EMWIS Flash n°133 - March/April 2017

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In this issue N°133 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash133)
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HEADLINE

1- Ministerial Meeting of the European Union and Mediterranean Water Ministries

In Brief 

2- Feedback from the 6th Beirut Water Week , March 2017
3- Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform: regional training on water information systems
4- ENI-SEIS II South Regional Workshop on Indicators,  17-18 May 2017
5- 7th technical meeting of 5+5 process on water, Valencia, 30-31 Mach 2017
6- The 3rd Mediterranean Water Forum to be launched in Monaco on 11 July 2017
7- Commission fosters research and innovation dialogue with 10 (5+5) western Mediterranean countries from the EU and north Africa
8- New FAO tool: Using real-time satellite data to track water productivity in agriculture
9- European Commission seeks cities’ advice on water strategy
10- EU to work with Mediterranean partners on research and innovation 
11- Environment & climate week in Barcelona: UfM Working Groups meet to take action against climate and environment change in the Mediterranean
12- In the Mediterranean, no Climate-Smart Agriculture without Climate-Smart Policies
13- UfM on World Water Day: addressing water scarcity in the Mediterranean
14- Plastic chip detects waterborne viruses
15- WEAM4i Successful Final Workshop: the Water Energy Food Nexus at farm level
16-1st  PRIMA  stakeholders' forum on research and innovation in the Mediterranean, Egypt 23-24 April 2017
17- Meet experts from the tourism  and environmental sectors at demEAUmed Final Conference, May 18th 2017, Barcelona
18- SWOS project participation to the workshop of the GEO Initiative on Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting
19- Training session on Satellite observation for wetland and water management using SWOS product, May 2017, Rabat
20- VISCA: a smart climate application for Vineyards kicks off in May 2017
21- Jordan: Region’s water sector facing ‘brain drain’
22- Jordan can reduce agricultural water use by a third, research finds
23- The Cost of irrigation water in the Jordan Valley: Significant cost savings through energy efficiency programs
24- Spain: Danone to invest in sustainable wastewater system
25- 9th national agriculture conference in Meknes: Spain & Morocco could manage together water stress
26- Palestine: UNICEF seawater desalination plant helps head off Gaza water crisis
27- France: 114M euros  invested for water in the 1st quarter of 2017 in the  Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica  basins
28- Tunisia: Alarming Water Situation in 2017
29- Cyprus:  Competitive tender for a desalination plant in Kouklia
30- Southern Turkey could be transformed into North Africa in 2100
31- Germany, Switzerland back Albania's water sector with 47M euros financing
32- Morocco: Marrakech Museum on water
33- Morocco: New structure of the government, water resources management is now under the Ministry of equipment,transport, logistics and water

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EVENTS

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HEADLINE
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1-  The UfM Ministerial Meeting on Water held in Malta on 27 April 2017, called for the preparation of a UfM Water Agenda to enhance regional cooperation towards sustainable and integrated water management in the Mediterranean.  The meeting was chaired by H.E. Hazim El Naser, Minister of Water and Irrigation from Jordan and H.E. Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner in charge of Environment. The water agenda aims to build a holistic approach for water in the Med coordinated with other regional activities in particular blue economy, Sustainable urban agenda, Research and Innovation through PRIMA, Sea de-pollution, climate change and environment. The declaration adopted highlights the need for: operational and innovative partnerships, a financial strategy, better coordination between regional and sub-regional initiatives and a mechanism to provide strategic guidance for this agenda. The UfM Water Expert Group was proposed to prepare this agenda and the related action plan. A list of key topics was provided as potential issues to be tackled by the water agenda. A regional workshop on the financing of the water sector was organised back to back to the ministerial meeting. It initiated a task-force to prepare a financing strategy by the end of 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The 6th Beirut Water Week was organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water from 27 to 29 March, 2017, around the theme "After COP22, what governance for the Water Energy Food Nexus". Various sessions and roundtables was tackled: Water Energy Food security; vulnerability of infrastructures in particular dams; private sector investments and financial instruments for PPP looking at the experience of the energy sector as well as lessons from public and private banks; role of international organizations in transnational cooperation; technological tools and water information systems for climate change adaptation.  For this last theme, EMWIS presented the Mediterranean water knowledge platform and the first lessons on institutional settings necessary for the successful governance of national water information systems. Finally the conclusions of the conference "Hydrodiplomacy and climate change for peace in the Middle East: Case of the Jordan River Basin" held last December at Paris Senat was presented by French Senator Olivier Cadic. Presentations available for download on EMWIS website

