EMWIS Flash N°102, July/August 2012

EMWIS Flash - July/August 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

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In this issue N°102 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash102)
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HEADLINE
1- European Commission adopts decision adding Libya to Euro-Med regional cooperation programmes

IN BRIEF
2- Euro-INBO 2012: 10th International Conference
3- ECRINS map project pinpoints water information in Europe
4- 20 years of LIFE: Italian ministries highlight transferability of results
5- Spain: Recycled wastewater could boost river flows
6- Union for the Mediterranean backs new project to set up a Euro-Mediterranean University in Morocco
7- Morocco: World Bank Supports Moroccan Coastal Communities
8- Tunisia: Towards the principles of democratic and sustainable water management in the constitution
9- Tunisia: The gold mine is thirsty
10- EM-PO-W-ER Tunisia
11- From Lebanon to the Netherlands: visits to wastewater facilities
12- German grant to fund water supply for displaced Syrians
13- Jordan assumes co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean
14- Jordan: Water demand expected to spike during Ramadan
15- Jordan Plans First Nuclear Plant to Ease Water Shortages
16- Economic and Efficient Water Management
17- Understanding risks with Earth observation
18- ESA: SMOS satellite measurements improved
19- Satellites protect for wetland areas
20- The Global Water Footprint of Key Crops
21- The opening of public data is accelerating in the Mediterranean
22- EC funded GeoNetCab to raise awareness about EO
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 European Commission has adopted a decision, which officially adds Libya to the list of countries participating in the activities of its regional cooperation projects and programmes designed for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The decision was adopted on 13 July 2012. The ENPI Regulation of 2006 included Libya as an eligible country. However, the Regional Strategy Document (2007-2013), the successive Regional Indicative Programmes (2007-2010 and 2010-2013) did not include Libya due to the political circumstances. As such, Libya was not participating in the running regional projects/programmes designed for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The decision follows from the Joint Communication 'A new response to a changing Neighbourhood' of 25 May 2011, which set out a new approach towards the 16 countries lying to the East and South of the European Union – including Libya – and offers a base for the inclusion of Libya among the beneficiary countries of the running projects/programmes for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The 10th “EUROPE-INBO 2012” international conference, organized by the “Group of European Basin Organizations for the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive" will take place, at the invitation of the Turkish Water Institute (SUEN), on 17-18-19 October 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting is open to all INBO member organizations and observers, and also to the water administrations and organizations, interested in the implementation of the Framework Directive, and its “Daughter Directives” of the member and candidate countries of the European Union and of all the other countries of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia and of the Mediterranean basin. The meeting will be organized around roundtables dealing with the updated issues of the Implementation of the EU WFD, the draft of the EU Fresh Water Blue Print, the Implementation of the EU flooding Directive, strategies to face scarcity and droughts and in general the measures to be introduced for adaptation of water resources management to the effect of the climate changes, Science - Policy Interface, …etc. Further information on EMWIS website.

