EMWIS Flash n°128 - May/June2016

EMWIS Flash - May / June 2016 Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector For further information: www.emwis.net & check our page at facebook Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, CHJ, DG Agua Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform  / Geo-Catalogue / UfM-Water / WEAM4i / PAWA / NWRM / MED-3R/ R-KNOW  / SAID / OpIRIS / SWOS / LIFE-ANADRY/demEAUmed

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In this issue N°128 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash128)
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HEADLINE

1- Towards an action plan for the Western Mediterranean Water Strategy

In Brief

 2- Partnership For Research And Innovation In The Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)
 3- The IEMed fosters a network of think tanks of the Western Mediterranean
 4- New phase of EU water and environment programs in the Mediterranean

 5- The 2016 edition of Water Innovation Europe conference  “Water-Smart!: European solutions for a smart water society”

 6- Towards the first call for proposals: CBCMed launches partner search and project ideas tool

 7- EU greenhouse gas emissions at lowest level since 1990

 8- kick off preparation for 2018 World Water Forum

 9- UfM Secretariat – Accelerating the Energy Transition in the Mediterranean

10- MedCOP Climate 2016: Mediterranean Climate Conference in Tangier

11- International Conference « Water and Climate », Morocco, July 2016

12- Mediterranean Economic Week November 2016, “Digital Technology: for a Connected Mediterranean”

13- AfriAlliance - Drivers & barriers for participating in Working Groups

14- Rknow closing workshop in Amman: latest water knowledge products from the network

15- SAID: a solution for smart water society at "Water Innovation Europe"

16- WEAM4i: WEAM4i participation at the Water JPI Conference 2016, Rome (Italy)

17- LifeAnadry:  1st Progress Meeting

18- demEAUmed: in-situ water treatment for hotels: successful General Meeting held at UNESCO-IHE

19- SWOS- community engagement for satellite wetland observation: First National User Training in Spain

20- Tunisia: 60 farmers have access to treated irrigation water thanks to EU project

21- Libya: cities get support from European

22- Palestine: EU Commissioner Hahn visited the seawater desalination plant in Gaza and announced additional funding

23- Israel: Jerusalem'​s water utility ​and Utilis sign ​deals in ​Romania

24- Israel: Turning the sea into drinking water

25- Lebanon: EU-funded project to improve access to water for 50000 people in south Lebanon

26- Jordan: Authorities continue crackdown on water theft

27- Egypt: Anger at water cuts and poor infrastructure boils over into street protests in poorer parts of Egypt

NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES

PUBLICATIONS

CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS

CALL FOR PAPERS

TRAINING AND COURSES

EVENTS

BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- The water group of the 5+5 dialogue met in Marseille on 23-24 June 2016 to finalise the action plan and related documents to be proposed for Ministers approval. The 5+5 represents Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Malta from the EU and Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya from the Southern Med countries. Since the Water Strategy in the Western Mediterranean (WSWM) was endorsed by Ministers in Algiers on 31 March 2015, the working group met twice to work on the Action Plan. Countries as well as observer members made the final amendments to the action plan, the dissemination roadmap as well as the rules of the procedure. These documents will be put forward to the Ministers by the end of July for a possible official endorsement during the COP22 of the UN framework convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakech next November. Each of these technical working group meetings as a special thematic focus, in Marseille it was Climate Change adaptation. The Rhone Mediterranean River Basin Agency presented its newly approved adaptation plan and the process that led to it. The topic of Water Information System has been suggested as a cross cutting issue for the next meeting (date and place not defined yet). In the meantime, the process will be presented at the Water and Climate global conference to be held in Rabat, 11-12 July, the MEDCOP Climat in Tangiers, 18-19 July and at the drafting group of the Water Expert Group of the Union for the Mediterranean in Malta, 27-28 July. Further information on EMWIS website

