EMWIS Flash N°81, June 2010

EMWIS Flash - June 2010 Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean. For further information: http://www.emwis.net Monthly Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, SOGESID- It is available in English, French & Arabic. (French & Arabic versions are available few days later)

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In this issue N°81 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash81)
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HEADLINE
1- Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean Business Declaration 2010: Taking the initiative, shaping the Union for the Mediterranean
IN BRIEF
2- UfM Day at Toulouse Space Show, 11 June 2010
3- 6th World Water Forum Kick-Off Meeting, Marseille
4- Tackling European Water Scarcity
5- Water: Crucial issue for the Mediterranean
6- Morocco sanitation receives World Bank support
7- Morocco: Water management for a sustainable development
8- Algeria: 60 million dinars for monitoring sanitation networks works
9- Algeria & Libya: Nuclear technology for irrigation
10- Tunisia: Two New Projects Supported by the World Bank in the Water and Environment Sector
11- Tunisia: Agriculture Minister stresses need to strengthen water saving awareness campaigns
12- Jordan: Experts review water resource management
13- Egypt: 40% of Cairo’s drinking water wasted
14- Turkey, Syria, Iraq: Not to allow interference in water issue
15- Water apocalypse now on the Nile Daily Star
16- Mediterranean region will be threatened by climate change 2080-2099
17- Gulf: Search For Green Options to Forestall Water Shortage
18- Is greywater safe for irrigation?
19- Launch of the Water and Climate Coalition
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- On 3-4 June 2010, representatives of the private sector, business support and economic development organisations from Europe and the Mediterranean gathered at the Mediterranean Economic Leaders Summit to urge political leaders to further promote Euro-Mediterranean economic integration and to involve the private sector systematically into the process of shaping the Union for the Mediterranean. The UfM has so far not lived up to its high expectations, following its launching in 2008. After two years, the UfM is still focusing mainly on the input side, e.g. structures and responsibilities, instead of the output side. The UfM is currently struggling to achieve its primary goal: building confidence amongst its members by generating tangible projects on the ground. Business needs the governments of the UfM countries to show leadership to create a beneficial investment climate. The UfM must be driven by a new spirit of cooperation and conciliation to unlock the potential of business development. Political summits should always be organised in line with this spirit and based on the principles of the Barcelona Process. Additional funding for the UfM Secretariat should be contingent on its ability to faithfully pursue the business development projects with all partners. Euro-Mediterranean Business has highlighted a series of key points, proposals and recommendations on the shaping of the UfM, in order to make it an operational union that can develop concrete projects of joint Euro-Mediterranean interest and promote sustainable development especially in the Southern Mediterranean countries.  Business is counting on governments to move forward in their next planned meeting in November 2010 to advance the process towards the establishment of a truly open and dynamic regional market. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The 2nd edition of the Toulouse Space Show was held from 8 to 11 June 2010 in Toulouse (France), centred on eight major events, among others: the Union for the Mediterranean conference: "Space for the Mediterranean", Under the patronage of the President of the French Republic. It was the first one to tackkle the theme of space applications contribution to the benefit of concrete projects between partner countries of the Union for the Mediterranean. Presentations and talk were organized around several thematic round tables. The debates and the exchanges effectively created a favorable context to the establishment of numerous contacts and to the exchange of ideas. The roundtable on water management was organized an introductory speech from EMWIS followed by a debate with experts from the Institute for Development Research (IRD, Cairo), the Institut National Agronomique (Tunisia) and Litani River Authority (Lebanon). It was noticed that satellite imagery is still under used and various projects ideas were discussed. The synthesis of the debates and the list of the participants will be soon available. Organizers expect that this conference will foster the development of innovative projects embedding space technologies and that concrete Mediterranean realizations will be presented during the next edition of Toulouse Space Show (2014 ). Further information on EMWIS website.