3- Europe’s freshwater supplies are under pressure, to improve the understanding and management of water resources, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has created a comprehensive series of map layers showing hydrological features. The tool, providing support to policy makers, spans river catchments from Iceland to the edge of the Arab Gulf. The EEA Catchments and Rivers Network System (ECRINS) is a dynamic set of map layers displaying the location and characteristics of hydrological features such as lakes, dams, abstraction points as well as monitoring stations and sewage treatment plants. It covers river catchment information over the previous ten years. The digital maps directly support environmental analysis such as water accounts and policy-making. For example, one layer delineates all river catchments, which is useful for those working to implement the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) at the river basin level. The ECRINS package is a public good, so is available to anyone, including European institutions, national water agencies, scientists, businesses, students and NGOs active in environmental assessments. Users need GIS (Geographic Information System) software to access the map layers. The geographical coverage of ECRINS goes beyond EU-27 and the EEA Member countries. All of continental Europe west of the Urals, the Caucasus region and the Tigris-Euphrates river system is catalogued. It includes an improved catalogue of names, meaning that particular river systems with several local names may be easier to find. The layers are available as Geodatabase files which can be opened with well-known programmes such as Microsoft Access and ArcGIS. They are also compatible with GDAL/OGR open source applications. Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Representatives of the Italian LIFE National Focal Point – NFP (Ministry of Environment), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the LIFE Unit met in Rome recently, for a national workshop highlighting the importance of the LIFE programme in Italy over the past 20 years; and discussing the links between LIFE+ and the National Rural Development Network. Organised as part of the EU-wide ‘LIFE 20th anniversary’ events, the workshop, held in Rome on 28 June, included the presentation of a new study, “LIFE+ e la Rete Rurale Nazionale” (LIFE+ and the national rural development network) highlighting the importance of LIFE co-funded projects in promoting the rural development network and of guaranteeing the transferability of their results. Opening the workshop, Mariano Grillo, Director General for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Energy (Ministry of Environment) said the study also showed some interesting synergies with agricultural policies. He congratulated the Italian national (and regional) focal points saying that over the years, their role had not only been administrative, but had also been influential in bringing projects/ beneficiaries together and putting them in contact with public administrations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) universities etc – playing an important role in helping to guarantee transferability and opportunities of replication of results. Giuliana Gasparrini (National Focal Point) highlighted the importance of the LIFE programme in Italy: Since 1992, 602 projects have received EU co-funding of €387 million, generating another €890 million, she said, adding that the projects will do their best to continue to transfer their project results. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- Over-extraction of river water for use in agriculture and by cities reduces water flow in rivers and may lead to environmental stress. One objective set by the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to ensure an adequate flow of water in rivers. Using reclaimed water is one way to moderate the effect of water shortages. This is water that has been treated and recycled for use in agricultural or landscape irrigation, in industry and for non-drinking water purposes in urban areas. In addition, reclaimed water can be released into rivers to boost water flows, which could help European rivers in water scarce areas achieve a good ecological status, as required by the WFD.The study estimated the non-market environmental benefits of using reclaimed water to boost river flow in the Segura basin in southern Spain. Many environmental benefits, such as clean air and water, are not traded in markets, and valuing these environmental goods typically relies on methods based on the public’s willingness to pay for the environmental benefit: in this case, the extra cost of wastewater treatment for release into the river. Water demand in the Segura River basin exceeds water supply, even though extra water is transferred to the basin, and water stress here is the third highest in Europe. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- A project setting up the Euro-Mediterranean University of Morocco (Euromed-UM) has been ‘labelled’ by senior officials from the 43 Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) member states at their meeting in Barcelona in late June. The new university, to be located in Fes, will be an International Centre of Higher Education and Research with a specific focus on Euro-Mediterranean issues and priorities. The first priority programmes of Euromed-UM will be: 1) History, Cultural Heritage and Civilisations of the Mediterranean; 2) Political and Economic Sciences and Law; and 3) Solar energy and related fields in Materials Engineering. The construction of the university will start in 2012, with its inauguration set to take place in 2014. The completion of the Euromed-UM structure will be finalised in 2021, when the buildings and the implementation of all the education and research programmes will have been completed. The university will accommodate around 3,000 students from across the region. Once a project receives the UfM 'label', the UfM Secretariat works to facilitate its promotion, especially its financing needs, in collaboration and agreement with the project’s promoters. This requires Secretariat contacting/discussing with funding institutions, as well as assisting in removal of obstacles or impediments. Once financing arrangements have been finalised and the project launched, the Secretariat monitors its implementation, ensuring that criteria required for obtaining and keeping the UfM 'project label' are being met. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- A new World Bank project will pilot the application of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) approach at the local level in view of improving resources management, inclusion and job creation in the Eastern Mediterranean coastal areas of Morocco. The $5.2 million Integrated Coastal Zone Management Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant, approved by the World Bank’s Board, will strengthen the capacity of relevant stakeholders to incorporate an integrated approach of cross-sector coordination into local development plans. Morocco and other coastal countries face interlinked challenges of managing the resources of the Mediterranean Sea. The ICZM project would contribute to regional coastal zone management issues by testing good practices for long-term maintenance and sustainability. It plans to provide the necessary tools to the different sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, environment, tourism, forestry, and local government to participate meaningfully in local resource use planning through ICZM approach, and integrating climate change and biodiversity preservation in the economic development processes in the project sites. The ICZM project is in line with the Moroccan government’s 2012-2016 program which focuses on rapid and sustainable growth, improved governance, poverty eradication, and improvement of social conditions. Further information on EMWIS website.

