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HTML Document EMWIS Flash n°158 - September -October 2021

Released 24/11/2021
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EMWIS Flash Nov

 

EMWIS Flash September - October 2021
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, DG Agua,
SOGESID
Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform
Geo-Catalogue / UfM-Water 
Supromed / PAWA / NWRM / MED-3R VISCASustain-COAST / SWOS LIFE-ANADRY/ HYDROUSA/ Med Greenhouses/ demEAUmed / SAFERS/ Mediterranean sustainable cities

                                                           

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In this issue N°158 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash158)
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HEADLINE

 

1- 4th Med Water forum:  side event on Island sustainable development and water management

In Brief

2- UfM Regional Platform on R&I: How can the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in Research and Innovation be strengthened ?

3- Towards A Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Community Of Practice For The Mediterranean

4-  Water and Climate Coalition, launched at COP26

5- Launch of a consultation for the sustainability of desalination projects in the Mediterranean

6- Millions on the Move in Their Own Countries: The Human Face of Climate Change

7- Agricultural water: European Court of Auditors questions EU policies

8-  What prospects for the 5+5 Dialogue in a Mediterranean in transformation? Adapting to the post-COVID-19 Realities Together

9-  Cairo Water Week: Challenges and opportunities

10-19th “EUROPE-INBO” international conference for the Implementation of the European Water Directives, December 8th-10th 2021 - Malta

11- Check it out the EdiCitNet toolbox: 85 profiles for Edible City Solutions from Carthage, Lome, Sempeter, Sant Feliu de llobregat, Berlin, Montevideo

12- Sustain-COAST project will be presented at the 2nd International Conference on Transboundary Aquifers (ISARM 2021) 6-8 Dec 2021

13- SAFERS: End-user requirements collection activities: A summary of the results

14- HYDROUSA project has won the WEFE Nexus Award of PRIMA Foundation!

15- SUPROMED  organised a technical workshop on "Tools for irrigation management of annual crops, almond, pistachio and vines" 18 November 2021

16- Innovative smart-water metering solutions: results from Smart.Met Pre-Commercial Public Procurement

17- Water for Tomorrow: a project  to increase resilience of water stressed areas in France and England

18- UN-Habitat launches new regional project on climate change to increase the resilience of displaced persons and host communities in Jordan and Lebanon

19- Turkey: Water 'most strategic value' of next century: Turkish president

20- Tunisia: Climate Change Threatens Food Security

21- Morocco: closing workshop of the “Support for the Implementation of the National Charter of Environment and Sustainable Development” twinning project


22- Morocco: AgroTech focuses on training to improve agricultural waste management

23- Egypt suffers from water deficit of 90% of its renewable resources


NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES

PUBLICATIONS

CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS

TRAINING AND COURSES

EVENTS

CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- The 4th Mediterranean Water Forum will take place in Malta, 6-8 December 2021. Due to the pandemic situation, limiting physical participation, all meeting sessions will live streamed in English and French. Monday 6 will be dedicated to technical side events and the Official Opening Ceremony at 6pm. Tuesday 7 will feature sessions 1 on "The Mediterranean as a hub of water management solutions and responses" and session 2 on "Non-Conventional Water Resources", the afternoon will be dedicated to site visits. Wednesday 8, the session will deal with "3 - Integrated Management of Natural Water Resources", "4  Financing the Water Sector in the Mediterranean" and "5 International Collaboration", following by the synthesis on the Mediterranean contribution to the next World Water Forum in Dakar in 2022. One of the side event will focus on "Small Mediterranean islands engines of sustainable development Integrated management of water resources bright spots", 6th December, 16h-17h30, with circular economy solutions implemented in the framework of the H2020 project HYDROUSA. Further information on Further information on EMWIS website  

 