3- The opening ceremony of the 6th World Water Forum Kick-Off Meeting took place in Paris, France on 2 June 2010, followed by a working meeting on 3-4 June 2010 in Marseilles, France. While the first five editions were mainly used to draw the conclusion of the water situation in the world and to educate politicians, the Sixth World Water Forum to be held in March 2012 in Marseille (France) will focus on developing solutions to allow access to water and sanitation for all. Over 30,000 participants are expected at this event in 2012 in Marseille. "This June meeting was the first stage of consultation that will take approximately five months, and will involve politians, civil society representatives, etc. ... to define the nature and themes of the upcoming forum," said Loic Fauchon, , chairman of the World Water Council, the Forum organiser. Further information on EMWIS website.

4- A new European Commission (EC) report on the EU's strategy to tackle water scarcity and drought states that greater efforts on pricing and efficiency are needed to reverse the over-exploitation of Europe's limited water resources. Despite more rainfall in southern European countries in 2009 than in previous years, the report warns that greater efforts are still needed to stop and reverse the mistreatment of Europe's finite water resources. An effective water pricing policy, water efficiency and water saving measures are essential to ensure that Europe has enough good quality water to meet the needs of users and to face the challenges of a changing climate. The EC carried out in-depth assessments of water scarcity and drought in the EU in 2006 and early 2007. Following this the EC presented a set of policy options to increase water savings in 2007, and highlighted the need to improve the financing of water efficiency within the framework of existing sector policies. This second follow-up report notes that an effective water pricing policy and water-saving measures are essential to ensure that Europe has enough quality water to meet societal needs and face the challenge of climate change. The report also warns that some member states have begun to suffer ‘permanent scarcity across the whole country'. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- Countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East are facing challenges in managing their water resources, according to an EMWIS Feasibility study on developing a regional mechanism for monitoring water in the Mediterranean, published in June 2008. Water as a crucial issue in the Mediterranean, is marked by strong regional imbalances, persistent political instability, and social disparities. Freshwater is very unevenly distributed between the Mediterranean countries and subject to very strong seasonal irregularities and large inter-annual fluctuations. At the Mediterranean investment For'UM held at the end of May in Marseille, Eric MINO, EMWIS Technical Unit coordinator, introduced to the readers of "MedAfrique" EMWIS mission, its actions and also gave an overview on the situation of water in the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website. (Interview available only in French)

6- The World Bank approved the Regional Potable Water Supply Systems project and the "Oum Er Rbia" Sanitation project. The objective of the first project is to increase access to potable water supply for selected local communities in the Nador, Driouch, Safi, Youssoufia, Sidi Bennour and Errachidia provinces. The second project plans to support help increase the overall rate of sanitation access, and wastewater treatment in eleven towns in the Oum Er Rbia basin. The Regional Potable Water Supply Systems project (US$175 million) will contribute to achieving Morocco's objective of increasing access to potable water in lagging urban and rural areas and in so doing improve the living conditions of the local communities . It will also promote social and economic development in rural areas. The "Oum Er Rbia" Sanitation project (US$43 million) will contribute to achieving the Government of Morocco's objective of increasing the overall rate of sanitation access and the reduction of pollution in the natural environment. It aims also at narrowing the service gap between large and small towns. The World Bank and the Government of Morocco elected water as a sectoral entry point for their 2005-2009 partnership, and developed a specific "water pillar" aimed at "improving water management and access to water and sanitation services".  Further information on EMWIS website.

7- It is urgent to explore new avenues for saving water: wastewater reuse, promotion of drip irrigation and desalination of sea water, according to Majid Ben Biba, Head of water planning in the Moroccan Secretariat of State for Water and Environment at the conference held recently on the theme "Water management for a sustainable development." A meeting initiated by the EMI Environment Club in the 50th anniversary of the Mohammadia Engineering School. Morocco has received this year about 50 billion m3 of water, most of it went to sea, and to fight against this waste, a construction of some 1,000 small dams has been announced in the Green Morocco Plan . The pollution of water resources is also a danger. Thus, two major rivers (Sebou & Umm errabia) are too polluted. However, the other big threat is represented by the plundering of underground aquifers in the region Sousss Massa, Mnasra mainly due to farming. To fight against this scourge, a contract involving ground water industry players has been made in Agadir. Further information on EMWIS website.

