EMWIS Flash n°85, November/December 2010

EMWIS Flash - November/December 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: 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°85 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash85)
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HEADLINE
1- The 14th Annual EMWIS Steering Committee meeting, Florence (Italy), 03/12/2010
IN BRIEF
2- Med Joint Process: Water quality monitoring working group meeting, Madrid (Spain), 10/11/2010
3- UfM summit postponement will not prevent advancement of regional dialogue
4- EU and Mediterranean civil society reach historic deal on a joint Assembly
5- Dams in the Mediterranean: "Silting up and Sustainable Management of the Dam reservoirs", Marseille (France), 13-14/12/2010
6- 6th WWF: European Regional Process - First meeting of the Consortium Steering Committee
7- Mediterranean Session of EFIAQUA: "The Situation in Mediterranean countries and the Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean"
8- AFED: Arabs to face severe water shortages by 2015
9- Africa: Implementation of IWRM at national level and transboundary basins / aquifers level
10- Palestine: Water data management in the West Bank
11- Syria: EIB provides €55 million boost for water in North-Western
12- Lebanon: Long delayed waste-water treatment plant finally opened
13- Cyprus: Solea Dam inaugurated by the President
14- Cyprus: Nirosoft selects ERI PXs for Limassol desalination
15- Israel: Soreq desalination plant uses Dow technology
16- Spain joins Middle East Desalination Research Center
17- Morocco: Towards a National Water Information System
18- Morocco: Granted 49 million euros from the EU for sanitation & industrial de-pollution
19- Morocco: Drinking Water Supply Project and construction of Tiouine dam in Ouarzazate

20- Tunisia, Morocco & Italy: Project draws up framework of wastewater treatment practices
21- Israel, Palestine & Jordan: IDE desalination seminar trains Jordanians and Palestinians
22- United Arab Emirates: Alarm on water supplies
23- Krakow Declaration on the Protection of Groundwater Quality
24- Second JMP Task Force
25- 3rd Africa Water Week: AfDB Advocates Innovative Sources of Funding in Water & Sanitation Sector
26- ESA: Two new Earth observation missions chosen for further study
27- NASA: Earth`s lakes are warming
28- How science is tackling Pakistan's water shortages
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS  
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
PROJECTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- The 14th Annual EMWIS Steering Committee meeting took place in Florence on 3 December, back to back with the EMWIS National Focal Points coordination seminar. A book presenting EMWIS in the context of the Barcelona Process- Union for the Mediterranean from Marseille 1996 to Florence in 2010 was released together with a newsletter. The progresses made by the Med countries in preparing their National Water Information Systems –NWIS- harmonized at the Mediterranean level thanks to EMWIS support were welcomed. The cooperation established with the European Environment Agency was highly appreciated especially on water information systems and on waster scarcity and drought. Priorities defined for the future include ongoing support for NWIS as well as the regional coordination with a Mediterranean water knowledge hub and a capacity programme on applications of Earth Observation for water management. The participants also agree on the need to have a governance platform such as the Water Expert Group if the Union for the Mediterranean move forward or the annual meetings of the Euromed water directors that EMWIS is ready to re-launch. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- Member of the Med Joint Process working group on water quality monitoring met in Madrid on 10 November to prepare a state of play report on water monitoring networks and programmes in Southern Mediterranean countries. This draft report is now available online, it is based on a survey carried out in 2009, case studies presented during the working group meetings this year and in October 2009 in Beirut, EU experience and an EU twinning programme on water quality management in Egypt. The Drought and water scarcity working group also released its draft report on indicators tested in pilot river basins. EMWIS has also released 2 other reports covering all the activities of the Med Joint Process between the EU WFD and EUWI, the first one presents the results of this process since its launch in 2004 in Brindisi (IT) and the 2nd one is a proposal for a new phase supporting the action plan related of the draft Strategy for Water of the Union for the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website.

