2nd session of the ministerial Council in charge of water and irrigation of the Union of the Arab Maghreb (UMA)

The Second session of the ministerial council in charge of water and irrigation of the Union of the Arab Maghreb (UMA) was held the 22 and January 23, 2007 in Nouakchott (Mauritania) with in the chair Mr. Omar Salem, Water Directeur in Libya. The meeting considered the evaluation of the implementation of recommendations resulting from the first session of the council held in April 2003 in Algiers (Algeria), the examination of several reports related to water policies in the union, the terminology of water in the union countries, the climate change and its effect on the hydraulic resources, the water quality and the follow-up of the workshops of desalination, the purification and the wastewater treatment. Among the projects approved by the Maghrebian establishment is the launching of a Maghrebian Observatory of Information on the water resources, and a folder on drinking water and sanitation, in addition to the establishment of the Maghrebian Council of water and irrigation. In addition, the meeting of Nouakchott should be used for the development of an action plan on water and irrigation, in adequacy with the needs of the states and the populations. The Union of the Arab Maghreb (UMA), accounts 5 Member States: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia.