Programme (NIP) worth €240 million for the period 2011-2013. The Commissioner was on a two-day visit to Tunisia, his first visit to a southern Mediterranean country since he took office in February 2010. He met Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane, as well as the ministers of Development and International Cooperation, and Industry and Technology. Among the issues raised during his visit was the question of advanced status following a proposal submitted by Tunisia, as well as financial and technical cooperation, and issues such as the Union for the Mediterranean or security in the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- A study of seawater desalination at Zarat, Tunisia, was one of nine projects and programs given grants by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in agreements signed with the Tunisian government on 12 March 2010. The grant agreements totalled US$ 6.6 million. The donation for the Zarat study is financed from the resources of the Japanese Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA), administered by AfDB. The FAPA is a component of the enhanced assistance to the private sector in heavily indebted poor countries, a joint initiative of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and AfDB. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved last 23 March 2010 a loan for Egypt in the amount of $ 30 million as additional financing for the Second National Drainage Project. $30 million to increase the agriculture productivity of irrigated lands through improved drainage and the provision of subsurface drains to all irrigated areas. The project will help avoid yield and production losses that result from water logging and soil salinity problems. The project aims to support the Government of Egypt's (GoE) efforts to increase the agriculture productivity of irrigated lands through the improved drainage of agricultural lands and the provision of all irrigated areas with subsurface drains. The main objectives of the original project and of the additional financing project are to: a) increase the agriculture productivity of irrigated lands by improving drainage conditions through evacuation of excess irrigation water by subsurface drains; and b) to avoid yield and production losses on this land, which would result if water logging and soil salinity problems were to persist. The original Second National Drainage Project - NDP II (2000 -2008) was financed by about US$ 143.6 million from the World Bank, KFW, and the European Investment Bank, and a grant from the Netherlands in addition to Government contribution. The Project managed to install sub-surface drains in about 0.91 million feddans and remodeling of open drains, where needed, of about 0.44 million feddans as well as building institutional capacity of the implementing agency. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- Pressure is mounting on the Egyptian authorities to do more to protect the Nile Delta, which provides up to a third of the country's agricultural produce, from rising sea levels. A report released in March by the Arab League said a half-to-one-metre sea level rise over the coming 100 years could cause much of the Delta to be submerged. It also said soil erosion on the banks of the Delta could lead to a decline in agricultural yields. In response, Egyptian Environment Minister Maged George said the government was studying "the adverse effects of climate change in coordination with the specialized authorities" and working "to raise society's environmental behaviours through raising environmental awareness among individuals and institutions". He said the government was offering financial incentives to support environmentally friendly facilities or initiatives and would "toughen penalties against violations and risky environmental practices". Some parts of the Delta nearest to the Mediterranean Sea have already been inundated, including parts of the ancient city of Rosetta. The Mediterranean has risen 20cm in the past century and saltwater intrusion is now a major problem, experts say. They expect the sea level to keep rising and flood large swathes of land in Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city. Alexandria governor Adel Labib said the government gave his office 150 million Egyptian pounds (US$27.5 million) to take the necessary measures to protect the coast. Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasr Allam said his ministry had drawn up plans to protect Egypt's shores, but this does not seem to have allayed fears of a sinking Delta. The NGO Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights recently called on the authorities to provide evacuation tips to Delta residents in case of a major flood. It also said the government should to start making plans to compensate residents if they lost their homes and farms. Scientists generally predict that the Mediterranean, and the world's other seas, will rise 30-100cm by the end of the century, flooding coastal areas along the Delta. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- ROOTS^TM BLOWERS, MANUFACTURED by Dresser, Inc., a leader in providing highly engineered products for global infrastructure projects, have been specified for a project that is making potable water available to villages in Upper Egypt where it is desperately needed. The project deploys portable, turnkey water treatment plants to rural villages to purify local water and prevent outbreaks of waterborne illnesses. Typically these plants produce 100 m3 (approximately 26,500 gallons) of clean water per hour. The Dresser Roots Egyptian distributor, Tartoussieh Engineering of Cairo, supplied 249 of the ROOTS Universal RAI® blower packages to the three contractors - Veolia, Pharoahs Engineering and Aircraft Factory Helwan - who were selected to provide the water treatment plants. ROOTS blowers were chosen for the project because of their rugged construction and flexible configuration to meet a wide variety of installation specifications. Supplying clean water to its citizenry is a high priority and an ongoing challenge for the Egyptian government. The Nile River provides an estimated 97 per cent of the renewable water resources in Egypt. Yet it is subject to pollution by run-off from industrial waste and sewage, the latter because sanitary sewage treatment capacity has not kept pace with the country's population growth. Conventional water purification processes have sometimes proved inadequate when chlorination treatment has interacted with some of the pollutants and created additional health hazards. The potable water treatment plants are part of a larger, E£1.3 billion (US$240mn) initiative by the Egyptian government, with support from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the National Organization for Potable Water & Sanitary Drainage. The goal of this environmental initiative is to provide safe drinking water and expand the capacity of the country's sanitary sewage treatment infrastructure. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- Poor planning and management, wasteful irrigation systems, intensive wheat and cotton farming and a rapidly growing population are straining water resources in Syria in a year which has seen unprecedented internal displacement as a result of drought in eastern and north eastern parts of the country. Compared to other Middle Eastern countries, Syria is not naturally water poor. According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Arab Human Development Report 2009, Syria was ranked 13th out of 20 Arab countries for precipitation per capita. Annual per capita water consumption was 300 cubic metres, making it ninth out of 18 Arab countries but significantly below the global water scarcity mark of 1,000 cubic metres per capita. The global average is 6,750 cubic metres. In 2007 Syria consumed 19.2 billion cubic metres of water - 3.5 billion more than the amount of water replenished naturally, with the deficit coming from groundwater and reservoirs, according to the Ministry of Irrigation. Agriculture accounts for almost 90 percent of the country's water consumption, according to government and private sector.   Agricultural policies encourage water-hungry wheat and cotton cultivation, and inefficient irrigation methods mean much water is wasted. The recent influx of hundreds of thousands of people from drought-affected regions into towns and cities is placing a huge strain on urban water supplies. The Damascus water basin is a closed water system and its resources are being depleted. The city water network leaks up to 60 percent of the water it carries, according to the local authorities. Migrants living on the outskirts are having to pay for water from tankers at an inflated price. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- With the support of the EU, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing emergency food assistance to almost 200,000 people in the rural northeast of Syria, where the drought of 2009 has severely affected small-scale farmers and herding families. An EU Delegation press release said that thanks to donations from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) as well as other organizations and countries, the WFP will provide families with a two-month food ration that includes rice, bulgur, oil, wheat flour, chickpeas and salt. The UN food agency has so far received US$8.2 million out of the required US$22 million needed to provide food assistance to up to 300,000 people. In addition, the WFP will start distributing supplementary feeding rations to children under five, and to pregnant and nursing mothers in Al-Shadadi district of Al-Hasakeh, one of the worst-affected areas with the highest rate of migration and school closures. Further information on EMWIS website.

