EMWIS Flash N°101, June 2012

EMWIS Flash - June 2012 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: 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) Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism / Geo-Catalogue / UfM-Water

========================
In this issue N°101 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash101)
========================
HEADLINE
1- Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development: Water and RIO+20

IN BRIEF
2- UfM: NGO, Rio+20 could herald common deal on water
3- STEP-WISE actively participated at the Green week 22-25 May 2012 in Brussels
4- EU WFD: Criteria to identify river sites minimally affected by human stressors
5- ENPARD Conference on Strategic Modernisation of Agriculture in EU Neighbourhood countries (31/05-01/06/2012, Brussels)
6- Spain: Degrowth aided by decentralised water supply
7- Romania: European Bank funds clean water
8- Turkey Carry Water to One Million People in Africa
9- Jordan: German loan to fund water recycling, loss reduction projects
10- Jordan: Millions to benefit from Zarqa water expansion projects
11- Israel’s Mekorot targets world water market
12- Tunisia: Pilot project on water desalination for agriculture in Medenine
13- Algeria: Launch of the depollution works in Oued El Harrach
14- Morocco - Belgium: A project of water management and integrated rural development in Zagora
15- UNECE supports international cooperation on Drin River Basin to prevent floods and protect waters
16- Drought Worsens in the Sahel Region of Africa – Millions of People at Risk
17- Researchers call for joint carbon and water cap-and-trade market
18- Recycled water from ‘managed aquifer recharge’ safe for irrigation
19- Scientists can play a key role in wetland diplomacy
20- Innovation 'must consider water, energy and land jointly'
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS  
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
PROJECTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

=================================================
HEADLINE
=================================================

1- The preparations for Rio+20 have highlighted seven areas which need priority attention. These include decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, oceans, disaster readiness and WATER. The key water issues for Rio+20 are: - Access to water and sanitation; - Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM); - Water cooperatio; - Water in the Green Economy. “The challenges, risks and uncertainties blocking the road to sustainable development and the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals require a collective response by the whole international community” Michel Jarraud, UN-Water Chair. The need to improve the provision of basic water and sanitation services and the management of the world's water resources as well as wastewater has been underlined at previous international conferences on sustainable development. Both Earth Summits in Rio (1992) and Johannesburg (2002) called for actions to improve the delivery of services to the very poor and the way water is managed and used. Rio+20 presents a unique opportunity to boost commitment from governments to implement these actions. Progress is uneven, and the world is facing major and overlapping global crises: the economic and financial crisis, accelerating environmental degradation, water scarcity and pollution, and emerging impacts of a changing climate. Water and especially sanitation services for the poor are lagging behind in key regions of the world. All of these challenges impede efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve an equitable society. Water is at the foundation of sustainable development as it is the common denominator of all global challenges: energy, food, health, peace and security and poverty eradication. On the other hand, a side event was organized by the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO): "The basins, new territories for better water resources management" at the French Pavilion last 18 June. Further information on EMWIS website.

=================================================
IN BRIEF (Full news)
=================================================

2- The forthcoming UN conference on sustainable development, known as Rio+20, could "unfreeze" a common strategy among countries in the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), which has been stalled since April 2010. In the corridors of power, meanwhile, a UFM's ministerial meeting on water is expected to take place in 2012 or 2013, with the launch of an action and investment plan due to co-incide with the event. Despite the political instability in the region, collaboration with civil society, local authorities and industries "is continuing even in countries affected by the Arab Spring," Michael Scoullos, the chair of the non-profit network Global Water Partnership in the Mediterranean area remarked. There are a number of action areas for the future, including investment for water purification, desalination plants, the fight against pollution, waste management, areas to dump waste from ships, shared monitoring, information and the raising of awareness. "All of these things can be put forward time and again, but we need to go beyond these suggestions and this rhetoric and implement them," Scoullos insisted. Further information on EMWIS website

3- The 12th edition of Green Week, the biggest annual conference on European environment policy, took place from  22 to 25 May 2012  in Brussels. This year’s theme was “Water”.  Over some 40 sessions, the conference focused on water. Green Week offered a unique opportunity for debate and exchanges of experience and best practice. Over the past decade, the conference has established itself as an important event for anyone involved with protecting the environment. The 2011 edition attracted some 3 160 participants from government, business and industry, non-governmental organisations, academia and the media. The new functionalisties of the WISE-RTD Water Knowledge Portal developed by the STEP-WISE Project, were presented . Further information on EMWIS website.

