EMWIS Flash N°111, June 2013

EMWIS Flash - June 2013 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°111 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash111)
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HEADLINE
1- Official launch of RWKN project: Regional Knowledge Network on Systemic Approaches to Water Resources Management

IN BRIEF
2- Official launch of MED-3R project: Strategic project focusing on sustainable waste management and recycling in the Mediterranean
3- ENPI CBC Med: 38 new projects open new thematic horizons for cooperation among Mediterranean countries

4- Stopping water leakages in the Mediterranean

5- The 4th INCO Conference on "the future of international cooperation in Research and Innovation between Europe and third countries"
6- EU and Mediterranean local representatives debate sustainable urban mobility and water management in Bethlehem
7- 1st Euro-Mediterranean Expert Group meeting: Valorisation of Research Results in Water, Food, and Energy
8- Future Earth Workshop for Middle East and North Africa, Cyprus
9- 7th World Water Forum April 12 to 17, 2015
10- The 9th World General Assembly of the International Network of Basin Organizations, 13-16 August 2013, Fortaleza, Brazil

11- Oman to Host Ministerial Conference on Water for agricultural purposes, Food Crops and Food Security
12- World Bank Launches Danube Water Programme
13- Mediterranean Strategy for sustainable development follow-up: main indicators
14- Anticipating water stress in the Mediterranean: a decision support approach for better water resources management
15- Netherlands: Using Big Data to Manage Water & to improve Dutch flood control
16- Egypt water minister interested on public-private partnership for waste water treatment
17- Tunisia: National Debate on the right to water within the constitution
18- Dundee UNESCO Centre Launches UN Watercourses Convention Interactive Learning Website
19- SMOS maps record soil water before flood
20- Space-based information for Early Warning System: UN-SPIDER Expert Meeting in Bonn (Germany)

21- Tunisia: a pioneer in selective waste collection

22- Morocco: potential transfer of the waste management scheme established in Tenerife (Spain)
23- SCOW: Selective Collection of the Organic Waste in tourist areas and valorisation in farm composting

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- Regional Water Knowledge Network (RWKN) on Systemic Approaches to Water Resources Management project was launched officially in Rabat (Morocco) last 9-10 June 2013 during its Kick-off meeting. RWKN Project overall objective is to enhance the use of Systemic Approaches to Integrated Water Resources Management among local authorities, researchers, experts, practitioners and other stakeholders. Its specific objective is to develop the function of the Regional Water Knowledge Network (RWKN), linking existing platforms at different geographical levels, bringing together a range of institutions interested in the approaches proposed. Systemic approaches attempt to look at systems in a “holistic’ or “integrated” way. For water resources management, systemic approaches have been a paradigm shift away from applying individual solutions for water management problems some decades ago. The term “systemic” in this context refers to dealing with the natural water resources system as a whole, including its interactions with human activities. Systemic approaches can take two paths. The first one is complex modelling and data support systems. These systems may work well, but practice has shown that they need a high and refined level of data and therefore are often difficult to implement. The second one is making use of the knowledge available among stakeholders and open it for decision-making by means of dialogue. IUCN has successfully implemented this approach in its ROWA’s Water Resources and Dry-land Program (REWARD) which uses a systemic approach that builds on vision, validated knowledge and the need to come to consensus among different often conflicting interests. Tools are developed to make different options and scenarios clear, so that after consultation and weighing of priorities the best decisions can be made for a particular place and a particular time. The partners involved in the Network are representing Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine & Lebanon, apart from IUCN  and EMWIS. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste: this is the motto of MED-3R (ENPI CBC-Med) strategic project, which held its 1st Committee meeting in Nice (France) on 13th June in the presence of various political personalities including Mr. Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and Chairman of the Metropolis of Nice Côte d’Azur, Mr. Mabrouk Ksantini, Mayor of Sfax (Tunisia), and Mr. Jules-Louis DAHER, Deputy Mayor of Blat (Lebanon). In response to the threats posed by the increase in waste production to the environment and public health, MED-3R ("Euro-Mediterranean strategic platform for a suitable waste management") aims to reinforce the management capacities of local authorities in the Mediterranean countries with pilot actions in France, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia with regards to waste collection, disposal and valorization. The implementation phase, to last until the end of 2015, foresees different actions in order to enhance the institutional governance of public policies related to waste management such as: local waste management plans, 13 pilot projects addressing various types of waste including plastic, organic or hazardous material; training; provision of a strategic platform to support Mediterranean local authorities in solid waste management. Thanks to the project waste production should be reduced by 5% to 10% in the target areas and waste valorization increased by 25%. MED-3R is coordinated by the Metropolis of Nice Côte d’Azur and gathers 14 partners from France, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia with a total budget around M€ 4,8. During this event, the launch of the permanent secretariat of Euromed cities network was announced by Christian Estrosi, president of the Euromed network since 2008. This facility aims to promote "cooperation with cities of the Mediterranean to reinforce the development of democracy in the territories throughout  dialogue and projects". Further information on EMWIS website.

3- A total of 38 new projects have been approved under the Mediterranean Cross-Border Cooperation programme (ENPI CBC Med) by the Programme’s Joint Monitoring Committee during its eighth meeting held in Larnaca, Cyprus on 17 June 2013.  The projects submitted in response to the second standard call for proposals are addressing issues ranging from green technologies to improved mobility for young people and professionals. Besides confirming the relevance at Mediterranean level of topics such as the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, waste and water management, innovation processes and territorial planning, the approved 38 projects shed some light on new thematic areas. These include for instance the boost to green technologies in industries, the optimisation of port logistics, the facilitation of goods circulation, support to job creation or the improvement of the mobility of young people, professionals and entrepreneurs.  Among the 291 organisations taking part in the 38 projects, around 46% come from Mediterranean Partner Countries and 52% from EU Countries, while 2% are international organisations. The 38 new standard projects add to 56 running operations, meaning that the Programme is now supporting a total of 94 projects for an amount of €203 million (€181 ENPI contribution). The use of the remaining €1.3 million will be decided by the Joint Monitoring Committee in the coming months although this amount does not allow to finance additional projects.  Further information on EMWIS website

4- In an effort to optimize water consumption and to minimize leakages in the Mediterranean region, the EU is deploying smart water meters as part of five pilot projects in Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy and Cyprus. These are being implemented within the framework of the Aquaknight initiative, which is part of the ENPI CBC Med programme. A first international conference on water leakage, attended by distribution network operators, took place in Alexandria. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- The 4th INCO Conference and the annual NCP meeting took place on 17-19 June 2013 in Marseille, France. This conference was held as a part of “INCONTACT-One World” project which is the official network of the National Focal Points of European Commission FP7 international RTD programme. Since the beginning of the project, three conferences were held in Athens, Johannesburg and Bonn. The main topic of the 4th INCONTACT conference was the future of international cooperation in Research and Innovation between Europe and third countries. The conference had a particular, but not exclusive focus on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC). The conference presented opportunities for developing and emerging countries in Horizon 2020 and other funding sources for projects of mutual interest between EU and the focused regions by the conference.  Further information on EMWIS website.

6- Members of the Commission for Sustainable Development (SUDEV) of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) met for the first time in Bethlehem on 15 June to debate sustainable urban mobility and the local and regional dimension of water management in the Mediterranean. The event gave the opportunity to mayors and regional representatives from the EU and the Mediterranean partner countries, including about 40 Palestinian representatives, to discuss issues of common interest. Opening the meeting, Hani Abdalmasih Al-Hayek, co-president of SUDEV, and Mayor of Beit Sahour (Palestine), stressed: "Today, representatives of local and regional authorities from partner countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) have come together to discuss issues that concern all citizens. Building cooperation from the local level upwards is the very essence of ARLEM and enables us to bring a territorial dimension to the Union for the Mediterranean." Participants also heard a presentation of the UfM labelled project on "Governance and Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector" by Dr Rafiq Husseini, Deputy Secretary-General responsible for water and environment at the UfM Secretariat. Economic, social and environmental challenges associated with urban transport mobility were also discussed. The Commission for Sustainable Development (SUDEV) is one of two commissions of ARLEM, which aims at giving a territorial dimension to the Union for the Mediterranean. It works specifically on the following issues: sustainable development, water management, waste management, energy, solar energy, transport, agriculture, tourism, etc. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- The Euro-Mediterranean Expert Group meeting was held in Lisbon in June, 20th and 21st, 2013. The main aim of the meeting was to develop a common frame of topics to be addressed for research valorization in Water, Food, and Energy. The meeting was the first step of EMEG’s contribution towards the identification of recommendations and suggestions to the European Commission for the development of the future research agenda for the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in research and innovation. The meeting was organized in parallel workshops focused on Water, Food and Energy. Each workshop worked on the identification of topics, research results, and suggested actions on the ground of the results obtained through the Open Consultation. Further information on EMWIS website.