3- The President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has expressed her regret about the postponement of the Union for the Mediterranean Summit, which should have taken place on Sunday 21 November, but insisted this “will not prevent us from advancing dialogue at local and regional levels," adding the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) would meet as scheduled on 29 January 2011 in Agadir, Morocco. This meeting will mainly discuss the adoption of three reports, prepared throughout 2010: the first on local management of water resources, the second on urban development and the third on the territorial dimension in the Union for the Mediterranean, which will be addressed to the UfM and its general secretariat. ARLEM is a consultative assembly, which aims at bringing a regional and local dimension to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. It gathers 84 members from the EU and its 16 Mediterranean partners who are representatives of regions and local bodies holding a regional or local authority mandate. The inaugural ARLEM meeting took place on 21 January 2010 in Barcelona. font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Civil society organisations from the EU and countries around the Mediterranean met in Rome from 10 to 12 November 2010 for the annual Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions. In what they hailed a historic move, they adopted a statute for the future civil society Assembly and agreed to seek consultative body status within the Union for the Mediterranean. The Assembly of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions will seek consultative body status within the Union for the Mediterranean's institutional structure, along the lines of what has been achieved with the UFM Parliamentary Assembly (UfM-PA) and the Euromed Local and Regional Assembly (ARLEM). Citizens in the Euro-Mediterranean region need and expect strong and effective cooperation on concrete projects that will benefit them all, European Parliament Jerzy Buzek has said ahead of the Bureau meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean being held last November 11, in Rome. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- The Mediterranean Water Institute (IME) will organize, together with EDF, on 13 and 14 December 2010 in Marseille, a regional workshop on « Dams in the Mediterranean » and more especially on “Silting up and Sustainable Management of the Dam reservoirs”. The organization of such an event follows upon the recommendations of the 1st workshop on the theme of the “Design and Sustainable Management of Dams in Mediterranean countries” held in November 2005 in Rabat (Morocco). The participants from Rabat regional workshop expressed their wish for making these meetings a regular feature at the Mediterranean Basin level to promote the exchange of experience in the sustainable management of dams by organizing a second workshop on the issue of the management of the solid flows more precisely on the “the problems of the silting up of dams, the techniques and the experiments of silting up in the dam reservoirs and close to the secondary works, modelling of the solid flows, innovative methods for the protection of catchment areas”. This main theme will be approached through several themes such as: the silting up phenomena of dam reservoirs, the particularly serious threats that they represent to the mobilization of water resources in the Mediterranean region and finally, the means for the reduction of their negative impacts. The current situation of the silting up of dam reservoirs in the countries and the measures adopted to fight against the solid flows will be presented in national reports prepared by appointed local experts. These reports will concern 11 Mediterranean countries namely Algeria, Egypt, Spain, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- To ensure the best possible coordination with the organizers of the forthcoming 6th World Water Forum to be held in Marseilles, France, from 12 to 17 March 2012, the International Forum Committee (IFC) has asked to the International Office for Water (OIEAU) to facilitate the Regional Process for the preparation of this great event, with regard to the "Greater Europe" Region (including Southern & Easthern Mediterranean) on the basis of the orientation note approved at the last Committee meeting. For facilitating this European process, it is proposed to create a “coordination consortium”, in which the main European networks concerned will be invited to participate and play an active part in the fields in which each would be willing to have a steering role. The First meeting of the Consortium Steering Committee will take place in Brussels next 21 December 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- The International Fair for Efficient Water Management EFIAQUA will take place 16-18 February 2011 in Valencia (Spain). EFIAQUA will be jointly celebrated with the International Fair of Environmental Solutions ECOFIRA and EGÉTICA - EXPO ENERGËTICA. Five strategic sectors will be covered by this event: Desalination, Water treatment, Water purification, Water collection, Water reuse, & Other sectors: water supply and distribution, flood control and coastal protection, engineering, consulting, project financing, analysis tools, etc. The Mediterranean Network of Basin Organisations (MENBO) co-organises a Mediterranean Session aboutthe Situation in Mediterranean countries and the Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean to be held on the 18th of February 2011. This event aims to bring water managers together with the private sector to discuss about: Water Management, Water governance and IWRM, Climate change adaptation, and Water financing. Further information on EMWIS website.

8- The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) held its third annual conference in Beirut on 4-5 November 2010, dedicated to discussing the sustainable management of water resources in the Arab world. The conference, held under the patronage of His Excellency the Lebanese Prime Minister Mr. Saad Hariri, has brought together 500 delegates from 32 countries, representing corporations, non-governmental organizations, academia, research institutions, and media. Ministers and representatives of government and international organizations participated as observers. Conference delegates deliberated the findings of the AFED report on the state of the water sector in Arab states and the prospects for water policy reforms. The Arab world is facing the prospect of severe water and food shortages as early as 2015, as the annual per capita share will be less than 500 cubic meters. This is below one-tenth of the world’s average, currently estimated at over 6,000 cubic meters. The report entitled Water: Sustainable Management of a Scarce Resource warned that without fundamental changes in policies and practices, the situation will get worse, with drastic social, political and economic ramifications. Water supply sources in the Arab world, two-thirds of which originate outside the region, are being stretched to their limits.  By 2015, the only countries in the region which will still pass the water scarcity test will be Iraq and Sudan. Further information on EMWIS website.

9- As part of its mission to strengthen the capacities of development actors in Africa, the African Development Institute (EADI) and the African Multilateral Partnership (JAP) hold annual training sessions covering various areas of economic life and addressing concerns and major issues that Africa faces. The training program this year includes the organization of a seminar on 13 to 17 December 2010, in Yaoundé (Cameroon), which focuses on the development of instruments for implementation of IWRM at National level as well as at transboundary basins and aquifers level. This seminar will be organized in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation (OWAS) and the African Water Facility (AWF) of the African Development Bank (ADB). Further information on EMWIS website.

10- The Palestinian Water Authority –PWA and EMWIS jointly organized a technical workshop to prepare the development of a National Water Information System based on International standards. Most of the institutional stakeholders as well as the civil society (NGO, universities) took part in the meeting and demonstrated their willingness to work jointly in order to improve and harmonize their data management and thus provide the necessary information for integrated water resources management, public participation, master planning and decision making. Examples of NWIS set-up in Europe has been presented, in particular in France and Spain, as well as the European level with WISE. The approach discussed suit well with the project supported by UNICEF to improve PWA internal databanks and the new phase of the regional water databank between Palestine, Jordan and Israel co-financed by the European Commission. Further information on EMWIS website.