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The Partnership For Research And Innovation In The Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) held its General Assembly on 20 May 2016 in Rome, just after the kick off meeting of 4PRIMA project. 4PRIMA is a Coordination and Support Action supported by the European Commission that will create the bases and support for a long-term, well-structured and integrated partnership for research and innovation on food systems and water resources, between countries from both side of the Mediterranean Region. It will develop a Strategic Research and Innovation agenda and an associated implementation plan as a result of an intensive participatory process, that will target a critical mass of key players at international level and all relevant stakeholders of the food and water sectors.4PRIMA started on May 1st 2016 and will last 18 months. Further information on EMWIS website

3- On 23-24 May in Barcelona, around thirty think tanks and public diplomacy institutions agreed to create the “Med Think 5+5”, a new network of think tanks that will have its headquarters in the city. The objective of the network, which the IEMed both promotes and hosts as its secretariat, is to foster dialogue and research on how to develop regional integration and cooperation in the Western Mediterranean. The decision was taken during an international forum organised by the IEMed at the Palau de Pedralbes where representatives of think tanks and public diplomacy institutions analysed the political and socioeconomic situation in the Western Mediterranean and reflected on how regional integration and cooperation could be improved in the framework of the 5+5 Dialogue.  In this respect, the new network of think tanks “Med Think 5+5” seeks to expand the analysis and understanding of the main challenges facing the Western Mediterranean, as well as its identified needs and trends, with the aim of contributing useful elements to the reflections and decision-making in the framework of the 5+5 Dialogue. The network, which all the participants of the meeting in Barcelona are invited to join, will be constituted this year, as well as choosing a scientific committee and approving a two-year work plan for 2017-2018. The plan is expected to include the programming of a major annual forum, as well as seminars and symposia, and the launch of three annual research projects and digital dissemination tools. Further information on EMWIS website

4- In the framework of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), the European Commission has now launched the new phases of its ambitious cooperation programs related to water and environment in the Mediterranean. Thus the extension of the Shared Environment Information System (SEIS) principles to ENI South countries is entering its 2nd phase (Feb. 2016 – Jan. 2020) under the management of the European Environment Agency (EEA). While ENI-SEIS is focusing on data and indicators for monitoring progress on environmental policy implementation, the combined SWIM-Horizon 2020 program support Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM) and a cleaner Mediterranean Sea (Horizon 2020). Fact finding missions have been taking place in April and May in South Mediterranean countries involving relevant Ministries' representatives, EU Delegations and key stakeholders. Priorities for regional support will then be discussed and validated with all countries during the Steering Committee that will be organised on 22-23 September in Brussels. In parallel, a call for demonstration projects has been issued earlier in 2016 by the European Commission with a deadline in August 2016. Further information on EMWIS website

5- The 2016 edition of Water Innovation Europe conference was held in Brussels on June 22-23rd 2016, with a pre-conference on June 21. The annual stakeholders conference was revolved around the topic “Water-Smart: European solutions for a smart water society”. The conference organiser, the Water supply and sanitation Technology Platform (WssTP) has organised a SIRA (Strategic Innovation Research Agenda) 2030 workshop, as part of the pre-conference of WIE2016, where the draft of the SIRA was presented and discussed with the participants. Seventeen working groups have organized their meetings in the context of WIE2016. The WG meetings were opened to anyone interested in learning more about a Working Group and becoming part of it. The vision document has been presented to Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation. The vision outlines what the future water-smart society will look like towards 2030, based on emerging technologies and societal trends which are expected to lead to a paradigm shift on how we deal with finite resources on our planet. After the presentation of the WssTP vision the Commissioner Carlos Moedas stated that "the impossible missions are the only ones that succeed". He also presented its priorities in the sector: − “open innovation, open science, opens to the world” and has explained their contribution to water in a smart society. He has mentioned also that in the frame of “open innovation”, the European Commission is exploring the possibility of creating a new Water Demo Financial Facility under InnovFin, a tool to finance highly innovative demonstration projects in the water sector to be linked to a wider Water Investment Platform. Such a platform could build on existing financial instruments, particularly the European Fund for Strategic Investments. Further information on EMWIS website