8- After starting the rehabilitation of 80 km of sanitation network in the Wilaya of Oran (Algeria), the hydraulics services selected the consulting firm "SGI Hydro-Consult" for the operational support assistance, technical control and monitoring of the first and second phases of work. The budget allocated to this project, which will be delivered in mid 2012, is about 60 million dinars ( 623 000 Euros). Further information on EMWIS website.

9- Nuclear technology is used to improve irrigation, water management and production of potatoes in Libya and Algeria. It is part of the participation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the development of using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes over North Africa. In Libya, a project of the IAEA and the Government is using nuclear and isotopic techniques to improve water management in agriculture. Constraints related to water conservation have been identified with these techniques. In addition, proper land management practices and irrigation are in place to improve crops drip and water storage in soil. According to the IAEA, 18 African countries currently participating in a new regional irrigation project to introduce and test during a pilot phase of irrigation technologies appropriate to small scale. The goal is to develop irrigation systems to enable small farmers to increase yield and quality of crops and improve their income and livelihoods. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- The World Bank approved two loans and a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support Tunisia's development program, in particular the Northern Tunis Wastewater Project, at a total cost of US$68.63 million, and a second Natural Resource Management Project, in the amount of US$57.84 million. These projects will support a number of major sectors in the country, including water, the environment, and agriculture. The basic objectives of the Northern Tunis Wastewater Project are, first, to reduce the environmental impact of treated wastewater discharge in the Gulf of Tunis by building a submarine outfall to significantly improve the seawater quality on the beaches of northern Tunis. The second objective is to support the implementation of the National Program for Wastewater Reuse. This project will support the first phase of the program, to be implemented by the National Sanitation Office (ONAS), whose aim is to develop the necessary infrastructure to increase the quantity and quality of treated wastewater available to farmers in order to encourage its reuse in agriculture in the area of the Borj Touil irrigated perimeter.  Further information on EMWIS website.