11- On 6 December, the European Investment Bank’s Vice-President, Philippe de Fontaine Vive, and Syrian Minister of Housing and Construction, Dr. Omar Ghalawanji, signed a EUR 55m finance agreement for the development of modern water supply, wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in North-Western Syria. The project is part of the EU Horizon 2020 initiative, one of the priorities of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which aims to tackle top sources of Mediterranean pollution by 2020. The operation will improve water and wastewater services for over 370 000 inhabitants of 200 villages and will strengthen environmental sustainability by reducing wastewater deposits into the Mediterranean Sea. The area concerned includes the city of Banias and surrounding villages, and villages of four river catchments Hreisun, Jobar, Al Ghamkah and Al Dabousiah draining into the Mediterranean Sea. This project is a successful response to the crucial challenge of water management in Syria due to high population growth, increasing urbanization, economic development and the reduction of rainfall observed over the last decade. It responds to one of the priorities of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) for the de-pollution of the Mediterranean Sea. It also meets the objectives of the Syrian Five Year Plan which sets out the Government’s investment priorities for this sector to improve the access to water and sanitation for the population as a whole, as well as the efficiency and management of this sector. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- A long-delayed waste-water recycling plant was inaugurated in Siniq-Sidon (Lebanon) on the 25/10/2010. Officials expect the facility to mitigate disastrous environmental problems. The plan will collect sewage water from Sidon and purify it before it pours into the sea. The construction of the plant finished in 2006 but its opening was repeatedly delayed due to technical problems. Work on rerouting the canals started two months ago, and five pipe lines from the main network have so far been redirected. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- On Sunday 31st of October 2010, the ceremony of the attestation of the foundation at Solea Dam was carried out by the President of Cyprus, Mr. Demetris Christofias. The main purpose of the project is the utilization of the flow of the Kariotis river, which is in Troodos mountains and outflows northwards to the Morfu gulf with the storage of an average of 4,5 MCM of water in the reservoir of the Solea Dam in Troodos and its transfer by gravitation or by pumps to five Irrigation Areas providing in this way efficient quantities of water for irrigation purposes of eight thousand decares. The client of the project is the Water Development Department and the contractor is NEMESIS Construction Co Consortium LTD. The project has a budget of €18.000.000 and is expected to be completed by January 2012. This dam is the 19th large dam operated on the island bringing the total available dam capacity to 156,412 MCM. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- Energy Recovery Inc, a company focused on the design and development of energy recovery devices for desalination, announced that its PX Pressure Exchanger (PX) energy recovery devices will be implemented at the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant currently under construction in Limassol, Cyprus. The Company said the facility will provide approximately 50,000 cubic meters (10.5 million gallons) of fresh drinking water to 120,000 people a day. According to a release, these energy recovery devices will greatly curb energy usage and operational costs at the Limassol facility. Cyprus hopes to fully meet its water needs through desalination by 2011. In addition to the Limassol facility, the PX devices are in desalination plants throughout the country, helping deliver more than 140,000 cubic meters (37 million gallons) per day to the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- Soreq, the world’s largest desalination plant, is located 15 kms south of Tel Aviv in Israel, and will be the world’s largest user of 16-inch Dow Filmtec reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. These membranes will help produce up to 150 billion litres (39.6 billion gallons) of drinking water annually. Soreq is a milestone project for desalination in terms of size and technology and a testament to how our advances in reverse osmosis membranes have contributed to making the production of clean drinking water from seawater more affordable and energy efficient. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- Spain has joined the Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC) after a signing ceremony in Madrid on 27 October 2010. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi, secretary general of the Oman Foreign Ministry and chairman of the Executive Council of MEDRC said, "This pledge confirms the membership of the Government of The Kingdom of Spain to the MEDRC Executive Council, whose members include Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, the USA, the Netherlands, Japan and South Korea." MEDRC is a Center of Excellence in Desalination and Water  Reuse Technology established in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, December 1996. The mission of MEDRC is to contribute to the achievement of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa by promoting and supporting the use of desalination to satisfy the needs of the people of this region for available, affordable, clean fresh water for human use and economic development. Further information on EMWIS website.

17- With the support of the European Commission, EMWIS organised a national workshop in Rabat (Morocco) last 25th November in the framework of the project entitled “Towards a Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism compatible with the Water Information System for Europe (WISE)”. Following the mandate given by the Water General Directors of the Euromed countries, EMWIS has carried out feasibility studies of National Water Information Systems in late 2005 as well as a complementary research on a Mediterranean Water Observation Mechanism (2007-2008). These studies also serve as input for this activity.A National Water Information System –NWIS- is information system shared between various public authorities, each one managing a subset of data according to its competences and duty. In such system the exchange of data is secured and the level of access is defined by each data owner. In Morocco, the objectives of the workshop organised on 25 November 2010 were to: 1) Present the concepts of a National Water Information System harmonised at the Mediterranean level, 2) Promote the use of a standardise catalogue of water data sources (so called geo-catalogue or metadata catalogue, 3) Promote voluntary reporting on issue of common interest for the Mediterranean area, 4) Review current status of water information systems within the main agencies acting in the water sector (the Secretary of State to the Minister of Energy, Mining, Water and Environment, in charge of Water; ONEP, Basins agencies, Ministry of interior & Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development and Maritime Fisheries), 4) Discuss the steps necessary to set-up a National Water Information System -NWIS- and its governance, 5) Overview of data availability and needs as well as data owners/provider, and finally 6) Data sharing / dissemination practices and legal framework. Further information on EMWIS website.