 3- The Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform received the label of the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean in 2014. It aims to provide a common basis for the development of National Water Information Systems (NWIS) and to deliver an assessment of water resources management and use (drafting of a White Paper) by exploiting data from the NWIS. The project has been promoted as a tool for the adaptation of the water sector to climate change at the last COP in Marrakech. Based on the first results of NWIS implementation in the 4 pilot countries of the platform (Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon), as well as experience of EU countries, a regional training workshop will be organised by EMWIS and the International Office for Water (IOWater) from 14 to 16 June in Sophia Antipolis (near Nice, France). Representatives from South Mediterranean countries interested in Water Information Systems will be invited. A particular attention will be given to SINEAU, the Tunisian NWIS that was delivered last December. The workshop is organised thanks to the support of the French Ministry in charge of Environment for the Platform, as it is one of the projects of Pact of Paris. Another workshop focusing on exchange of experiences and financing NWIS, will be organised after summer with the secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website

4- The first Regional Workshop on indicators and assessment under the ENI-SEIS II South Support Mechanism Project will take place on 17-18 May 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This Support Mechanism managed by the European Environment Agency (EEA) focuses on the implementation of the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) principles and practices in the ENP South region (ENI SEIS II South). Participants will review the proposal for a core set of Mediterranean indicators prepared by the ad hoc Working Group on indicators set-up after the joint meeting of ENI SEIS II South Steering Committee and the Horizon 2020 Review and Monitoring Group held in Athens in December 2016. This workshop will address the needed refinement of the H2020 review mechanism to take into account other assessment processes and further develop the current H2020 set of indicators to reflect the renewed scope of the H2020 priorities applicable to all Mediterranean countries, in coherence with EEA Core Set of Indicators and MEDPOL/NAPs indicators. A second workshop – planned to take place mid-September 2017 will look more into details of the indicators methodological aspects (factsheets) and to the draft outline of the H2020 assessment. Further information on EMWIS website

5-  The 7th technical working group meeting of the Western Mediterranean process on water was held in Valencia on 30-31 March with the technical support of the MENBO at CHJ. After the ministerial agreement on the Action Plan of the Water Strategy for the Western Mediterranean (WSWM), the objective of this meeting was to work on the practical implementation of the Action Plan. The meeting was divided into 2 parts: 1. A progress review on the action plan and proposals for activities for 2017-2018 based on contributions from countries and observers; a thematic technical session on urban water management when EMWIS presented a state of play in the Mediterranean based on the water workshop organised with the Euromed cities network in Nice in November 2016 and the collaborative platform on Mediterranean Sustainable Cities. Further information on EMWIS website

6- The 8th World Water Forum will be held in Brasilia on 18-23 March 2018. The Regional Process dedicated to the Mediterranean Region is coordinated by IME and UfM secretariat. To prepare this process and the Mediterranean contribution to the WWF8, the 3rd Mediterranean Water Forum will be organised at the end of 2017 or early 2018. This Forum will be launched in Monaco on 11 July 2017. The key topics have been identified so far: Water and Climate change mitigation; Integrated sanitation for all; Water for Energy; Treatment and reuse technologies; Managing and restoring ecosystems for water services and biodiversity; and Finance for sustainable development. Further information on EMWIS website

7- Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, joined on 31 March 2017 in Tunisia the Forum for the Dialogue in the Western Mediterranean, referred to as the "5+5 Dialogue". With ministers and high level ministerial representatives responsible for research and higher education from the countries participating to this sub-regional forum (Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia), as well as the Secretaries General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), they discussed ways of deepening cooperation in research and innovation. During his visit, Commissioner Moedas had also a high-level bilateral meetings with Slim Khalbous, Tunisian Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Fadhel Abdelkefi, Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation, and Fatallah Sijilmassi, the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean. Further information on EMWIS website

8-  Measuring how efficiently water is used in agriculture, particularly in water-scarce countries, is going high-tech with the help of a new tool developed by FAO. The WaPOR open-access database has gone live, tapping satellite data to help farmers achieve more reliable agricultural yields and allowing for the optimization of irrigation systems. WaPOR was presented on 20 April 2017 in Rome during a high-level partners meeting for FAO's Coping with water scarcity in agriculture: a global framework for action in a changing climate. It allows for fine-grained analysis of water utilised through farming systems, generating empirical evidence about how it can be most productively used. Further information on EMWIS website

9- Around 20 cities will be selected by the European Commission to share their technical expertise and strategic advice on the Commission’s Urban Water Agenda 2030. The agenda aims to build on the capacities and political leadership of local governments to advance sustainable water management in Europe. The Commission is looking to work with cities in accelerating the implementation of EU water policies and legislation, such as the EU Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive. Following a tender procedure, ICLEI-local governments for sustainability, and EUROCITIES, the Brussels-based city network, were selected by the European Commission to participate alongside the cities. The core group of cities chosen will be regularly consulted on matters between April and October 2017. The consultation includes one face-to-face workshop in May 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