4- To restore a river site to good ecological status involves comparing it to similar sites that have been far less affected by human activity. A recent study has established a set of guidelines that define an acceptable level of human pressure that can be used to identify these minimally disturbed sites and ensure consistent ecological assessment among EU Member States. The European Water Framework Directive requires Member States to assess the ecological quality of European surface waters and achieve ‘good status’ by 2015. Ecological status is established by comparing the present conditions in water bodies with reference conditions, which can be based on a network of minimally disturbed sites for each stream or river type. Reference conditions have a ‘natural’ structure and functioning and biological communities that live in an undisturbed state, minimally affected by human stressors and alterations. In Europe, undisturbed representative types of aquatic ecosystems are rare.  This study reports on an ‘intercalibration’ exercise by Central, Baltic and western European countries to harmonise the assessment of reference conditions used to define the good ecological status of rivers. A list of threshold criteria for human pressures, such as point source pollution, water removal and regulating river flows that negatively affect rivers at basin, reach and site levels, was developed to serve as a guideline for the identification of reference conditions in rivers and to establish river reference sites. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- Senior agriculture officials from European Neighbourhood countries met on 31 May and 1 June in Brussels to discuss the strategic modernisation of the agricultural sector in their countries at a Conference on the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD). ENPARD is a new policy initiative, part of the EU's commitment to inclusive growth and stability in its Neighbourhood, which recognises the potential importance of agriculture in terms of food security, sustainable production and rural employment. As the key ENPARD event in the year 2012, the conference will be opened jointly by Commissioner Dacian Cioloş (Agriculture and Rural Development) and Commissioner Štefan Füle (Enlargement and European neighbourhood Policy). The main focus of the conference is how to tailor ENPARD to national challenges and needs. Participants came from: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Ukraine as well as representatives from FAO. In the 2014-2020 programming period, partner countries are required to indicate 3 sectors for cooperation with the EU. The conference is thus an opportunity for partner countries to consider making agriculture and rural development one of those 3 priorities. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- There has been a mixed response to Local Agenda 21 (LA21) across Europe, but a new study from the Basque Country in Spain has identified factors that contribute to a successful LA21 strategy. These are a local entrepreneurial presence, joint problem-solving and joint decision-making by local government members. The UN’s Local Agenda 21 (LA21) is a participatory effort, led by local government, to establish a strategic plan for tackling environmental, social, economic and cultural issues. However, in the 20 years since its introduction, the response from local authorities has varied. Previous research indicates that LA21 is viewed as complex, generating a sense of uncertainty, but little research has investigated what encourages its uptake. The study identifies important factors in adopting, developing and implementing a successful LA21 strategy, by focusing on the Basque Country in Spain where the programme has been positively received. The study focused on three concepts to understand why the Basque Country embraces LA21: 1) Co-creation. The continuous dialogue and joint problem-solving between members of local governments; 2) Co-decision. This represents the level of participation in decision-making; and 3) Local entrepreneurship. This indicates the presence of inspirational and innovative leaders or organisations. The results suggest that to embrace LA21, regional governments should support networks and collaborative platforms between local stakeholders that encourage the sharing of knowledge and engagement in joint learning. Although specifically located in the Basque Country, the researchers believe the results could be extended to similar contexts. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has loaned €12.8m loan to SC APA Canal SA Galati, the water utility company based in Galati county, south-east Romania. The money will be used to modernise water supply and wastewater infrastructure in five towns in Galati county — Galati city, Tecuci, Targu Bujor, Pechea and Liesti — and to improve the quality of existing water services in Galati in line with the relevant EU directives. The work will benefit about 400,000 residents. “With this important investment, the EBRD is continuing to play a key role in providing finance for the modernisation of Romania’s water sector,” said Jean-Patrick Marquet, EBRD’s director for municipal and environmental infrastructure. “This new investment signed today will help bring the operations of SC APA Canal SA Galati in line with EU environmental standards and ensure quality water supply and sanitation services to its customers.” Further information on EMWIS website.

