EMWIS Flash n°72, July/August 2009
Released | 26/08/2009 |
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EMWIS Flash -
July/August 2009 |
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*** EMWIS wish you a happy and blessed Ramadan ***
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In this issue N°72 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash72)
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HEADLINE
1- First meeting of the Water Expert Group, 7-8 Sept'09, Athens (Greece)
IN BRIEF
2- UfM Water: Contribution from local and regional authorities,
Lyon, 23-24 November 2009
3- Renewal of the Union for the Mediterranean
4- UfM: EC increases contribution to priority projects: Environment-Depollution
of the Mediterranean '€22 million for 2009-2010'
5- G8 Summit in Aquila
committed to risk reduction
6- MENBO General Assembly, Beirut 6-8
October 2009
7- The Water Framework Directive: Sharing experiences and meeting future
challenges
8-
The Arab League held the first session of
the Arab Ministerial Water Council in Algiers (Algeria), 29-30 June 2009
9- France: Towards a public service for the management of urban stormwater
10- France: Four candidates battle for water in the Ile-de-France
11- Spain: Catalonia choose desalination for drinking water
12- Czech Republic: EIB lends CZK 3 billion for upgrading water supply and waste
water infrastructure
13- Romania: EIB supports with EUR 25 million water quality improvements in Cluj
and Sălaj Counties
14- Morocco calls for international conference on water in southern
Mediterranean
15- Morocco & Egypt: water resources management as theme of exchanges & debate
in Kenitra
16- Algeria & Syria: to exchange experiences in the water sector
17- Maghreb integration: towards improving the statistical cooperation
18- Egypt: 40 per cent drink unsafe water
19- The 17th Nile Council of Ministers in charge of water reaffirmed Basin-wide
cooperation
20- Turkey plans to restart work on controversial dam project
21- Palestine: New report on the wastewater treatment in the West Bank
22- Israel: Finance secured for Palmachim desalination expansion
23- Israel: Hadera desalination extension finance fixed
24- Lebanon: EU funding development projects
25- IWRM-Net: a developing community to face challenging water issues
26- PCCP creating database of experts and institutions related to transboundary
water issues
27- UNESCO-IHE holds Information Meeting on Water Education
28- World Water Week: WWF
promoting "Water as a Globalised Resource"
29- UNESCO held a meeting on sanitation and the right to water
30-
Freshwater Stewardship Globalised
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS
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HEADLINE
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1- The first Meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean Water Expert Group (WEG)
will be hosted by Greece and supported by the European Commission in Athens on 7-8
September 2009 (full day 7 September and morning 8 September), under the
co-presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt and France with Sweden (current EU
Presidency). This first WEG
meeting will signify the launching of an important process that should lead the
countries of our region to the elaboration of a new Strategy for Water in the
Mediterranean, aimed to be adopted at the next Ministerial Conference on Water,
12-14 April 2010, in Spain. Country representatives will also discuss technical
criteria fro the concrete projects that are being proposed under the UfM
framework (more than
100 water related projects listed last June at the Paris conference on
Sustainable Development projects). In this direction, a joint Egyptian-Dutch
Water Conference: “Towards the new Long
Term Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean” will take place in Cairo
(Egypt) on 2-3 November 2009 to contribute to the development of the Strategy
for Water in the Mediterranean as well as the December 2009 UN Climate
Conference in Copenhagen.
Further information on
EMWIS website.
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IN BRIEF (Full
news)
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2- During the Mediterranean Forum for Local and Regional Authorities, held on 22 and 23 June 2008 in Marseille by the Mediterranean Commission of United Cities and Local Governments, local and regional authorities affirmed their intention to mobilize their efforts in order to promote decentralized cooperation in the Union for the Mediterranean. The Presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean, i.e. the French Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Water, and the Egyptian Minister for Water Resources and Irrigation, proposed, during the Ministerial Conference for Water that was held in Jordan on 22 December 2008, that local authorities organize a Conference on « Water » strategy of the Union for the Mediterranean. In this context, the Mediterranean Committee of United Cities and Local Governments is organising an international conference on 23 and 24 November 2009, in Lyon (France). This conference will focus on: the contribution of local and regional authorities to the water strategy of the Union for the Mediterranean. This meeting aims to articulate the recommendations coming from local and regional authorities and to identify the actions and projects of decentralized cooperation likely to be presented at the Union for the Mediterranean while reinforcing the support from important donors for the projects led by Mediterranean authorities. Further information on EMWIS website.
3- On June 25th, the first ministerial meeting of the Union for the Mediterranean on Sustainable Development projects was held in Paris. For many participants in this meeting, it was a "revival" of the process of UfM even if the union still faces enormous challenges. Launched at the Paris Summit of July 13th 2008, the Union for the Mediterranean has witnessed a blockage following the Israeli operation on Gaza during last winter. Since then the Arab members did not wish to resume dialogue in a situation of war between Israel and Gaza. Senior official said "For the first time, we are having a meeting of ministers so consequently a political meeting: the proof that we overcome, although it is difficult, the tragedy in Gaza". Technical workshops preceded this Ministerial meeting and addressed the following themes Energy, Transport, Sustainable Urban Development and environment & Water Further information on EMWIS website.