18- The EU has agreed financial support of almost 50 million euros for industrial de-pollution and implementation of the polluter pays principle in the water sector, according to a press release from the EU Delegation in Morocco. This programme would strengthen a voluntary incentive scheme for industrial pollution control, reinforcing the role of the Hydraulic Basin Agencies in de-pollution projects, and assist in the effective realization in Morocco of the "polluter pays" principle established by the law on water. The new national sanitation programme is a continuation and consolidation of reforms in the water sector, supported by the European Union between 2000 and 2006. A donation of 330 million dirham under the programme "sanitation and institutional support" was provided in 2008 to Morocco to complete the national sanitation support programme, bringing the EU’s financial support in the field of sanitation currently underway to 880 million dirham. This programme addresses the challenges of the Advanced Status of the relationships between Morocco and the EU, supporting the gradual convergence of Moroccan laws to the EU environmental legislation (in particular the implementation of the “polluter pays” principle) and the reform of pricing and financing mechanisms in the water sector for a better and sustainable service to users. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- The King of Morocco has launched a project to supply drinking water to BaMohamed village last 9 November 2010. The project will secure long term supply for a total population of 400,000 inhabitants. The Sovereign asked about the remediation liquid project from the city, which involves an investment of 45 million dirhams. The two projects will have a beneficial impact on quality of service and living conditions and health of citizens. On the other hand, King Mohammed VI gave, October 28 at Ouarzazate, in the rural town of Tiouine, kick off construction of the dam on the Oued Tiouine Iriri, costing a total of 600 million dirhams (about 54 millions euros). This water project will have a storage capacity of 270 million cubic meters. It will regulate a volume of 30 million m3 of which two thirds will go to the drinking water supply of cities and centers of the provinces of Ouarzazate and Zagora. Further information on EMWIS website.

20- The CIUDAD project for sustainable water management in the Mediterranean Tourist Areas (TourMedEau) has undertaken an analysis of water management practices to acquire a comprehensive framework on water requirements of the ENPI countries and especially the ones involved in the project – Tunisia, Morocco and Italy. The project’s newsletter said this activity had led to the drafting of a report analyzing both the most advanced technologies for the treatment of wastewater in the ENPI MED countries, as well as the supply and demand of water in Sardinia, Tunisia and Morocco. The report examines the regulations of the three countries regarding the reuse of treated wastewater, with the aim of identifying water resource management policies. The report offers a comparative analysis of all possible uses of treated wastewater. The newsletter also reports on the first rounds of thematic forums and seminars dedicated to the management of sustainable water, which took place last October in Morocco (Al Hoceima, 9 and 10 October) and Tunisia (Ajim - Djerba, 16 and 17 October). The TourMedEau project is funded by the European Union under the Ciudad Programme - Dialogue and Cooperation in Urban Development through the European Neighbourhood Partnership Instrument (ENPI), planned to help local governments of ENPI regions in improving their ability to plan for a sustainable, integrated and long-term urban development, according to the principles of good governance. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- Thirty participants from Jordan and the Palestinian Authority completed a week-long seminar on the topic of desalination earlier in November, according to a report posted on the International Desalination & Water Reuse Quarterly industry website. The seminar was conducted by IDE Technologies, in cooperation with the Israeli Water Authority, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Middle East Desalination Research Centre and the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation in Israel. Israel is considered a world leader in water recycling and has advanced in desalination and recycling water in recent years. According to 2010 statistics, Israel recycles 70 per cent of its waste water and sewage. The seminar was designed to introduce the participants to modern desalination technologies and to train them in the design, operation and maintenance of water desalination plants.  It  covered topics in both thermal and seawater reverse-osmosis membrane desalination and offered participants practical instruction regarding the operation and maintenance of large and complex desalination plants. Participants also visited the desalination plant in Ashkelon. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- In the United Arab Emirates, worried Federal National Council (FNC) members sounded alarmed when questioning on the 9th November 2010 Rashid bin Fahad, the Minister of Environment and Water over potential threats to the nation’s water supply. “Water is a challenge and is considered the primary challenge in the UAE,” the minister said. “We are not in a comfortable position. On the contrary, we are under a lot of pressure and challenges.” Mr bin Fahad also confirmed that his ministry’s plans to increase water reserves. “Conservation is no longer a choice,” he said. Each United Arab Emirates UAE resident uses 550 litres of water a day, the highest rate in the world. The global average is 250 litres. The location of desalination plants near the sea has also contributed to “the pollution of the sea environment”. “The desalination plants dump their waste in the sea and use the sea as a burial ground for this waste.” A draft law has been prepared by the ministry regulating water use, punishing waste and pollution, and strengthening the ministry’s oversight of water resources. The legislation would also create a water committee that includes federal and local authorities. Further information on EMWIS website.