10-  On 11 April 2017, the Maltese Presidency of the Council of European Union struck a provisional deal with the European Parliament on the participation of the EU in a partnership to develop innovative solutions for sustainable water provision and management and food production in the Mediterranean region. The initiative, known as PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area), will pool the know-how and financial resources of the EU and participating states. The partnership currently involves nine member states: Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal; and six non-EU countries: Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. The EU's participation will include a contribution of 220 million euros from its Framework Programme for research and innovation, the "Horizon 2020" Programme."The PRIMA partnership will help improve the health and livelihoods of those living in the Mediterranean region. It is also expected to encourage economic growth and stability in the longer-term," said Chris Agius, the Maltese Parliamentary Secretary. "Today's agreement in just one trilogue meeting means that PRIMA can be operational in early 2018, as planned."   The presidency will submit the outcome of the talks for approval by member states in the coming weeks. Press release. PRIMA first phase will focus on Agrofood systems and water management. Further information on EMWIS website 

11- The UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Change met on 14-15 March in Barcelona to review the progress made in the implementation of the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Change adopted in May 2014 in Athens. Discussions focused on the topics prioritised by the Declaration, namely depollution and pollution prevention, including the H2020 initiative for a Cleaner Mediterranean, sustainable consumption and production, climate change, as well as marine protected areas, avifauna, eco-cities, integrated maritime policy/blue economy and education for sustainable development. Further information on EMWIS website

12- The latest IPCC report indicates that in the Mediterranean, global warming already has and will have the impacts of reducing agricultural outputs, increasing extreme risks (droughts, heatwaves…) and significantly intensifying evapotranspiration: this means, for example, that there is a greater need for water for crops, including in irrigated systems, whereas the groundwater levels and river flows are declining in an erratic manner. In order to meet the challenges of mitigation and, especially, climate change adaptation, Mediterranean agriculture needs to undergo a transformation. Actors in the field are already in the process of addressing this challenge. However, it cannot be fully addressed without an adjustment of public agricultural policies. Further information on EMWIS website

13-  There is great potential to reuse treated wastewater in the Mediterranean region as currently only around 1% of it is recycled. The Mediterranean region is one of the areas in the world most vulnerable to climate change as well as one of the most impacted by human water demand, where more than 180 million people are affected by water poverty and an additional 60 million face water stress to some degree. These figures highlight the scale of the challenge faced by the countries in the region. In line with this year’s World Water Day focus on wastewater, it is timely to recall that several of these challenges refer directly to water resource depletion and urban wastewater management in a region where the urban population has tripled in half a century. The UfM is helping to address this challenge by driving forward a renewed urban development agenda in which these issues play a central role. Further information on EMWIS website

14- Waterborne viral diseases pose a serious threat to public health around the world. An EU-funded consortium has therefore developed an advanced, reliable nanotechnology-based sensor that can rapidly detect pathogens in water, thereby enabling better monitoring of water quality. Urban wastewater contains large numbers of human pathogenic viruses, which cannot be completely removed by even the most advanced wastewater treatments. Furthermore, conventional biological water quality indicators are both time consuming and labour intensive, and do not provide adequate information about the presence of pathogenic viruses. These challenges have been addressed by the project AQUAVIR (Portable automated water analyser for viruses). The consortium, comprising 14 partners from 8 European countries, set out to develop a prototype virus sensor system for monitoring rotavirus, norovirus and hepatitis A virus in various types of water meant for human use. 'The virus monitoring system is intended to detect virus particles in a concentrated water sample on the basis of an electrical readout. Measurement data can then be sent to a monitoring station', says Dr Noemi Rozlosnik, the coordinator of AQUAVIR. 'The system consists of a "Water sampling and filtering unit" (WSFU) and a "concentration and measuring system" (CMS), which includes a virus concentration unit (VCU) and a virus detection unit (VDU).  Further information on EMWIS website

15- On April 6th 2017, WEAM4i Final Workshop was held in Barcelona to present the results of the project and its success case studies where water and energy efficiency solutions for irrigation were demonstrated on farms in Portugal, Spain and Germany. The consortium also developed synergies with the different projects and initiatives working on the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus. During the event, the achievements of WEAM4i smart tools which lead to better efficiency in irrigation – of both Water and Energy – were illustrated. The event was joined by around 60 different stakeholders from the irrigation communities as well as water and energy sectors across Europe. Photos and presentations are available on WEAM4i website

16- The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Egypt, Ambassador Ivan Surkos and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghafar opened on 23 April 2017 the 1st PRIMA Stakeholders' Forum. The event aims at engaging stakeholders to open channels of information exchange and raising awareness about PRIMA. "We believe that international cooperation in science and innovation – one of the strategic objectives of the EU – is essential in the quest for better science, better application of knowledge, and better socio-economic conditions for humanity," said Ambassador Ivan Surkos. Mr. Surkos highlighted the strong cooperation between researchers from the Mediterranean region over the past years, stating that the EU framework programmes have been instrumental in pushing forward collaborative work in research and innovation. He referred to the EU programme, Horizon 2020 (H2020) launched in 2014, which is the largest and most open research and innovation programme in the world. "Currently, under H2020, more than 100 entities from South Mediterranean partner countries, including Egypt, are involved in ongoing research and innovation projects." In April 2017, 15 countries, including Egypt, have agreed to jointly undertake PRIMA initiative. It is major programme with an expected budget of close to EUR 400 million committed by participating countries and the EU. You can express your priorities in the public survey on Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). Further information 4Prima wbesite