17- The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has joined the Water Footprint Network as its hundredth partner. Partners of the network subscribe to the need to have a globally shared water footprint standard. A shared standard is crucial given the rapidly growing interest in companies and governments to use water footprint assessments as a basis for formulating sustainable water strategies and policies. The Water Footprint Network has produced the Water Footprint Manual as the current standard. The manual is freely available. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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21- New National Focal Point Coordinator for EMWIS in Egypt: Dr. Hesham Mostafa Mohamed Ali has been nominated New director of Water Information Center (WIC) in the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (Egypt). He replaced Dr. Mohamed Rami Mahmoud in this position, and he became the new National Focal Point for EMWIS (Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector) in Egypt. Egypt was one of the first participants in the EMWIS Initiative and has been taking part in it since 1998. Egypt contributed to all the discussions and ideas that led to the promotion of EMWIS such as introducing the Arabic language. In July 2006, Egypt began the development of its EMWIS website sponsored by the Italian Cooperation, which is now available online. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- The Mediterranean Action Plan Secretariat seeks a Coordinator. The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) is one of the UNEP's Regional Seas Programmes encompassing a comprehensive system of activities for the protection and the sustainable development of the Mediterranean region based on a legal framework (the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols). This coordinator should work under the overall guidance of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Barcelona Convention and the Director, Division of Environmental Policy implementation (DEPI), and closely with the UNEP/DEPI Coordinator for the Coastal and Marine Branch. Deadline for applications: 21 May 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