6- With its first call for proposals expected to be launched by the end of the year, the Cross Border Cooperation programme in the Mediterranean Basin (CBCMed) has launched an online tool to help sharing project ideas and finding partners. The aim of this tool is to build a Mediterranean community in order to facilitate setting up Euro-Mediterranean partnerships and developing quality projects. The first call for proposals of the ENI CBC Med Programme will address standard projects and will be open to the 4 thematic objectives of the Programme (1-Business and SME development; 2-Support to education, research, technological development and innovation; 3-Promotion of social inclusion and the fight against poverty; and 4-Environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation). Allocated budget is 84.6 million euros. The ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2014-2020 is a multilateral cross-border cooperation programme funded by the European Union under the European Neighbourhood Instrument. It aims at reinforcing cooperation between the EU and partner countries' regions located along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  Further information on EMWIS website

7- European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions continued to decrease in 2014, with a 4.1% reduction in emissions to 24.4% below 1990 levels, according to the EU’s annual inventory published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director, said: "It is positive that Europe has been able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially since 1990. It is an important step towards reaching our 2030 and 2050 climate targets. To accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon society, we need to further boost our investments in technology and innovation aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels." The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the 24-year period was due to a variety of factors, including the growing share in the use of renewables, the use of less carbon intensive fuels and improvements in energy efficiency, as well as to structural changes in the economy and the economic recession. Demand for energy to heat households has also been lower, as Europe on average has experienced milder winters since 1990, which has also helped reduce emissions according to an analysis linked to the inventory. Further information on EMWIS website

8- The preparation of the 8th World Water Forum was officially launched in Brasilia on 27 June 2016. More than 700 political leaders, elected officials, diplomats, water experts and operators, researchers and representatives of civil society are meeting up to to identify and prioritize the most pressing water issues, which require to be collectively and globally addressed. Another output of this international collaboration is to define the Forum roadmap “Road to the 8th Forum” with the schedule of preparatory events around the world leading up to the event to be held 18-23 March 2018 in Brasília, at the Ulysses Guimarães Convention Center. Further information on EMWIS website

9-In 2040, the Mediterranean region will face a triple challenge: demographic, as the urban population is expected to double; energy-related, due to an expected increase in the energy demand of almost 60%; and climate-related, as a consequence of a foreseen 50% increase in the greenhouse emissions. In this context, the process of energy transition is a priority for all Mediterranean countries in the region, considered to be an important climate hotspot. During the 4th International Energy Transition Conference, that took place on 25 June in Algiers, the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME), the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Efficiency (MEDENER), the UfM Secretariat, CGLU, Plan Bleu and Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change Med-Ecc reviewed the best initiative on Climate Change Adaptation in the region. Further information on EMWIS website

10- Climate change is a top-priority of today’s international political agenda. The Mediterranean is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions in this regard. After Paris in France last year, the next session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place this year in another Mediterranean country, Morocco. It will be the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 and currently signed by 197 States. Seizing this occasion, the Region of Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima will organise the MedCOP Climate 2016 on 18-19 July in Tangier. The MedCOP Climate 2016 is a Mediterranean multi-actor climate conference aiming to contribute through a regional perspective to the international efforts against climate change.The objectives of this Mediterranean gathering are to highlight the existing initiatives related to the climate action in the region and to formulate innovative ideas by associations of local, national and regional society networks. It will also enable the stakeholders to present their projects and inform about the development of these projects. A workshop will be dedicated to water issues on Monday 18 July afternoon with two main solutions to be discussed, the Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform and the water-energy-food security nexus mainstreaming into policies and institutions. Further Information on EMWIS website

11- Based on the successful collaboration in the lead-up to COP21, cooperation between France, host of COP21, and Morocco, host of COP22, has led to the organisation of the International Conference on Water and Climate, to be held in Rabat, Morocco, 11–12 July, in cooperation of the Word Water Council.  The conference will raise political awareness of the importance of water in tackling and adapting to climate change. The aim  is to mobilize and ensure the commitment of political, institutional, technical, financial and civil society in order to subscribe the water issues in the first plan of the  negotiations calendar of  the parties on climate change.  This conference will be organized around the four sessions: 1- Water Vulnerability to climate change; 2- Place the water in the implementation of the Paris agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, 3- Water-Energy-Food Security-Health-Education nexus; 4- Water and Climate Change Finance Mechanisms. Finally a ministerial Round Table will be held under the theme "Water in Africa for Climate Justice". Further information on EMWIS website