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- Shared challenges across the Mediterranean are highlighting the need of global exchange in Research and Innovation (R&I) and, thus, the importance of a mutual cooperation through the renewed partnership in the region. The Regional Platform on R&I of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) organised a stakeholder event on 26 October 2021 on the future of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in R&I. The event  provided an overview of the latest developments in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in R&I, as well as the presentation and discussion of the roadmaps and implementation plans in the priority areas:  * Health  * Renewable energy  * Climate change. The event involved a wide range of stakeholders from relevant research areas as well as other actors like consumers, end-users, representatives of civil society (NGOs), SMEs, youths, innovators as well as other public and private actors in the respective fields, including decision makers and R&I funding agencies.  Further information on EMWIS website 

3- At the end of September, scientists, practitioners and policy-makers from all around the Mediterranean agreed on the creation of a Community of Practice focused on building the capacity of Mediterranean stakeholders to operationalize adaptation, conservation and mitigation measures over Water, Food, Energy and Ecosystems (WEFE) resources. With the spectre of Climate Change stretching the Mediterranean ecosystems and societies to a breaking point, this existential crisis can only be resolved by working together, across national boundaries, but also across boundaries of scientific specialisation and sectorial management. Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems are not separate challenges, they are part of the same life support system which humanity needs to survive. The conference was unprecedented in scale and scope: it brought together Ministers from both shores of the Mediterranean, as well as 45 experts (scientists, innovators, practitioners, civil society representatives, policy makers) from countries all over the region, to discuss how to work together in an integrated approach (the Nexus) to the accelerating challenges we face.  The delegates agreed to create a Mediterranean WEFE Nexus Community of Practice, which will: Promote the collection and documentation of WEFE Nexus best practices and innovative, science-based policy and technical solutions to manage WEFE resources better, while improving socio-economic conditions in the Mediterranean region; Survey new approaches and modes of practices to inform decisions, choose priorities and incentivise the cross-sectoral management of water, energy, food and ecosystem resources; Account for impacts, costs and benefits these responses may have across sectors, on the society and the environment, now and in the future, providing hands-on recommendations for the development of sustainable operational targets, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals; Promote/support the deployment of regional demonstrators, which substantially contribute to developing and replicating WEFE concepts and solutions in the Mediterranean region; Provide an outlook and foresight scenarios on the impacts of a regional-wide application of possible solutions tested at WEFE Nexus demonstration cases; Disseminate the outcomes emanating from WEFE Nexus interventions. The conference was co-organised by the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation and the Joint Research Centre), the Union for the Mediterranean, PRIMA and the Cyprus Institute. This organising team, which has worked together for the last two years towards the creation of the Community of Practice, is committed to realising the pledges made at the WEFE Nexus Conference and invite all relevant stakeholders to join them in this ambitious initiative. Further information on EMWIS website

4- The world has a climate crisis and a water crisis, but the two are rarely seen as being two sides of the same coin. A new group called the Water and Climate Coalition, launched at COP26, aims to make good on that by firming up the links between the two and hence preventing parts of the world from either drowning or being parched. According to Hungarian president János Áder, one of the world leaders behind the coalition, around 80 per cent of climate impacts are manifested through water – extreme precipitation, drought, melting ice, sea-level rise and more. And yet, said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the climate and hydrological systems are often treated as separate problems. For example, about 90 per cent of people live in countries that share freshwater resources with neighboring states, and for 60 per cent of these there is no existing agreement on equitable sharing. At the same time, climate change could cause resources to dwindle. Failure to cooperate could lead to future conflict over resources, said Áder. “If we are unable to resolve the water crisis, reaching the sustainable development goals will be difficult or impossible,” he said. Climate-induced drought is also a threat to global agriculture and hence food security, said Taalas. In other places, too much water in the form of heavy rain or melting glaciers is a threat. Both are clearly understood as being caused by climate change, but climate mitigation and adaptation measures often don’t consider the hydrological side of the equation. By 2030, the coalition aims to create a global water observation system much like the WMO’s current climate and weather-monitoring system, and ultimately integrate the two. Further information on EMWIS website

