EMWIS Flash n°134 - Special edition "Summer 2017"

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In this issue N°134 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash134)
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HEADLINE

1-15th “EUROPE-INBO 2017” international conference for the Implementation of the European Water Directives   

In Brief

2- Meeting of the great rivers of the world taking action for water and climate international Summit Rome, 23-25 October 2017

3-  2nd Steering Committee of the ENI SEIS II South SM Project / 8th meeting of the H2020 Review and Monitoring (RM) Group, 16-18 October 2017, Barcelona

4- New report on freshwater use in Europe 2002-2014 

5- 7th Water Expert Group (WEG) Meeting, Barcelona 19-20 July: "There is a need for adequate data to design informed policies"

6-  SWIM-H2020 SM Regional Training on Decentralized Water Management “Sharing of experiences from the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive"

7- Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform: regional training on water information systems

8-  Smart Water @ Innovative City 2017 Nice,  5- 6 July 

9- Mediterranean Preparatory Process for the 8th World Water Forum, Brasilia 2018

10- Stockholm world water week 2017 "Universal Right: Everyone Would Have Access to Clean Water for $ 150 Billion" 

11- Informal Meeting of Agriculture Ministers

12- Access to water in future a huge challenge, warns EU Agriculture Commissioner

13- Electric' bacteria can purify sewage water - fast

14- Ministerial Conference on “Strengthening Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation through Research and Innovation”

15- More European sites meet excellent bathing water quality standards than ever before

16- FAO starts a three-country project on the use of non-conventional water for sustainable integrated agri-aquaculture development

17- WEAM4i success story published by the European Commission!

18- 4PRIMA Stakeholder Forum: "Meeting for unlocking innovation to SMEs, industries, companies" Siena, 22 May 2017

19- demEAUmed Final Conference: Involvement of different stakeholders for the promotion of water re-use technologies in the tourism sector, May 18th 2017, Barcelona

20- SWOS at European GEO Workshop, 19-21 June 2017

21- Maghreb and West African countries prepared to apply SWOS products and services

22- VISCA: “Vineyards´ Integrated Smart Climate Application” kicks off

23- Life-ANADRY: Technical visit, and participation at the life- Infoday

24- Egypt: LE572 million allocated to improve water quality, drainage

25- Egypt adopts river banks natural filtration technology to deliver drinking water at low cost

26- Spain:Tagus river at risk of drying up completely

27- Czech Republic sludge and waste regulation

28- Jordanian Prince: Sharing water could lead to ‘warm peace’ with Israel

29 - Jordan: All water resources, facilities to be fully monitored by 2019

30- Jordan: Water Ministry says it lacks funding despite promised aid

31- Israel, Jordan and Palestine implement circular measures with the assistance of the SwitchMed programme

32- Albania to face water quality issues in coming years

33- EBRD provides a 120 million euros loan to the Morocco Saïss Water Conservation Project

34- Morocco to Build World Largest Desalination Plant

35- The Tunisian water crisis is caused by the lack of a participatory approach in resource management

36- Algeria: $ 35 billion for drinking water

37- Sea water pollution in Lebanon reaching dangerous levels

38- Italy drought: No water rationing in Rome

39- France: Presidents of basin committees "we won't be able to do everything"

NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES

PUBLICATIONS

CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS

CALL FOR PAPERS

TRAINING AND COURSES

EVENTS

BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- The 15th “EUROPE-INBO 2017” International Conference will focus on "the Implementation of the European Water Directives” by River Basin District Authorities, from Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd September 2017, at the Grand Hotel Malahide, Dublin, IRELAND. The conference will gather water directors, members of the International Network of River Basin Organisations, EU institutions, water administrations, academics and NGOs interested in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, and of its “Daughter and related Directives”. During the different sessions, speakers from EU member states as well as Candidate and Neighborhood Countries (Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia and of the Mediterranean Basin) will share their experiences on basin management. A Workshop dedicated to "Water data management and electronic reporting" will take place on 20 September in the afternoon. Four thematic round tables will cover: -WFD's upcoming milestones (2019 Review, 3rd River Basin Management Plans) .../- Adaptation to Climate Change: Pressures, Priorities, Insurances, Impacts and Resilience /-Public Participation: Statutory Consultation/-New Threats to Aquatic Environments: Degradation of Natural Capital and Ecosystems, Emerging Contaminants and Hazardous Substances, Micro pollutants including Plastics entering the Food-Chain, Non-point Source Pollution, Hydromorphology, Alien Species. Further information on EMWIS website