4- The European Commission is releasing an additional €72 million for 2009-2010, for priority projects identified by the Euro-Mediterranean Heads of State and Government at the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris last year. A Commission press release gave the following breakdown -among others- of the new allocation for priority areas: Environment - De-pollution of the Mediterranean (€22 million for 2009-2010) The Programme ‘Sustainable Water Management and De-pollution of the Mediterranean’ will promote sustainable water management policies in the context of increasing water scarcity. Part of the funds will be dedicated to support the Mediterranean Water Strategy. €7 million will be dedicated to the implementation of the ‘Horizon 2020’ Programme from September 2009. The Commission is also providing a contribution of €1 million to the Euro-Mediterranean University in Portoroz (Slovenia) to allow non EU Mediterranean students to participate in the programmes, and is in the process of identifying the financial needs and possibilities related to the running of the UfM Secretariat in order to allocate funds. This latest allocation brings the total community budget dedicated since July 2008 to the priorities identified by the Union for the Mediterranean to €90 million. Further information on EMWIS website.
5- For the second time already, the G8 countries acknowledge the importance of disaster risk reduction and recognize the Hyogo Framework for Action as a tool to reduce disaster impacts, in particular in developing countries. The declaration on ‘Responsible leadership for a sustainable future’, issued at the G8 Summit in Aquila, Italy on 8 July, explicitly identifies UNISDR and WMO as organizations to collaborate with for ‘defining common guidelines for disaster prevention and management to be used in developing national plans, building on the Hyogo Framework for Action and on national experiences’. Preceding the summit, a joint statement was issued by the seven international agencies/ organizations which form the Management Oversight Board of the ISDR partnership, urging the G8 leaders and their governments to apply their ‘considerable influence, resources and political will’ to advance disaster risk reduction, especially as the G8 countries are ‘uniquely placed to establish, support and implement nationally owned disaster risk reduction plans and help address the risks associated with climate change’. Further information on EMWIS website.
6- The Mediterranean Network of Basin Organisations (MENBO) organises its General Assembly in Beirut (Lebanon) for next 6-8 October 2009. Many issues will be discusses, among others: water & agriculture in the Mediterranean basins management plans, climate change adaptation & water economy, the interest of EU-WFD (Water Framework Directive) tools in the Mediterranean partners countries (monitoring, management plans, measures programmes, funding, etc). The Mediterranean water strategy will be also a subject of discussions as well as the research programmes progress (SPI-Water, INECO, IWRM-Net, Mediterranean Water Knowledge Hub). A side meeting will be organised by EMWIS for the Water monitoring network working group of the Phase II of the Med Joint Process between the Med-EUWI and the Water Framework Directive. This workshop will focus on the results of the water monitoring networks survey undertook among Mediterranean countries recently and the preparation a state of play. Further information on EMWIS website.
7- Within the annual World Water Week in Stockholm, the Swedish Water Authorities and the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) jointly organised, on 20th and 21th August 2009, a conference dedicated to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. These two days were specifically dedicated to the European District Authorities in charge of implementing the European Water Framework Directive in basins. Before the end of this year, the District authorities have to present their first Basin Management Plans and Programmes of Measures. The objective of the Conference was to organise the sharing of experience and a big part of the programme was devoted to group discussions, in the form of three workshops: Management Plans (focus on public participation and transboundary challenges), Climate Change (challenges for water management), Programmes of Measures (focus on the economic aspects). The basin authorities have indeed to face important challenges to maintain or recover the good water status in 2015 as required by the Water Framework Directive. Further information on EMWIS website.
8- The Arab Ministerial Water Council that was held in Algiers (Algeria) on the 29 – 30 June 2009, took many resolutions, concerning the implementation especially of : - An Arab Water Strategy. - A project about Integrated Water Resources Management in the Arab Countries. - A Study about the Implementation of the MDG`s in the Arab Countries. - Capacity building about negotiation Skills in the Arab Countries Sharing Water resources with non-Arab Countries. - Calling the Center of Water Studies and Arab Water Security - Arab League - to establish a Regional Water Information Base within the Center. - Strengthening Cooperation with regional and International , and Civil Society Organizations. - The Council decided that the 3rd of March of every year will be the Arab Water Day. - The Council called for the International Community to help Palestinians in the Arab Occupied territories to restore their rights of water resources. - The Council executive Board will hold an International Conference about this problem . These resolutions were the fruits of the works carried out by the technical and scientific Commission, composed of high Responsibles in the Ministries of Water in the Arab Countries, in addition to the regional and International organizations concerned, the Arab and African financial institutions, and the Civil Society Organizations in the Arab Countries. Further information on EMWIS website.