8- As part of a regional consultation process on Future Earth, the International Council for Science (ICSU) in partnership with the Cyprus Institute organised a workshop for the MENA region, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). This workshop took place in Cyprus on 3-5 June 2013. The Future Earth workshop for the MENA region brought together about 30 scientists working on global environmental change and other stakeholders to explore pathways for developing and implementing Future Earth in the region. This workshop is seen as an initial step to build the Future Earth community in the region as well as to establish collaboration with regional and local stakeholders. Further information on EMWIS website

9- The definitive dates for the 7^th World Water Forum were decided. Hence the 7th WWF will be held from April 12 to 17, 2015 in Daegu - Gyeongbuk (Republic of South Korea). This will be the Forum of implementation, and as such, we will seek to replicate and scale up concrete actions towards solving today’s water challenges around the world. You will be able to contribute to this Forum by sharing your knowledge with others from all around the globe, touching on every aspect of the world's water issues. This will be your chance to work collaboratively with others to make an impact on pressing water-related challenges. You will join over 30,000 people at the world’s largest water forum and exhibition for intense debates, informative workshops and high-quality sessions. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- The 9th World General Assembly of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) will take place in Fortaleza in Brazil from 13 to 16 August 2013, at the invitation of the National Water Agency (ANA) and the Brazilian Network of Basin Organizations (REBOB). The meeting is open to all INBO Member Organizations and Observers, and also to all the water Administrations and organizations or NGOs, interested in Integrated Water Resources Management at the level of river basins over the world. The World General Assembly of Fortaleza will be organized around large strategic topics to ensure, in the basins of local, national or transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers, the necessary implementation of programs for facing large global challenges that are essentially population growth, food and energy demand or adaption to the effects of Climate Change, which will be dealt with in five round tables: 1) Institutional frameworks for action of the Basin Organizations; 2) Adaptation to the effects of climate change and prevention of extreme phenomena of floods and droughts; 3) Participation of local authorities, water users and the public, role of the basin committees; 4) Management of transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers; & 5) Financing of water management and of basin organizations. Further information on EMWIS website.

11-  As announced by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR), Oman will host a Ministerial Conference on water and the ITPGR on 21 September 2013, immediately prior the fifth session of the ITPGR Governing Body (GB), scheduled from 24-28 September 2013. The Ministerial Conference will focus on uses of water for agricultural purposes, food crops and food security, to address climate change and drought through the ITPGR. “Water and drought are increasingly critical issues for plant genetic resources and food production in numerous regions, so the Ministerial Conference in Oman will allow ministers to discuss concrete actions on how to sustain food security and crop production under drought conditions and under the impact of climate change on smallholder farmers," said ITPGR Secretary Shakeel Bhatti.  GB 5 will address a range of issues including implementation of the Treaty's Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS), the funding strategy and farmers' rights. Further information on EMWIS website

12- The World Bank launched the Danube Region Water Supply and Wastewater Sector Capacity Building Program Project for Europe and Central Asia, which aims to support institutional capacity building, as well as the development of regulatory and policy instruments in the water supply and wastewater sector in participating countries in the region. The Danube Water Program involves 11 countries in the Danube region: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. It is funded by a hybrid Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) with an initial contribution from Austria of a total of EUR 4.5 million. The international event held to launch the Program took place in Vienna, Austria, from 22-24 May 2013, under the theme 'Smart Policies, Strong Utilities, Sustainable Services.' Conference participants discussed some key challenges in the region, including: sector governance and structure; regulation, tariffs, and subsidies; benchmarking; asset management and investment planning; and service efficiency improvement. Further information on EMWIS website