5-With the support of the French Agency for Development, Plan Bleu launches a consultative process to support the definition of environmental, health, economic and technical eligibility criteria for sustainable desalination finance decision, gathering technical information, thoughts, data, shared experiences, best practices and shedding light onto failures and what should be avoided, to make desalination a sustainable management option. To support investors’ requests for more transparency, consistency, and impact reporting frameworks, the Plan Bleu set the scene for comprehensive sustainability standards, safeguards and criteria to assess desalination project finance and programs, thereby supporting the development of more integrated policy and regulatory landscapes. Focusing on climate, biodiversity, education, sustainable development, health and governance, the Plan Bleu is investigating the conditions under which desalination may contribute to the global commitment to reach the SDGs, through this consultative process. The consultative process will:lead to the identification of the criteria, requirements and institutional safeguards that will ensure future desalination projects, technologies, governance, and investment decisions to become sustainable; highlight the feasibility and viability conditions of newly financed projects in a modern and innovative approach, with environmental and health-related issues at the core; bring to the fore an increased focus on social matters and health targets, thus widening the scope of SDG issues beyond environmental topics, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further information on EMWIS website

6- No region is immune to the potential of climate-induced migration, driven by impacts on communities’ livelihoods, and loss of livability in highly exposed locations: Over 216 million people could move within their countries by 2050 across six regions, according to the World Bank’s latest Groundswell report.The report includes new projections from three regions, East Asia and the Pacific, North Africa, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It builds on the first Groundswell report from 2018, which covered Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Taken together, projections across all the regions out to 2050 find that: Sub-Saharan Africa could see as many as 86 million internal climate migrants; East Asia and the Pacific, 49 million; South Asia, 40 million; North Africa, 19 million; Latin America, 17 million; and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 5 million. Further information on EMWIS website

7- The European Court of Auditors considers that the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) do not provide sufficient incentives for sustainable water use in agriculture. For the Commission, however, the future framework should achieve this balance. In an audit carried out between April and December 2020, the Court of Auditors analysed the extent to which the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the CAP promote sustainable water use in agriculture. It examined documents from the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Environment Agency. It also carried out documentary checks in eleven European Member States or regions. And its findings are severe for agriculture. The initial objective of the WFD was to achieve good status for each body of water in all Member States by 2015. However, there is a possibility of postponing the deadline or setting less stringent objectives, provided that this is justified, until 2027. Further information on EMWIS website

8- Madrid 13-14 October 2021. The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) jointly organised the 5th annual Forum of the MedThink 5+5 network in partnership with Casa Árabe in Madrid, Spain. During the Forum, entitled “What prospects for the 5+5 Dialogue in a Mediterranean in transformation? Adapting to the post-COVID-19 Realities Together”, participants analysed the importance of the 5+5 Dialogue in the post-COVID-19 era to foster cooperation in the Western Mediterranean in times of bilateral tensions in the region, as well as the enhancement of regional value chains, the pursuit of water security, and the potential of the digital transition to achieve sustainable urban development.  SEMIDE contributed on 14 October to interesting discussions during the 'Ensuring Water Security for a Sustainable Future' session focusing on the challenges for integrated water management in the western Mediterranean. SEMIDE  discussed about the role of research projects funded by the European Commission, PRIMA Programme official and other national and regional initiatives in the improvement of the water sector giving examples of SUPROMED Project, HYDROUSA and demEAUmed, and  also highlighted the crucial need of data to manage better water resources by referring to the “Mediterranean Water Knowledge Platform" which is labelled by the UfM. The platform aims to compile data and present a regional picture of water resources and uses. Further information on EMWIS website

9- The fourth edition of the Cairo Water Week (CWW) was held in the capital of egypt from 24 to 28 October, with the participation of ministers, official delegations, senior officials in the water sector, scientists, international organisations, and leading financial institutions, as well as civil society organisations and NGOs.The participants discussed policies appropriate to water-scarce countries for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advances in water management, governance, and strategic planning. Wastewater reuse and water recycling for agriculture in Egypt as well as various means of financing water projects were also highlighted at the event.In opening the week, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi stressed that this year’s CWW, entitled “Water, Population, and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities”, comes at a time when the world is witnessing rapid changes affecting water resources, making them one of the most pressing international challenges. “This affects the ability of countries to meet the water needs of their people, which turns the management of water resources into a challenge that affects the security and safety of all countries,” Al-Sisi said, adding that Egypt has drawn up a strategic plan for managing its water resources until 2037 at an estimated cost of $50 billion. This figure could be doubled, the president said. Further information on EMWIS website