9- The French Finance Act amendment to be considered at the end of 2009 should bring a new public service dedicated to the management of urban stormwater, and above all a new tax that will finance it. Its principle was adopted by the legislature under the Water Act of 30 December 2006 (LEMA). Further information on EMWIS website.
10- The Sedif just admitted the four candidates competing for the biggest public service of drinking water in France, for the time being delegated to Veolia Water. The latter, Suez Environment, the Saur group and the group formed by Derichebourg and German Remondis must submit their offer before December 4 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
11- The largest desalination plant of seawater in Spain has just opened near Barcelona. The unit, which will fill 24% of drinking water needs of the region, ends the uncertainty of supply that affected the region in recent years. Drinking water supplies by boat from Marseille will soon no longer be a bad memory for the people of Barcelona. Further information on EMWIS website.
12- The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending CZK 3 billion (about EUR 107 million) to finance the improvement and expansion of drinking water supply and the waste water infrastructure in the Czech Republic. The new loan, the third of a series of similar contributions, is a further example of the EIB’s continuous support for this important sector, in particular with respect to smaller schemes. The wide experience gathered through the previous projects will be beneficial to the new one. The EIB funds, provided on favourable terms at a time of difficult market conditions, will co-finance local investments needed to fulfil the Czech Republic’s commitment to implementing EU legislation in the water sector. The individual investments will help to enhance the citizens’ quality of life and they involve the upgrading, improvement and expansion of the water supply and wastewater system to meet the demands of more than 110,000 citizens living in a large number of small and medium-sized municipalities all over the country. Further information on EMWIS website
13- The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 25 million for the modernisation and extension of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment in Cluj and Sălaj Counties situated in the northwest parts of Romania. This will have positive implications for public health and help Romania to fulfil the commitment to implement EU standards in the area of the environment. This is the first EIB direct loan provided to a water utility company in Romania - Compania de Apa Somes SA. EIB funds will, together with EU Cohesion Funds, co-finance the expansion and rehabilitation of the drinking water treatment system, construction and refurbishment of pumping stations and wastewater collection and treatment in eight conurbations including neighbouring villages covering an area with a total population of some half a million citizens. The investment project, worth EUR 196 million, has also benefited of JASPERS assistance during preparation. Further information on EMWIS website.
14- Morocco has proposed to host an international conference on water in the southern Mediterranean region. The proposal was made at a Mediterranean seminar held in Washington by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE also known as Helsinki Commission). The Moroccan delegation stressed that the issue of water should be examined in all its aspects, especially the political one. Water is the source of several conflicts, notably in the Middle East, and this issue would determine the future of security in the MENA region. The participants in the seminar welcomed the proposal, which is part of the "Morocco Vision Paper" submitted by Morocco to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to reinforce the Mediterranean partnership. The meeting gathered officials from the OSCE as well as representatives of the southern shore of the Mediterranean, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Jordan. The Moroccan delegation underscored the need for the commission to promote cooperation with a number of organizations which share the OSCE’s concerns, including the Euro-Mediterranean parliament and the Union for the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website
15- The water resources management in Morocco and Egypt has been the focus of a meeting organised in Kenitra (Morocco) by the Moroccan-Egyptian Association for friendship and brotherhood. This meeting was intended to make known the experiences of both countries in water management and their respective policies to ensure a sustainable and rational use of water. This initiative has brought the views on the issue of water between the different countries of the basin, in order to ensure sustainable development in the region. Further information on EMWIS website
16- The Algerian Minister of Water Resources, Abdelmalek Sellal, and the Syrian Minister of Irrigation, Nadir El Bouni, met in Algiers on the occasion of the 1st Ministerial Arab Water Council, have agreed to encourage exchange of experiences and information between the two countries in the field of water resources. Further information on EMWIS website.