8- The United Nations General Assembly has recognized, through its resolution 64/292 of July 2010, that "the right to water and sanitation is a human right, essential to full enjoyment of life and the exercise of all human rights. " Tunisia was one of the signatories to this resolution. The Council of Human Rights has reinforced this statement by adopting by consensus, in September 2010, the resolution L.14 A/HRC/15 which states that "the fundamental right to clean water and sanitation stems from right to an adequate standard of living and it is inextricably linked to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health attainable, and the right to life and dignity ". Like other countries such as: South Africa, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mauritania, Venezuela, Uruguay, and many others have included this right in their constitution, Tunisia should take advantage of preparing a new constitution to confirm its commitment to the right of access to water and sanitation. However, the "right to water" must be exercised within acceptable conditions for sustainability, so that current and future generations can benefit.  Further information on EMWIS website.

9- In recent weeks, the regions of Mdhilla & El Guettar of Gafsa in Tunisia are without drinking water. For residents, a main pump that supplies water is broken down or fly! According to SONEDE (National water and sanitation company) in a statement on 27 June 2012, the shortage is due to a drop in water level of groundwater in the region of Atrous, the main source that feeds the two regions in drinking water. Whatever the reasons, the inhabitants made demonstrations and sit-ins to ensure that drinking water is restored, but in vain. The share of each Tunisian water does not exceed 500 cubic meters per year and the forecast is a reduction of this share (-350m3), over the next decade, due to the increase in the number of inhabitants. In the valley of Mdhilla, people has already less than 100 m3, which is 5 times less than the national average. . Further information on EMWIS website.

10- The transformation partnership project EM-PO-W-ER Tunisia (EMerging POllutants in Water and WastewatER in Tunisia) intends to initiate a dialogue at scientific, educational, socio-cultural, and political levels on probably the most emerging topic in the Middle East “Water and its Scarcity”. Water is essential for the development of the area in terms of food production, health, and prosperity, thereby supporting the transformation process and political stability through meeting the demands of the people. In the course of this project, which started in March 2012, a professional and intercultural dialogue between Tunisian and German scientists, students, and stakeholders will be initiated to find solutions not only in terms of technical measures, but also for common intercultural understanding and trust. The Project EM-PO-W-ER Tunisia aims to monitor the current situation of wastewater reuse in Tunisia and other Arab Countries with an emphasis on emerging pollutants in reclaimed wastewater and irrigated agricultural environments (water bodies, soil and groundwater) and thereby building capacity of students and researchers. Also the links to Euro-Mediterranean Countries will be enhanced through the German partner. This aims to develop a greater R&D follow up project for the entire Mediterranean Sea Region thereby linking South and North.  Further information on EMWIS website

11- Strategically selected trainees from Lebanon, engaged daily in research and application solutions to the problems of wastewater management in their country, traveled to the Netherlands to participate in an intensive study visit to the facilities for the wastewater management to further enhance their understanding of the integrated Solid Waste management (ISWM). The workshop was held in the framework of Horizon 2020 Capacity Building Project funded by the EU in response to imminent needs identified in the area of waste management in Lebanon. The main objective of the study visit was to increase understanding of ISWM trainees, including waste to energy options (WtE) and anaerobic digestion. Participants visited the facility in Groningen and LZ Wijster WtE and installation of AEB Amsterdam, where they had the opportunity to explore the benefits while the disadvantages of these solutions, the modalities for the implementation and operation and adaptability to the Lebanese context. They also studied the different types of methodology and challenged their skills in making decisions about the various options ISWM. Moreover, the main considerations of the bill on Integrated Solid Waste were discussed as well as mechanisms for cost recovery. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- Jordan will soon receive a grant from the German Development Bank (KfW) to provide water for Syrians in the country, especially in the northern region. There are more than 120,000 Syrians in Jordan, the majority of them are in the northern region, and we were not prepared to provide this number with water, adding that the grant will be used to rehabilitate water wells, buy water tankers and the necessary equipment. The Jordanian minister of water and irrigation said that Jordan received a JD1.8 million grant from UNICEF to be able to supply water to Syrians in the Kingdom and meet the rising demand for water, especially in the northern region. Sawsan Aruri, deputy director of the KfW in Amman, said increasing demand for water is a major challenge facing the government, adding that the German government's support to Jordan over the past few years focused mainly on the water sector. The project also entails rehabilitating water networks in Mafraq, Jerash and Ajloun. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- Jordan officially announced its readiness to assume the southern co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), taking over from Egypt ,according to a recent Foreign Ministry statement. The announcement came following meeting of senior officials of the UfM held in Barcelona, where the representatives of the 43 countries of the region unanimously welcomed the Jordanian readiness to take on the co-presidency for the southern half of the Union for the Mediterranean. Starting next September, Jordan will thus be guiding the co-presidency of the UfM , along with the EU. The co-presidency main tasks will be focusing on coordination of joint vision and the political views of the member states regarding the role of the union and its development and joint economic projects , as well as following up implementation of these projects which includes ministerial meetings for the coming years. The UfM is linked to the goals of the Barcelona Declaration - namely working to make the creation of an area of peace, stability, security and shared economic prosperity, as well as full respect of democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms and promotion of understanding between cultures and civilizations in the Euro-Med region - a reality. Further information on EMWIS website

14- A surge in demand for water is expected during the holy month of Ramadan, prompting authorities to tap new resources and accelerate work on supply projects, a government official said recently. While water consumption typically rises during Ramadan, the water situation is expected to be even tougher than usual this year. A non-stop influx of Syrian refugees to Jordan, now estimated to number over 137,000, is putting further pressure on Jordan’s limited water resources, Salameh said, underscoring that water disruptions in the northern governorates are partly due to unnatural population growth since the Syrian uprising started early last year. More intensive monitoring of water distribution and accelerated implementation of water projects in several governorates are among the measures the ministry is taking to reduce water complaints this summer. Households receive water once a week in Amman and every 10-14 days in the rest of the country on a rotating basis under the water distribution programme. Scarce water resources in the country, categorised as the fourth poorest in the world in terms of water availability, compelled the Kingdom to initiate the programme in the early 1980s to conserve limited water and ensure a sustainable water supply for subscribers. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- The Jordanian Nuclear Agency is currently holding talks with foreign companies to identify the technology that will be used in the kingdom’s first nuclear plant, according to agency chief Khaled Toqan. “The agency is currently negotiating with a French-Japanese consortium and a Russian company to hammer out the best technology to be employed in the plant,” Toqan said recently. “The agency will choose one of the companies by the end of this year to implement the project,” after which it will “try to find a strategic partner to fund the construction of the project to which the government will contribute 30 percent,” he added. Jordan wants to use nuclear technology to help ease its current and future water shortages. The proposed nuclear plant will provide around 900 megawatts to pump water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea and to desalinate 800 million cubic meters of water annually and pump it to Amman. By 2020, existing water resources would meet only one-third of country’s needs, said Toqan. The Jordanian nuclear agency is conducting a nationwide survey to identify the best place to build the plant. Officials say this could be in al Khirba al Samra, 47 kilometers northeast of the capital, Amman. Meanwhile, the Jordanian government is intensifying its efforts to win financial support for the project from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.  Further information on EMWIS website

16- The European chemical industry is constantly striving to improve its water management by making it economically and ecologically more efficient. As competition for water grows in Europe, due to the effects of climate change and growing demand, a step change in efficiency is required. The recently launched E4Water FP7 project will help the chemical and other sectors make that change. The E4Water project unites in its 19 member consortium large chemical industries, leading European water sector companies and innovative RTD centres and universities active in the area of water management. Together they will work to address crucial process industry needs to overcome bottlenecks and barriers for an integrated and energy-efficient water management. E4Water project is jointly developed by SusChem and the European Water Platform (WssTP). E4Water was launched in May 2012 and will continue for four years. The main objective of E4Water is to develop and test integrated approaches, methodologies and process technologies. At the heart of the project are six industrial case study sites that are expected to achieve a reduction of 20-40% in water use, 30-70% in wastewater production, 15-40% in energy use and up to 60% in direct economic benefits. In addition to the chemical industry, the project will seek opportunities for cross-fertilisation with other industrial sectors. Further information on EMWIS website.