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea, in partnership with UNECE(United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO, Secretariat of the Global Alliances for Water and Climate) and Aquamadre, will hold the International Summit "Water and Climate: Meeting of the Great Rivers of the World" from the 23rd to the 25th of October 2017 in Rome, Italy.
The managers and representatives of the most important river basins of the world, coming from all continents, will meet, for the first time in Italy, in order to inspire a meaningful dialogue aiming at facing the future of water, threatened by more and more frequent and violent climate change and its dramatic consequences in terms of floods, drought and degradation of ecosystems. The event is designed as a milestone in the preparation of COP23 (Bonn, 6-17 November 2017) and of the World Water Forum (Brasilia, 18-23 march 2018), two fundamental events that give the occasion to promote the key role of water in the international debate on climate change and in the decisions taken by Governments on the future of our Planet. The summit will be a unique occasion to match project proposals and financing opportunities and to foster experience sharing between great river basin organizations, local, national and regional administrations in charge of climate change adaptation policies and water resources management, bilateral and multilateral donors and other relevant institutions interested in adaptation to climate change and basin management. Further information on EMWIS website

3-The 2nd Steering Committee meeting of the ENI-SEIS II South Support Mechanism (implementation of the Shared Environmental Information System principles and practices in the Mediterranean Partner Countries) and 8th meeting of the H2020 (Reducing pollution of the Mediterranean Sea) Review and Monitoring (RM) Group to be held on 16-18 October 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. The meeting is joint organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the UN Environment/MAP Secretariat. The purpose of this meeting is to facilitate dialogue and communication with the project partners to enable smooth running of the activities and to secure the country perspective in the further implementation, in particular in view of the preparation of the 2nd Horizon 2020 indicator-based assessment. Further information on EMWIS website

4-The European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine Waters of the European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published a report on 'Use of Freshwater Resources in Europe 2002-2014 - An assessment based on water quantity accounts'. The report is assessing renewable water resources and water scarcity conditions across Europe based on the results of European water quantity accounts (WA). The outputs of European water quantity accounts are containing geo-referenced data and information. The spatial scale is sub-basin and the temporal resolution is monthly aggregated to the seasonal scale covering the years 2002-2014. You can find the outputs of the geo-referenced water quantity accounts together with the water exploitation index on a dynamic map.  This report is a building block of the EEA water accounts and a supporting document to the EEA’s CSI 018 “Use of freshwater resources indicator, and discusses in more detail the status of renewable water resources, water abstractions by environmental assets, water use by economic sectors. Further information on EMWIS website

5- Seventh Water Expert Group (WEG) Meeting was held in Barcelona on 19- 20 July 2017. This WEG meeting was the first meeting convened after the approval of the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water last 27th April in Malta. Water experts agreed on five priority work areas to be developed as part of the UfM water growth: 1. water, energy, food, ecosystem nexus / 2. Water supply and sanitation / 3. climate change adaptation and water/ 4. Water employment and migration/ 5. Water governance and financing as a horizontal activity. These themes will be developed by the joint work of willing members states, co-chairs and the Ufm Secretariat with support from its partners including international organization, regional organization, civil society as well as donor community and international finding institutions. A specific policy discussion was held on the WEFE nexus, counting on contributions from international partners. During the meeting, it was also agreed that there is a need for adequate data to design informed policies as well as a priority to finance ongoing projects. In this context, SEMIDE presented the "Mediterranean water knowledge platform", that received the label of  the UfM in 2014. It aims to strengthen the capacities of Mediterranean basin countries to produce valuable data on the status of water resources and their uses to optimize planning and water management in the context of climate change.  Representative of Mediterranean countries (Egypt, France, Lebanon, Mauritania,Tunisia) confirmed that data  is a priority at national and regional levels to deal with water scarcity and improve the research sector. Further information on EMWIS website 

6- The 1st Regional Training on Decentralized Water Management (DcWM) was successfully organized by the EU-funded SWIM-Horizon 2020 Support Mechanism Project, on 24-25 July 2017, in Brussels, Belgium.The Training introduced to Mediterranean Partner Countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia) the concept and approach of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) as an instrument that promoted water management at the River Basin scale. Different issues related to Decentralized Water Management (governance, participatory approaches and stakeholders’ engagement, groundwater related issues, large inert-basin water transfers, data management) were addressed and discussed. And finally, the main challenges/constraints faced by the PCs around DcWM were raised and jointly discussed. More than 35 key stakeholders, such as Representatives of Water & Irrigation Ministries of the Partner Countries, Government Agencies and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) along with Local Authorities, participated in the training performed by the SWIM-H2020 SM Water Experts. Further information on EMWIS website
 