10-  The 19th International Conference of the Europe-INBO will be held, this year at the invitation of the Energy and Water Agency (EWA) of Malta, from Wednesday 8th to Friday 10th of December 2021. Organizations, administrations and other stakeholders interested in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) at basin level are invited to participate in the event and share their experiences on the implementation of European water directives. Online participation is also possible. Further information on INBO website

11- 85 profiles of Edible City Solutions from Berlin (35), Carthage (16), Montevideo (16), Sant Feliu de llobregat (11), Šempeter pri Gorici (6), Lome (1), are publicly available in the EdiCitNet toolbox. Now, EdiCitNet partners are working on a strategy to transfer the management and editing rights of these profiles to the owners/coordinators of the Edible City Solutions. By having the ownership, they will be able to: i) Interact with other existing initiatives by leaving and receiving comments and questions thought the profiles, think of it as a social media outlet for urban food initiatives; ii) Edit the profile or even delete it; iii) Soon they will also be able to share events and news related to their ECS profile with the community. Further information on EMWIS website

12- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in partnership with the International Association of Hydrologists (IAH) and GEF-IW:LEARN, will hold the 2nd International Conference on Transboundary Aquifers (ISARM 2021) in Paris, France on 6-8 December, 2021. The PRIMA project Sustain-COAST, focusing on groundwater governance will present a poster "Data-driven analysis and regional modelling for the assessment of Transboundary Aquifers in the Mediterranean region". Also, Sustain-COAST partners will give a talk on "Multidisciplinary joint-force efforts towards science-based management in the Mediterranean region: A particular focus on transboundary aquifers" . Further information on Sustain-COAST website

13- The creation of the SAFERS platform and Intelligent Services for efficient forest fire management is grounded on a human- centred approach which includes co-design. An online survey and a fully virtual International User Requirements Workshop (IURW) were performed to gather end-user needs and co-design the SAFERS Plaform and Intelligent services key functionalities. The online survey was taken in December 2020 and it was replied by a total of 49 respondents from 29 organizations in 16 different countries. On the other hand, the IURW took place virtually on 24-25 February 2021, and it included two co-design sessions gathering a total of 90 participants from 65 organisations in 18 countries. The objectives of these co-design activities included the following: i) To have a better understanding of the activities conducted by forest fire management, and the data and tools used and desired; ii) To identify end-user requirements for the SAFERS platform and Intelligent Services. A summary of the results of these activities has been illustrated in this recent infographic which can be downloaded from SAFERS website [link]  Further information on SAFERS website

14-  HYDROUSA project won the PRIMA WEFE NEXUS Award. This award recognises and celebrates outstanding teams of researchers and practitioners that have used their results to demonstrate the wider socio-economic benefits of their proposed practices through a WEFE Nexus approach in the Mediterranean region. The prize winners were announced at the 2021 WEFE Sciences Advances Conference held online in 27 – 29 September 2021. HYDROUSA proposes circular business models linked to innovative solutions for decentralized water scarce areas in terms of water/wastewater treatment and management, which will close the water loops and will also boost their agricultural and energy profile. Demonstrations are implemented in six Greek Islands, and replications are under development in other Mediterranean sites (Spain, Tunisia, France, Malta, Palestine, Croatia, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Italy). Further information on Hydrousa website

15- The PRIMA project SUPROMED organised a technical conference on 18 November as a forum for discussion and reflection with farmers, technicians, and managers of companies linked to irrigation on how to increase production and quality of agricultural products with proper design and management of irrigation, trying to meet the demands of industry and market. The conference presented the latest models and tools for proper management of pressurized irrigation, including underground drip irrigation, which are freely available to users at https://dss.supromed.eu/portal/. The keys to know and achieve the proper management of controlled deficit irrigation in nuts and vines were given. Further information on SUPROMED website