8- Turkish Forestry & Water Works Minister Veysel Eroglu has said that Turkey provided water for one million people in Africa. We have, so far, provided water for one million people in Somalia, Burkina Faso, Niger and Ethiopia thanks to Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) and State Hydraulic Works (DSI), said Minister Eroglu. Noting that Turkey signed cooperation protocols with several African countries, Eroglu said that Turkish teams were working in Africa. They have some demands such as drilling wells and building ponds or providing water for national parks, he said. We have sent expert teams to Tunisia which is inundated by flood waters, said Eroglu, adding that dams should be built, erosion should be controlled and rivers should be rehabilitated in that country. Further information on EMWIS website.

9- Jordan and Germany signed on June 11, a 23.5 million-euro soft-loan agreement to finance key projects in the Kingdom’s water sector. The funds, to be extended by the German Development Bank (KFW), represent the third and final instalment of a 70-million euro soft loan the two countries agreed on three years ago to finance the Water Resources Management Programme. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan, Bettina Tewinkel, director of KFW office in Amman, and Stefan Zeeb, MENA water team director, signed the agreement in the presence of Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar and German Ambassador Ralph Tarraf. Hassan explained that 17.5 million euros would be allocated to finance a project to reuse wastewater for irrigation in the Northern Jordan Valley, while the remaining six million euros will be used to implement schemes to reduce water loss in the central governorates.  Hassan pointed out that Jordan and Germany are expected to sign another loan agreement worth 30 million euros in the next few weeks as part of the second phase of the Water Resources Management Programme. Under the second phase of the programme, the official said, a pipeline will be constructed between Khaou and Zaatari, which is part of the Disi Water Conveyance Project, to supply Zarqa and northern governorates with water. As one of Jordan’s major economic supporters, Germany has offered over one billion euros in financial and economic aid over the past 50 years to fund various projects and programmes. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- A set of multimillion-dollar projects to improve water and wastewater services in Zarqa Governorate (Jordan) is on track and will be completed on time and budget, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Daniel Yohannes said. Yohannes, whose organisation is funding the project, told The Jordan Times that three million people in Zarqa and Amman would benefit from the ongoing five-year project, while over 19,000 households in Zarqa will be connected to sewage networks once the venture is completed. The MCC extended a $275 million grant compact to Jordan in October 2010 to renovate and extend water networks in Zarqa Governorate. The grant, which went into effect in December last year, is managed and implemented by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)-Jordan. Under the MCC grant programme, three integrated projects will be implemented: a $108-million water network project, a $58-million wastewater network project, and the $93-million Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project. The MCC is an independent US foreign aid agency created by the US Congress in 2004 to promote economic growth and poverty reduction. Further information on EMWIS website.