7- In the framework of the Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform, EMWIS and the International Office for Water (IOWater) organised a 3 days training workshop from 14 to 16 June 2017 in Sophia Antipolis, France. The workshops brought together institutional representatives from Albania, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. A particular attention was given to SINEAU, the Tunisian National Water Information System (NWIS) that was delivered last December. The workshop covered the following issues: Institutional settings & NWIS governance; Purpose and data content, technical architectures, data enhancement and visualisation, cost estimation and financing. The workshop was a real success with a lot of interesting discussion between Mediterranean countries.  The workshop was organised thanks to the support of the French Ministry in charge of Environment for the Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform, as one initiative contribution to Climate Change Adaptation.
Another workshop focusing on exchange of experiences and financing NWIS, will be organised on 18-19 October in Barcelona with the secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website

8- In the frame of Innovative City 2017 Forum  in Nice on 5 and 6 July, the International Office for Water (IOWater) organized a session on "Smart water, innovation for better  water management ",  explaining how to equip the urban infrastructures with an advanced capacity of data collection treatment in order to allow Self-regulation  of urban systems and to anticipate dysfunctions. The session presented smart metering, natural water retention measures (NWRM) and the Mediterranean Sustainable Cities Platform. It was followed by a round-table that provided a better understanding of how innovative technologies and eco-engineering renew the approach of water in the city and  highlight the integrated approach at the territorial scale. The Innovative City 2017 was dedicated to the "Smart City". It gathered nearly 3,500 participants, 250 speakers and 150 exhibitors. Further information on EMWIS website

9- The 8th World Water Forum will be held in Brasilia on 18-23 March 2018. The Regional Process dedicated to the Mediterranean Region is coordinated by IME and UfM secretariat. To prepare this process and the Mediterranean contribution to the WWF8, the 3rd Mediterranean Water Forum will be organised at the end of 2017 or early 2018. This Forum was launched in Monaco on 11 July 2017. The key topics have been identified so far: Water and Climate change mitigation; Integrated sanitation for all; Water for Energy; Treatment and reuse technologies; Managing and restoring ecosystems for water services and biodiversity; and Finance for sustainable development. Further information on EMWIS website

11- Agriculture Ministers from across the EU met on May 23 2017, together with representatives from major EU agriculture stakeholders, during the Maltese Informal Council of Agriculture Ministers to discuss the interrelationships between water as a scarce resource, climate change and their impact on agriculture. The roundtable session was addressed by both the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Mr. Phil Hogan, as well as the Maltese Commissioner responsible for the Environment, Mr. Karmenu Vella. During the discussions it clearly emerged that vulnerability to scarce water resources and the onset of climate change adaptation are a main challenge to agriculture in the EU. It also emerged that increased resilience in the agricultural sector is key to sustainability and to increasing agricultural sector competitiveness, apart from the aspect of social contribution and sensitivity to the environment. EU Agriculture Ministers also debated how a robust water governance framework integrating all users of water, not least the farming sector, needs to be an important consideration in the EU’s efforts to adapt to climate change and protect natural resources. Further information on EMWIS website 

12- Sustainable water management must be at the very top of the political agenda, said European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan. He told an informal meeting of European Union agriculture ministers in Malta that 2016 was the hottest year on record and a new high for the third year in a row. “We are approaching this debate from a position of strength — namely the hard-won global consensus outlined in the COP21Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said. “We have a strong impetus for action and a clear framework for moving ahead. But the challenge remains enormous.” Noting the UN describes water as “a lifeline for humanity”, Mr Hogan said this is certainly the case in the context of delivering sustainable food security. Further information on EMWIS website 

13- Harnessing bacteria that produce electricity and break down organic waste, a European research project is developing a new, environmentally friendly way to purify sewage water in small communities. It may look like a park, but an experimental plant in Carrión de los Céspedes, near Seville, is full of wastewater from the nearby town. Yet the air doesn’t smell like sewage. The water is purified the natural way, by underground microorganisms – a traditional method improved by recent research. Researchers on the iMETland project use bacteria that produce electricity when breaking down organic waste. Further information on EMWIS website 

14- Common research and innovation programme in the Mediterranean: on 4 May 2017(Malta), Ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean adopted a Declaration which takes stock of progress made in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, looking ahead towards the implementation of the major initiatives in the area including PRIMA. Commissioner Moedas during the Euromed Ministerial Conference in Malta defined PRIMA as "the most ambitious innovation programme in the Mediterranean Region". Further information on 4Prima website
 