17- demEAUmed Final Conference will be held  in Barcelona on the May 18th 2017 where results, benefits and opportunities of demEAUmed technologies in managing, treating and recycling water will be presented and discussed. Various keynote speakers will attend the event representing organisations such as Suez Environnement, CTM, the University of Girona, Sweedish Environment Institute IVL, Robinson hospitality club, the Gremi Hotels of Barcelona, Melia Hotels International, the African Water Facility, CEDEX, the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and the demEAUmed partners. One of the aims of the conference is to involve different stakeholders to demonstrate and promote innovative technologies to reduce the impact of tourism sector on the environment. Hotel owners will be able to use the developed Decision Support System (DSS) to assess how much water savings they could achieve as well as the associated environmental impacts. Furthermore, the private sector will have the chance to discuss with the technology providers the possible exploitation opportunities. Further information on demEUAmed website

18-The University of Malaga represented the Satellite Wetland Observation Service (SWOS project) at the Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting (EO4EA) workshop of the GEO Initiative that took place at the European Environment Agency (EEA) premises in Copenhagen, Denmark on 27-29 March 2017. SWOS presentation was  focused  on types of Satellite imagery used and the types of products and indicators under development by the project. The presentation was of high interest as it described through specific examples on how the SWOS project results could contribute to fill to the main data needs and gaps raised by the Ecosystem Accounting community at different levels. In the Q/A session, several questions were raised about the possibility of accessing SWOS products. Further, the SWOS toolbox and its use was explained as well as the GEO-Wetlands initiative that SWOS heavily contributes to. Further information on SWOS wbesite

19- Tour du Valat, EMWIS and Wetland International are organising a 3 days training session in Rabat Morocco from 22 to 24 May 2017. The purpose is to train French speaking users coming mainly from Maghreb and West African countries (Algeria, Mali, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia) on how to use earth observation for wetland and water monitoring, based on the products developed by SWOS project. The training will cover: Satellite data acquisition;  using SWOS GEOclassifier for maps production on Land Use Land Cover and Surface Water Dynamics; using SWOS nomenclature systems; how to derive indicators from maps; introducing other innovative mapping approaches for water dynamics mapping and potential wetlands delineation; and finally how to organize the field validation. Further information on SWOS wbesite

20- Climate change is threatening different varieties of agriculture species; the wine-grapes are especially sensitive to subtle differences in micro-climate impacts causing changes in the crops (i.e. decrease of the grape quality and quantity, changes in alcohol, acid, sugar, etc.) which directly affects the European wine industry. VISCA (“Vineyards´ Integrated Smart Climate Application”) is a new R&D project co-funded under the Horizon 2020 programme for a period of 3 years. The project will hold its kick-off meeting on May 10th-11th 2017 in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Spain. VISCA consortium is led by Meteosim and is composed of 11 members from different fields including end-users (Codorniu, Mastroberardino and Symington).  VISCA will provide a Climate Service (CS) and Decision Support System (DSS) that integrates climate, agricultural and end-users´ specifications in order to design medium- and long-term adaptation strategies to climate change. The project will be validated by real demonstrations with end-users, who are included in the consortium, on three demo sites in Spain, Italy and Portugal. EMWIS is in chargeof  communication and dissemination activities as well as data management support. Further information on EMWIS website

21-  Instability in some Arab countries has driven trained and qualified people out of the water sector, causing a deficiency in the management of water utilities, an expert on water-demand management said on 13 March 2017 in Amman. Besides water scarcity and limited financial resources, water utilities in Arab countries are now facing the new challenge of a brain drain, according to Khaldoun Khashman, secretary general of the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA). Even if water and financial resources were available, managing water utilities in the absence of skilled and qualified people is a challenge, Khashman told reporters at a press conference to announce the fourth Arab Water Week, which will be held at the Dead Sea next week.“It is time for donors to think of the future of water utilities management in Arab countries witnessing conflicts,” he said, proposing programmes to train and qualify skilled immigrants in the management of water utilities. Further information on EMWIS website