18- The lack of clean water is one of Egypt’s most urgent problems, a Dutch newspaper reports. Corruption, pollution and wastage are to blame, it says. Based on an example, the reports with examples that good plans are poorly implemented due to unreliable contractors and lack of government capacities. Pollution is a major problem with every year 550 million cubic metres (m³) of industrial wastewater, 2.5 billion m³ of agricultural wastewater and an unknown amount of sewage flow into the Nile. Egypt’s dependence on the Nile has often lead to tensions with its downstream neighbours. In 1999, the ‘Nile Basin Initiative’ was established among the Nile riparian states to promote cooperative development of the river. Negotiations remain difficult and have recently been stalled for 6 months. According to the World Bank this is because water tariffs are too low. UN-appointed expert Catarina de Albuquerque reported that the “tariff for drinking water in Egypt is considered one of the lowest tariffs in the world, with over 92 percent of households spending less than 1 percent of their household budget on water and sanitation”. The unequal distribution forces many farmers to use untreated wastewater to grow their crops. In the beginning of August 2009, the minister of Agriculture announced that all fruit and vegetables irrigated with sewage have to be destroyed. Further information on EMWIS website
19- The 17th annual meeting of the Nile Council of Ministers in charge of water affairs was held from 27 to 28 July 2009 in Alexandria, Egypt. Ministers from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda as well as Eritrea attended the meeting and held discussions on key strategic issues regarding the future of the Nile Basin Initiative, including the River Nile Cooperative Framework Agreement. Ministers reaffirmed the determination of their respective Governments to strengthen basin-wide cooperation in the area of water resources management of the River Nile and beyond. They highlighted the critical importance of the Nile Basin Initiative’s Shared Vision to sustain this cooperation by achieving an inclusive agreement, underscoring the reality of the climate change phenomenon that brings countries ever closer to each other irrespective of geographical remoteness. Convinced that these efforts towards advancing cooperation among their countries will also contribute to regional and global stability, peace and prosperity, and encouraged by the mutually unswerving commitment to pursue this path as displayed in the meeting, the Nile Basin countries expressed hope that their next meeting will mark the last step of signing of the Cooperative Framework Agreement. Further information on EMWIS website
20- Turkey announced plans to resume a controversial £1bn dam project in the face of environmental protests that it would displace thousands of people, destroy habitats and drown priceless archaeological treasures. The environment minister, Veysel Eroglu, said work on the Ilisu hydroelectric dam on the Tigris river in south-east Turkey would restart after a six-month funding suspension ends next week. The announcement disappointed campaigners who believed that the project had suffered a potentially fatal blow last December, after German, Swiss and Austrian institutions announced they were withholding finance because fears about the dam's environmental and social impact had not been addressed. The governments agreed that 150 World Bank conditions on the environment, heritage sites, neighbouring states and human relocation must be met. Environmentalists have warned that the dam could destroy up to 80 towns, villages and hamlets, resulting in the forced relocation of between 50,000 and 80,000 people. The Ilisu project - due for completion in 2013 - is part of a wider network of dams known as the South-eastern Anatolia Project, which the government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pinpointed as key to transforming the region's economy and quelling Kurdish separatist violence. Further information on EMWIS website
21- In a new report, B'Tselem surveys the ongoing neglect of wastewater treatment in the West Bank. The report criticizes both Israel and the Palestinian Authority for their failures, which have harmed the health and future water supply of all residents of Israel and the West Bank. Wastewater in the West Bank – from the settlements, from parts of Jerusalem, and from Palestinian communities – amounts to 91 million cubic meters [mcm] a year. Most of it is not treated, despite the sanitary and environmental danger inherent to wastewater flowing freely. Prolonged neglect of this issue has caused severe hazards in the West Bank and is liable to pollute the Mountain Aquifer, the most important and highest-quality water source for both Israelis and Palestinians. Also, use of untreated wastewater for agriculture contaminates crops and harms a major sector of the Palestinian economy. In the long run, the flow of untreated wastewater will also diminish land fertility. Further information on EMWIS website
22- Financing for the expansion of Israel's Palmachim desalination plant from its current capacity of 30 million m³/year up to 45 million m³/y and ultimately even to 100 million m³/y was closed on 16 August 2009. The facility, on the Mediterranean coast between Tel Aviv and Ashdod, has been supplying water to the national water system since May 2007. The plant is privately owned owned by Granite Hacarmel, Tahal Group, Middle East Tube Co, Ocif, and Oceana. Its initial 15 million m³/year expansion is expected to take one year. Further information on EMWIS website.
23- Financing worth US$ 80 million has been agreed for the 74,000 m³/d expansion of the Hadera reverse-osmosis desalination plant in Israel, IDE Technologies announced on 3 July 2009. The agreement was signed between the H2ID consortium and the European Investment Bank, Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank (France) and two Israeli banks. Hadera was ordered by Israel's government to serve the national system and is now in an advanced construction phase. It is planned to produce desalinated water gradually from the end of 2009 with a total capacity, after the expansion, of 348,000 m³/d of high quality drinking water. Further information on EMWIS website
24- The Head of the EU Delegation to Lebanon visited four EU-funded community development projects in the Tripoli region and the Akkar on June 25. The projects are aimed at improving the economic and social situation of the most deprived categories of the Lebanese population, by implementing programmes designed to contribute to job creation and community development. According to a Delegation press release, among the four localities visited were: Deir Dalloum, Majdala and Mar Touma (Akkar), where EU financed water infrastructures were inaugurated; and Denbo (Akkar), where the EU financed a social centre, a medical centre, irrigation canals and a playground. The total cost of these four projects amounted to €1.37 million granted by the EU. Further information on EMWIS website
25- IWRM-Net is currently composed of 20 partners from 14 members states. IWRM-Net network is a developing community willing to set a new partnership in the different phases of its activities: identification of research needs, implementation and follow up of calls, transfer of scientific results to the targeted audience. Project IWRM-Net (2006-2010) is an ERA-NET project funded by the European Commission (EC). IWRM-Net’s concern is Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) research in the specific context of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation. ERA-NET is short for European Research Area Network, a specific kind of project funded by the EC. The EC’s aim is to support European research managers in coordinating their efforts and implementing transnational and regional research activities together. While research is one output from ERA-NET projects, the EC’s funding is used to create the networks of research managers and not for the research itself. Further information on EMWIS website.