11-Israel’s national water company Mekorot wants to use its expertise in finding unconventional sources for clean water to help it expand globally, as countries step up their efforts to avoid water shortages. A rise in population along with climate changes threatens the earth’s freshwater supply in the coming decades and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projects that by 2050 global water demand will increase by 55%. Mekorot says it will cost the world $800 billion in damages. Israel has already developed a billion-dollar industry by marketing its skills and technologies in fields like wastewater reuse, water security and desalination. Mekorot is responsible for nearly every aspect of water management in Israel, which faced six years of drought before a rainy 2012. The state company helped build a network of some of the world’s biggest desalination plants and wastewater facilities, even raising the possibility of exporting water to neighbors. It will invest a further $1.5 billion by 2016 to help reach the target of reclaiming 90% of Israel’s wastewater, primarily for irrigation, by far the highest level in the world. It reuses 75%, the company says, with Spain a distant second at 12%. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- A pilot project of saline water desalination in agriculture conducted by the Observatory of the Sahara and Sahel (OSS) in collaboration with a stakeholder group of the "Commissariat régional de développement agricole et de l'institut des zones arides" in Medenine was conducted for the first time in Medenine. This experiment was carried out on agricultural land pilot Sammar (Delegation of South-Western Cape) over an area of ​​1.27 ha, which uses desalinated water for agriculture through the installation of a water desalination plant with a production capacity of 20 cubic meters per day. This pilot project aims to optimize the use of high salinity water resources and ensure better agricultural practices on these waters, while maintaining soil quality. According to the Regional Representative for Agricultural Development in Medenine, this project aims to expand the irrigated area in the region and fight against salinity and water scarcity. A phenomenon that hinders the development of agriculture in the region. The aim is to generalize this experience in the region.  Further information on EMWIS website.

13- The depollution of Oued El Harrach (Algiers) and the development of its banks were just launched for a total budget of 38 billion dinars, the completion is scheduled for late 2015. This project, whose implementation was entrusted to the Algerian-Korean (Daewoo-Cosider Constructions) company, is intended to treat water from the river on nearly 18.2 kilometers through, inter alia, capacity building of wastewater treatment and management of recreation areas on both banks of rivers polluted for decades by those domestic waste and industrial units. This will strengthen the capacity of sewerage and above significantly reduce the discharge of wastewater into water bodies in the capital, including Oued El Harrach, said executives of SEAAL during a presentation made at the station Baraki. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- A project on water management and integrated rural development in Oued Draa (South of Morocco) was created through cooperation between Morocco and Belgium to strengthen the Green Morocco Plan as a component for the production of dates in the province of Zagora. The budget of this project, whose implementation was completed, was 22.9 million dirhams with a contribution from the Belgian cooperation program to the tune of 11.9 million dirhams. This project will help improve irrigation management in this area, develop the sector in a date palm oases of the Draa, in addition to its contribution to improving the economic and social situation of rural families in the region including women. The project will also result in a positive impact on the integrated development in the basin of Oued Draa since the number of inhabitants beneficiaries totaled 200.766 persons. Water resources in the basin of Oued Draa reached in terms of surface waters 420 million m3 annually provided by the Mansour Dahbi dam while groundwater accounts for 100 million m3 of which 28.5 million m3 are harvested each year . Further information on EMWIS website.

15- With the support of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean, the first meeting of the Drin Core Group took place on 30 May 2012 in Ohrid, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This was the first meeting of the Core Group as the official joint body according to the memorandum of understanding signed on 25 November 2011 in Tirana by the five Drin River Riparians — Albania, Greece, Kosovo (United Nations administered region under security council resolution 1244), Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The representatives discussed and agreed on joint actions for the period 2012-2014, including improving access to comprehensive data and adequate information, developing cooperation and measures to minimize flooding and coordinating activities related to water management in the accession to the European Union. The memorandum of understanding guiding the work of the Core Group outlines a Shared Strategic Vision for the Sustainable Management of the Drin River Basin to protect the shared resources of about 1.5 million people relying on the basin for drinking water, agriculture, fisheries, industry and hydropower. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- More than 17 million people are facing possible starvation in West Africa’s Sahel region, the zone skirting the southern portion of the Sahara Desert. The crisis is due to a combination of drought caused by poor rainfall in 2011, too little food, high grain prices, environmental damage and large numbers of internal refugees. Mauritania, Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso are facing the worst of the crisis. The countries are experiencing stressed levels of food insecurity and many of their local coping mechanisms have been exhausted. The USAID Famine Early Warning System Network warns that between July and September 2012, the food security crisis will peak. Emergency plans have already been put into place by the governments of Mauritania, Mali and Niger and the United Nations has launched its Consolidated Appeals Process, a tool developed by aid organizations to raise funds for humanitarian action. Other international efforts include more than €120 million allocated to emergency assistance from the European Union, global appeal campaigns from various Non-Governmental Organizations and the recent formation of the Global Alliance for Action for Drought Resilience led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In Mauritania, a development program for irrigated agriculture is underway to increase  food security by boosting sustainable irrigation and diversifying crops and agriculture for local farmers. Further information on EMWIS website.

17- A joint water and carbon cap-and-trade system could lead to a more sustainable future, a recent study suggests. Such a system could account for the important links between energy, water and climate change, while at the same time, ensuring economic growth. Modern economies rely on electricity and generating electricity requires water. In turn, sourcing, transporting and treating water needs energy. At the same time, electricity generation from fossil fuels contributes to climate change and climate change is likely to cause water shortages, which, in turn, will affect electricity production. Future water shortages could lead to energy-water conflicts, where power stations could be shut down to protect water supplies, affecting industry. Based on the situation in the US, the researchers suggest that a water cap-and-trade system could run in parallel with a carbon cap-and-trade system, each with their own prices in the electricity markets to limit water use and carbon emissions and outline their proposals for how such a hypothetical system could be operated. Power generators would be required to purchase permits to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide (as is currently the case with the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)) or use a certain amount of water each year; these strict limits on water use and carbon emissions could encourage power generators to invest in more renewable energy sources and water-conservation technologies. Further information on EMWIS website

18- The health risks to humans of using recycled water to irrigate crops needs to be carefully managed. New research has demonstrated that ‘managed aquifer recharge’ can be just as effective as conventional water treatments in improving the quality of recycled water for use in irrigation. The high demand for water to irrigate crops is considered a major obstacle to further economic development. In ‘managed aquifer recharge’ (MAR), recycled water is added to underground aquifers (layers of rock that soak up water) either by injection or infiltration, to ensure a constant supply of ground water that helps meet irrigation demands. Often MAR can improve the quality of the recovered water by filtering out potentially harmful microbes; however, few studies have quantified the human health risk from using reclaimed water for irrigation. When using recycled water, it is important to carry out risk assessments and evaluate risk management. The study, conducted under the EU RECLAIM WATER project, used a Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) to investigate the risks posed to human health when using MAR as irrigation. Four study sites were selected which used recycled water for MAR: Bolivar (Australia), Nardò; (Italy), Sabadell (Spain) and Shafdan (Israel).  The researchers compared MAR’s effects on microbe levels in recycled water with the effects of a wide range of different water treatment methods including chlorination, UV treatment and sand filtration, which were also present at the different sites studied. MAR resulted in the greatest human health risk reduction. In particular, it was found that the human health risk is lower the longer that the reclaimed water spends in an aquifer. Aquifers can thus be a very important tool for water recycling and irrigation management. Further information on EMWIS website

19- Environmental scientists can work as effective "diplomatic actors" to help prevent conflict over transboundary environmental resources, particularly for water and wetlands, say environmental researchers Saleem Ali and Pamela Griffin. Access to water resources in many regions is expected to worsen as a result of climate change and population growth, and management is difficult when wetlands are shared between countries. But science-based environmental cooperation can transcend political rivalries, say Ali and Griffin, avoiding water shortage conflicts. Scientists can contribute to cooperation missions by working together on conservation, developing an agreed knowledge base about shared resources, and building capacity to use tools for peaceful wetland management such as the Ramsar Convention. Of the wetlands listed with Ramsar, 234 cross country borders and 14 of these have official shared management systems; these include the Niumi-Salorim National Park and the Delta de Saloum between Gambia and Senegal. The authors argue that a more proactive role for the Ramsar Convention could prove critical, particularly over water security concerns and the role of wetlands in hydrological conservation.  Israeli and Palestinian scientists are currently working together on shared projects — from nanotechnology and heart disease to pesticide disposal — while the political situation remains tense. Further information on EMWIS website

20- More technological innovation is needed to fight growing resource scarcity, but it will only be successful in achieving sustainable development if it considers the use of water, energy and land as interdependent issues, according to a European report. Investment in innovation is required for sustainable agriculture, for achieving more efficient use of water and energy, and for rolling out renewable energy technologies, says the 'European Report on Development 2011–2012', funded by the European Commission and seven European states. But failure to consider the three basic resources of water, energy and land as a 'nexus' — in which the use of one affects the availability of the other two — is leading to poor decisions that ultimately work against sustainable development, it says. Decisions about renewable energy technologies could also be influenced by this approach, the authors said, pointing out that "the average biomass energy source requires 70 times the water footprint of oil". Such thinking should also be invoked in rolling out the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon's initiative, Sustainable Energy for All, which aims to improve access to energy and the use of renewables. They say that the European Union needs to improve the coherence of its policies for the developing world so that it considers scarcity on all three fronts. Further information on EMWIS website.

=================================================
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
=================================================

21- New Director at the Tunisian Office of Planning and Hydraulic Balance: Mrs Sondes Kamoun has been appointed as Director General of the Tunisian Office of Planning and Hydraulic Balance (BPEH). She succeed to Fethi Lebdi. Mrs Kamoun has been for several years the coordinator of EMWIS National Focal Point for Tunisia. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- Israeli irrigation expert wins World Food Prize:  Daniel Hillel, who is credited with developing drip irrigation methods that conserve water while allowing food to be grown in some of the world’s driest climates, was named the winner of this year’s $250,000 prize during a ceremony in Washington. He will officially receive the prize October 18 during the annual World Food Prize Symposium in Iowa.  It has revolutionised agricultural practices in more than 30 countries over the past 50 to 60 years, helping thousands of farmers, said World Food Prize Foundation President Kenneth Quinn. Quinn noted that several of the letters supporting Hillel’s nomination came from individuals and institutions in the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

23- The Global Water Forum Emerging Scholars Award 2012: This award is an opportunity for early-career scholars and practitioners working in water-related fields to publish a brief article that presents their research, projects, or opinions to a global audience. Participants are required to: • submit an 800-1000 word article relevant to one of three themes: “Water Security”, “Water Economics”, “Transboundary Water Governance” • be a PhD recipient or PhD candidate under the age of 35. Applications open Friday 6 July and close Monday 27 August at midnight (GMT).  Further information on EMWIS website

24- Raindrops Geneva Award 2013: “The Best Poster on the Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting”. The artist should keep in mind that the aim of the competition is to make the general public aware that rainwater can be (and is!) an essential resource. The deadline for submission is the 31^st October 2013 at 12.00 p.m. (GMT), and the winning posters will be announced in November 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

25- WWF-US Job Opening: Director, Freshwater Program: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) US office is currently recruiting for a Director of Freshwater. The position announcement is available at the WWF-US web site, as well as below. The closing date for the position is June 27, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

26- Marie Curie Individual Fellowships at Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici - Internal deadline: June 30, 2012: CMCC, the Italian Research Center on climate science and policy devoted to integrated, multi-disciplinary and frontier research for understanding, controlling and adapting to climate change, welcomes Marie Curie Individual Fellowship applications for its research field: • Numerical Applications and Scenarios; • Climate Impacts and Policies. An economic Assessment; • Impacts on Agriculture, Forest, and Natural Ecosystems; • Impacts on Soil and Coast; • Scientific Computing and Operations. The selected candidates will be supported in the development of the project proposals that must be submitted to the European Commission by August 16th, 2012 - h. 17.00 CET. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate education in Delft, The Netherlands: The Water Governance Chair Group has 2 vacancies: Lecturer Law and Water Diplomacy (m/f),  and Lecturer River Basin Governance (m/f). Further information on EMWIS website.

28- The Water Footprint Network (WFN) is looking for a new Programme Director. He/she will will be primarily responsible for the development and delivery of WFN’s Work Programme, ensuring the scientific and technical rigour of WFA applications and will have lead responsibility for specific projects and initiatives. Deadline: August 30, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

=================================================
PUBLICATIONS
=================================================

29- "Rio+20: A Water Guide": Water will be a central component of the Rio discussions due to its role in the green economy. Furthermore, water management structures will be part of the discussions at the Summit. The UN Major Group of Children and Youth and Sustain US collaborated in the creation of a Water Guide for Rio+20.  Further information on EMWIS website.

30- OECD has just released a report: Water Quality and Agriculture: Meeting the Policy Challenge. The report, with a policy and economics focus, contains a number of case studies on agriculture and water pollution. Further information on EMWIS website.

31- UN-Water Presents the Key Water Indicator Portal (KWIP): The KWIP provides access to the best water data available, in one place, and in a user-friendly format. The KWIP is backed by a federated database containing data from several UN agencies under the UN-Water Federated Water Monitoring System. It is implemented by AQUASTAT of FAO. Further information on EMWIS website.

32- Jordan preparing third climate change report: The Ministry of Environment is preparing a national report identifying the sectors that produce greenhouse gases, the quantities of these emissions and strategies to reduce them. The Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to be completed in 2014. Further information on EMWIS website.

33- Drought changes over last five decades in Syria: Global warming is likely to alter patterns of global air circulation and hydrological cycle that will change global and regional precipitation regimes.  The study is using several types of indexes (Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Effective Drought Index (EDI), Regime Shift Index (RSI)) computed on various meteorological stations during the period 1968-2008. The results on drought duration using EDI showed a positive trend in dry days number, and dry spells seemed to be longer. Further information on EMWIS website

34- 2012 Africa Status Report on IWRM: The findings of the “2012 Status Report on the Application of Integrated Approaches to Water Resources Management” is a study commissioned by AMCOW to collate and analyse data collected from 40 member countries of AMCOW African countries that responded to a detailed survey conducted by UN-Water to determine progress towards sustainable management of water resources using integrated approaches. Further information on EMWIS website

35- Urban water management is on the verge of a revolution in response to rapidly escalating urban demands for water as well as the need to make urban water systems more resilient to climate change, according to the GWP Technical Committee Background paper No. 16: Integrated Urban Water Management by Dr. Akica Bahri, Technical Committee member. Further information on EMWIS website.

36- Small-scale finance for water and sanitation: In the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the role of small-scale WATSAN (water and sanitation) providers is indispensable. However, as this report claims, there is little awareness or cohesion among external support agencies (ESAs), including EU donors, on the best way to increase financing for small-scale providers. The objective of the report is to identify ways in which governments and ESAs can increase access to finance for small-scale WATSAN providers by channelling public funding to support the market and leverage private sector financing. The report has been developed as part of a component of the work programme of the European Union Water Initiative – Finance Working Group (EUWI-FWG). Further information on EMWIS website

37- NEXUS Resource Platform Newsletter June 2012: Translating Nexus Research into Nexus Policy-making - an interview with Holger Hoff On the SEI's work on the water, energy and food security nexus. Further information on EMWIS website.

38- WaA: Volume 5 Issue 2: Special Issue: Water grabbing? Focus on the (re)appropriation of finite water resources. Further information on EMWIS website.

=================================================
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
=================================================

39- "ENPI CBC MED: Roster of assessors - second call for standard projects": The roster of technical experts (assessors) in charge of the qualitative assessment of the proposals submitted under the second call for standard projects has been approved by the Joint Monitoring Committee. Among those listed in the roster, the Joint Managing Authority will contract the assessors according to the number of proposals to be evaluated for each Priority. Selected candidates will be directly contacted by the Joint Managing Authority and will be invited to attend a one-day training in Rome. Further information on EMWIS website

40- Status of the ENPI CBC MED second call for standard projects: Given the high number of projects received (1095 proposals, 3 times the expected number), the Joint Managing Authority (JMA) has announced that the indicative calendar of the evaluation process has been updated. In particular, the outcomes of step 1 “Concept Note Evaluation” will be sent to Applicants 220 calendar days (and not 150 calendar days as initially mentioned) from the deadline for the sending of Concept Note. This means that successful Applicants will be invited to submit a Full Application Form during the first half of October 2012.  Further information on EMWIS website.