11- Monitoring water reserves and their exploitation by the end of the current agricultural season was the focus of the working session held last May 2010 in Tunis. During the meeting, it was announced that the water reserves in dams amounted to 1.594 billion cubic meter while their planned use during the current season is estimated at 876 million cubic meters. The event also stressed the importance of monitoring the status of groundwater, development of reserves from precipitation and the rate of artificial recharge of the aquifer. Chairing the event, Mr. Abdessalem Mansour, the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries called for accelerating equipment maintenance of deep wells in addition to the need to raise awareness campaigns in water conservation and dissemination of irrigation facilities. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- Jordan suffers from acute water shortage brought about by climate change, which is causing a drop in rainfall and a rise in temperatures, coupled with man-made factors, a senior water official said last June 21st. Ministry of Water and Irrigation Secretary General Maysoun Zu'bi said a majority of Arab countries suffer from limited water resources, highlighting that Jordan is categorised among the four most water-deprived countries in the world. Zu'bi made the remarks during a workshop organised by UNESCO on the International Hydrological Programme's (IHP) research activities in Jordan, where she underscored the importance of efficient and balanced water management. Under the IHP, two UNESCO-funded research projects were carried out: A groundwater recharge evaluation in Wadi Feifa to the south of the Jordan Valley in 2007 and another on the management of wastewater in rural areas in Jordan in 2009. Meanwhile, UNESCO Representative in Jordan Anna Paolini underscored that the agency is working to integrate climate change issues into the national curricula and learning programmes in order to encourage more sustainable patterns of living and limit the impact of climate change. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- Mostafa el-Shimi, a housing ministry project manager in Egypt, has said that 40 percent of Cairo's drinking water is wasted either as a result of deteriorating supply networks or bad social habits like using water to wash building stairwells and cars. Using El-Salam City as an example, el-Shimi said that the area's water network was built 35 years ago and has not been renovated since then. "The government has only started renovating it to make the network fully operational as of next year," he said. A water company official, for his part, said the absence of data on residential versus commercial units in a given building makes the company charge both the same fees, although the latter should be charged more. He further explained that there is a problem with water meters, as many of them are out of order. When meters are not working, the company charges based on unit averages in previous years. As for public housing projects, each unit is charged according to its square-meter space. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- Turkish Environment & Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu said last June, 21st that Turkey, Syria and Iraq would not allow any interference of any other country in water issue. Eroglu said Turkey wanted fair planning of use of Firat (Euphrates) River's water, raising the prosperity level of the three countries, "I wish the waters would boost friendship and fraternity among Turkey, Syria and Iraq," he said. Eroglu discussed in Damascus technical details of the Friendship Dam to be constructed on River Asi with Turkish and Syrian cooperation, met with Syrian Irrigation Minister Nader al-Bunni and signed specifications and written report including the details. Eroglu said they would take significant steps in prevention of pollution in Euphrates and Asi rivers. Syrian Irrigation Minister al-Bunni said they agreed to have a trilateral ministerial meeting in Baghdad, and noted that they discussed preservation of water resources and quality as well as probable climate conditions in the region. The Turkish and Syria parties assessed cooperation opportunities on Friendship Dam, irrigation projects, agriculture and meteorology and al-Itri expressed Syria's eagerness to boost cooperation with Turkey in irrigation and agriculture. Syrian Assistant Vice-President Hassan Turkmani who also received Eroglu, made an emphasis on importance of Friendship Dam, and made a call for cooperation in areas of modern irrigation techniques and meteorology. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- Taking advantage of astounding Arab apathy, African countries of the Nile Basin met in the absence of Egypt and Sudan to agree on a plan for sharing the Nile water. Ethiopia, which is the source of 85 percent of the Blue Nile, is only able to utilize a small portion of this water as it crosses its low-laying areas while the bulk of its agricultural activities are on highlands, blessed with abundance of water. Nevertheless, it is demanding the right to construct dams on the Nile for the generation of electricity, to be in turn exported to Europe. What is precarious is the notion of asking for a "fair share" from Nile water with the rights of selling it to other countries. This move was instigated by Israel's offer to buy water from the source countries. Whereas the construction of the hydroelectric dams does not impact the quantity of water flowing to Sudan and Egypt in real terms, offering the Nile water on the market for sale as a commercial commodity would result in an indisputable disaster. The Nile crosses 10 countries before its downstream reaches the Nile Delta estuary on the Mediterranean.  Around 90 percent of Nile water currently reaches Sudan and Egypt, which both have been given the right to veto any projects for the construction of dams or alteration of water use in upstream areas, through an agreement that was signed in 1929. The countries that have met in Uganda have decided to establish a new joint authority for the management of the Nile, based on new guidelines. The most recent water reports indicate that three Arab countries are the poorest in water availability in the world amongst 180 countries. In the list of the 19 water-poorest, there are 13 Arab countries. In four Arab countries the per-capita share is below 100-cubic meters - Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Palestine - while in four other countries the figure is below 200-cubic meters - Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan. There are five Arab countries with per-capita share less than 500-cubic meters - Yemen, Djibouti, Oman, Algeria and Tunisia - while Egypt, Lebanon and Syria are on the boundary of water scarcity with less than 1,000-cubic meters per capita. The only two Arab countries that still pass the water stress line are Iraq and Sudan, at more than 1,000-cubic meters per capita. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- Severe climate change will threaten the Mediterranean region during the 2080-2099 period with possibilities of annual average temperatures rising from 2.2 to 5.1 degrees Celsius, according to a report issued recently in Tunis as part of the celebrations of the international year of biodiversity. The document, according to the Plan of Action for the Mediterranean (PAM), shows that "the scarcity of water resources and the preservation of biodiversity will constitute the main challenges in the region." The Mediterranean basin, which covers about 0.8 per cent of the surface of the seas and oceans and houses about 8 per cent of known marine species, is classified among the 25 richest zones in terms of biodiversity. About 60 million people from the Mediterranean suffer from water scarcity, with an annual average below 500 cubic metres per inhabitant. The global average for the whole Mediterranean space that houses 7 per cent of the world population is 1,000 m3 per capita. At the level of the countries south of the Mediterranean, the situation is said to be "particularly alarming". Further information on EMWIS website.

17- Realising that achieving water security in the future is not an option but a necessity, oil-rich Gulf countries are striving to find new environment-friendly and more economical ways of producing freshwater. Rapid modernisation, combined with other factors, has led fresh groundwater sources to dwindle and fossil fuel-supported desalination to become more expensive in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ‘‘The water situation in the (Gulf) region is worsening because of several factors, including population increase, industrialisation, growth of tourism and wastage,'' said Dr Mohammed Raouf, programme manager of environment research at the Gulf Research Centre, a Dubai-based think tank. In the UAE, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched two pilot projects to produce desalinated water from brackish and saline groundwater using solar energy. According to the EAD, the real challenge is to increase the efficiency of solar energy collection system and reduce environmental impact. Efforts are also under way to install 30 small-scale solar-powered desalination plants, scheduled to be functional next year. The Gulf region has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. Its combined population is tipped to grow by 33 percent in little over a decade - from nearly 40 million people in 2008 to 53 million in 2020.  Further information on EMWIS website.

18- 'Greywater' that is recycled from household washing can be used to irrigate home gardens, according to a new study by Jordanian researchers. The researchers found that treatment units supplied by the Jordanian government produced small quantities of recycled water that could be used to irrigate gardens, whilst meeting national standards for irrigation of trees and many home-grown crops.  In Jordan the government provided over 750 low-income households in 2003 with greywater treatment units to help cope with water shortages. However, the problem with greywater is that without proper treatment it may retain increased levels of elements that are harmful to the soil and the crops or trees that grow in it. One particular concern is sodium, which in higher concentrations can damage soil permeability and structure, ultimately reducing crop yields. The researchers monitored sodium levels, as well as levels of other potentially damaging elements, to establish whether water produced by the treatment units and used for irrigation was meeting Jordanian standards. The results may be applicable to areas of Europe suffering from water shortage. They found that the treated water complied with standards for irrigation of fodder crops and tree crops, including olive trees. However, it did not meet standards for vegetables that must be cooked before eating. Importantly, sodium levels were within the allowable limits, although the researchers did notice that concentrations of sodium and organic matter increased over time. The leaves and fruits of olive trees were tested and were found to have suffered no ill effects from recycled water. Olive trees are known to be able to tolerate slight increases in salt, which the researchers say makes them suitable for greywater irrigation. Occasional leaching (deliberate flushing) with fresh water may be a way to reduce build up of salts and organic matter in soils irrigated with greywater, according to the researchers. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- Building on the work already carried out by the Global Public Policy Network on Water Management (GPPN), the coalition seeks to bring together stakeholders from across the global water community to promote progressive and integrated water and climate change policy on an international level. The Coalition officially launched on 3rd June at a side event at the Bonn Climate Change Talks. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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20- The Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) announced that Jean-Jacques Dordain will continue as the Director General of ESA for a further period of four years. Mr Dordain has served as Director General of ESA since 2003. This third mandate extends his term to June 2015. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- Dov Zerah designated Chief Executive Officer of the AFD (French Development Agency): After a hearing at the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Senate and the National Assembly, Dov Zerah was appointed CEO of the Agence Française de Développement by the Council of Ministers on June 2, 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- The World Wetland Network recently launched the International Wetland Globes, an awards scheme to recognise best practice and wetland restoration, and to highlight wetlands in danger. The Wetland Globes are non-financial awards, and will be given to the wetland itself - representatives connected to the wetland will receive the award. The awards are divided into three categories. Blue recognises best practice in wetland management; green for successful restoration of a degraded wetland; and grey highlights wetlands that are being actively degraded or neglected. World Wetland Network will deliver these three awards for each continent at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference in October 2010, and then at the Ramsar Conference in 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

23- On the occasion of the World Expo Shanghai 2010, the World Water Council launches the International photo contest under the theme "Water and Cities" to raise awareness on the many water facets in urban area.  All selected pictures will be screened on the World Water Pavilion at the EXPO 2010, and an International Jury will select the best three photos to be printed for exhibition. The first-prize winner will be invited to participate in an award ceremony during the World Expo.  Deadline for submissions is 15 July 2010. Mail notifying winners will be sent out before 6 September 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

24- Mr. Khaled Al-Nouby, Coordinator of the AWC Youth Network, has been awarded a grant of the "Youth for Change" program, offered by Bibliotheca Alexandrina to implement the awareness project "Youth campaign to get young people involved in confronting and addressing the problems of drinking water and sanitation in Aswan."  Further information on EMWIS website.