24- SIWI Announced the 2010 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate on World Water Day: Dr Rita Colwell, distinguished Professor from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States, has been named the 2010 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. Dr Colwell's pioneering research on the prevention of waterborne infectious diseases has helped protect the health and lives of millions. Further information on EMWIS website.

25- IMDEA ("Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados" -Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies) is the new institutional framework established by the Government of the Region of Madrid (Spain) to effectively combine and increase both public and private support for research of excellence in the region. IMDEA comprises a network of research institutes in areas of high economic impact, including: energy, food sciences, materials, nanotechnology, networks, social sciences, software, and water. AMAROUT Europe is a Marie Curie Action (PEOPLE-COFUND) to foster and consolidate the European Research Area by attracting to Europe and, in particular, to the region of Madrid (Spain) top research talent. AMAROUT contributes with IMDEA to turning Madrid into one of the top knowledge generation regions in Europe. To accomplish this, during the next 4 years, the AMAROUT program will finance up to 132 researchers to join the IMDEA network of research institutes for one year (renewable up to twice). Further information on EMWIS website.

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PUBLICATIONS
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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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48- "ENPI-MED CBC: call for strategic projects announced": The Joint Management Authority announced that the call for proposal on strategic projects for Cross-Boarder Cooperation in the Mediterranean will be launched during the second semester 2010. These projects will involve a minimum of four partners representing four different countries, of which at least one EU Mediterranean Country and one Mediterranean Partner Country. Their budget range from a minimum of € 2 million up to a maximum of € 5 million. Budget announced for this call about € 37 million. Water management will be one of the priority topics with 2 sub-themes: i) Quantity and quality of supply, with a focus on alternative water supplies and wastewater re-use; ii) Efficient use of water resources, with a focus on agricultural use. The following partner countries have signed a Financing Agreement with the European Commission : - Egypt - Israel - Jordan - Lebanon - Palestinian Authority - Syria - Tunisia. These countries are now fully eligible to receive Programme funds. All the Financing Agreements have been countersigned by the Joint Managing Authority. Further information on EMWIS website.