17- The risk of natural disasters can be reduced by understanding our environment and the fundamental forces that shape it. Earth-observing satellites can provide vital information to mitigate and prepare for disasters. Every year, the wet plains of southeastern Cambodia are subject to flooding from the Mekong River during South Asia’s monsoon season. The waters threaten infrastructure and crops, putting lives and livelihoods at risk. But satellites provide data that can be used not only in Cambodia but also in many other high-risk areas around the world. These data can support risk assessment for a range of hazards, from hydrometeorological risks to geo-hazards such as landslides and terrain subsidence. This was one of the topics discussed at the recent biannual conference on mapping global risk. Held in Cape Town, South Africa, the Understanding Risk Forum was organised by the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Recovery. The importance of Earth-observing satellites for improving knowledge of hazards and risks came into focus at the Forum’s Earth Observation session chaired by ESA alongside the South Africa National Space Agency. Further information on EMWIS website.

18- Over a dozen radio signals that have hindered data collection on ESA’s SMOS water mission have been switched off. ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite was launched in 2009 to improve our understanding of our planet’s water cycle. In order to do this, it measures the microwaves emitted by Earth in the 1400–1427 MHz range. Radio signals in this frequency range render some of its measurements unusable for scientific purposes. With the support of national authorities, ESA was able to pinpoint the origin of these unlawful emissions. At least 13 sources of interference have now been switched off. This has significantly improved SMOS observations at high latitudes, which were previously so contaminated that accurate salinity measurements were not possible above 45 degrees latitude as the satellite headed north. One of the largest areas of contamination in the northern hemisphere is over the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans, primarily from military radars. The efforts to reduce interference will benefit other missions carrying similar detectors, such as NASA’s Aquarius satellite, which was launched last year and which measures ocean salinity at the same frequency. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- Wetlands are havens of biodiversity, and have important ecological, hydrological and economic value, but their misuse can have devastating consequences. Satellite data are being used for wetland conservation and management. In the arid desert of central-eastern Jordan, the Azraq oasis is the only permanent source of fresh water for about 12 000 sq km, and provides drinking water for about a quarter of the country’s capital and largest city, Amman. Historically, the water source made Azraq a major desert route, facilitating trade in the region. It is also an important station for migratory birds on the African–Eurasian flyway. But excessive pumping of water from the oasis and illegal drilling of wells for agricultural purposes have caused water levels to drop steadily over the past 50 years – depleting water from the wetland area. A significant decrease of water starting in 1981 reached threatening levels in 1993, forcing many migratory birds to move away from the area. This motivated a project to rescue the wetland and increase dwindling water levels in 1994.  To map the progress of Azraq’s rescue project, as well as monitor other wetlands worldwide, data from Earth-observing satellites are being exploited to map the areas’ water, natural land and artificial surfaces in high detail. The further development of internationally coordinated actions for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands came into focus last week at the 11tth Conference of the Parties (COP-11) of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands held in Bucharest, Romania. The project’s principal objective was to develop a software – or ‘toolbox’ – that can be used by all Ramsar Parties to assess and monitor their wetlands with satellite images. Over 2000 wetland-related maps and indicators have been produced by the project on 200 wetland sites and surrounding areas of the Southern Mediterranean basin, extending from Morocco to Syria. The GlobWetland II toolbox and database have already been installed in five of the project’s ten countries, with dedicated training sessions in Jordan (with the participation of Libya and Lebanon), Algeria and Tunisia. Further information on EMWIS website.

20- The world’s population has surpassed seven billion, and that means more people rely on a finite amount of freshwater. The majority of that water is used in agriculture, and the Global Water Footprint of Key Crops takes a look at the impact of some of the most important crops produced for U.S. consumption. This feature examines some of the river basins that are the most important from an agricultural perspective. In each basin, the primary source of water is precipitation. Rain and snow feeds the river and its tributaries, as well as groundwater, ponds, and lakes. Precipitation also adds moisture to the soil, and crops take up the moisture through their roots. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- The regional council of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (PACA) has recently published a portal dedicated to the opening of public regional data (open data): maps, calendars, datasets , etc... Available to potential users, they can be widely used for research, information and development of new innovative services. The region is also a partner of the European project 'Homer' that focuses on openness of access and sharing of regional public data at the Euro-Mediterranean level around five themes: energy, environment, agriculture, tourism and cultural heritage. Eighteen partners from  eight countries (France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Malta, Montenegro, Slovenia) are involved in this unprecedented initiative on a transnational scale. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- The European Commission funded an initiative GeoNetCab, or the Group on Earth Observation Network for Capacity Building. The aim of GeoNetCab is to raise awareness about earth observation and to build capacity so that decision makers and business can use this tool to inform their decisions. South Africa is one of six countries participating in the three-year project, with two representatives: South African National Space Agency (Sansa) and Umvoto, an earth sciences company specialising in hydrogeology. The main interface to GeoNetCab is a web portal, http://geonetcab.espace-dev.fr, which offers a variety of information from marketing tools and success stories to regional case studies which identify who is offering earth observation services and who is making use of them. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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23- New Water Director has been nominated in Jordan: Eng. Basem Telfah has been nominated Secretary General at the Ministry of Water & Irrigation (MWI). He replaced Eng. Maysoon Zoubi. Eng. Telfah was previously Director of the Performance Management Unit (PMU) at the MWI and also Al-Meyyah project Acting Director. Further information on EMWIS website.