26- PCCP (from Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential), UNESCO's programme on water conflicts and cooperation, is currently creating a database of experts and institutions involved in transboundary water issues. The database will include experts, organizations, university programs and other training courses, and will serve as a "clearinghouse" of information related to transboundary waters. Further information on EMWIS website
27- On 22 June 2009, UNESCO-IHE presented its contributions to water education to UNESCO Member States Delegates. The briefing was held during an Information Meeting on Water Education at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. Mr Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, opened the meeting by expressing his concerns for water issues around the globe. Barbosa gave a comprehensive overview of the four pillars of UNESCO's freshwater actions working together to deliver water education challenges: WWAP, UNESCO-IHP, UNESCO-IHE and UNESCO water-related centres and chairs. He stressed the importance of UNESCO-IHE's as the largest postgraduate water education facility in the world and the only institution in the UN system authorised to confer accredited degrees. He asked permanent delegates to fully support UNESCO-IHE. Further information on EMWIS website
28- WWF has devoted its enhanced presence at World Water Week to highlight the urgency of considering water security for the environment and humanity more and more as regional and global issue. WWF will be keeping up the momentum in its campaign for more countries to ratify and bring into effect the UN convention on transboundary waters (UN Watercourses Convention) to provide the basis of sustainable, equitable and peaceful sharing of waters that cross international boundaries. WWF launched a water footprint studies for German. Another key study will use the growing number of national water footprint studies to show that water conservation in the developing world is in the security, nutritional, health and economic interests of the developed world. Further information on EMWIS website
29- On July 7th-8th, IHP through its PCCP associated programme, in cooperation with UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences sector, and UNESCO ETXEA hosted a meeting of thirteen external experts and eight organizers to discuss the human right to water and challenges related to access to safe sanitation. The main objective of the meeting was to elaborate upon recommendations concerning the fulfillment of this right, which will contribute to each of the participating institutions’ ongoing work in this area. To this end, participants discussed the content of the human right to water, strategies and indicators for fulfillment, "good practices." In addition, the outputs of the meeting will contribute to a working document discussing the human right to water that will serve the Member States of UNESCO and will be distributed during its 35th Session of the General Conference. Further information on EMWIS website.
30- WWF and other NGO, research and business partners have formatted a Global Water Roundtable (GWRT) to develop global standards for freshwater stewardship. The new standard setting process, unveiled at the annual World Water Week gathering in Stockholm for water professionals from governments, businesses and NGOs, will operate under the umbrella of the Alliance for Water Stewardship of which WWF is an organising member. The initiative is supported by a USD1 million grant from Johnson Diversey, a global provider of commercial cleaning and hygiene solutions. The GWRT will consist of a series of meetings with stakeholders around the world, initially to develop an agreed set of standards covering water impacts, quality and management schemes. Other organising members of the Alliance for Water Stewardship which will manage the process include World Wildlife Fund, the Pacific Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Water Witness International, The Water Stewardship Initiative, the Water Environment Federation and the European Water Partnership. Further information on EMWIS website
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NOMINATIONS and
VACANCIES
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31- FEMIP, the financial instrument of the European Investment Bank for the EU’s 10 partner countries in the Mediterranean, is offering work experience for young graduates under its Internship Programme. Generally, successful candidates will have enrolled on a graduate study programme (be pursuing a master’s degree) and already have some work experience. The application period for the Programme is 1 July to 25 September 2009. Further information on EMWIS website.
32- Position with Water Advocates "Director of Global Water, Health and Schools": Water Advocates (www.wateradvocates.org) is a small but influential nonprofit advocacy group in Washington DC (DuPont Circle area) dedicated to helping solve the global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge. The Director of Global Water, Health and Schools is responsible for planning and implementing Water Advocates' outreach and advocacy program focused on a) water, sanitation, and global public health and b) the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools Initiative. Further information on EMWIS website.
33- The 2009 Stockholm Water Prize was given to the Indian sanitation
innovator and social reformer Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak from H.R.H. Prince
Carl Philip of Sweden during the Award Ceremony of the 2009 World Water Week in
Stockholm last week.
Further information on
EMWIS website.