13- The indicators defined in the framework of the monitoring of the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD), are intended to provide a first answer to the question: “Are the Mediterranean countries progressing towards sustainable development?”. An updated list of 34 priority indicators have been prepared by the Blue Plan and selected to monitor the progress made by the Mediterranean countries regarding the main objectives defined for the nine priority issues, including "improving integrated water resource and demand management"; "Promoting sustainable urban development"; "Promoting sustainable agricultural and rural development"; "Promoting sustainable management of the sea and coastal areas and taking urgent action to put an end to the degradation of coastal zones", .... Further information on EMWIS website

14- Over the past thirty years, climatic variations as well as water-use changes induced a net decrease in stream flows over the Mediterranean basin. The question arises on climate and human activities evolution trends and on their impacts on water resources. An integrated water resources modelling framework was developed to describe current pressures at the catchment scale, to evaluate changes in water allocation and to apprehend the capacity of adaptation strategies to reduce water tensions. Applied over the Ebro catchment (Spain), the approach enabled identifying areas most vulnerable to climatic and/or anthropogenic pressures. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- The Netherlands’ new ‘Digital Delta’ project, headed by IBM, will collate vast and currently disparate data sets in order to better manage water resources in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 1-year project aims to improve flood prediction and response, but will also provide an information “platform” for water entrepreneurs and scientists. Diseases spread by contaminated water sources and poor sanitation are now a concern for India in the aftermath of massive flooding, Reuters reported, citing aid agencies. Heavy rains continue to fall, washing dead animals and corpses into rivers that are being used as water sources.  At Digital Delta's core is an intelligent, cloud-based system built on IBM’s Intelligent Water software and Smarter Water Resource Management solution including consulting expertise. With 55 percent of the Dutch population located in areas prone to large-scale flooding, the Netherlands has immense experience in preventing floods and managing water. Every water-related event is critical and can impact businesses, agriculture and citizens’ daily lives. The ongoing cost of managing water, including anticipating flooding, droughts and low water levels, adds up to €7 billion each year. These costs are expected to increase €1- 2 billion by 2020, unless urgent action is taken. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- "In Egypt only 50 percent of the waste water from households is treated. We urgently need more plants but this is only possible by engaging in public-private partnerships", said Egyptian water minister Abdel Kawy Khalifa when he visited the largest Dutch municipal waste water treatment plant Harnaschpolder. On the occasion Egyptian and Dutch water experts talked about joint water projects related to water supply, the use of brackish water for irrigation and coastal zone management. Khalifa explained that Egypt is very interested in such water reuse: "Our population is growing and we need to produce more food. The amount of fresh water from the Nile will remain the same. Therefore we have to look at the possibilities to reuse treated waste water for irrigation purposes."  Further information on EMWIS website.

17- The right to water is commonly defined internationally as "the right of every human being, in a quantity sufficient to meet basic water needs." Its recognition in the draft constitution of Tunisia unveiled on June 1, 2013 is a major achievement and a significant step towards the full realization of this basic human right in Tunisia. The inclusion of the right to water in the draft constitution is the result of a long process of consultation among the country driven by NGO and water experts. A recent call for the organization of a national debate on "the right to water into the constitution" is a unique opportunity to discuss with specialists in the water sector and defenders of the right to water (lawyers, academics, managers of public enterprises and administration) in order to clarify a number of concepts and remove ambiguities around this law.  The national dialogue will be held Saturday, July 6, 2013, in Tunis. Further information on EMWIS website