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PUBLICATIONS
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25- "190 states for the right to water, how many against?" - Dissemination at the official launch ("Kick Off Meeting") of the World Water Forum, Marseille 3 and 4 June 2010: 190 States voted formally in the recent years for the right to water as part of conventions or declarations at the ministerial level. They are 139 developing countries and 51 other states.  The international recognition of this right was ruled out in previous Forums in that some countries have made use of their right of veto on legislation that if passed, would do in any case not committed either legally or politically. Further information on EMWIS website.

26- Official Report of the Parliamentarian's Water Forum in the Arab World and Surrounding Countries ( Turkey and Iran), Beirut, 13th - 15th of May 2010: As a Board Governor in the World Water Council, the Association of the Friends of Ibrahim Abdel Al, has organized this forum on May 2010, in the Lebanese Parliament, in Beirut, in collaboration with the Parliamentary Commission on Water & Energy and the WWC, under the Patronnage of HE Mr Nabih Berri, The President of the Lebanese Parliament. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- If mitigation is about energy, adaptation is about water. This is the opening statement of a new essay on water and adaptation, written by two of the worlds leading profiles in the water sector, professor Torkil Jønch Clausen of DHI and Carsten Bjerg, CEO of Danish technology provider Grundfos. The essay highlights the urgent need for effective measures to protect the worlds most vulnerable communities from the effects of floods, extreme wheather, drought and rising sea levels. Further information on EMWIS website.

28- In the report "Climate Change and Urban Water Utilities: Challenges & Opportunities", water utilities in developing countries expressed varied levels of concern related to climate change impact, and many cited a lack of capacity to act because of time and other resource constraints. Click here for a related blog post. Further information on EMWIS website.

29- Water Library: After the 5th World Water Forum held in March, 2009, publications such as the Final Report, the Evaluation Report and the Global Water Framework were distributed as hard copies and published on the 5th WWF website. A "Water Library" using all these data has been established and launched the websites www.waterchannel.org and www.sukanali.org . Audio visual records, presentations, documents and pictures of the Forum week will be shared on these websites. Further information on EMWIS website.

30- Major survey assesses successes and failures of Euro-Med Partnership: The Arab-Israeli conflict is a major obstacle to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, likely to paralyse progress in the mid- to long-term, according to major survey of experts and actors in the Partnership, Commissioned by the European Commission (under the European Union through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument -ENPI)from the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed). But while prospects on a political level are pessimistic, most respondents see the Partnership leading to a greater intensity of human exchanges and a greater understanding and respect between cultures and religions. Further information on EMWIS website.

31- The EU-funded Programme for Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters (PPRD South) has made available on its website the report of the workshop on "Geographical Information Systems for Civil Protection" (GIS), held last March. The objective of the €5 million PPRD South programme is to develop and reinforce the prevention, preparedness and response capacities of civil protection services in the Euro-Mediterranean region through increased institutional cooperation between the EU and the Mediterranean partner countries. Further information on EMWIS website.

32- A website giving access to all presentations given at the OECD Expert Meeting on Water Economics and Financing that took place in Paris on 15-17 March is now available. Further information on EMWIS website.

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

34- December 2010 ENPI CBC-MED call for proposals on standard projects: Call for proposals on standard projects (one-step open procedure) focusing on the four Programme Priorities.  Indicative launch date: December 2010. Indicative amount allocated: € 33 million. Further information on EMWIS website.

35 - The fourth LIFE+ call for proposals has been published on 04 May 2010, with up to €243 million available for co-financing of projects under three headings: nature and biodiversity; environment policy and governance; and information and communication. Project proposals should be sent to the relevant national authority no later than 01 September 2010. Thereafter, national authorities will send project proposals on to the European Commission by 04 October 2010, 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 2011, with projects starting at the earliest on 1 September 2011. Project promoters are encouraged to make best use of the time available up to the deadline for submission of proposals to national authorities (01 September). 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.

