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In this issue
N°15
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HEADLINE
1. Tunisian EMWIS website launched
IN BRIEF
2.
EU Water Initiative
3. EURO-INBO Initiative
4. The Water for sustainable development in the Mediterranean Basin
5. 'Blue Paper' to
combat water scarcity and food shortages
6. Lebanon: € 45 million to water investment from the EIB
7. Maghreb gets more water through solar energy
8. ADIRA project: a new web site set up
9. Water use efficiency in the Mediterranean basin (WATERMED
project)
10. Waterbench Project: benchmarking indicators for Water
Supply and Sanitation services
11. SWIFT-WFD Project: to support the implementation of the
Water Framework Directive
12. Survey on implementation and enforcement of EU
environmental law
13. Integration of Gender Dimension in water management in the
Mediterranean region
14. The right to Water is a human right
15. Global Runoff Data Centre updates daily discharge data
16. NASA: Moist Soil Hot Spots May Affect Rainfall
17. Non-linear mathematical techniques could lead to better
flood forecasting
18. Satellites guide aid workers sinking water wells for African refugees
19. Second Israeli-Palestinian-International Conference on "Water for
Life in the Middle East"
NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
EVENTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS
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HEADLINE
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1. The EMWIS Tunisian National Focal Point (NFP) has launched its website on 30 August. The website is available in French and Arabic languages but an English version is under development. This website addresses the five main EMWIS topics: Institutions, documentation, training, research and development and data management. It is a reference information resource related to the water sector in Tunisia. With the launch of the Tunisian website, the number of EMWIS national websites already online reaches 15. Click here to check the new Tunisian NFP website.
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IN BRIEF
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2. During the World Water Week in Stockholm, the EU Water Initiative organised a multi-stake-holder meeting, seminars focused on cross-fertilisation between the different components of the EUWI and some working group meetings. The EUWI Communication and Information portal was also successfully launched. All the details on the initiative and the outcome of these meetings are available from www.euwi.net. At the international workshops focused on Sharing Mediterranean Pilot River Basins experiences that will be held in Brindisi (Italy) 22-24 September, the Med component of the EUWI will be further developed. Click here for more information.
3. The general orientation note on the objectives of the «
EURO INBO » meeting (Krakow,
27-29 September) and the draft work program are now available. It will focus
on five working topics related to the implementation of the European water
Framework Directive: inventories, pressures and impacts, the economic
analysis, « good ecological status » and « water bodies with risk »,
transboundary basins and flood prevention and control. For further details
click here.
4. The National Polytechnic High School - Algeria (Water
Science Research Laboratory), Organize the 9th General Assembly of
Mediterranean network of engineer schools & the International Congress "The
Water for sustainable development in Mediterranean Basin’’; from 21 to 23
May 2005 in Algiers. The people who are interested by the water problems,
particularly the academics, the researchers, the industrialists, the policies
makers, the managers, the elected officials, the donors are cordially invited to
contribute, share and exchange their experiences. For further details
click here.
5. A 'Blue Paper' Report launched by some of the world's top agricultural scientists at the World Water Week in Stockholm , highlights the difficult choices that must be made as mounting pressure from the world's growing population for more food could lead to greater water consumption and increasing environmental degradation. The Blue Paper draws on research carried out by some of the world's leading agricultural researchers and water professionals - most of whom are associated with the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture-. To download the "Blue Paper", click here.
6. The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on 2 August 2004, a loan of € 45 million granted to Lebanon for the upgrading and extension of the sewerage infrastructure in the coastal towns of Saida and Sour in the South of the country. This loan will serve to finance investment in water supply (mainly leak detection programs), waste water collection and treatment, and storm water drainage systems (construction of pipes and conduits). The project is due to be operating at the end of 2007. Click here for more information.
7. 52 photovoltaic pumps are being installed in rural areas of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in order to improve the provision of safe drinking water there. The pumps are part of a MEDA funded project entitled: "Implementation of a Photovoltaic Water Pumping and Purification Programme in Mediterranean Countries". For more information about the project, click here.