18- The Dundee Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science (under the auspices of UNESCO)  launched a new interactive learning website for the UN Watercourses Convention. The UN Watercourses Convention User’s Guide was published in 2012 as a comprehensive guide to aid interpretation and implementation for water practitioners and decision-makers at all levels.  This innovative, interactive online tool includes the following features: Easy online navigation to all the specific Articles of the Convention and accompanying guidance materials that have been developed to explain important theoretical/practical aspects for their implementation; Multimedia resources including video explanations regarding critical aspects of the Convention by experts in the relevant fields of water law and policy from around the world; An online map with links to examples of case studies, etc.. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- As parts of central Europe are battling with the most extensive floods in centuries, forecasters are hoping that ESA’s SMOS satellite will help to improve the accuracy of flood prediction in the future. As its name suggests, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission monitors the amount of water held in the surface layers of the soil and the concentration of salt in the top layer of seawater. This information is helping scientists understand more about how water is cycled between the oceans, atmosphere and land – Earth’s water cycle. It is also helping to improve weather forecasts. The massive flooding that central Europe is currently suffering was brought about by a wet spring and sudden heavy rains. SMOS carries a novel microwave sensor to capture images of ‘brightness temperature’ to derive information on soil moisture. Prior to the torrential rains, SMOS showed that soils in Germany were showing record levels of moisture – in fact, the highest ever observed. Further information on EMWIS website

20- On 26 June 2013, the UN-SPIDER Programme wrapped up a two-day expert meeting focusing on space-based applications in Early Warning Systems. Taking into consideration the role of early warning systems in minimizing damages and losses in case of disasters, UN-SPIDER co-organized the meeting with the Government of Germany and the German Aerospace Center (DLR); with the support of Secure World Foundation (SWF) and the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). The Expert Meeting brought together fifty two space technology and disaster management experts representing national, regional and international organizations, internationally active private companies and included representatives of UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices. The goal of the meeting was to share experiences and lessons learned regarding use of space-based information in early warning systems; to identify needs and to discuss knowledge management strategies to improve existing early warning systems through the incorporation of recent advances in space-based applications. The Expert Meeting included key-note presentations on behalf of DLR, SWF and UN-SPIDER and presentations dealing with early warning systems, space-based applications and geo-spatial tools and techniques. Topics covered Flood Early Warning in the Philippines, Risk Assessment efforts in the context of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Early Warning System, FAO's Agriculture Stress Index, GIS Platforms, Early Warning Systems in Eastern and Southern Africa, and Early Warning System for Wildland Fires. The Expert Meeting concluded with a plenary discussion regarding strategies to promote the use of space-based applications in early warning systems and ways to implement such strategies. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- The municipality of Djerba, partner in the CIUDAD project GODEM and member of ACR+MED, has considerably improved its municipal waste management, taking into account "Integrated Sustainable Waste & Resource Management (ISWRM)" principles. The latest development is the selective collection of packaging waste and bio-waste. Packaging waste is collected once per week in a green transparent plastic bag, bio-waste in small black containers 3 times per week, and the residual waste in a blue bag once per week. In this way, Djerba becomes a pioneer in the door-to-door selective collection of different waste fractions in the Southern Mediterranean area. The treatment facilities consist of a compost plant and a sorting centre for the packaging waste. A civic amenity center is in the planning process. Further information on EMWIS website

22- A Moroccan representation of Souss Massa Drâa Regions has visited Tenerife (Spain) in order to make a detailed study concerning the waste management schemes on the island. The representatives aim at applying the same principles in Agadir and Taroudant municipalities. These visits are part of a cross-border collaboration project called Poctefex. Other objectives of this collaboration are municipal staff training, ways on how to minimise waste generation, how to conduct awareness raising campaigns, etc. Further information on EMWIS website

23- The SCOW launch conference took place in Barcelona (11-12 June 2013). The aim of SCOW funded by the ENPI CBC-MED Programme, is to develop low cost, technically simple and high quality biowaste collection and recycling models in territories with touristic areas and agricultural activity. The launching conference was the public kick-off meeting of the project, presenting, among other things the study on "Decentralised biowaste management models". Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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24- France: Delphine Batho is replaced by Philippe Martin as environment minister. On the proposal of the Prime Minister, the French President terminated the functions of Mrs. Delphine BATHO and appointed Philippe MARTIN, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, July 2, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

25- The UN Secretary-General appointed His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan as the new Chairman of his Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB).   Prince El Hassan on his leadership in championing global causes and in supporting intercultural dialogue.  Further information on EMWIS website.

26- Professor Frans Berkhout named Interim Director of Future Earth from the International Council for Science (ICSU). He took up his 18 month role on July 1, 2013.  By the time he completes his mandate, Future Earth will be fully operational, with a permanent, regionally-distributed programme secretariat in place. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- Call for experts for WHO’s activities on water quality and health, including the WHO Water Quality and Health Technical Advisory Group (WQTAG): Application deadline: 9 August 2013 to gdwq@who.int. Further information on EMWIS website.