12- The 10th edition of Mediterranean Economic Week  will take place in Marseille at the Villa Méditerranée from Wednesday the 2nd to Saturday the 5th of November 2016 around the theme: “Digital Technology: for a Connected Mediterranean”. The Mediterranean Economic week is partnership-based initiative whose objective is to bring to light the economical expertise of the area and to boost meetings between the participants of economic development in the area to be able to exchange and debate on large economical issues in Mediterranean and Eastern countries. It is also the opportunity for local and international economic stakeholders to develop their business networks, to know  the latest developments and to get inspired by initiatives which are already showing promise in other areas. Further information on EMWIS website

13- The AfriAlliance project (a network of European and African networks on water and Climate) is preparing to launch working groups during summer 2016 on integrated water resources management, agriculture/food security, capacity building/human resources, climate change mitigation and adaptation, data management. To understand the drivers & barriers for participating in Working Groups, AfriAlliance has launched a short survey (10 mins. max) opened to any person with an experience in the above topics and in African cooperation. Further information on EMWIS website

14- The final partners' workshop of RKNOW (Regional Knowledge Network on Water) project was organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature West Asia Office in Amman on 17-18 May 2016. The project's team reviewed and evaluated the activities carried out since June 2013, discussed the sustainability of the network and planned for activities after the formal end of the project (June 2016). The regional director of the IUCN, Fadi Shuraidah highlighted that the network that since 2013, RKNOW has greatly contributed to the exchange of knowledge in water and climate change sectors and reached promising results in systemic approach to integrated water resources management, with the creation of National in Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine as well as a broad dissemination of case studies and guiding papers on the 4 topics covered: Water Governance, Climate change, Water Energy Food Nexus and Sustainable technologies. The RKNOW knowledge book entitled "Knowledge for SDG Action in West Asia and North Africa: R-KNOW Water Governance Best Practices within the Water, Energy, Food and Climate Change Nexus" is under finalisation and will be published in July. EMWIS as regional partner of the project will keep alive RKNOW website and its knowledge database that contains already some 45 items and that will be feed-up by new case studies coming from national networks.  Further information on RKNOW website

15- Integrating Decision Support Systems for smart water management is the key goal of SAID project that will be completed next December. The demonstration focused on innovative solutions for dam managers to control water quality, energy production and flood risks taking into account the behavior of the overall river basin in real time. SAID project showed up in the exhibition area of the 5th edition of Water Innovation Europe conference was held in Brussels on June 21-23rd 2016. SAID is a good example of a European solution for a smart water society responding to the WssTP vision. During the partner coordination meeting held in Malaga on 28-29 June planed for the last activities and the assessment of developments and real-life demonstration carried out. A workshop to present the innovative solutions to European water resources manager will be organised on 19 October in Lourdes (France) in the framework of the Euro-INBO conference. Any interested party can watch the project short video that will be released mid-July. Further information on SAID website

16- The Water Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) hosted its 2016 Conference in Rome on May 19th, 2016. It presented the new version of the Water JPI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), and it organised discussions on how to implement the program and the benefits from international cooperation. The WATER JPI SRIA version 2.0 lays out research, innovation and development needs in the water sector grouped by thematic areas and priorities selected after a stakeholders’ consultation for their scientific and societal importance and structured around these five core themes: Improving Ecosystem Sustainability and Human Well-being; Developing Safe Water Systems for the Citizens; Promoting Competitiveness in the Water Industry; Implementing a Water-Wise Bio-Based Economy; Closing the Water Cycle Gap Improving Sustainable water Resources Management. A poster session presenting the transnational projects funded by the Water JPI as well as FP7 and H2020 took place during the conference. WEAM4i project was presented, attracting a lot of interest from participants that had exchanges regarding the benefits that WEAM4i will bring to the irrigation communities. WEAM4i project is in its last year of implementation. The consortium is currently performing the demonstration of the tool in three irrigation zones: Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen (LWK) Chamber of Agriculture of lower Saxony (Germany), The Associação de Beneficiarios da Obra de Rega de Odivelasa and AB do Roxo (Portugal) and Comunidad General de Regantes del Canal de Bardenas (Spain). Further information on WEAM4i website