8. ADIRA project (Autonomous desalination system concepts for sea water and brackish water in rural areas with renewable energies – Potentials, Technologies, Field Experience, Socio-technical and Socio-economic impacts), one of the MEDA WATER projects, has launched a new website. Click here to view it.
9. The general objective of the WATERMED project "Water use efficiency in natural vegetation and agricultural areas by Remote Sensing in the Mediterranean basin" funded by the European Union 5th Framework Programme (INCOMED) was to develop a comprehensive method for the study of water use and the resistance to the drought of the natural and irrigated vegetation in the Mediterranean Basin, by means of a combined historical and current space-based remote sensing database, vegetation models and field measurements to integrate all available data of the studied environments. Click here to download the report.
10. Together with partner institutes in France and Russia Ecologic is identifying a set of benchmarking indicators for Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) services. These indicators are to assist the WSS sectoral reform and modernisation in the Newly Independent States (NIS) of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia. The results of the study will be published in the beginning of 2005. For further information click here.
11. The underlying goal of the SWIFT-WFD project is to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The project's objective is to identify the monitoring methods in use and assess how they support the WFD implementation. It also aims to develop new screening methods which are cost-effective and ready to use. For further information click here.
12. The 5th annual survey undertaken by the European Parliament into the implementation of EU environmental laws shows 88 cases where Directives have not been transposed in time and 118 cases where a Directive has been incorrectly translated. See the website.
13. A workshop training of trainers in "Integration of Gender Dimension in water management in the Mediterranean region" will be held in Cairo (Egypt) from 1 to 5 October 2004. This workshop is organized in the framework of the activities included in the project “Integration of Gender Dimension in Water Management in the Mediterranean Region – INGEDI” coordinated by CIHEAM-IAM, Bari, Italy with the support of the EU. Click here for more information.
14."The right to Water is a human right", according to the competent UN body. In August 2004, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights ( of the UN Commission on Human Rights) adopted unanimously a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/L.20) entitled “Promotion of the realization of the right to drinking water and sanitation” which “affirms that the right to water is an individual and collective human right and is closely linked to other rights”, and also “affirms that the access of everyone to drinking water supply must not be subject to any restriction but must be subject to regulation and control by the public authorities”. Click here to obtain the full article by Henri Smets. You can also obtain the IUCN publication on the same subject, click here.
15. Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) is a digital world-wide repository of discharge data and associated metadata in support of Global Change Research and Integrated Water Resources Management. It was reinforced by WMO Resolution 21 (Cg-XII), 1995 & a Support Letter from WMO Secretary General (July 2004). The GRDC has updated 11 stations from Romania with daily discharge data. The data were kindly provided by the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest. For further information click here.
16. While the Earth is moistened by rainfall, scientists believe that the water in soil can, in turn, influence rainfall both regionally and globally. Forecasters, water resource managers and farmers may benefit once this connection is better understood. A NASA researcher led an effort that used a dozen computer models to locate 'hot spots' around the world where soil moisture may strongly affect rainfall during northern hemisphere summertime. The results appear in the August 20 issue of Science Magazine. "The study arguably provides the best estimate ever of the areas where soil moisture changes can affect rainfall," said Randal Koster, a researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Md. Currently, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS on NASA's Aqua satellite measures the moisture in surface soil down to a depth of a few centimetres. Click here for more information.
17. Although the world in which we live in is non-linear, or multi-dimensional, engineers and scientists have long used linear mathematical formulas to create models to predict physical phenomena such as the infiltration of water through soils or flooding. In the September issue of the Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, Prof. Sergio Serrano outlines new mathematical procedures, or techniques, to produce analytical solutions of the complex, non-linear equations of water flow in soils. These new techniques, says Serrano, will help with the development of more accurate and more efficient flood forecasting and contaminant propagation predictions. Click here for more information.
18. Caring for more than 180.000 Sudanese refugees gathered in the desert landscape of eastern Chad, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has begun using satellite data to identify hidden water resources and site new camps. Click here for more information.