22- Current crop production could be achieved with 30 per cent less use of agricultural water, according to the findings of new research. An analysis on water and food security in Jordan indicated that there is potential for policies that reduce agricultural water needs, while still maintaining current levels of crop production. The research is part of a project funded by the British Council and led by researchers at the University of Oxford’s Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, in partnership with the WANA Institute and EcoPeace. The report said that while Jordan has already demonstrated considerable gains in agricultural water productivity, there is potential for further progress. Focusing on ways to increase water productivity in the Kingdom, the research studied how other countries managed to increase their agricultural production without putting too much pressure on water resources, while exploring the potential for these methods to be applied in Jordan and Palestine. While the agriculture sector consumes the majority of water resources, its contribution to gross domestic product is low compared to other sectors. Through the study of the Kingdom’s food import trends, the research suggested the possibility of strategically increasing imports of certain crops, without significantly impacting Jordan’s food security. Researchers used data on agricultural production and water application to assess, as national averages, water needs per one tonne of food production, looking at 14 key crops including bananas, dates, olives and tomatoes. The analysis also showed that the current targets for treated-wastewater use in agriculture are approaching levels of regional best practices. Further information on EMWIS website

23- Over the last 6 years, Jordan has seen a decline of its agricultural sector productivity as a result of prolonged cycles of negative growth and a decrease of productivity per worker. Regional conflict has also curtailed Jordan’s export opportunities substantially. The Cost of Irrigation Water in the Jordan Valley, a Water Partnership Program funded report, looks at innovative ways to better manage water in agriculture in one of the world’s most water-stressed countries. The study looks at ways to improve irrigation services delivered by the Jordan Valley Authority, and efficiency of water use across different cropping patterns. It also reviews mechanisms to improve financial cost recovery, through reducing costs and increasing revenues, to manage farmers’ demand for water. Findings reveal that significant cost savings can be made through a larger focus on energy efficiency programs and better asset management. Further information on EMWIS website

24- Danone will invest 2 million  euros during the next three years in a new wastewater system at its dairy plant in Tres Cantos, Spain. The investment will allow the facility to increase its water autonomy to 80%,  a new step to become self-sufficient at the site north of Madrid. The move will make the Tres Cantos factory more economical with its water usage – currently, it uses 800 cubic meteres of water every day to support capacity of 4 million yogurts and custards. The new wastewater system will capture residual water from the factory’s activities, storing it and preparing it for reuse later on. After being filtered and purified, the water will be reused for purposes including cleaning, with the 80% water autonomy being phased in over the coming three years. “This is an innovative and pioneering project for the company with an ambitious goal – to be largely self-sufficient in our water needs,” explained Tres Cantos factory manager Alexandre Biau. “Our challenge is, and will continue to be, to carry out our operations with maximum efficiency and sustainability.” Further information on EMWIS website

25- Spanish minister of agriculture, food and environment Isabel Garcia Tejerina said she is confident in the capacity of her country and Morocco to manage together the problem of water stress, in her opening speech for the 9th national agriculture conference which put water at the centre of food security. In a statement to Moroccan Agency Press, on the sidelines of the 9th national agriculture conference, held on 17 April in Meknès, the Spanish official voiced her pride and joy to be attending this event, for the third year in a row, to discuss a crucial theme which is water and its relation with food security, adding that the water issue is a challenge for Africa and the whole world. Together with her Moroccan peer Aziz Akhannouch is looking for joint measures and solutions to ensure an optimization of water resources for agriculture development. Further information on EMWIS website

26- Water resources have long been critically scarce in the Gaza Strip, and the situation is getting beyond dire. A new seawater desalination plant is providing safe tap water to communities that previously bought or imported their drinking water.  In January, UNICEF and partners completed the construction of a €10 million seawater desalination plant funded by the European Union. It will initially produce 6,000 cubic metres of safe drinking water a day, providing it to 75,000 people living in the southern Gaza Strip – about 35,000 people in Khan Younis and 40,000 people in Rafah. Further information on EMWIS website

27- The Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica Water Agency (France) has allocated 114 million euros in aid during the first quarter of 2017 to finance 1,826 projects for drinking water conservation, restoring aquatic environments and fight against domestic, industrial and agricultural pollution. Almost half of the budget ( 54 million euros) has been allocated to the domestic pollution reduction and drinking water improvement operations carried out by the local authorities. Further information on EMWIS website

28-  In  Tunisia the water crisis will be more acute  in 2017. According to Tunisian experts, disturbances and cuts in  drinking water supply that occurred in most of the Tunisian regions during the summer 2016, are likely to happen again in summer  2017. They consider that "with 419 m3 per capita / year, Tunisia is in a situation of absolute water shortage, a chronic situation that was accentuated in recent years by  climate change effects, increasing needs but also by the deterioration of drinking water supply infrastructures of the National water utility (SONEDE). According to  SONEDE, 42% of its pipes are more than 25 years old and must be replaced.  Further information on  EMWIS website

29- The Cyprus government approved the construction of the new facility in Kouklia on the site of a temporary plant built in 2010, which is currently being dismantled. The proposed new plant will be secured on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis, and will have a capacity of 15,000 m3/d. The decision met with protests by farmers who fear that they will face reduced water supply in the intervening years before the new plant is completed. Cyprus wants to reduce its reliance on rain-dependent water sources in readiness for possible future drought. The temporary plant was constructed following an extended drought during 2008, but has rarely been used. Further information on EMWIS website