28- Senior Lecturer/ Researcher or Associate Professor in Water Resources Management: The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate education in Delft, The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world. As part of the Integrated Water Systems and Governance Department, the Water Management chair group offers postgraduate education and professional training courses, initiates and conducts research activities, and provides capacity building and advisory services in the fields of water resources management, water services management and environmental planning. The Water Management chair group is looking for a Senior Lecturer/ Researcher or Associate Professor in Water Resources Management (m/f) – 1.0 fte. Deadline for applications submission is: 8 September 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

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PUBLICATIONS
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29- Halting Desertification in the Júcar River Basin (HALT-JÚCAR-DES) Project has published its final summary. This project came up as one of the 3 winning projects of the 2011 call for projects launched by the EC DG Environment under the title: “Preparatory action — development of prevention activities to halt desertification in Europe.” This call aimed at addressing and mitigating the most relevant data gaps (as well as methodological gaps induced by the absence of data) so that water balances can be established at sub-catchment level for the whole EU with at least the level of confidence achieved in the group of best documented basins to allow better comparability across Europe. It should as well validate those components of the water balance that could not be finalized because of these data gaps. This project contributed to the efforts of the DG Environment towards the design and prototyping of a permanent and cost-effective process for the production of water balances, improving the interaction between reconstructed and reported data. The Coordinating entity was the Spanish Consulting firm Evaluación de Recursos Naturales, S.A. (EVREN), and the main partner was the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector (EMWIS/SEMIDE). In addition, the Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ) acted as a collaborating entity to ensure the coherence of data compilation and assessment. Further information on EMWIS website.

30- "Knowledge management: the forgotten pillar of agricultural development in the MENA region": A poliy brief that emerged from the regional synthesis of the knowledge mapping studies of KariaNet. "A comprehensive Knowledge Management and Knowledge Sharing strategy can significantly enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of agricultural policies and proposed agricultural reforms in the MENA region according to a study piloted by KariaNet". Knowledge Access for Rural Inter-connected Areas Network (KariaNet) is a regional network for the management and sharing of knowledge, information and experience in agriculture and rural development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Further information on EMWIS website.

31- SWEEP-Net has successfully organized its 3rd Regional Forum on integrated solid waste management, from 14 to 16 May 2013 in Cairo/ Egypt. This Third SWEEP-Net Forum focused on "New Opportunities for Employment, Social Equity and Sustainable Development in the MENA Region". This special edition of the newsletter presents the results of the SWEEP-Net Regional Forum. Further information on EMWIS website.

32- FAO Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity in the Near East - Collaborative strategy and partnership to address the water - food security nexus. Further information on EMWIS website.

33- A new paper published recently by Copernicus Publications: "A global water scarcity assessment under Shared Socio-economic Pathways – Part 2: Water availability and scarcity". Further information on EMWIS website

34- World’s Largest Water Risk News Database: Global Environment & Technology Foundation, the supporting organization behind Global Water Challenge and U.S. Water Partnership, announced a new web-based engine to access the world’s most substantive database of water-related news. aquaNOW.info empowers users to search through over 300,000 tagged data points across 26,000 water news articles. Further information on EMWIS website.

35- Free Access to International Journal of Water Resources Development: In support of the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, The Water Science Team at Taylor & Francis are offering free access to all content published between the years 1997 and 2012 in International Journal of Water Resources Development for 14 days throughout July. Further information on EMWIS website.

36- WssTP newsletter-Summer Special Edition: WssTP is in the process of finalising the transition of its Pilot Group structure and its Financial Engineering Group to the new Working Group structure. Participation to WssTP working groups is open to representative from WssTP members and our strategic partners; in addition WG leaders may decide to invite additional people to participate. Further information on EMWIS website

37- The 1st ArabWAYS Newsletter issue: The Arab World Association of Young Scientists (ArabWAYS) has just launched its newsletter. Further information on EMWIS website.