17- Life-ANADRY (Dry anaerobic digestion as an alternative management & treatment solution for sewage sludge) is a European project co-funded by the European Commission under the LIFE program (LIFE Environment and Resource Efficiency project application) for 3.5 years. The 1st progress meeting took place on June 8th 2016 in Alguazas (WWTP), Murcia, Spain. The meeting gathered all the project consortium where they presented current development, the planned activities during the next months, as well as reviewing related administrative procedures. The meeting was attended by the External Monitoring Advisor of Life-ANADRY project, Patricia Serrano, who reviewed the administrative procedures and gave a positive feedback on the overall activities of Life-ANADRY. Further information on Life-ANADRY website

18- demEAUmed project offers eight cutting-edge innovative water treatment technologies integrated together with a monitoring, control system and a decision support system that will help hotel owners to select the best solution based on the facility. The project is entering its final year of implementation where the majority technologies have been already placed at the demonstration site, Hotel Samba located in Lloret de Mar near Barcelona, and are fully operational in real conditions. DemEAUmed aims to demonstrate the integration of eight innovative water treatment technologies for closing the water cycle in touristic establishments. This will have an impact on the reduction of fresh water consumption and efficient water management in touristic areas of the Euro-Mediterranean region. By means of water recycling, different technologies can be used depending on the type of water to be treated and the foreseen use (e.g. swimming pool, laundry, toilets, irrigation). Most of the 5th general meeting was dedicated to finalising the installation of the technologies and discussing the performance of the operating ones. The meeting was hosted by UNESCO-IHE on June 16h-17th 2016, in Delft, the Netherlands.

The meeting was attended by 24 participants and it concluded with the planning of the final conference scheduled to be held in May 2017 most probably in Barcelona or Brussels, back to back with an international event. Further information on demEAUmed website

19- The University of Malaga (ETC-UMA team) organized and conducted the first national user training related to Satellite Wetlands Observation Services for thematic experts of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and its river basin authorities on June 1st and 2nd, 2016, with the participation of the University of Bonn. This hands-on workshop is the first of a series of SWOS’ training activities that aim at capacity building of national user with regards to satellite-based wetland and environmental monitoring. These activities focus on raising awareness of the upcoming SWOS tools and products and are used as the basis to achieve the acceptance and adoption of new satellite-based monitoring tools in the users’ workflows. For two consecutive days, the trainees were raising their management issues and expectations in their field of work and the SWOS team was tailoring the training exercises to show case the usability of SWOS products in supporting management and evidence-based policy making. The workshop kicked-off with an overview presentation about the SWOS project. The tools and products developed in the framework of SWOS as well as the benefits of integrating them into existing workflows of the different thematic services of the Spanish Ministry of Environment were discussed. In this context, the thematic experts could explain the specific information needs they are requested to provide in the context of national and European policies. Further information on SWOS Website

20- On 3 June 2016, the Minister of Agriculture of Tunisia, Mr. Saad Seddik, visited and officially inaugurated the pilot plant for the desalination of brackish waters built in the framework of the EU-funded ACCBAT project, implemented under the Cross Border Cooperation programme in the Mediterranean Basin (CBCMed). The desalination unit is able to reduce the amount of salt in water from 5.8gr/l to 0 for about 200m3 of water per day. The demonstration farm has been also equipped with a 600m3 water storage for the mix of desalinated water and brackish water. This water, with reduced salt concentration (about 1.5gr/l) is used by 60 farmers for the irrigation of greenhouses crop such as tomatoes and cucumbers. The ACCBAT project aims to improve water demand management and ensure water needs of the agricultural sector through the increase of water-use efficiency and of use of treated wastewater. Pilot actions, reinforcement of capacity building and training in Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia are the key activities to achieve these objectives. Further information on EMWIS website