36- EC launches €35 million call for projects that turn environmental challenges into business opportunities: Under the 2010 CIP Eco-innovation call for proposals, funds are available for new projects in the area of materials recycling, sustainable building products, the food and drink sector and green business practices. Applications are particularly welcome from small businesses with green products or services that need backing to penetrate markets. The call runs until 9 September 2010. Some 50 projects could end up being chosen for funding. Some 44 projects are currently running under the scheme, and another 45 are set to launch in the course of this year. Some examples include: converting used tyres into valuable insulation materials; using bamboo plantations to purify 'grey' water; and replacing conventional paper labels with innovative laser technologies. Further information on EMWIS website.

37- Additional FP 7 EU funding to support GMES: The third of six planned calls for proposals under the space and security themes of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) was published on July 2009 and closed on December 2009. Among other issues, the space research calls addressed the services included in the GMES programme, as well as a significant financial envelope to strengthen the foundations of space science and technology. In cooperation with the Research Executive Agency (REA), 108 successful project proposals have been short-listed from amongst 732 proposals applied for this third call for proposals. They comprise 68 space and 40 security research projects: EUR 114 million for the FP7 space theme, and EUR 210 million for the FP7 security theme. More recently, on 10 June 2010, the European Commission (DG Enterprise and Industry) announced that it had started negotiations to sign research contracts worth EUR 324 million with the 108 successful space and security research consortia. In the space domain, the short-listed Earth Observation projects include support for the EU's efforts to fight climate change by monitoring deforestation in Africa. In July 2010, the European Commission foresees the publishing of the fourth FP7 space and security calls for proposals. Reflecting the political importance given to strategic R&D investment, a positive funding trend is expected. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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38- SedNet calls for abstracts for platform presentations and posters for the Open Conference. Abstracts related to the main issues of the Conference with a special focus on the Mediterranean area will be particularly welcomed. Issues to be addressed among others are: Sediment management measures and cost-benefit analysis, Climate change and sediment: effects on bio-availability and contaminant biogeochemical cycles, Sediment Environmental Quality Standards and monitoring. Deadline for abstract submission: 1 September 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

39- Call for publication on the Mediterranean Magazine (Revue Méditerranée) - "Issues of Water in the Eastern Mediterranean" No. 118 of the Mediterranean Magazine, to be published in June 2012: This magazine will devote its June 2012 special issue titled "Issues of water in the Eastern Mediterranean" to questions of human geography related to water, its management, its development and its social and political role. Further information on EMWIS website.

40- Following the outcome of the third meeting of the Working Group on Water and Health (27-28 May 2010, Geneva), the decisions with regard to guidance/guidelines and other documents to be submitted to the second session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health (23 -25 November 2010, Bucharest, Romania) are published. The deadline for providing comments for all English versions of the guidelines and other documents is 30 June 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

41- Call for abstracts - "Sediments and Biodiversity: bridging the gap between science and policy",7th international SedNet event, 6-9 April 2011, Venice, Italy: It represents a paradigm for all Mediterranean coastal areas due to its cultural heritage, its precious lagoon and its challenges toward climate change adaptation. Deadline for abstract submission: 1 September 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

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TRAINING
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42- The use of renewable energy for desalination is attracting more and more attention since its potential for the Mediterranean region is huge. The ProDes project (www.prodes-project.org) has done a lot of work promoting the technology and training a large number of people. Now, an e-learning course is offered for the first time, allowing anyone in the world with internet access to gain a good overview of all the available technologies and their perspectives. The next editions of the course start on June and July 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

43- E-Learning: Governance & Urban Drainage. The Local Development Programme of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides a new session of the online course "Governance in the area of urban sanitation" in French. The course, which will take place from 26 July to 1 October 2010, aims to strengthen capacity of local decision makers and professionals to make choices and smart investments in the field of urban sanitation. The course provides analytical tools enabling them to understand the financial and institutional framework of the sector while taking into account the needs of urban communities more vulnerable. Further information on EMWIS website.

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