23- The Krakow Declaration on the Protection of Groundwater Quality, produced at the last IAH Congress, held in September 2010 in Krak Poland, calls on Governments, UN Agencies and other multi- and bilateral agencies, and seeks to ensure that their policies on water resources management on national and regional levels should recognize, inter alia, the important role of groundwater in water quality management. Further, they should recognize: 1) that maintaining good water quality in aquifers is the fastest way for achieving the MDGs, by providing cost effective, safe drinking water supplies to more than half of the world’s population; 2) that there is intrinsic water chemistry of some aquifers, that can affect human health, if not properly identified and addressed; and 3) that poorly planned land based activities can cause difficult to reverse deterioration of groundwater quality, and that land management policies have to be developed to minimise risks to long term water quality. Further information on EMWIS website.

24- A Task Force established under the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) met in France on 16, 17 and 18 November, to discuss the options and opportunities to enhance drinking-water quality monitoring in the current JMP context and beyond 2015. Immediate opportunities to strengthen JMP in this respect included an expansion of the RADWQ (Rapid Assessment of Drinking-Water Quality) approach, the testing of new measurement tools in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and an assessment of water quality data collected by national regulators. Beyond 2015, the framework of the recently adopted human right to water and sanitation provides the targets for which indicators will need to be developed. Further information on EMWIS website.

25- In order to promote more innovative approaches in tapping non-traditional sources of funding, the African Development Bank led a thematic session on “Financing Investments in Water for Growth and Development”, during the 3rd Africa Water Week (Addis Ababa, 22-26 November 2010). As evidenced by an update carried out by the AfDB on the costs for achieving the Africa Water Vision, there are still significant gaps in water financing, a fact corroborated by the results of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic Study. An estimated US$45 - 60 billion is required annually to meet Africa’s water infrastructure requirements, of which drinking water supply and sanitation represents some US$11 billion. The session, spanning two days, was led in cooperation with the Global Water Partnership (GWP), the Water and Sanitation Program, Africa (WSP) as well as the African Water Facility, an African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) initiative hosted by the AfDB. The AfDB also launched during the 3rd Africa Water week two major reports. The “Water sector governance in Africa” report finds that poor governance has been a major reason for the poor record of sustainability of water and sanitation services affecting millions of Africans. The “Guidelines for User Fees and Cost Recovery for urban and rural water and sanitation” touch upon a very critical issue for all water sector investments: how to ensure that water and sanitation services are financially viable, in addition to being environmentally and socially sustainable? Further information on EMWIS website.

26- As part of the procedure to realise ESA's series of Earth Explorers, two new mission proposals have been selected for further development. The missions, called FLEX and CarbonSat, now vying to be the eighth Earth Explorer both address key climate and environmental change issues. The FLEX (Fluorescence Explorer) mission aims to provide global maps of vegetation fluorescence, which can be converted into an indicator of photosynthetic activity. These data would improve our understanding of how much carbon is stored in plants and their role in the carbon and water cycles. The next step in the development of these two mission concepts is to begin the definition studies in the second quarter of 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- In the first comprehensive global survey of temperature trends in major lakes, NASA researchers determined Earth's largest lakes have warmed during the past 25 years in response to climate change. Researchers of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., used satellite data to measure the surface temperatures of 167 large lakes worldwide. They reported an average warming rate of 0.81 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, with some lakes warming as much as 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. The warming trend was global, and the greatest increases were in the mid- to high-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Further information on EMWIS website.

28- Efforts are underway to preserve Pakistan's water supply as climate change, population growth and a stressed irrigation system take their toll. Water availability per person has already fallen by more than 500 per cent since the 1960s and is likely to decrease even further to just 550 cubic metres by 2025 — compared with the 9,800 cubic metres currently available in the United States, for example. Around two thirds of the water for public supply is contaminated. Waterborne diseases lead to 250,000 child deaths per year, around 80 per cent of all diagnosed disease and 30 per cent of all deaths in the country. But science might help Pakistan deal with its water problems. Last decade saw an improvement in laboratory facilities, low-cost water testing and treatment kits, and the assessment of water supply systems around the country. Planned research projects aim to map and understand the distribution and quantity of water resources and the impacts a changing climate could have on them. Scientists are also working on a national water quality monitoring plan, training on new sampling techniques, exploring causes of arsenic in groundwater and using biotechnology to control wastewater.  Scientists are conducting sampling to understand the threats from water pollution. And a Pakistan National Water Resources Database System, a single database that should make future research on water issues easier, will be operational by the end of this year. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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29- "France: New Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing": On the proposal of the Prime Minister, the President of the French Republic has appointed: Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing. Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet succeeds Jean-Louis Borloo. Pascal Berteaud, former water director general for France and EMWIS Steering Committe President, was appointed deputy-director of her cabinet in charge of technical affairs. Further information on EMWIS website.

30- IDRC announced the appointment of two new regional office directors: Simon Carter will lead the Eastern and Southern Africa office in Nairobi and Aboudou Karim Adjibade will direct the Cairo office for the Middle East and North Africa region. Further information on EMWIS website.