21- As part of the effort by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) to help cities in Libya, a group of Libyan engineers attended a workshop in Murcia, Spain on 31 May, focused on one of the major challenges faced by Libyan municipalities: water management. The workshop featured an overview of water management in the Murcia Region and in the Segura Basin, as well as sessions on treating sea-water, and the optimisation of water use.Water management was identified as one of six pressing concerns in a letter that Libyan mayors, led by Abdlrauf Beitelmal, mayor of Tripoli, presented to members of the Committee of the Regions at a meeting in Nicosia last January. The request for support prompted the CoR to create a mechanism – 'the Nicosia platform' – through which to organise help offered by European cities and regions. In the next practical outcome from the pledges received, Libyan public servants will  visit the Belgian city of Antwerp for a workshop on waste management. Further information on EMWIS website

22- Gaza, 14 June, 2016 – EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, visited the EU-funded seawater desalination plant in southern Gaza. The first phase of the desalination plant is in its final stage of construction, and is the largest being built so far in Gaza. The EU invested EUR 10 million in this phase which, when fully operational, will produce 6,000 m3 of potable water daily. This will provide over 75,000 Palestinians with safe drinking water—approximately 35,000 people in Khan Younis and 40,000 people in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. During the visit, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn announced an additional funding of EUR 10 Million Euros for the second phase of the desalination plant. The works of this phase are starting in June 2016 and are expected to be completed within 36 months. This is part of the European Union commitment to expand the capacity of the plant. Once the second phase is completed, the plant will produce of a total of 12,000 m3 of safe drinkable water daily. Further information on EMWIS website

23- During a business seminar led by the Israeli commercial attaché​'s office in Bucharest, Romania's largest water utility, Raja Constanta, signed cooperation agreements with​Jerusalem's Hagihon water utility and with Israeli water-management company Utilis  on May 30, 2016. According to the agreement with Hagihon, professional bilateral delegations will travel to both countries and Hagihon will help Raja Constanta prepare for various challenges– above all, the reduction of water loss. Utilis will help Raja Constanta identify underground leaks by using its specialized satellite technology. The seminar in Constanza, held on the shores of the Black Sea, culminated six months of meetings and bilateral visits during which the Israeli commercial office in Bucharest, Israel NewTech at the Division for Foreign Investment and Industrial Cooperation at ​the Ministry of ​Economy and Industry, and the Israel Export Institute worked to identify Israeli technologies that could meet ​the various ​Romanian water utilities'​needs for treating ​drinking water, identifying and managing leaks, conserving energy and increasing efficiency. Further information on EMWIS website

24- Water is crucial to life on earth. Yet for many people across the planet, getting access to clean, safe drinking water is a challenge.  The United Nations says that by 2025 1.8 billion people will be living in areas "with absolute water scarcity."In Israel, IDE Technologies, a company specializing in water treatment, is looking to the sea to ensure a secure supply of fresh water. The company says that worldwide, it supplies 3 million cubic meters of "high quality water" every single day. Their reference project Sorek is is and advanced seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant. Sea water from over one kilometer out at sea is pumped to the plant, in Sorek, Israel. After impurities are taken out, the sea water is then forced through membranes under high pressure to force water through but leave the salt behind. "The Sorek desalination plant is producing 624,000 cubic meters (of water) per day, which is about 20 percent of the domestic usage in Israel," said Miriam Faigon, senior director of water solutions and products at IDE Technologies. According to the International Desalination Association (IDA), as of June 30th last year, there were more than 18,000 desalination plants globally, generating 22.9 billion gallons of water daily. IDA states that over 300 million people worldwide depend on desalinated water for "some or all their daily needs".
Further information on EMWIS website

25- The project "Improving Efficiency, Availability and Management of Water Resources in South Lebanon" was launched in Al Sultaniyeh, Lebanon on 4 May 2016. The project, funded with a EUR 2.2 million grant from the European Union, will be implemented over a period of 2 years and benefit 9 municipalities. It aims to improve access to water through increasing the efficiency of water networks. Thus, it will significantly improve the living conditions of 50.000 vulnerable people in the Bint Jbeil and Marjeyoun districts. Works that will be carried out include the construction and rehabilitation of essential water infrastructures, such as wells, storage tanks and water connections, as well as the development of sustainable management and safety plans in collaboration with the local authorities, municipalities and civil communities. Further information on EMWIS website