15- More than 85% of bathing water sites monitored across Europe in 2016 met the most stringent ‘excellent' quality standards — meaning they were mostly free from pollutants harmful to human health and the environment, according to the annual bathing water quality report published today. Over 96% of bathing water sites met minimum quality requirements set out under European Union rules. The report from the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) confirms a positive 40-year trend of increasingly cleaner water at beaches and swimming spots across Europe. The assessment compiled analyses of water sampled at more than 21 000 coastal and inland bathing sites and gives a good indication where the best sites with the highest water quality are likely to be found this summer. Bathing water is sampled and monitored for contamination by faecal pollution from sewage or livestock. Further information on EMWIS website
 

16- The Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations (FAO) organized inception meetings in Muscat, Algers and Cairo, as a start of the three-country (Algeria, Egypt and Oman) project on the use of non-conventional water for sustainable integrated agri-aquaculture development in the Near East and North Africa region. This project will be gathering relevant stakeholders linked to inland aquaculture and water management in arid lands. In Cairo the meeting was opened by FAO Egypt representative, Hussein Gadain, who exposed that: “this project aims to coordinate, promote and develop national potential on effective smart-water integrated agriculture-aquaculture production in the region, enhancing rural employment and food security, while keeping the crucial sustainable use and conservation of the aquatic resource.” Further information on EMWIS website

17-   WEAM4i project (Water & Energy Advanced Management for Irrigation) has facilitated, supported and speeded up the development and deployment of innovative solutions to water, energy, food challenges by demonstrating them in 3 EU countries: Portugal, Spain and Germany leading to promising results. The European Commission recently published a success story article about the project under the title: ‘Water, energy, food – everything is increasingly connected’. The article features an interview with WEAM4i technical coordinator who reports on the objectives, achievements and results of WEAM4i project. Further information on WEAM4i website

18- The preparatory action for PRIMA implementation is organising Stakeholders Forums in different countries. The second PRIMA  was held at the University of Siena, Italy. This Forum aimed at engaging industrial actors in the Euro-Mediterranean Research and Innovation on food and water themes. The work sessions  organized during the event, were characterized by business case presentations and debates focusing on the current issues of innovations implemented in agri-food by companies supporting sustainable development.  Sixteen business cases focusing on sustainability across the Mediterranean were illustrated.106 person participated at the event, the main participants were NGO delegates from the Med area; national corporate association representatives from both Med shores; corporate delegates; policy makers; academic representatives; corporate and financial advisors; private companies’ representatives, including also young entrepreneurs and start-ups.  Further information on 4PRIMA website 

19- Safe water reuse in the water sector was explained at the demEAUmed Final Conference held in Barcelona on May 18th 2017. Results, benefits and opportunities of demEAUmed technologies in managing, treating and recycling water were presented by demEAUmed partners and discussed with different experts from the tourism and environmental sectors. More than 50 participants joined the event and representatives of the participating companies, hotels and educational institutes included: Suez Environnement, CTM, the University of Girona, IVL, Robinson, the Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona, Melia Hotels International, the African Water Facility, and CEDEX. One of the aims of the conference was to involve different stakeholders to demonstrate and promote innovative technologies to reduce the impact of tourism sector on the environment. A booklet and a video presenting project results are now available. Further information and presentations of the event on demEAUmed website

20- The European GEO Workshop took place in Helsinki between 19-21 June 2017. The conference brought together European stakeholders interested in and actively contributing to the Global Earth Observations System of Systems (GEOSS). The SWOS team participated at the workshop and organized the session on Earth Observation of Wetlands: European Projects and the new GEO-Wetlands Initiative. During the session the GEO-Wetlands Initiative and related European projects on wetland monitoring and conservation were presented and discussed with representatives from the European Commission, research organizations, NGO’s and the private sector. The SWOS project took the leading role in fostering the development of a community portal for Earth Observation and wetlands. Further information on SWOS website

21- Tour du Valat, EMWIS and Wetlands International jointly organised a 3 days training session in Rabat Morocco from 22 to 24 May 2017. It allowed to train French speaking users coming mainly from Maghreb and West African countries in how to use earth observation data for wetland and water monitoring, based on the products developed by SWOS project. 14 users from 5 countries Algeria, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia took part in the training. They were representing the General Directorates for forest from Algeria and Tunisia, the Tunisian NGO for nature conservation ATPNE-Korba (Association Tunisienne pour la Protection de la Nature et de l’Environnement de Korba), the river basin agencies of Oued Sebou (Morocco) and Algerois (Algeria), Wetlands International regional offices from Mali and Senegal, the Scientific Association For Water Information System (SAWIS), the Regional Africa Center on Space science and technologies (CRASTE-LF) and Senegal River Basin Organisation (OMVS). Further information on SWOS website