24- On the occasion of the meeting of the World Water Council which was held recently in Doha, Qatar, the World Water Council elected MEP Sophie Auconie (EPP, France), who heads the Cercle Français de l’Eau, to its Board of Governors. The World Water Council is a multilateral platform set up in 1996 on the initiative of international organisations and water sector specialists from across the planet to address water issues, a source of increasing concern to the international community. Further information on EMWIS website.

25- The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has appointed Mr. Torgny Holmgren as its new Executive Director. Mr. Holmgren will lead the institute from September 15, 2012. Mr. Holmgren is currently Ambassador and Head of the Department for Development Policy at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Further information on EMWIS website.

26- "TWAS-ARO Young Arab Scientist (YAS) Prize 2012: Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Arab Region": The prize will be awarded to a young scientist from the Arab region who conducted innovative or pioneer researches on water resources management in the Middle East. The value of the prize is 3,000 USD. Applicants must :  Be Natives of an Arab country, Be Living and working in an Arab country, Hold a PhD, Have a proven track record in his/her field, and Be under 40 years old by 1 January 2012. The complete nomination form and other requirements should be sent before 1 October 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- Vacancy in Amman (Jordan): Water Engineer Advisor. Closing Date: Monday, 13 August 2012. The Water Engineering Advisor is responsible for coordinating and implementing the delivery of a municipal water rehabilitation project.  Further information on EMWIS website.

28- The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) has named the 2012 Prince Albert II of Monaco Water Award laureate in recognition of its "high contributions on water issues". H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco will present the prize at a ceremony in London on October 12, 2012.  Further information on EMWIS website.

29- Eawag: 2-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship: Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology, announces an opportunity for highly qualified individuals to apply for a 2-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research in any field in the area of aquatic science and technology. The deadline for applications is October 3, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

30- 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

31- 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

32- Marie Curie Individual Fellowships at Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, the Italian Research Center on climate science and policy 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.

33- 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.

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PUBLICATIONS
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34- ESCWA launches website on the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR) Further information on EMWIS website.

35- A most recommendable read on Islamic economic models with a foreword by Honorary EMA President, Prince Hassan bin Talal: "Islam & Sustainable Development" (2012), by Odeh Rashed Al-Jayyousi.  Further information on EMWIS website.

36- "Roadmap for the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River"; another important publication of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME): This report, prepared by DHV Consultancy and Engineers on behalf of FoEME Tel Aviv using the innovative WEAP program. The model demonstrates that a combination of implementing the mid-term plans already being advanced by the Israeli government, and cost effective water demand management strategies advocated by FoEME, can return fresh water back into the Lower Jordan River to meet environmental flow recommendations. Further information on EMWIS website.

37- Just published "An Agreement to Share Water between Israelis and Palestinians: The FoEME Proposal – REVISED version" by Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME): The report puts forward a proposal for joint management of water shared by Israelis and Palestinians. Further information on EMWIS website.

38- "Challenges for drought mitigation in Africa: The potential use of geospatial data and drought information systems": This article illustrates how the development of drought information systems based on geospatial technology, that combines static andreal-time information, could improve the possibilities of drought mitigation in Africa. Further information on EMWIS website.

39- Final Report of the Seminar on National and Trans-boundary Water Ressources Management in Africa, Dodowa (Ghana), 26-30 March 2012: The focus of the seminar was on tools for implementing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in national and trans-boundary river basins and aquifers. Further information on EMWIS website.

40- The Global Water Footprint of Key Crops: Learn more about global water footprints from the Water Footprint Network and about rivers and watersheds from The Nature Conservancy. Find out how much water is consumed to make everyday things and try our water footprint calculator to get a snapshot of your own consumption. Further information on EMWIS website.