19. The second Israeli-Palestinian-International Conference on “Water for Life in the Middle East” will be held in Antalya, Turkey, on October 10-14, 2004. A follow-up to the First Israeli-Palestinian International Academic Conference on Water held in Switzerland in 1992, the Conference is co-chaired by Prof. Hillel Shuval of the Hebrew University and Prof. Hassan Dweik of Al Quds University, both in Jerusalem, and enjoys the support of the Israeli Water Commission and the Palestinian Water Authority. Click here for more details.
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NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
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20. The School of Water Sciences at Cranfield University is looking to appoint a post-doctoral researcher for a period of 3 years to support a study on sustainable water livelihoods in four case study areas of the Middle East characterised by coastal aquifers (in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan & Turkey). This leading edge project is funded by the EC and is being carried out in collaboration with a number of European and Middle Eastern academic and commercial partners. Potential applicants are invited to contact Dr Paul Jeffrey on: +44 (0)1234 754814. For further information click here.
21. The UNESCO-IHE International Institute for Water Education is currently looking for a Lecturer in Land and Water development within the Department of Water Engineering. This department deals mainly with education and research in the field of irrigation and drainage issues in their broadest sense, as well as with the integrated development of lowland areas. The deadline for sending applications is 30 September 2004. Access the detailed job announcement by clicking here.
22. In order to increase and reinforce the Institutes’ scientific capacity in all areas of it’s involvement in the Research and Technological Development Framework Programmes, and to encourage young scientists to enhance their experience in an international, multicultural and multidisciplinary environment, the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission is launching a call for interest for PhD (category 20) and Post-Doctoral fellowships (category 30). Candidates must complete their application and send by e- mail by the 30th September 2004 to the Institute Administrative contact point only: Mrs. Carla Dal Molin. Click here for more information.
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PUBLICATIONS
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23. "Remote Sensing in Hydrology and Water Management": This book provides comprehensive information on possible applications of remote sensing data for hydrological monitoring and modelling as well as for water management decisions. It is intended to provide methods to support the readers in solving their own problems in hydrology and water management. For further information view the website.
24. A new bi-monthly e-newsletter has been launched: "Water Modelling News". It publishes the latest news in the field of water resources management and data management. To get it, contact Richard Sappé.
25. The French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development, has made public a first version of a law project about water and aquatic environments. The draft contains three fundamental orientations: To set up the necessary tools which will allow to reach the objectives of good ecological state of the water defined by the EU Water Framework Directive; To improve the public utility of the water and the purification offered to the citizen; and to modernize the organization of the federative structures of the fishing in fresh water. Click here to download this document (in French only).
26. Agr'Eau has published a report entitled "The Cypriot agriculture facing water management problems". Agr'Eau is a group of students from the National School of Agronomy of Rennes in France (ENSAR: Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie de Rennes). Click here to download the report in French, and click here to download a presentation of the project in English. For further information, see the website.
27. The New IWA publication: Visual Hydrology (Author: Peter A Mantz) demonstrates codes for common and practical examples used in hydrological engineering. For more information and to buy online click here.
28. A new book by E. Kampa & W. Hansen, has been published: Heavily modified Water bodies; Synthesis of 34 case studies in Europe. This book is the result of a European project on heavily modified water bodies, carried out in the context of the Common Implementation Strategy of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). It presents and synthesises the results of thirty-four European case studies on the identification and designation of heavily modified water bodies. For more information click here.
29. A new book by Uri Zoller, has been published: Groundwater contamination and control. A volume that reflects the state of the art and current frontiers in groundwater contamination and control, aimed at setting the agenda for future rational, research-based groundwater-management policy and the strategies to be implemented locally and internationally. For more information click here.
30. The French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development has put on line a report entitled: "LIFE Environment Program - Adviser for preparation of candidatures - French funded projects". Click here to download the document (only in French).
31. Guide to finding water and sanitation information on the Internet: Produced by IRC, this resource provides links to water and sanitation databases, water portals, fact sheets, discussion lists, help desks, and quick facts and figures. To read more click here.
32. Among the Water and Gender case studies collected by Public Citizen, one is related to Egypt and one to Palestine. They all highlight the central role which women play in the provision of water. Click here for more details.