22- VISCA (“Vineyards´ Integrated Smart Climate Application”) is a new R&I project co-funded under the Horizon 2020 programme for a period of 3 years. The project has started in May 2017. VISCA will provide a Climate Service (CS) and Decision Support System (DSS) that integrates climate, agricultural and end-users´ specifications in order to design medium- and long-term adaptation strategies to climate change. The project will be validated by real demonstrations with end-users, who are included in the consortium, on three demo sites in Spain, Italy and Portugal (Codorniu, Mastroberardino and Symington). The kick-off meeting of VISCA took place on May 10th-11th 2017 in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Spain. During the meeting, partners presented the roadmap of the work packages and project activities throughout the duration of the project (36 months). They also discussed with the end-users their requirements and expectations of the VISCA Climate Application tool. Furthermore, the technical issues related to the concept were reviewed to meet these requirements. Finally, partners had the chance to visit the Codorníu facilities who hosted the meeting. Further information on EMWIS website

23-   Life-ANADRY (Dry anaerobic digestion as an alternative management & treatment solution for sewage sludge) is a European project co-funded by the European Commission under the LIFE program (LIFE Environment and Resource Efficiency project application). On 23 May 2017, Life-anadry project organized a technical visit and consortium meeting at Alguazas (Murcia). It was the occasion to discuss the progress of the project and discuss the upcoming activities to be carried out. During the meeting NEEMO and life-ANADRY partners visited the prototype and discussed its functionality. Furthermore, the project has recently published the official video in two languages: English and Spanish. Further information on Life-ANADRY website

24- The Egyptian Ministry of Planning approved additional allocations of LE572.5 million (27MEuro) to improve the quality of drinking water and sanitation services across Egypt. Minister Hala el-Saeed said in statement that these allocations will help the development of the water and sanitation sector infrastructure, which will positively improve the lives of citizens. LE272.5 million has been approved within the plan for the current fiscal year 2016/17 to start the sewage treatment and purification plant in Abo Rawash, to start work on the project, at the request of the Ministry of Housing. LE300 million has been approved to support the sector of drinking water and sanitation at the Ministry of Housing as an additional allocation under the 2016/17 plan. Of this, LE200 million is allocated to replace and renovate potable water and sewage plants in Egypt’s governorates, and LE100 million to supply cars and necessary equipment. Further information on EMWIS website

25-As Egypt continues to make every effort to improve the living conditions of its inhabitants and in line with the National vision of Egyptian development 2030, under the auspices of the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Development and the Ministry of Local Development, Dr. Mostafa Medbouli – Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban communities, and Dr. Hisham Al-Sherif -Minister of Local Development inaugurated the national conference “River Bank Filtration (RBF) for Drinking Water Supply in Egypt”, organized by the United Nations Human Settlements Program in cooperation with the Holding Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation. Five UN organizations (UN-Habitat, UNIDO, UN-Women, ILO and IOM) have collaborated with the support and cooperation of the Ministry of Local Development and Minya Governorate to develop an example of integrated local development based on the combined protection and empowerment approach for local communities and administrations. As part of the project’s objectives of supporting and developing the infrastructure, the project was able to provide clean drinking water with innovative technology to 150,000 residents of Al Adwah and Maghagha centers in Minia governorate in less than 6 months and at a cost of less than 5% of the cost of water delivery using traditional technology. Further information on EMWIS website 

26-  The Tagus river, the longest in the Iberian peninsula, is in danger of drying up completely as Spain once again finds itself in the grip of drought Miguel Ángel Sánchez, spokesman of the Platform in Defence of the Tagus, said “the river has collapsed through a combination of climate change, water transfer and the waste Madrid produces. The Tagus, known in Spanish as the Tajo and Portuguese as the Tejo, rises in Aragón in northern Spain, passes close to Madrid and forms part of the border with Portugal before flowing into the sea at Lisbon. En route, it is dammed no fewer than 51 times in Spain alone. Further information on EMWIS website
27- The Czech Republic has adopted a new sewage sludge regulation 437/2016 requiring that by 2020 sludge has to be hygienised to demanding levels before land application. Low temperature drying or pyrolysis, for smaller wastewater treatment plants, and drying then combustion or gasification, for larger WWTPs, seem likely options. A new waste law is also under preparation which is expected to push towards resource recovery from sewage sludges. Some 60 million € of EU regional development Operational Program funds has been allocated for this year and next year to developments in these areas. The Environment Ministry press statement mentions use of phosphorus recovery as an innovation to develop to reduce landfill (see press release 1/8/17) and the call specifies among eligible projects “construction / modernisation of heat treatment plants for sewage sludge … including phosphorus recovery”. Further information on EMWIS website