31- Israel, Jordan and PA Water/Peace Group Get Onassis €250,000 Prize: The environmental organization “Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME)” and a friend to Green Prophet is the first organization chosen as the winner of the Onassis Prize for the Protection of the Environment, which was established in May 2009. Further information on EMWIS website.

32- UNEP/MAP is currently updating its consultants’ roster, which is used for sourcing expertise for various short and long-term assignments with the Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan and its components. We are therefore encouraging the consultants who have qualifications and expertise within the following areas: Governance, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Biodiversity, Pollution prevention and control, Sustainable Production and Consumption, Climate Change, Environmental and Project Management, ICT and Information/Communication, and Conferencing and Administration. Deadline for receipt of applications: 5 January 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

33- FAO is looking for a "Senior Water Resources Development and Management Officer", to be based in Accra, Ghana. Deadline for applications: 29 December 2010. The successful candidate will serve as the FAO Regional focal point for all matters related to water resources development and management, covering the regional dimensions, and provide lead policy and technical support in these areas to FAO member countries in the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

34- The CENTA foundation is to award a grant to authors interested in attending the III International Congress Smallwat, Wastewater in Small Communities, to be held in Seville (Spain) on 25 - 28 April 2011. This initiative aims at promoting the participation of the greatest possible number of scientists and experts wishing to present their work at the conference, but who may be prevented from doing so due to economic difficulties. These grants are intended for authors of communications from the priority countries and areas of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the Andalusian Agency for International Development Cooperation (AACID). Only those authors whose papers are selected to be read at the Conference may benefit from these grants, in order to facilitate their attendance. The deadline for sending the communications to Smallwat will close on next 30 October.  Further information on EMWIS website.

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PUBLICATIONS
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35- EMWIS has published on the occasion of its 14th Steering Committee meeting held last 3 December 2010 in Florence (Italy) a book titled: "EMWIS in the context of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (from Marseille 1996 to Florence 2010)". EMWIS has also published on that occasion a new issue of its newsletter focusing on the regional & national activities carried out during the current year (2010). Both are available in English and French (the book is in both languages). Further information on EMWIS website.

36- "Water: Sustainable Management of a scarse resource" is the 3rd of a series of annual reports produced by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). It follows the publication of two reports, Arab Environment: Future Challenges in 2008 and Impact of Climate Change on Arab Countries in 2009. The 2010 report provides critical understanding of water in the region without being overly technical or academic in nature. The unifying theme is presenting reforms in policies and management to develop a sustainable water sector in Arab countries. Case studies, with stories of successes and failures, are highlighted to disseminate learning. Further information on EMWIS website.

37- The report on the October 2010 meeting of the EP intergroup Water on “Water and Climate change” with Commissioner Ms. Connie HEDEGAARD as key note speaker, is available on the website of the Intergroup Water. Further information on EMWIS website.

38- "Water Scarcity and Drought: towards a European Water Scarcity and Drought Network (WSDN)", prepared by: Maggie Kossida, Ifigeneia Koutiva, Christos Makropoulos, Klio Monokrousou, Maria Mimikou (NTUA), Jaume Fons-Esteve, Alejandro Iglesias (UAB); Contr.: George Papoutsoglou, Chrysoula Papathanasiou (NTUA), July 2009 - Project manager: Beate Werner, EEA. Further information on EMWIS website.

39- "Water Efficiency Handbook: Identifying opportunities to increase water use efficiency in industry, buildings, and agriculture in the Arab world" has just been published and announced by the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED): It targets water use in residential and commercial buildings, industrial plants, and agriculturalfarms. The handbook offers practical and proven methods to cut water consumption, and water costs, without sacrificing production, reliability, or comfort. Further information on EMWIS website.

40- Integrating Water Resources Management publication now available: This book investigates Intergrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in four selected twinned catchments covering six countries in Europe and Asia, as part of the Striver project, as follows: Sesan (Vietnam/Cambodia); Glomma (Norway; Tejo/Tagus (Spain/Portugal); and Tunga Bahdra (2 states in India). Further information on EMWIS website.

41- Human pressures on freshwater resources have seriously reduced the security of water for people and river biodiversity across the world, according to a recent study. Almost 80 per cent of the world's population is at high risk from threats to water security and 65 per cent of river habitats are under threat. Freshwater systems are endangered by the activities of a rapidly growing global population and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. Not only is water essential to life, but aquatic biodiversity provides important ecosystem services, including supporting the livelihoods of many of the world's poorest people. This study investigated 23 individual environmental stressors caused by human activities that are affecting the health of rivers. All stressors were grouped under four themes: water resource development (e.g. building dams), pollution (e.g. mercury deposition), catchment or watershed disturbances (e.g. converting forests to agricultural land), and biotic factors (e.g. the introduction of invasive alien species). The researchers combined the importance of the stressors to develop digital world maps that show the level of threat to human water security and river biodiversity at a global scale. Further information on EMWIS website.

42- Water Quality & Treatment (New 6th Edition): Authoritative, comprehensive, and cowritten by scores of expert specialists, Water Quality & Treatment: A Handbook on Drinking Water has been the essential reference for municipal water supply professionals for decades. It covers all aspects of drinking water supply: state-of-the-art technologies; water quality from source to tap, conventional and advanced methods and processes in water treatment, and drinking water standards and regulations. Importantly, it emphasizes principles (theory) and applications (practice), making it as useful for the academician as the practitioner. Further information on EMWIS website.