26- A team from the Water Authority of Jordan and security forces carried out inspections  in Irbid's Taibeh town following a tip-off about illegal drilling, and discovered two recently-drilled wells, said Water Minister Hazem Nasser in a statement.  Since the launch of the campaign in 2013, authorities have identified 22,305 violations on water mains and resources and sealed 747 illegal wells, according to official figures. The ministry banned the drilling of wells in 1997 to curb random pumping of water and preserve aquifers from depletion and salinity. Its estimates indicate that there are still 1,100-1,200 illegal wells still operating across the country. The amended Water Authority of Jordan Law stipulates stiffer penalties against those who abuse any element of the water system. Those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, or cause the pollution of water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water, or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence, face a prison sentence of up to five years and fines up to JD7,000. In addition, violators who cause damage or loss to water and wastewater projects are jailed for up to three years and fined up to JD5,000, according to the amendments. All penalties stipulated under the law are doubled in the case of repeat offences. Further information on EMWIS website

27- Drinking water shortages have left parts of Egypt going thirsty for up to two weeks in the run-up to Ramadan, with popular frustration over the failure of authorities to tackle the crisis spilling onto the streets. For some areas in the country's south, the shortages last for days and are more likely to strike poorer areas with stronger severity, a resident told Middle East Eye. Egypt has a track record of poor water infrastructure. The Aswan High Dam, which opened in 1970, is notoriously inefficient. The open canals are used to irrigate crops, for example, which means that up to three billion cubic metres of water – or the equivalent of 1.2 million Olympic-size swimming pools – is lost each year through evaporation. For this reason, water crises are nothing new to Egypt. It has already fallen below the United Nations' water poverty threshold, with per capita water availability decreasing by more than 60 percent over the past 40 years according to Egypt's official statistics agency, CAPMAS. Further information on EMWIS website

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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28-Vacancy: Programme Officer: Water, Sanitation, Hygiene & Monitoring, IRC. The Programme Officer will be part of the International and Innovation team in The Hague (The Netherlands) and will be expected to participate in multi-disciplinary project teams.  The Programme Officer will contribute to the further expansion and strengthening of IRC's sanitation and hygiene programmes with a strong focus on monitoring; bridge conceptual development and on-the-ground realities. Application deadline: 6th July 2016/ Starting date: no later than 1st September 2016. Further information on EMWIS website

30- Jean-Luc Ventura, director of France SUEZ water treatment activities, was elected president of the UIE on May 27, 2016. Graduate from the National School of Chemical Engineering  in Toulouse in 1988, Jean-Luc Ventura, 50 years old, started his career in the petrochemical sector. He was president of Synteau (National Union of water treatment companies), member of the UIE, in 2013-2016. Further information on EMWIS website
 

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PUBLICATIONS
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31- Adaptation efforts and commitments of OSS (Sahara and Sahel Observatory) member countries in the Sahara and Sahel Zone in combatting climate change: Although Africa is the continent that contributes least to greenhouse gas emissions (3.8% of global GHG emissions); it is the continent the most vulnerable to climate change. Despite the considerable experience of in facing variable climate, enabling the population to put in place a various adaptation strategies to the adverse effects of climate change, the adaptation activities undertaken by Africa thus far remain inadequate in facing the challenges. African countries, including countries of the OSS action zone, have shown strong commitment in combating climate change. Almost all of these countries have presented their national contributions (INDCs) at COP21. Access to existing financial resources is highly important for these in order to fulfill their commitments. Sustainable land management is one solution to adapt to climate change while at the same time reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. In this respect, OSS strives to support its member countries in the sustainable management of their natural resources and in gaining access to climate finance. Further information on EMWIS website