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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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33. Call for entries into the RSPB/CIWEM living wetlands award 2005: RSPB and CIWEM are calling for entries for the 2005 Living Wetlands Award. The prize includes GBP 1.500 to enhance the winning scheme's impact and the closing date for entries for the 2005 Award is 30 November 2004. All entries for the Award must contribute to the delivery of the priority targets on species and habitats for wetlands set out in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. They should also demonstrate sustainability and deliver multiple environmental benefits – for example flood alleviation, wastewater treatment, recreation, eco-tourism, or water resource security. Click here for more information.
34. A call for proposals of LIFE-Nature and LIFE-Third Countries programs: The Application Files for 2005 LIFE-Environment Demonstration and LIFE-Environment Preparatory projects, LIFE-Third Countries (All projects shall be submitted to the national competent authorities at the latest by 31/10/2004) and LIFE-Nature (30/09/2004) projects are now available. For further information about how to apply for LIFE funding click here.
35. Nominations are now welcome from around the world until September 30, 2004, for the 2005 Stockholm Water Prize. The Stockholm Water Prize is presented annually to an individual, institution or organisation for outstanding water-related activities. The activities can be within the fields of aid, awareness building and education, engineering, management or science. The Stockholm Water Prize enjoys Royal Patronage and includes a USD 150.000 award and a crystal Orrefors sculpture. For further information, view the website.
36. A new SMAP III financing proposal has been presented for a € 15 million environmental programme that will concentrate on technical assistance for the furthering of sustainable development policy as well as the preparation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management plans. This concentration on more limited goals than previous SMAP funding programmes was proposed in an effort of improving the effectiveness of SMAP funding. The first component is foreseen to be launched by the end of 2004, while the second during 2005. Click here to view the current programme summary.
37. The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced an invitation for the submission of proposals for use of ENVISAT and ERS satellite data in Africa, under the TIGER Initiative (Africa). This initiative comprises part of the ESA and UNESCO response to World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). It is important to understand that ESA/TIGER is not offering finance for new projects, but rather is seeking partnership with already existing projects in Africa that would benefit from supplementary free satellite data and support. For more information, click here. The deadline for submission of proposals is 30 September 2004.
38. Appointment of a Regional Monitoring and Supervision Unit to provide Monitoring Collection and Dissemination of Results of the MEDA Water Projects. Reference: EuropeAid/120333/C/SV/Multi. Budget: € 2.5 million. Status: Open until 05 November 2004. For further information, click here.
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CALL FOR PAPERS
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39. Call for papers for the International Conference: "Prospective of the littoral - Prospective for the littoral" organised by the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development on 1st and 2nd of March 2005 in Paris. The deadline to send abstracts expires by 15 October 2004. For more information contact Sébastien Treyer or click here.
40. First call for the 21st ICID European Regional Conference 2005 on "Integrated Land and Water Resources Management", which will be held in between 15 and 19 May 2005. The call for papers is open until November 1st, 2004. For more information, view the website.
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EVENTS
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2004-09-17/18 - 7th UNESCO/IAHS Kovacs Colloquium : Scales in
Hydrology and Water Management, Paris, France.
For further information, see
the
website.
2004-09-17/10-08 - International Training of Trainers on
Wetland Management (ICWM-TOT), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
For further information, see
the
website.
2004-09-19/24 - 4th Biennial of the International Water Association-
World Water Congress, Marrakech, Morocco.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-20/21 - Relations between water management and land
management in the Mediterranean Basin, Aix-en-Provence, France.
For further information, see
the
following document.
2004-09-20/24 - Applied Groundwater-Modelling Using
Processing MODFLOW, Bremen, Germany.
For further information,
click here.
2004-09-20/24 - Course of Mathematical Modeling of Flow and
Pollutants Transport in Groundwater, Valencia, Spain.
For further information,
click here.
2004-09-22/24 - The international workshop on the Mediterranean dimension of the Pilot River Basin implementing the European water Framework Directive, Brindisi, Italy. For further information, click here.
2004-09-26 - The first Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Mediterranean Network of
Basin Organisations (MENBO), Krakow, Poland.