49- Service forecast notice for Support Mechanism for sustainable water management and Mediterranean de-pollution programme: A restricted individual service contract forecast for the Support Mechanism for the Sustainable Water Management and De-Pollution of the Mediterranean programme has been announced by EuropeAid, under the publication reference EuropeAid/129399/C/SER/MULTI. The purposes are: to draw the attention of Mediterranean Partner Countries' decision-makers and stakeholders to existing and forthcoming threats to water resources, to the necessity to adopt a more appropriate water consumption and water use model, as well as to the existence of solutions to tackle the problem; to support Partner Countries in designing and implementing sustainable water management policies at national and local levels, in liaison with existing international initiatives in the area concerned; to contribute to ensuring institutional reinforcement and the development of the necessary planning and management skills, in line with Horizon 2020 objectives, and facilitate transfer of know how. These project purposes will be pursued with a view to addressing the four interlinked issues referred to in the new Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean: water governance, water and climate change, water financing and water demand management. The indicative maximum budget, funded under the ENPI South programme, is €7 million. Deadline for receipt of applications: 30 April 2010 (16:00), Central European Time. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- "Water competitions for all" call for projects: For the second consecutive year, the SUEZ ENVIRONMENT Foundation - WATER FOR ALL, based at the Institute of France, launched the competition "Water for All". It aims to develop projects promoting the improvement, development and professionalization of urban services of water and sanitation in developing countries. Two prizes will be awarded in May 2010 in Paris: - Grand Prize, awarded a sum of 100 000 EUR, - Special Prize, awarded a sum of 30 000 EUR. The call for applications is open till December 15, 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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TRAINING
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55- Call for applications of the Arab Water Academy (AWA) PhD Programme on "Water Governance and Policies: Building Capacity in the MENA Region through Cross-Learning": As Arab countries begin to acknowledge the centrality of institutional and governance issues in water management, it becomes crucial to respond to this need by training young leaders in the field of water resource management, as well as professionals with a multi-disciplinary approach (for example associating agronomy or rural engineering with social science and management). While such perspectives can be passed on to water decision-makers through capacity building – like the training courses organized by the AWA on issues such as water governance, water demand management, or water diplomacy – it is also important to increase efforts at the level of academia by supporting the training of students in interdisciplinary Master's and PhD programs relating to water as well as to social sciences and management in general. Acknowledging this challenge, the Academy, in collaboration with several partners in the region and at international levels, is extending support to PhD students interested in addressing and studying the institutional, social, economic/financial and policy dimensions of water management. The deadline for applications is 20 April 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

56- WaDImena has organized a National Course on Water Demand Management (WDM) in Cairo from 1 – 3 March 2010 for water practitioners in Egypt. The course responds to the need for a better understanding of the opportunities and constraints associated with the effective integration of Water Demand Management in responding to water scarcity in the MENA region-with a focus on Egypt. This activity is organized in partnership with The Water Arab Academy and the National Water Research Center (NWRC) in Egypt. It is a learning program designed as a national course to be delivered in the format of a national exchange platform guided by National Water Resources Centre that will target senior managers in different key ministries and other agencies to reflect collectively on WDM issues and priorities in Egypt and concrete ways for WDM integration and uptake. The course in Egypt has been fine-tuned following a similar activity in Morocco for Moroccan managers and in the UAE, for regional training. Further information on EMWIS website.

57- The Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland organizes a Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) course on the topic of "Integrated Water Resource Management in the context of Developing and Transition Countries" from the 16/08/2010 - 27/08/2010 in Switzerland. Registration deadline is 14th May 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

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EVENTS (Full Agenda)
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BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
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ABOUT EMWIS (Priorities, Activities, Objectives, Structure, Funding, Team)
WATER in the EURO-MED PARTNERSHIP (MEDA programme, Key dates, European Neighbourhood Policy)
EMWIS NATIONAL WEBSITES: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg
EMWIS WATER MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS (Available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish & Italian)- Water glossaries
WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP6, INTERREG, etc)
DOCUMENTATION (EMWIS meetings, Documentary database, Funding for water, Key documents, Water Legislation)
WHO DOES WHAT IN THE WATER SECTOR (By contacts, organisations & information sources)
PARTNERS & SPONSORS (OIEau, CEDEX, SOGESID, EC, INBO, IME, GWP-Med, MED-EUWI, SMAP-RMSU)
MEDA-WATER PROJECTS (ADIRA, EMPOWERS, EMWater, IrWA, ISIIMM, MEDAWARE, MEDROPLAN, MEDWA, Zer0-M)
WATER INITIATIVES (MED-EUWI, WFD, INCO-MED, LIFE, MEDSTAT, SMAP, EXACT, UNEP-MAP, MSSD, HORIZON 2020, Union for the Mediterranean) & Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism
FORUM ; FAQ ; TOPICS (MedWIP, Water scarcity, groundwater, wastewater reuse, desalination, satellite data, etc)
SEARCH EMWIS WEBSITE
EMWIS SITEMAP
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CONTACT US
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