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PUBLICATIONS
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34- The INSPIRE team announced the release of the new INSPIRE website, which can be accessed at: http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/. The new INSPIRE site has been designed with a fresh new look and has been updated with the most recent information. It includes the prototype INSPIRE geoportal and allows for discovery and viewing of spatial data sets and services. It's aim is to identify issues related to its implementation and accessing distributed INSPIRE services, to help towards the development of the operational geoportal. This geoportal illustrate the discussions held at the EMWIS workshop on metadata management in the Mediterranean, last June, in Nice (France) and the launch of a prototype geo-catalogue on mediterranean water information sources. Further information on EMWIS website.
35- The first Newsletter of the "Rencontres Internationales Monaco and the Mediterranean (RIMM)" was published in July 2009. It shows the outputs of the "Vth Rencontres Internationales de Monaco and the Mediterranean-RIMM", which took place in late March 2009 in Monaco and has already announced the next scheduled meeting in Marrakech in 2010 and Beirut in 2012. Further information on EMWIS website
36- Atlas of Lebanon: This atlas was produced through a French-Lebanese collaboration and offers a new vision of Lebanese territory. It highlights its transformations over the past thirty years. The book is based on a large collection of spatial information at a fine scale, and its rich and unique mapping helps to understand the current complex dynamics in a country that often seems to defy comprehension. This book, published in paper version in 2007 is now available full text online with summary in English and Arabic. Further information on EMWIS website
37- Risk Analysis of Water Pollution: This new edition of a classic text has now been extensively updated to include the latest developments in risk analysis and water quality assessment and management. It takes into account the role of ecological water quality in integrated regional and transboundary water resources management, according to the latest UNESCO programmes and the new EU-Water Framework Directive. Further information on EMWIS website
38- The new issue of the journal "Gender, Place and Culture" has a themed collection of articles on gendered geographies of water (Volume 16, Issue 4, edited by Kathleen O'Reilly, Sarah Halvorson, Farhana Sultana, and Nina Laurie). Further information on EMWIS website
39- The
French National Office for Water and Aquatic environments
-ONEMA- launched a documentary web portal opened to all. If you are
looking for technical papers on water and aquatic environments
have a look at www.documentation.eaufrance.fr.
The portal gives for free access to bibliographical records of reports,
studies, articles, mainly produced bt public organisations.
Documents are provided by contributors such as public water agencies and research
organizations using the OAI protocol (Open Archive Initiative)
also recommended and implemented by EMWIS and it National Focal
Point for documentation management.
Further information on
EMWIS website
40- Organization of water management in France: The aim of this paper is to present the organization of water management in France: (- The French policy of water and its overall organization; - Major improvements and water monitoring; - Public services of drinking water and sanitation). Further information on EMWIS website
41- Legal view on the dual nature of water: This book, that each water manager must possess, sweeping all topics necessary for an understanding and practical water management and sanitation. Further information on EMWIS website
42- InfEAUX, renewables energies, No. 339, 15 June 2009, 17th year: Bi-monthly letter on water from the source to the coast, and renewable energy. Further information on EMWIS website
43- Report of the Working Group on Water and Health on their second meeting ( 2-3 July 2009, Geneva). Further information on EMWIS website
44- Report of the Ad Hoc Project Facilitation Mechanism (1 July 2009, Geneva). Further information on EMWIS website
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CALL FOR
TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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45- A a new call for proposals under the European Commission's external aid
thematic programme: "Environment, Sustainable Management of Natural Resources,
including energy (ENRTP)" has been launched. Deadline for submission of Concept
Notes: 01/10/2009. In the context of this call, only three ENRTP
Priorities will be open:
Priority 1. Working upstream in assisting developing countries to achieve
the MDG7 on environmental sustainability;
Priority 2. Promoting implementation of EU initiatives and internationally
agreed commitments;
Priority 5. Support for sustainable energy options in partner countries
and regions.
Priority in the selection procedure will be given to innovative actions and
actions promoting global or inter-regional or regional or transboundary
approaches. Cross-border collaboration or international collaboration will be
considered as important criteria during the evaluation process.
Further
information on
EMWIS website.