43- The Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change was held from 31 October to 5 November 2010 at the World Forum in The Hague, the Netherlands. Proceedings have been published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). Further information on EMWIS website.

44- From 12 to 14 October 2010, the Fourth United Nations International UN-SPIDER Bonn Workshop on Disaster Management and Space Technology: “The 4C – Challenge: Communication – Coordination – Cooperation – Capacity Development” took place at the UN premises in Bonn. The event comprised four thematic sessions titled “International support mechanisms and the SpaceAid Framework”, “Satellite communication for disaster management”, “Space technology in support of risk and disaster management”, and “The UN-SPIDER Network”. The presentations delivered in the course of the workshop and the list of participants have been uploaded to the website of the workshop. The full workshop report will be made available there as soon as it is finalized. Further information on EMWIS website.

45- Tunisian Prof. Dr. Besbes has just published a new book: "Hydro-geology Engineering" published by the Centre for Academic Publication. Further information on EMWIS website.

46- The full report of the study on decentralized cooperation for water and sanitation, carried out with support from the AFD and the Group Exchange CNE-NCCD is now available. Further information on EMWIS website.

47- UNESCO-IHP, the Secretary of State for Water and Environment (Morocco), the International Institute for Water and Sanitation (IEA) of the National Office National of Drinking Water (ONEP-Morocco),  and the Ministry of Environment Protection of Land and Sea (Italy) organized the International Seminar on Management of Coastal Aquifers: Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change, Impacts on the South Shore Mediterranean, Rabat (Morocco) on 30 June and 1 July 2010. To guide the seminar, a working paper was originally produced and proposes, among other things, to list the various events and programs relating to the theme of the seminar. Then, after the seminar, recommendations were formulated. Further information on EMWIS website.

48- On 22 September 2010 a colloquium on 'The right to water and water rights in a changing world' was held at the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft (NL). The presentations and a report are now online. Further information on EMWIS website.

49- RésEAU-Arabe newsletter, October 2010: The newsletter from RésEAU-Arabe is now available in English and French. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- The Issue No 17 (October 2010) of the GEWAMED Newsletter (Mainstreaming Gender Dimensions Into Water Resources Development and Management in the Mediterranean Region) is now available online. Further information on EMWIS website.

51- In 2011, the International Water Association launches the new Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the dissemination of high-quality information on the science, policy and practiceof drinking-water supply, sanitation and hygiene at local, national and international levels. Further information on EMWIS website.

52- New Water and Sanitation Series in PLoS Medicine: PLoS Medicine has today published a series of articles entitled about the importance, from a health perspective, of water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions. You will find the articles available online. Further information on EMWIS website.

53- TourMedEau - Newsletter n.2: TourMedEau is a project funded by the European Union under the program Ciudad - Cooperation In Urban Development And Dialogue - which aims to develop a system of sustainable water management in tourist areas of the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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54- "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 in December 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.

55- 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.

56- SNOWMAN network launches the third call for research proposals: The call will be opened between 15-9-2010 and 15-12-2010 at 17:00h, CET. The call is open to consortia consisting of researchers, stakeholders and other parties based in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Interested parties from other countries may take part in consortia, but will not be eligible for SNOWMAN funding. The involvement of stakeholders and socio economic scientists in the project team is highly recommended. The third call focuses on sustainable use of soil and soil quality. Projects proposed to this call should focus on (at least) one of these 3 different topics: Topic 1: Soil functions and ecosystem services, Topic 2: Sustainable agriculture and forestry, Topic 3: Contamination. Further information on EMWIS website.

57- Proposal for a EC Recommendation on a Joint Programming initiative on "Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change": A new coordinated approach would be implemented through close cooperation between national research programmes. This should help identifying and responding more effectively to common challenges in the area of Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change. Member States would engage in the definition, development and implementation of a common Strategic Research Agenda to address the combined challenges of food security against the continuous threat represented by various scenarios of climate change, global population, and food and non-food demand. However, the set up of a management structure by the participating countries is expected by the end of 2010. Several Member States have already started working jointly towards a common research agenda and will continue to do so during the time necessary to adopt this Recommendation. Further information on EMWIS website.

58- IFS Research Grants: Call for applications - "Closing Date: 30 December 2010": Applications for IFS Research Grants are welcome from young scientists in developing countries to do research on the sustainable management, use or conservation of biological or water resources. This broad statement covers natural science and social science research on agriculture, soils, animal production, food science, forestry, agroforestry, aquatic resources, natural products, water resources, etc. Due to the improved economic situation in Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay, these countries are no longer eligible for IFS grants. Chile is in a similar position and applications for 1st grants will be accepted only until 31 December 2008 and for renewal grants until 31 December 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