30- The Director General of Water Management at the Turkish Ministry of Forests and Water, Professor Kinaci noted during a meeting held in Antalia on  12 April 2017 that a  project plan  is underway to improve sustainable management of the country's water resources. He talked about the climate and environmental forecasts in Turkey and said that the environment in southern Turkey could be transformed into North Africa in 2100. In this context, he announced the management of water resources planning at river basins level which is, for him, the last step of good water management. "Basin management affects many activities," he said. It influences urbanization, industrialization, land use, and social and economic activities. The plan aims to explain how to use water resources according to quantity, quality and basin " Professor Kinaci added that planning has started in the framework  of a European Union (EU) project, and will be accomplished in the current year.  Further information on EMWIS website

31-  Albania's transport ministry said on  19 April 2017 it has signed financial agreements worth about 47 million euro with Germany and Switzerland to support water supply and sewerage projects in eight cities. The investment will make it possible for the towns of Delvina, Kucova, Berat, Gjirokastra, Lushnja, Prrenjas, Kamzez and Librazhd to be supplied with water 24 hours a day, according to a statement from the ministry. The German government will participate with 35 million euro loan and a 2 million euro grant, whereas the Swiss government will back the projects with a grant of 10.4 million euro. Further information on EMWIS website

32- The museum Mohamed VI for the water civilization will opened to the public on 2 May 2017. With a surface of 20.000 m2, this cultural center on water presents the tangible and intangible aspects of indigenous water knowledge in Morocco. It will be a reference tool for schools, universities and international research centers to promote the water culture among the society. Further information on EMWIS website

33- The handover ceremony between Mr. Abdelkader AMARA, Mr. Mohamed SAJID, Ms. Charafat YADRI AFILAL, Mr. Mohamed Najib BOULIF and Mr. Mohamed BOUSSAID, was held on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water. Mr. Abdelkader AMARA, the new Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, recalled the technical nature of the Ministry, which places it at the heart of the dynamic that Morocco is experiencing through the definition of multiannual strategies and structuring projects for the country. Ms Charafat YADRI AFILAL, Secretary of State to the Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water in charge of Water, shared his satisfaction about  the return of the hydraulics sector within the Ministry and on the other hand highlighted the challenge to meet the water needs in Morocco. Further information on EMWIS website

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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34- Two open positions at the Valencia Branch Office: your chance to join the ENI CBC Med Programme. The ENI CBC Med Programme’s Branch Office for the Western Mediterranean, hosted by the Generalitat Valenciana (Spain), is looking to fill the following positions: 1- Coordinator of the Branch Office; 2- Junior officer. Further information on EMWIS website

35- PRIMA-IS DIRECTOR OPEN CALL: The Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) is to be established on the basis of Article 185 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union by more than 16 Participating States from both shores of the Mediterranean and the European Commission. PRIMA aims to support common innovative solutions and promote their adoption for improving the efficiency and sustainability of agro-food systems and integrated water management and provision in the Mediterranean area. The PRIMA Programme will be implemented through an ad-hoc structure, a Foundation under Spanish Law. Such structure will face an ex-ante assessment from July to October, made by an external audit company. The current vacancy is for the Director position of PRIMA foundation. Further information on EMWIS website

36- Mr. Aziz Akhannouch was appointed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI on April 5, 2017, Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development and Forestry. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries since 2007, Mr. Akhannouch holds a degree in marketing from the University of Sherbrooke-Canada. He is president of the AKWA group, which includes some fifty companies. He also served as president of the regional council of Souss-Massa-Draa from 2003 to 2007. Mr. Akhannouch is also a member of the office of the General Confederation of Moroccan Companies (CGEM). He was also a member of the Reflection Group with the late SM Hassan II until 1999, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection and member of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Rehabilitation of Prisoners. On October 29, 2016, Mr. Akhannouch was elected by a majority vote of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) party.Further information on  EMWIS website

37-  Morocco, 5th April 2017  : Mr. Hamou Ouheli was appointed  Secretary of State to the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, in charge of Rural Development, Water and Forests. From March 1998 to September 2000, Ouheli was the  Secretary of State to the Minister of Social Development, Solidarity, Employment and Vocational Training, responsible for solidarity and humanitarian action. In 2002 he was appointed member of the Advisory Council on Human Rights (CCDH). Expert in national and international organizations, he is one of the founders of the Maghreb Union of Veterinary associations, and he was its first Secretary General. Further information on EMWIS website

38- Morocco:  Mr. Aziz Rebbah was appointed Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development. Mrs Nezha El Ouafi was appointed Secretary of State in charge of Sustainable Development. Further information on EMWIS website