41- Progressive pricing of drinking water: In the French National Assembly, the Prime Minister announced the forthcoming introduction of a tiered pricing of drinking water. This book is the first comprehensive study of a subject which now involves all communities but also industrial: how to set up a tiered pricing system and what are the consequences? Further information on EMWIS website. (Only available in French)

42- The Summary Report of the 3rd European Water Conference held on 24-25 May 2012 is now available: Further information on EMWIS website.

43- Towards a Shared Environmental Information System: ENPI-SEIS Project Biannual Newsletter, 3rd Issue, June 2012: The newsletter is available in English, and will be translated to French, Russian & Arabic. Further information on EMWIS website.

44- GlobWetland II newsletter no.5: GlobWetland II is a regional pilot project of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, funded through the European Space Agency (ESA) Data User Element (DUE) program.  Further information on EMWIS website.

45- The EU project 'Joussour', funded under the ENPI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme to undertake the co-production of 12 docu-mags for television and Internet, devoted to Mediterranean environmental challenges, was presented at the programme’s mid-term conference held on 18 July in Rome. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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46- FP7 New Calls for Proposals: On July 9, the European Commission announced the biggest ever set of calls for proposals for research under its Seventh Framework Program (FP7), with a total of 8.1 billion euros. The funding is open to individuals, organizations and businesses in EU Member States and partner countries. The funding makes up the lion's share of the EU's proposed 10.8 billion euro research budget for 2013 and is building a bridge to Horizon 2020, the next funding program for EU research from 2014-2020. Funding is available under the Cooperation, People, Ideas, Capacities and Euratom programs. Further information on EMWIS website.

47- "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. Further information on EMWIS website

48- 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.

49- ENPI CBC-Med: 19 strategic projects approved for funding under Mediterranean cross-border cooperation programme out of 50 proposals invited to participate in the second step of the programme's strategic call. The projects will receive €73.9 million of EU funding under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The solar energy topic accounts for 6 projects out of the 19 selected, followed by sustainable tourism (5 projects), waste treatment (3 projects), agro-food industry (2 projects), integrated coastal zone management (2 projects) and water management (1 project). The ENPI funds absorbed by the call are worth €73.9 million out of €75.6 million available. The remaining €1.7 million should be reallocated to the second call for standard projects following a decision of the Joint Monitoring Committee. Among the 197 organisations part of the approved projects, around 44% come from Mediterranean Partner Countries and 53% from EU Countries; 3% are international organisations. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- 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.

51- 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.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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52- 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.

53- 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.

54- Call for abstracts for the THESIS 2013: Symposium on Two-phase Modelling for Sediment dynamics in Geophysical Flows: The THESIS-2013 to be held in Chatou (France) on 10-12 June 2013; 15 September 2012: abstract submission deadline. Further information on EMWIS website.

55- Call for papers for the 1st UNIMED Students Forum: 5th Student's Scientific Research Meeting - Students Mobility in the Mediterranean: the 5th scientific research meeting “Students Encountering Science”  organized by the Students Parliament of the University of Banja Luka, will take place in the period from 21st to 24th of November 2012, at the University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The deadline for submission of papers is October 15th, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

56- Call for papers for the 25th International Climate Policy Workshop: that will take place at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich on October 25-26, 2012. Deadline for abstracts submission is: August 15, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

57- Call for abstracts for the "1st EWaS-MED International Conference: Improving Efficiency of Water Systems in a changing natural and financial environment ": 1st EWaS-MED International Conference (11-13/04/2013, Thessaloniki, Greece) Deadline for submission of abstracts: Monday, October 1st, 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

58- Call for abstracts on the "Economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas": The call for contributions for the UNCCD 2nd Scientific Conference is now open. Abstracts can be submitted for oral or poster presentations, special sessions or workshops until the 31 August 2012.  Further information on EMWIS website.

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TRAINING
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59- International Executive Master "Eau pour Tous": The Objective of this Master is to facilitate universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation is the ambition of the International Executive Master of the Chair OpT Water for All. On the management of urban water supply and sanitation in developing countries, transition and development, it aims to strengthen the skills of managers and so tend towards the Millennium Development Goals. The next training session will take place in 2013-14, in English (January entry 2013) and French (back in April 2013). Registrations in both training sessions are open. 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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