38- The June issue of the Water Ethics Network Newsletter (as well as past month's newsletters) is available. Further information on EMWIS website

39- Water Alternatives has just published its last Special Issue: Voices of Water Professionals: Shedding Light on Hidden Dynamics in the Water Sector. Further information on EMWIS website.

40- Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Newsletter N° 167 / 28 June 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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41- Call for proposals for Twinning : "Support to the Algerian National Observatory of the Environment and Sustainable Development (ONEDD) to improve its operational capabilities and the implementation of the National Environmental Information System (EIS)": EuropeAid/134783/D/ACT/DZ. General Objective: To support the effort by Algeria to ensure the implementation of environmental policy in the context of the National Environmental Strategy (NES) and the National Action Plan for the Environment and Development sustainable (PNAEDD). Specific Objective: Support ONEDD for the implementation of an Environmental Information System (EIS) in accordance with the standards of the European Union, and to strengthen its capacity for processing and interpretation of environmental data. The deadline for submission of Twinning proposals by the Authority of National Contact Points is 12 September 2013, at 12:00 local time. Further information on EMWIS website.

42- Call for proposals: CIP-EIP-ECO-INNOVATION-2013. The Call CIP-EIP-ECO-INNOVATION-2013 will close on 05 September 2013 at 17:00:00, Brussels local time. This call is open to all legal persons that are based in eligible countries but the priority will be given to Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Clusters of applicants and projects which demonstrate a European added value and have a high potential for market replication are strongly encouraged. Although priority will be given to SMEs* and private beneficiaries, the calls for proposals are open to all legal persons located in one of the following countries: 27 EU member states; Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Israel, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Calls support Eco-innovative projects in different sectors which aim at the prevention or reduction of environmental impacts or which contribute to the optimal use of resources. However, more specific priorities are being set up considering their important environmental impact and policy priorities of the European Union: Materials Recycling; Sustainable Building Products; Food and Drink Sector; Water and Greening businesses. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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43- Call for abstracts for the Scientific Meeting WIS MED DAY: "Water Information Systems in the Mediterranean Region": The Moroccan Association of Young Geomatics (AMJG) announced the organization of a scientific meeting which has as theme "Water Information Systems in the Mediterranean Region", in partnership with the Faculty of Sciences of Rabat and the University Mohammed V Agdal, which will take place at the Faculty of Sciences Rabat - Morocco, 20 & 21 March 2014. Deadline for receipt of abstracts: November 15, 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

44- Call for abstracts for the second international conference on water and energy "ICWE'13": Membrane based Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: to be held in Chlef (Algeria) next 16-17, December 2013. The call for abstracts is open, and its deadline is due by: 30/07/2013. Further information on EMWIS website

45- First Call for Papers and Invitation: The International Symposium on "Emerging Pollutants in Irrigation Waters : Origins, Fate, Risks, and Mitigation, November 25-28, 2013, Tunis, Tunisia.  Deadline for abstract submission was extended to July 30th, 2013. It is held in the framework of the German-Tunisian joint research project EMPOWER Tunisia. Further information on EMWIS website

46- The conference WFD Lille 2013 (4-6/11/2013) will review technical challenges faced by Member States, stakeholder organisations and scientists, while integrating climate change components (understanding, prevention, preparedness) into the River Basin Management Planning under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), in particular adaptation measures expected to take place within the 2nd RBMP. To submit a poster abstract, please submit your abstract to the Secretariat  (closing date is 30th September). Further information on EMWIS website. 

47- Request by he Swedish Water House (SWH)to submit documents for study on results and risks connected to Transboundary Water Management projects and initiatives, under the auspices of Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). If you have any documents that you think would be of use to : Ms Karin Glaumann by August 31 the latest. All contributions are most appreciated! Further information on EMWIS website.

48- Call for abstracts for the WATERBIOTECH International Conference on "Biotechnology for Africa’s sustainable water supply", to be held in Marrakech, Morocco between 08-10 January, 2014. This conference is the closing event of WATERBIOTECH project, a Coordination Action supported by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The deadline for abstract submission is July 30^th 2013. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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[2013/09/09 - 2013/10/06] e-learning course "Introduction to Renewable Energy Desalination" September 2013
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.)

Halting Desertification in the Jucar River Basin (HALT-JÚCAR-DES). Further information on EMWIS website.

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