39- Guillaume Choisy was appointed General Director of the Adour-Garonne water agency: by order from French Minister of the Environment, Energy and the Sea, in charge of international relations on climate, on March 23, 2017. He will succeed Laurent BERGEOT, who was the  Agency director since 2013. Guillaume CHOISY, 41 years old, holds a BTS in agricultural systems analysis and management. Further information on EMWIS website

40- Bertrand GALTIER was appointed General Director of the Artois Picardie water agency: By order from the French the Minister for the Environment, Energy and the Sea, in charge of International Relations on Climate, dated 10 April 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

41- The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) hosts the prestigious ” Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development” to promote the international exchange of innovative green ideas. The award, under the patronage of Minister Professor Johanna Wanka, honours young researchers each year. The winners come from numerous countries and scientific disciplines and are recognised for their outstanding achievements in making our societies more sustainable. Selected by a high-ranking jury of German experts the award-winners are granted unique access to the country’s research elite. The award is open to all disciplines as long as it is related to sustainable development. In 2017 the award has a focus on “Sustainable Production and Consumption” and this year’s Science Forum, taking place in October, will integrate sustainability hot spots in Germany related to this theme. Nevertheless, we highly welcome applications from all (not connected) research areas. The competition period 2017 is open now! Apply till 23 May, 12 p.m. CEST to become a Green Talent 2017.  Further information on EMWIS website

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PUBLICATIONS
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42-  Reconciling resource uses in transboundary basins: assessment of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in the Sava River Basin: This technical report contains results of the nexus assessment of the Sava River Basin shared by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia that was carried out from 2014 to 2016 in the framework of the UNECE Water Convention’s Programme of Work. The methodology employed was developed specifically for assessing the nexus in transboundary basins. Further information on EMWIS website

43- Territories, cities and  rural  facing urban sprawl and climate change: The territories, cities and countryside face major challenges: urban sprawl and climate change. More than half of the world's population has been living in cities for a few years. The book proposes an integrative approach to protect soil and water resources and agricultural production, which are the basis for economic development. Further information on EMWIS website

44- New responsibility and environment publication of the French "Annales des Mines", N°86 - April 2017 "Fresh water around the world, how to manage this common good" has been coordinated by Pierre Roussel, President of the International Office for Water, with contributions from worldwide experts on the challenges of water cycle, social and policy challenges, financial and institutional responses. Further information on EMWIS website

45- Global Water Leaders Announce New Model for Water Access: A new approach ​to accelerating ​progress ​towards the ​Sustainable ​Development ​Goals for Water ​and Sanitation ​has been ​launched. ​ Made jointly ​by the Global ​Water Leader ​Group and ​the World ​Economic ​Forum’s ​Global Agenda ​Council on ​Water, New ​Model for ​Water Access ​ outlines how ​the problems of ​bad water and ​sanitation can ​be solved at a ​lower overall ​cost than our ​current ​inadequate ​arrangements. ​ Further information on EMWIS website  

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CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS 
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46- Call for tenders published by the Regional environmental center on "WATER POrT: Capacity building on water resources management in a changing climate in Egypt". Further information on EMWIS website

47- Pre-announcement of the third joint transnational ERANETMED (research) call that will be co-funded by the following agencies: ANR (France), ASRT (Egypt), BMBF (Germany), CIHEAM Bari (Int. Org.), CNRS-L (Lebanon), DGRSDT (Algeria), HCST (Jordan), MESRSFC (Morocco), MESRST (Tunisia), MIUR (Italy),MINECO (Spain) RPF (Cyprus), STDF (Egypt), TUBITAK (Turkey) is now available. The call will be on focus on fostering sustainable water management for the economic growth of the Mediterranean region. Research teams from the countries that will co-fund the call are eligible for funding, unless otherwise specified in national rules of funding agencies which will be published on the official launch of the joint call. Research teams from other countries are eligible provided that they fund their own involvement. Launching of the call: 15 May 2017. Deadline for submission of proposals: 14 July 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

48-  Interreg Europe third call for project proposals: The call was open on the 1st of March and will be closed on the 30th of June, 2017. It is targeted at public authorities and non-profits. Projects must focus on one of these topics: Research and innovation/ SME competitiveness/ Low-carbon economy/ Environment and resource efficiency. Further information on  EMWIS website

49- The ARIMNet2 Consortium is about to launch a Young Researchers Joint Call for Transnational Agricultural Research Proposals (Expected Call publication: June 2017).Further information on  EMWIS website

50-  Call for projects, French Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica water agency : saving water in agriculture. The water agency is launching a call for projects to encourage farmers to save water by modernizing their water infrastructure and implementing water-saving technologies.  With a budget of  5 million euros, it is open for   2017 as part of the calls for projects of the regional rural development programs (RDPs). Further information on EMWIS website