46- Preannouncement of the ERA-Net IWRM-Net (towards a European wide exchange Network for integrating research efforts on Integrated Water Resources Management) 2d joint Call for research proposals. The focus for this 2nd Call is on developing strategies and solutions to meet the various challenges connected to climate change, droughts and water scarcity as such. Moreover, proposals addressing economical and social issues for IWRM are welcomed. Closing date: 15th October 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
47- FP7-ENV-2010 Environment (including climate change) Call:
The call (Deadline:
05 January 2010) allocates €170 000 000 million for
research topics (49 topics) in all the four activities of the Theme:
Activity 6.1: Climate change, pollution and risks
Activity 6.2: Sustainable management of resources
Activity 6.3: Environmental technologies
Activity 6.4: Earth observation and assessment tools for sustainable development
Further information on
EMWIS website
48- "ENPI CBC-MED: First call for proposals for Standard Projects": The "ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2007/2013" is a multilateral cross-border cooperation programme co-financed by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The general objective of the Programme is to contribute to promoting the sustainable and harmonious cooperation process at the Mediterranean Basin level by dealing with the common challenges and enhancing its endogenous potential. Priority: 1. Promotion of socio-economic development and enhancement of territories; 2. Promotion of environmental sustainability at the basin level; 3. Promotion of better conditions and modalities for ensuring the mobility of persons, goods and capitals; 4. Promotion of cultural dialogue and local governance. The present call for proposals is open to all the 4 Programme Priorities and to the 10 related Measures. The allocated budget for this first call for proposals is 32.811.784 EUR. Deadline for submission of project proposals was postponed to October 20th 2009 by decision of the Joint Monitoring Committee. Further information on EMWIS website
49- LIFE+ Call for Proposals and Workshops: For this third LIFE+ call for proposals, the deadline for the submission of proposals to the Member States is 15 September 2009. Up to 250 million EUR is available for this call. Thereafter, national authorities will send project proposals on to the European Commission by 22 October 2009, and the Commission will check the outline projects against the LIFE+ eligibility criteria and will assess proposals on the basis of the LIFE+ selection and award criteria. Final announcement of the projects chosen for funding is expected in July/August 2010, with projects starting work at the beginning of 2011. Project proposals should be carefully checked to ensure that they are in line with all the criteria set out in the call documents. Further information on EMWIS website
50- Decision on third call for INTERREG IVC: Call for Capitalisation projects to launch end 2009, Regional Initiative projects after second call analysis: The INTERREG IVC Monitoring Committee has decided on the perspective for a third call for projects, at the fourth programme Monitoring Committee meeting in Prague, 14-15 May. A two-step package has been agreed upon, with differing dates for Capitalisation projects and Regional Initiative projects (RIP). A call for Capitalisation projects only will be opened at the end of 2009 while a call for Regional Initiative projects will be launched following an analysis at programme level of the approved projects from the first and second calls. A series of seminars and information events will be organised by the Joint Technical Secretariat, and the Information Points, in 2009-2010 to prepare applicants in understanding the characteristics of the call, once decided by the Monitoring Committee. A dedicated Capitalisation event will be organised under the chairmanship of the Swedish presidency of the EU in December 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
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CALL FOR PAPERS
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51- Call for papers for the International Conference on Energy, Environment and Water Desalination: The International Conference on Energy, Environment and Water Desalination will take place in Tripoli (Libya) in 17-18 November 2009. Authors are invited to submit abstracts limited to 500 words in English and Arabic by 30/09/2009 and full papers by 30/10/2009. Further information on EMWIS website
52- Call for papers for the 3rd International Symposium of the history of wetlands: Wetlands and cities yesterday and today, that will be held on 25, 26, 27 March 2010 at the University of Valenciennes - Faculté des Lettres, Langues, Arts et Sciences Humaines (France). Deadline for proposals submission: 15 October 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
53- The forthcoming 3rd International Symposium on 'Recent Advances in Quantitative Remote Sensing', will be held in Valencia (Spain), from 27 September to 1 October 2010. A call for papers is launched till the 15th February 2010. Further information on EMWIS website
54- "SimHydro 2010: Hydraulic modeling and uncertainty": Modeling in fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and hydrology, whether using digital tools or using scale models, has reached sufficient maturity to be in daily use by engineers for analysis and for communication. Abstract submission: 15 October 2009. Further information on EMWIS website.
55- First Announcement and call for papers for the Second International Conference on Drought Management, to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 4-6 March 2010, on the topic “Economics of Drought and Drought Preparedness in the Mediterranean”. Deadline for paper submission in English: 15 October 2009 to Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza - CIHEAM. Further information on EMWIS website.
56- Call for papers for the Water &
Environment 2010 - CIWEM's Annual Conference:
The aim of the conference is to
challenge and inspire the water and environmental community by sharing
knowledge and best practice, which is at the heart of meeting key global
challenges.
Abstracts submission deadline: Friday 11th September 2009.
Further information on
EMWIS website.
58- "Risks and inequalities in water management in the Mediterranean" seminar, will be held in Djerba (Tunisia) the 24-27 September 2009. Send a one page abstract of your paper before September 05, 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
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TRAINING
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59- Register now for the IRC course on Strengthening Transparancy, Integrity and Accountability: Preventing Corruption in Water, 21 - 23 September 2009 in The Hague, more information is available on the website at http://www.irc.nl/page/47909
60- An International Program for Jordan and the Arab Countries, held at Princess Sumaya University for Technology and the Royal Scientific Society in cooperation with Swiss organizations including University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. In October 2009 the second class of the Master Program will start. The program is open to participants form the Arab region, it will be held in four semesters (2 - year program) starting October 4, 2009. Courses will be given in the late afternoon in order to allow professionals to take part in this master program. Registration is open until September 7, 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
61- WATENV is a research oriented international Master of Science Programme hosted at Leibniz University of Hanover, Germany. Students obtain interdisciplinary knowledge and key qualifications in the field of sustainable water resources management. Duration: 2 years (1.5 years in-class, 0.5 years Master thesis). Final Degree: Master of Science (MSc). Further information on EMWIS website
62- [2009/08/24 - 2009/08/29] Water, Engagement for our Future - AER 14th Summer Schools 2009
Further information on EMWIS website
63- [2009/09/13 - 2009/09/16] A 4-day intensive course on Integrated Water Resources Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions, Genoa Pegli, Italy.