41- Call for proposals: TRANSMED Multi-disciplinary Studies on the future of the Mediterranean: The French National Agency of Research (ANR) has launched a new program called 'Multi-disciplinary studies on the future of the Mediterranean "(TRANSMED). The "themes" of this call are: 1) Companies and territories; 2) Sustainable Resource Management; 3) Food security, nutrition and health; & 4) Systemic crisis in the Mediterranean. Deadline for submission of applications: 5 September 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

42- The sixth LIFE+ call for proposals was published on 13 March 2012, with up to €276 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 26 September, 2012. National authorities will then send them to the European Commission by 2 October, 2012. Please note that applicants must only use the eProposal tool to create and submit proposal(s) under the 2012 LIFE+ Call for Proposals. Further information on EMWIS website.

=================================================
CALL FOR PAPERS
================================================= 

43- Call for papers: Knowledge of water, techniques and power relations: Proposals (title and abstract not exceeding 1,000 characters) must be sent to the journal Autrepart before 15th June 2012. The articles selected have to be submitted by 15th September 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

44- Call for abstracts for Istanbul International Solid Waste, Water and Wastewater Congress (Istanbul3Wcongress): This event will be held on the days 22-25  May 2013 Extended abstracts not to exceed 2 pages and written in English, are required to be uploaded to the related page on our website until August 31, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website

45- Call for abstracts for the 1st International Symposium on water resources in arid and semi-arid regions. The Faculty of Science and Technology within the University of Sultan Moulay Slimane - Beni Mellal together with the GeoAfrica sciences Society  organize this symposium in 14-16 November 2012. Deadline for submission of abstracts: June 30, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

46- Call for abstracts for the International Conference on Membranes in drinking & industrial water production (10–12 September 2012, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands):  Abstracts deadline: June, 30. Further information on EMWIS website

=================================================
TRAINING
=================================================

47- [2012/07/16 - 2012/07/20] WATERDISS 2.0 Oxford Summer School: Flood Risk Management, Oxford, UK
The WATERDISS 2.0 Summer School on FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT is organized with the aim to provide an opportunity of an intensive working together of talented young researchers, PhD students or freelancers from all over Europe with some of the leading academics, researchers and practitioners in the field. Further information on EMWIS website.

48- [2012/07/01 - 2012/07/07] 2012 - European Summer School in Resources and Environmental Economics, Venice, Italy
Further information on EMWIS website

49- [2012/06/24 - 2012/06/28] Training Announcement: GIS for Water Utilities - Basic Level, Amman, Jordan
Further information on EMWIS website

50- [2012/06/25 - 2012/06/25] How and why to establish a tax for managing urban stormwater, Douai, France.

Further information on EMWIS website

=================================================
EVENTS (Full Agenda)
=================================================

=================================================
PROJECTS (Projects database)
=================================================

WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP7, INTERREG, etc.)

===============================================
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, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg
EMWIS WATER MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS (Available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish & Italian)- Water glossaries
DOCUMENTATION (EMWIS meetings, Documentary database, Funding for water, Key emwis-flash-ndeg100-may-2012-1uments, 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
=================================================
CONTACT US
=================================================
- This is a monthly Flash provided by the EMWIS Technical Unit (sent to: 20145 subscribers), to which you can get a free subscription, click here for an open subscription.
- The EMWIS Flash gives you regular and quality information on the water sector in the Euro-Mediterranean area. The main headlines are: Institutions, Documentation, Training, Research and Development, Data Administration. You will also find updates on: international events, relevant web sites, the Euro-Med Water programme of the European Commission, and much more ...
- This Flash exists also in French and Arabic, you can view it and also the previous issues in our website.
- This Flash is also yours, please give us your comments and information to improve it Contact the EMWIS Technical Unit.
=================================================