29- By the end of 2019, the Jordan Kingdom’s 500 water resources and facilities will be monitored by cameras and control systems to safeguard the water infrastructure from violations and sabotage, according to an official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. The plan is part of an ongoing effort to monitor the country’s strategic water resources around-the-clock in order to detect malfunctions and violations. Today, some 120 strategic water resources are currently subject to continuous security monitoring. The ministry will start installing a “comprehensive technical and security surveillance system” on the King Abdullah Canal, as well as three main dams, within a month, the official added. The water resources and facilities, including dams, wells, pumping stations and reservoirs, are now being connected via cameras and control systems to a recently established centre at the ministry, in order to monitor and remotely control the operations of the water resources. “In light of the current regional instability, linking water resources and facilities which are situated at the Kingdom’s borders with Syria and Iraq is our top priority, in order to protect them from individual or collective acts of sabotage, such as pollution or explosions,” the official, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Jordan Times. Further information on EMWIS website 

30- The Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation only secured 19 per cent of funds required to sustain water and wastewater services to Syrian refugees and local communities hosting them this year, a senior government official said on Sunday 1 July 2017. A total of $220 million has been allocated for this year's water and wastewater projects, under the 2015-2017 Jordan Response Plan for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Minister of Water and Irrigation Hazem Nasser said. "… However, until today, the ministry has only received 44 million dollars of the allocated funds for this year. This is affecting the level of services provided to host communities, as well as to Syrian refugees," Nasser told reporters during a press meeting. In 2016, a total of $275 million were allocated to the ministry under the plan, dubbed by ministry officials  as "a resilience plan for the water sector". Further information on EMWIS website

31- Pilot projects promoting sustainable consumption and production launched in Israel, Jordan and Palestine with the support of the EU-funded SwitchMed programme are running effectively. These projects will set examples and have the potential for upscaling through replicating and deepening in other locations. The SwitchMed sustainable consumption and production programme aims to promote a switch by the Mediterranean economies towards sustainable consumption and production patterns and green economy, including low-emission development, through demonstration and dissemination of methods that improve resource and energy efficiency. It also seeks to minimise the environmental impacts associated with the life cycle of products and services and, where possible, to promote renewable energy. Further information on EMWIS website

32-   The quality of the tap water in Albania is expected to deteriorate in the coming years, Albania's national water council said Monday 21 August in a report. The council named climate change and global warming as factors.
Besides this, the report noted that constant drought may lead to landslides, which could cause water supply pipes to crack and allow for the water to be contaminated. Changes in the quality of water in the future will have a negative impact on ecosystems, human health, credibility, and operating costs of water services, the national water council stressed. Meanwhile, the report said that with sea levels rising, the salt would mix with the groundwater, something which has already started to happen near Lezha and Lac (northwestern Albania). Therefore, experts of the council suggested in the report that the quality of water required immediate attention to prevent significant impact on the health of people, agriculture, ecosystems relating to water and the environment in general. Albania is rich in water resources as it has a large coastline in the western shore while seven main rivers run from east to west in Albania. Further information on EMWIS website

33- The EBRD is providing a €120 million loan to the Saïss Water Conservation Project in Morocco that will help protect the country’s agricultural sector from the impact of climate change. The EBRD’s financing for the project for the construction of irrigation infrastructure is also supported by a co-financing grant of €32 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The project includes a water transfer (100Mm3/year), switching from highly unsustainable groundwater to the use of sustainable surface water and improving access to best-practice and efficient irrigation techniques. Further information on EMWIS website

34- After launching the world largest solar complex, Morocco is busy working to construct the biggest desalination plant in the globe, a landmark project to cost €309 million. The plant, to be built by Spanish company Abengoa in the city of Agadir, will be able to provide 275,000 m3 of desalinated water per day. The facility’s production capacity can be expanded to up to 450,000 m3/day. This project is supported by Moroccan Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE), the Ministry of agriculture and the ministry in charge of water. Further information on EMWIS website

35- The water crisis has become a reality in Tunisia. However, the water shortage experienced by Tunisians for more than two years is not only due to climate change, but also to the unequal water resources distribution, wastage and mismanagement, officials from Tunisia's Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and the Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged at a national conference on the water crisis in Tunisia. They recognized that participatory management in particular for planing and investments are necessary to improve significantly the situation. Further information on EMWIS website

36- The urban grouping of Zelboun, Ain Douz, Ouled Benziane, Beni Mester and Tizghanit in the wilaya of Tlemcen (Algeria) will benefit from a new project for the rehabilitation of the drinking water supply network. For these densely populated areas, 5000 m3 / day of water will be pumped from the Honaïne water desalination plant. Further information on EMWIS website