Further information on EMWIS website.
64- [2009/09/29 - 2009/09/29] IOEau Days "Impact of the new requirements on water service cost & price", Paris, France.
Further information on EMWIS website.
65-
[2009/10/15 - 2009/10/15] IOEau Days
"Responsibilities of water & sanitation services", Limoges, France.
Further
information on
EMWIS website.
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EVENTS (Full
Agenda)
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[2009/09/30 - 2009/10/02] 1st Mediterranean Exhibition for Water Technologies, Rome, Italy
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/30 - 2009/10/02] Research on Sustainable Development Indicators: Taking Stock of Results and Identification of Research Needs + Working group meeting on Sustainable Development Indicators, Luxembourg
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/30 - 2009/10/01] Les Assises de l’Assainissement Non Collectif, 6ème édition, Evreux, France
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/30 - 2009/10/01] Colloque "la dégradation de la qualité des eaux littorales par temps de pluie", Granville, France.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/25 - 2009/09/25] Colloque final du projet Concert’Eau, Toulouse, France.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/24 - 2009/09/27] Risques et inégalités face à la gestion de l’eau en Méditerranée, Djerba, Tunisia
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/24 - 2009/09/25] The Eco-Mediterranean Conference: Towards a sustainable management of Mediterranean Sea, Palma de Mallorca (Balearics Islands), Spain
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/22 - 2009/09/23] Morphodynamique et débits solides dans les estuaires, les baies et les deltas : 31es journées de l’hydraulique de la SHF, Paris, France
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/22 - 2009/09/23] The 3rd European Water and Wastewater Management Conference, Birmingham, UK
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/21 - 2009/09/23] EGU Topical Conference on Earth Observation & Water Cycle Science under Global Change, Enschede, Netherlands
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/21 - 2009/09/24] 2nd International Conference Biohydrology 2009: A changing climate for biology and soil hydrology interactions, Bratislava, Slovakia
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/21 - 2009/09/23] Inland Water Brings Life into the Sea, Agriculture and Water – Challenges and Solutions, Lund, Sweden
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/20 - 2009/09/29] Joint CIWEM/ASTEE/EWA Conference in Lille: Water Framework Directive - Emerging Challenges, Lille, France
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/18 - 2009/09/18] World Water Monitoring Day
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/18 - 2009/09/18] Info Day on FP7-Africa-2010 Africa Call, Brussels, Belgium
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/17 - 2009/09/17] Info Day on FP7-ENV-2010 Environment (including climate change) Call, Brussels, Belgium
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/16 - 2009/09/17] Networking Event in the field of water management and sanitation Europe – Africa – EECA, Vienna, Austria
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/14 - 2009/09/15] International workshop "Europe adapts to Climate Change", Science-policy interactions in national adaptation policy, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/10
- 2009/09/10] Seminar on Uncertainties in Climate
Change Impacts on Water Resources, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Further information on
EMWIS website.
[2009/09/09 - 2009/09/12] UN/Austria/ESA Symposium "Space Tools & Solutions for Monitoring the Atmosphere & Land Cover", Graz, Austria
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/09 - 2009/09/10] CIRCLE Final Conference, Vienna, Austria
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/08 - 2009/09/11] RSPSoc2009: The 2009 Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Annual Conference; New Dimensions in Earth Observation, Leicester, United Kingdom
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/07 - 2009/09/09] Water ressources management 2009. Fifth International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management, Malta
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/07 - 2009/09/08] First meeting of the Water Expert Group, 7-8 Sept'09, Athens, Greece
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/03 - 2009/09/04] Conference: "Water Utilities and Law: Current Trends and Development", Scotland, United Kingdom
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/09/01 - 2009/09/05] WMHE 2009: Eleventh International Symposium on Water Management and Hydraulic Engineering, Ohrid, Macedonia
Further information on EMWIS website
[2009/08/31 - 2009/09/04] 3rd World Climate Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.
Further information on EMWIS website.
[2009/08/26 - 2009/08/28] 1st IEEE GRSS Workshop on Hyperspectral Image & Signal Processing: Evolution in Remote Sensing (WHISPERS'09), Grenoble, France.
Further information on EMWIS website.
===============================================
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
===============================================
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,
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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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click here for an open subscription.
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