32- State of bathing water : As this year's bathing season approaches, many European citizens have a keen interest in the quality of bathing waters.To allow Europeans to make an informed choice on which beach to choose, an annual report on the quality of coastal and freshwater bathing areas, as reported by EU Member States is prepared. This year the report has been prepared by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission DG Environment. The report assesses the bathing water quality in all 28 EU Member States, as well as Albania and Switzerland in the 2015 bathing water season and thereby gives an indication of the areas where the quality of bathing is expected to be good this year. Further information on EMWIS website

33- Population and Water Resources in the Sahara and Sahel area: The water issues differ in nature and acuity from one sub-region to another in the OSS zone of action. The countries of North Africa are mainly faced with challenges related to water scarcity management. With generally high to very high exploitation indices, accentuated by rapid population growth, these countries should enhance to strengthen their implementation of water demand management policies and mobilization of unconventional resources (treated wastewater reuse and desalination of sea and brackish waters). A common management of exploitable resources and demands is also important in order to reduce expenses related to ensuring access to drinking water and sanitation to the continuously growing populations. These expenses are generally provided by users, taxpayers and external stakeholders. Further information on EMWIS website

34- The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus: Challenges and an agenda for action (Earthscan Studies in Natural Resource Management)  By Felix Dodds , Jamie Bartram. The Nexus book demonstrates the urgency required for integrated approaches to development in order to address poverty and achieve sustainable development. It provides valuable historical examples that demonstrate why development planning and practice need to be done differently, and with more urgency. It is a 'must-read' for development planners and practitioners globally who have a conscience for really improving the lives of the poor and bettering the world. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS 
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35- On 19 May 2016 The LIFE programme launched two calls for proposals with more than 330 million euros available, underlining its commitment to supporting projects that protect the environment and tackle the impact of climate change. LIFE  environment : 273 936 184  euros/ LIFE  climate action : 63 600 000 euros
Indicative Deadlines Sub-programme            Deadline
Climate                                                         7-sept-16
Environment                                               12-sept-16
Nature & Biodiversity                                 15-sept-16
Env Gov & Information                               15-sept-16

Further information on EMWIS website

36- Calls for projects in support of decentralized cooperation: The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports decentralized cooperation between French and foreign local authorities, on the basis of geographical and thematic priorities of cooperation. The program supports the projects from local authorities as well as national networks, consultation and regional coordination strutures in the framework of calls for annual and triennial projects. Specific funds are also allocated in support of decentralized cooperation in particular in Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and Palestine. Further information on EMWIS website

37- Call for tenders from the EUorpean Commission on a A study to develop an Integrated Policy Assessment method and software linked to models of the Freshwater and Marine environment and to assess the economic benefits of EU water policy and the costs of its non-implementation. This contract is part of an effort to develop capacity for modelling and socio-economic assessment at EU level. The maximum budget is 1.65 million euros. The deadline for the submission of tenders is 22 August. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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38- Call for papers for the 3rd Edition of the International Conference on Geospatial Technologies for the Water Resources (labeled COP22), organized by Scientific Association for Water Information Systems on 11th  and 12th November 2016 in Marrakech/ Morocco, On the occasion of COP22. Researchers, young scientists and experts are invited to contribute with papers only, 4 to 10 pages (in English, French or Arabic), for oral and poster presentations. Deadline for submission: 15 July 2016. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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EVENTS (Full Agenda) 
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[2016/10/19 - 2016/10/22] 14th International Conference "Europe-INBO 2016" on implementation of the European Water Directives, France. Further information on EMWIS website

[2016/10/12 - 2016/10/19] Fifteenth Mediterranean International Meeting TUNISIA. Further information on EMWIS website

[2016/10/12 - 2016/10/14] 1st open call for the 9th International Scientific Conference on Energy and Climate Change. Further information on EMWIS website

[2016/10/12 - 2016/10/13] 5th International Network Conference "Water & Climates".  Further information on EMWIS website

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PROJECTS (Projects database) 
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WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SWIM, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP7, H2020, UfM, ENPI South, ENPI CBC Med, INTERREG, etc.)

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- This is a monthly Flash provided by the EMWIS Technical Unit (sent to: 30 000 subscribers), to which you can get a free subscription, click here for an open subscription. 
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