51-  ERA-NET GeoERA launches its first call for transnational projects:  With a total budget of  36 million euros, the two-stage GeoERA call will close on 7 June 2017 (stage 1: project ideas) and 12 January 2018 (stage 2: proposals). The GeoERA call brings together 51  organization partners  from 33 European countries. The call has four themes: 1. Geoenergy; 2. groundwater; 3. raw materials; 4. information platforms. Further information on EMWIS website

52- Call for projects from the Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica Water Agency: manage water and sanitation skills at the right level. The water agency is calling for projects to support local authorities on all matters related to the transfer of competences and structuring water and sanitation services in the context of implementation of the law "NOTRe". With a budget of 10 million euros, it is opened until 29 June 2018. The projects will be financed up to 80%. Further information on EMWIS website

53- Programme ENI CBC Med, a call for standard projects is expected in June 2017, with different priorities including: Support sustainable initiatives aimed at finding innovative and technological solutions to increase water efficiency and encourage use of non-conventional water supply; Reduce municipal waste generation and promote source-separated collection and the optimal exploitation of its organic component; Incorporate the Ecosystem-Based management approach to ICZM into local development planning, through the improvement of intra-territorial coordination among different stakeholders. Further information on EMWIS website

54- The Delegation for the External Action of Local Authorities (DAECT) of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairsf the , has published a general call for projects for 2017, dedicated to French local authorities and their associations. This call aims to finance decentralized cooperation projects implemented with foreign local authorities. Particular attention will be paid to sustainable urban development, particularly for  the following themes: - Buildings and transport / territorial planning; - Development Education; - Implementation of integrated management policies; - Water and sanitation; - Coastal risks and management of alerts; - Waste management and valorisation, biodiversity, circular economy; - Food security: territorialized food systems, agro-ecological practices; - Support to the mobilization of sub-national, national and international climate finance. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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55- 4th Coastal and Maritime Mediterranean Conference, 29 November to 01 December 2017 , in Split, Croatia. The conference is organized by the French cluster Pôle Mer Méditerranée & Paralia, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries of Split, and the University of Zagreb. Notes or short communications should be submitted imperatively before 30 June. Further information on EMWIS website

56- 19th ANNUAL BIOECON CONFERENCE "Evidence-based environmental policies and the optimal management of natural resources" 20-22 September 2017. Deadline for the submission of full papers: May 12, 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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[2017/08/11 - 2017/08/29] IPD Summer Academy 11-29 August, 2017, Switzerland, Call for Participants. The main goal of the 10-20 days Summer Academy is to strengthen the skills of the representatives of state organisations, business sector, INGOs/NGOs, education institutions, religious organisations, independent mediators and politicians through institutional global academic education in peacebuilding, mediation, conflict resolution, security and intercultural dialogue. Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/06/07 - 2017/07/05] Water stewardship online training takes a different approach to water management. The AWS has developed a modular training program setting the standard for water stewardship globally. The program is designed to support, recognise and reward collaborative efforts to manage shared water challenges. As an AWS certified corporate training team, the International WaterCentre is pleased to offer ‘Foundations of Water Stewardship,’ the first level of the program for users and promoters of the AWS water stewardship system. Further information on EMWIS website 

[26/06/2017 - 29/06/2017]  Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation Summer School 2017: OpenMed Association and MaPE – University of Cagliari, with the support of ASCAME, CCIA-BML, CEEBA, Re.C.O.Med and Italian Federation of Anna Lindh Foundation organize the "Design your MED initiative!". The main objectives of the Summer School are: improve competences and relations of individuals interested in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation/ share the Euro-Mediterranean projects experiences among participants and trainers/ start the concrete design of proposals under the new Euro-Mediterranean funding instruments, in particular ENI CBC MED 2014-2020. Application Deadline: May 26, 2017. Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/05/29 - 2017/06/10] Summer School in Water Governance: Frameworks and Negotiations.  The Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva are proud to announce the new Summer School in Water Governance - Frameworks and Negotiations! Recognized as a Certificate of Advance Studies, the courses will cover Hydrological global trends, Right to water access, Hydrodiplomacy and International water Law. The program will take place in Geneva between May 29 and June 10 2017 and will be worth 11 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/05/23 - 2017/05/23] OIEau Technical Day :  New French GEMAPI law: overview and roles for its implementation. Organized by the international office for water the technical day will address in a practical way: - The regulatory context; - The players in the GEMAPI implementation; - The superposition of the small and the large water cycle; - Implementation of the transfer of competence. Further information on EMWIS website

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EVENTS (Full Agenda) 
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[2017/11/ 07- 2017/11/11] Euro-Mediterranean area green and circular economy expo.

Further information on EMWIS website

[2017/09/21 - 2017/09/24] 8th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture, Food & Environment , Chania, Crete, Greece​

Further information on EMWIS website

 [2017/05/04 - 2017/05/06]  4th edition of the International Water Exhibition in Casablanca, Morocco

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