59- Egypt: "STDF Targeted calls for proposals - Water Desalination": Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF) general plan is to implement its objectives within the context of the national S&T development strategy which is the direct product of the Higher Council of Science & Technology and the individual strategies of the Egyptian Ministries. Deadline date for pre-proposal submission: 15/12/2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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60- Call for evidence: Water Scarcity & Droughts in the EU - (Deadline: 31/12/2010): The European Commission is asking interested stakeholders to submit evidence on water scarcity & droughts measures in the EU. The Commission is looking for information, studies and reports on: 1) the  magnitude of the water scarcity & droughts  problem in Europe until now and the medium term perspective, taking into account the effects of climate change; 2) the driving forces, pressures and the impacts on ecosystems, societies and the economy associated with water scarcity & droughts throughout the EU or in other countries; 3) the existing measures to prevent, manage or mitigate water scarcity & drought situations in Member States (national, regional or local level); 4) gaps and possible new measures to deal with water scarcity and droughts in the EU; and 5) the environmental, economic and social impacts and the feasibility of possible measures. The results of the call for evidence will be included in a forthcoming GAP analysis on water scarcity & droughts in the EU. The GAP Analysis will feed into the Blue Print for safeguarding European Waters, being developed by 2012 and comprising a review of the Strategy on Water Scarcity and Droughts, a review of the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, and a review of the vulnerability of water and environmental resources to climate change and other man-made pressures. Further information on EMWIS website.

61- On 21 and 22 November 2011, the 3rd International Symposium "RE-WATER" will take place in Brunswick/Germany. The symposium is organised by the Stadtentwässerung Braunschweig in cooperation with the Technische Universität Braunschweig , the Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin and the Abwasserverband Braunschweig. The 3rd symposium is organised within the programme on water and wastewater reuse, nutrient recovery and closing of energy- and material cycles and focuses on "Implementation and Realisation". Deadline to submit an abstract (max. two pages, A4): 15 December 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

62- Call for abstracts for the 2nd International Scientifc Congress of Engineering - CCII-11:  Themes: • Protection and exploitation of water resources. Current status, evolution and development of options and priorities in the management and use of water. • Clean energy. Renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency as a contribution to sustainable development. • Sustainable management of the transport chain: modality. Efficiency of transport systems, its efficiency, services and sustainable development. • Information Technology and Communications for human development. Access tools and innovation knowledge, information and communication. Abstracts submission deadline: December 31, 2010. Further information on EMWIS website.

63- Call for presentations for SCENES Final Conference - "Future Waters for Europe": The future of Europe’s waters is influenced by a set of environmental, social, political and policy drivers, such as global change, population growth, land use change, economic and technological developments. Abstract submission for poster & oral presentations: Before 15 February 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

64- Call for papers for the EAERE 18th Annual Conference: You are invited to submit theoretical and applied papers in all areas of environmental and natural resource economics for presentation at the EAERE's annual conference to be held in Rome, Italy June 29 – July 2, 2011. Deadline for submission of papers is: February 1, 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

65- EGU2011 Call for papers - "Hydrological extremes: from droughts to floods": The HS2.11 session "Hydrological extremes: from droughts to floods" will be held during European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2011, in Vienna, Austria, the days: 03-08 April 2011. Deadline for Receipt of Abstracts is 10 January 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

66- First call for papers for the GI_Forum 2011: The Geoinformatics Forum Salzburg (GI_Forum) is scheduled for July 5-8, 2011, at the University of Salzburg, Austria. This call for papers aims at researchers who design, develop and apply advanced methods and techniques of Geoinformatics to a broad range of application domains. Further information on EMWIS website.

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TRAINING
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67- The European Desalination Society is promoting two sets of courses looking at desalination using renewable energies: The first is an e-learning course is offered over the internet as part of the training activities of the ProDes project, co-financed by the European Commission through the "Intelligent Energy for Europe" programme. This training initiative is addressed to people interested in this field of knowledge: professionals related with water or energy, technical students, major water users, water managers. The five different editions of the course stretch from 1 March to 11 July 2011. The second event is a 3-day course on Desalination with Solar Energy, in Almeria, Spain, on 9-11 May 2011. Further information on EMWIS website.

68- Call for applications for a short course 2011: "Water Security for Policy Makers and Practitioners": The course is designed for entry and mid-level water and development policy-makers and professionals in government, donor, NGO or implementing agencies. A number of places will be made available to environmental journalists, consultants and activists wishing to take their knowledge on water resources further. Participants are expected to acquire a wide variety of tools and analytical frameworks from a variety of disciplines. While the focus is on policy, the extensive field and analytical competence of the lecturers ensures that participants benefit from grounded theory and experience. Further information on EMWIS website.

69- Call for Applications - 2011 EAERE-FEEM-VIU European Summer School in Resource and Environmental Economics, July 3-9, Venice, Italy: Deadline for applications: February 1st, 2011. The 2011 Summer School will take place from the 3rd to the 9th of July, at the VIU campus on the Island of San Servolo, in Venice, located just in front of St. Mark’s Square. The theme of this Summer School is Developments in Resource Economics. Further information on EMWIS website.

70- [2010/12/12 - 2010/12/15] Regional Training Workshop on Application of GIS and Remote Sensing In water Resources Management, Muscat, Oman
Further information on EMWIS website.

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EVENTS (Full Agenda)
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PROJECTS (Projects database)
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WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP7, INTERREG, etc.)

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