37-  Activists and scientists are increasingly concerned about water pollution in Lebanon and request action from the government, which has not acted on the urgent situation so far. Lebanese TV network LBCI published a picture June 19 showing a large polluted area of sea water along the coastline of Beirut, which then quickly appeared on Lebanese social media networks. A video shared June 1 by the Lebanese Transparency Association, a nongovernmental organization fighting corruption, also showed how badly polluted the sea water is a few meters below the surface. Although this problem is not new, it seems to reach a new level every year, polluting even underground currents. Further information on EMWIS website

38- In July 2017, the Lazio region had mulled a measure to stagger water supply shutdowns in certain neighbourhoods of the capital for eight hours a day. The region's rationing threat followed the decision to stop withdrawing water from Lake Bracciano, close to Rome, because it had dropped to such a low level that it risked sparking an environmental disaster. Acea, the utility firm which runs Rome's water system, had slammed the stop on using water from the lake as "unnecessary" and said  that the move left it no choice but to cut off supplies to residents. But after pressure from Mayor Virginia Raggi and Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin, water will flow as normal in the capita – at least until end of September. Further information on EMWIS website

39-  Presidents of Basin Committees and Water Agency Directors and their representatives were received in August at the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition by the Minister  Nicolas Hulot. The context is difficult both at the climate and financial levels.  The Presidents reminded the Minister about  effectiveness of water management at river basin scale. They also reminded the enormous challenges faced by river basin authorities in France: achieving 100% good water status by 2027, as requested by the EU water framework directive; successful transfer of management to local authorities as requested by GEMAPI law; expanding skills to biodiversity management; responsibilities on the renewal of networks and the fight against leakages; and finally climate change adaptation. Further information on EMWIS website

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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40- Eric TARDIEU, 47, Chief Engineer (Ingénieur en Chef des Ponts, des Eaux et des Forêts), was appointed  General Director  of the International Office for Water - OIEau, Paris, on 1 July 2017. Former student at the Ecole Polytechnique and Doctor in Process Engineering, Mr. TARDIEU began his professional career at the Water directorate in Cher province (Center of France, 1997-2000), then at the Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and Environment in Basse-Normandie region (2000-2003), the General Secretariat for Regional Affairs (SGAR) of the Prefecture of the Lower Normandy Region (2003-2004) and Assistant Director General in charge of economic development, employment and international affairs at Toulouse Metropole. Eric TARDIEU succeeds Jean-François DONZIER, who has created the OIEau in 1992 and whose exceptional commitment for 25 years has allowed  the association to grow strongly and gain  international notoriety. Further information on EMWIS website

41- Vacancy: The Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med) is seeking to hire a Communications Officer that will undertake related activities in the framework of the work programme of the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med) in Southeastern Europe, and the Thematic areas of (i) Transboundary Water Resources Management; (ii) Water-Energy-Food-Environment Nexus. Deadline for application: 24 September 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

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PUBLICATIONS
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42- Brussels, 24 May 2017: Europe’s water sector gives an insight into its achievements and challenges in Water Matters, a publication from EurEau. Featuring views from Karmenu Vella, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Micheal Dantin MEP, as well as EurEau’s key policy drivers and member associations, this compressive review lays out the issues facing Europe’s water sector at the outset of the EU’s review of water legislation. Further information on EMWIS website 

43- A Commission Staff Working Document on Agriculture and Sustainable Water Management in the EU has recently been published.  The document is available on CIRCAbc . Further information on EMWIS website

44- The West Asia - North Africa (WANA) Institute published on 5 July 2017 a report on: " Decoupling national water needs for national water supplies": Insights and Potential for Countries in the Jordan Basin". Jordan and Palestine face extreme water scarcity and potential food insecurity. These conditions threaten human security and the natural environment. This report compares the water allocation and management experience of Jordan, Palestine and Israel using the lens of economic and resource decoupling to highlight trends and opportunities to circumvent limits on natural water resources. Further information on EMWIS website

45- World water week Stockholms 2017: "Beyond Scarcity Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa" a New World Bank report maps out actions needed to prevent water scarcity from impacting future growth and stability in the Middle East and North Africa.  Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS 
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48-  Call for projects, French Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica water agency : saving water in agriculture. The water agency is launching a call for projects to encourage farmers to save water by modernizing their water infrastructure and implementing water-saving technologies.  With a budget of  5 million euros, it is open for   2017 as part of the calls for projects of the regional rural development programs (RDPs). Further information on EMWIS website

49-  Water agency Adour-Garonne launches a new call for projects - "Cities and Smart Territories for Water / Smart water City": intended for policy actors  cities and territories. They will be able to run until 15 November. The objective is to finance projects with an innovative vision of water management, contributing to the sustainable future of the basin and its resilience. The Agency is mobilizing 15 million euros for this major action. Further information on EMWIS website