For further information, view the
agenda.
2004-09-26/29 - The Global Symposium on Recycling, Waste
Treatment and Clean Technology (REWAS`04), Madrid, Spain.
For further information, see
conference
website.
2004-09-26/30 - 3rd EarthWatch Conference On Water 2004,
Ibadan, Nigeria.
For further information,
click here.
2004-09-27 - NanoWater Conference, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands.
For further information,
click here.
2004-09-27/29 - International meeting of the International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) on the implementation of the European water Framework Directive, Krakow, Poland. For further information, view the website.
2004-09-27/29 - International symposium on climate change: a
challenge or a threat for water management?, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-27/30 - 9th International Conference on Wetlands
Systems, Avignon, France.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-27/10-08 - International Training of Trainers on
Wetland Management, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
For further information,
click here.
2004-09-28/10-01 - 6th International Conference on Waste
Stabilisation Ponds, Avignon, France.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-28/29 - International Symposium on the application of
the Sustainable Development, Saint-Etienne (Loire), France.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-29/10-01 - Modelling and Control for Participatory
Planning and Managing Water Systems, Venice, Italy.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-09-30/10-01 - Conference on Upgrading of Wastewater
Treatment Plants, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-10-01/05 - International Workshop: Training of Trainers
in “ Integration of Gender dimension in water management in the Mediterranean
region”, Cairo, Egypt.
Click
here to know more.
2004-10-05/10 - Qualitative Information System: Making every
voice count, Delft, The Netherlands.
For more details, click here.
2004-10-06/08 - International conference 'Water: A Catalyst
for Peace', Zaragoza, Spain.
For more details, click
here.
2004-10-07/08 - Joining across the Water Conference, Ballina,
Ireland.
For more details, click
here.
2004-10-10/14: Second Israel-Palestinian-International
Conference on “Water for life in the Middle East”, Antalya, Turkey.
For more details, click here.
2004-10-10/22 - COST Action 629. Water pollution in natural
porous media at different scales: fate, impact and indicators, Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium.
For more details, click
here.
2004-10-11/13 - Capacity building Symposium on Integrated
Water Management and Irrigation, Istanbul, Turkey.
For more details, see the
website.
2004-10-12/13 - Congrès de La Société Hydrotechnique de France:
L'Eau et le monde vivant, Paris, France.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-10-14 - CMU-RMEI meeting on Innovation as a tool for a
sustainable development within the Mediterranean, Foggia, Italy.
For more details, click
here.
2004-10-18/19 - Recent Developments in European Environmental
Law Conference, Trier, Germany.
For further information, see
conference
website and
website.
2004-10-20/22 - International Conference River Restoration
and alternative development, Cordoba, Spain.
For further information, see
conference
website
2004-10-21/22: - Second International Workshop on Implementing
economic analysis in the Water Framework Directive, Paris, France.
For further information, see
conference
website.
2004-10-21/23 - EnviroInfo Conference 2004, 18th
International Conference Informatics for Environmental Protection, Geneva,
Switzerland.
For further information, see
conference
website.
2004-10-27/29 - International Workshop on Impacts of Large
Dams, Istanbul, Turkey.
For more information,
click here.
2004-10-30/31 - Workshop: «Water and the right, the right to
Water», Calvi, France.
For more information,
click here.
2004-11-01 - The International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation organise the course: "Advanced Use of Remote Sensing in Water Resource Management, Irrigation and Drainage". Starting date: 4 April 2005, Place: Enschede, The Netherlands. Duration: 3 months, & application deadline: 1 November 2004. For more information, click here.
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BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
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ABOUT EMWIS
WATER in the EURO-MED PARTNERSHIP: milestones, main players, MEDA programme
EMWIS NATIONAL WEBSITES
INTERNATIONAL FOCAL POINT
LEGISLATION: national, European and international
THEMATIC DIRECTORY
COMMENTS
SEARCH EMWIS WEBSITE
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CONTACT US
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This is a monthly Flash provided by the EMWIS Technical
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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 ....
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contravene any requirements laid down in applicable national law nor to exclude
liability for matters which may not be excluded under that law.