50- Programme ENI CBC Med, a call for standard projects  was launched  on 17 July , with different priorities including: Support sustainable initiatives aimed at finding innovative and technological solutions to increase water efficiency and encourage use of non-conventional water supply; Reduce municipal waste generation and promote source-separated collection and the optimal exploitation of its organic component; Incorporate the Ecosystem-Based management approach to ICZM into local development planning, through the improvement of intra-territorial coordination among different stakeholders. Deadline for submissions 9 November 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

51- 2017 Joint Transnational Call funded under IC4WATER: Proposals are invited on the topic “Water resource management in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”, organised around two challenges: 1. Multiple pressure effects on ecosystems and ecosystem services as well as effective mitigation – adaptation tools and assessments for implementing the water related targets of the UN SDGs / 2. Developing accessible solutions for clean water management to address UN SDG6 targets and associated SDGs. Consortia should include a minimum of 3 partners from 3 different participating countries. Researchers from other countries can also participate at their own costs (commitment needed for being associated to a consortium applying to the Water JPI 2017 Joint Call). Planned Timeframe: - 1st stage – Deadline for submission of pre-proposals: 2 November 2017, 17h00 (CET) - 2nd stage – Deadline for submission of full proposals: 17 April 2018, 17h00 (CET)  Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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52- Young Water Fellowship Program: The Program aims to empower young leaders from low and middle income countries to implement projects to tackle water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), water pollution and water scarcity issues, by offering them an intensive training program, seed funding grants for their projects, and mentoring support by senior level experts during one year. This program will bring about in its first edition (2017) 10 young community leaders capable of successfully designing and implementing sustainable and inclusive water projects that significantly improve living conditions in their communities, while contributing to the achievement of SDG #6 (water and sanitation for all). Further information on EMWIS website

53- Call for Papers: 2018 World Water Congress and Exhibition. The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2018 Programme Committee  is looking for contributions under the session themes to present global best practice, advances in fundamental science, innovative research, policy developments, and solutions to challenges faced by water professionals worldwide. Presenting is a valuable opportunity to meet members of the community of world-leading water professionals. Check the Call for Papers for the 2018 World Water Congress & Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Further information on EMWIS website

54-  Water, Energy & Food Security Resource Platform: Call for Papers Special Issue on “Food-Energy-Water Nexus”. This special issue of "Resources, Conservation and Recycling" will provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange to advance the understanding of current state of FEW systems and emerging methodological techniques on FEW nexus modeling that will lead to guiding and developing sustainable and resilient FEW systems. Full paper submission deadline: September 30, 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

55-  During the World Water forum, March, 18-23RD,2018, there will be a space dedicated to films produced by communities around the world, with the theme water sharing. All stakeholders could send their ideas and experiences on WATER SHARING – documentaries, fiction, experimental or animation short films (up to 2/3minutes) can be submitted. To participate, fill out the application form – available from March 15th to October 1st, 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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[27/11/2017 - 30/11/2017] Training  on "  Technical management of a composting unit" Oganized by IOWater.
Objectives: be aware of  the regulations and objectives of a composting unit (biowaste, DV, sludge, co-composting). Control the operation, monitoring and quality of the product. 

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/09/18 - 2017/09/22] Training  on " Management of drinking water and sanitation projects " Oganized by IOWater.

Objectives:  Acquire the basic skills required for project management /Use cost estimation and risk assessment techniques/Understand the techniques for planning and monitoring project progress. Further information on EMWIS website

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EVENTS (Full Agenda) 
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[2017/12/12 - 2017/12/14] Conference on Water Governance in MENA and wider Mediterranean region - Barcelona 12-14 December 2017

[2017/12/11 -2017/12/11] Hydrodiplomacy and Climate Change for Peace in the Middle East: The Nile Basin case

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/12/06 - 2017/12/08] IWRM Congress 2017: Integrated Water Resources Management and Sustainable Development Challenges "case of arid regions"

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/11/30 - 2017/11/30] WWT Water Industry Technology Innovation Conference

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/09/27 - 2017/05/28] 2017 EIP Water Conference.

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/09/21 - 2017/09/24] 8th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture, Food & Environment , Chania, Crete, Greece

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/09/20 - 2017/09/21] International Conference:Urban Green Infrastructure - Connecting People and Nature for Sustainable Cities.
Further information on EMWIS website

2017/09/20 - 2017/09/22] 19th annual bioecon conference "Evidence-based  environmental policies and the optimal management of natural resources"

Further information on EMWIS website

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PROJECTS (Projects database) 
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WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SWIM, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP7, H2020, UfM, ENPI South, ENPI CBC Med, INTERREG, etc.)

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CONTACT US
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