16- On 14 December, the H2020 project Smart.Met will present the achievements and challenges of a trans-national Pre-Commercial Public Procurement to develop innovative smart-metering solutions in the water sector for the benefit of users and the environment. European water utilities are confronted with multiple challenges: increasing water scarcity and extreme weather events, ageing infrastructure, growing affordability concerns, to name just a few. Through real-time continuous control of flows in the water network, smart water meters can help water utilities improve the management of water resources for the benefit of both users and the nature (e.g. fast detection of leakage, improvement of customer service, prioritisation of investments-). Since 2017, 13 partners, including 7 EU water public utilities are driving the development of innovative solution with external industrial suppliers. The final event is organised with an institutional session and a technological fair, see Smart.Met website to register and get further details.

17- Water for Tomorrow is a cross-border partnership of 5 organisations in England and France which will develop and test innovative water management tools and decision-making support systems. These will enable more responsive short-term management of drought events, and better long-term planning, as well as investment in water management at a local scale. This €4million project is funded through the EU INTERREG VA France (Channel) England Programme which has committed €2.8million through the European Development Fund. The project will run until March 2023. The project outputs will be: New data collection methods, hydro-economic models and new software to improve water allocation and early warning of water scarcity/ Multi sector collaboration that supports the uptake and roll out of these systems and use of smart technologies in the management of water resources across the FCE area. Further information on Water for Tomorrow website

18- UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Arab States together with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (UN ESCWA) and UNICEF launched a regional project on 21 October aimed at increasing the capacity of displaced persons and host communities in Jordan and Lebanon to deal with water scarcity brought on by climate change. The project, which is funded by the Adaptation Fund at a value of nearly USD 14 million, will run for four years and is implemented in partnership with the Governments of Jordan and Lebanon through their Ministries of Environment as well as other national ministries, local authorities, civil society and the private sector in target areas. The project is unique in that it aims to solve a cross-border problem by using innovative techniques for water harvesting, reusing treated wastewater and permaculture and efficient irrigation while focusing on marginalised and vulnerable communities. Further information on EMWIS website 

19- Calling water the "most strategic value" of the next century, the Turkish president on 21 October said that pressure on water resources have been increasing every year, Anadolu News Agency reports. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking at the first Water Council via video link. Erdogan highlighted the importance of water resources in the future, as well as Turkey's approach and efforts in this regard. "Protecting water resources before their depletion, using them efficiently and their proper management is now a must rather than a choice," he said. According to the president, there are 90 ongoing projects in Turkey which would provide an additional 1.8 billion cubic meters of drinking water annually to 18 million people in the future. Also, Erdogan said Turkey would adopt new measures to reduce the cost of energy for irrigation, adding that new financing models would be developed for irrigation projects in the coming days. Furthermore, the Turkish leader said new steps will be taken regarding the recycling of waste in line with the European Green Deal and that Ankara is going to accelerate its climate change adaptation activities by analyzing effects of climate change on water sources. Further information on EMWIS website

20- Climate change threatens food security in Tunisia, reads a study on "Climate Change in Tunisia, Realities and Adaptation Options for the Public Services Sector," published by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).  According to climate projections mentioned in this study, a 50% reduction in the area of tree crops is expected by the end of the century and of 30% for irrigated grain crops by 2030. The serious reduction in water quantities made available to farmers represents a threat to the good management of crops and "the stable supply of fruit and vegetable markets," the same source said. The study sheds light on the policy of economic openness and growth adopted in the country since independence days and its "significant environmental and climatic costs (soil degradation and impoverishment, lowering of water tables, chemical pollution by pesticides and fertilisers). It also criticises the water policy of Tunisia "which continues to encourage investments in all sectors with very little vigilance regarding their environmental impacts and their water needs". Further information on EMWIS website 

21- In collaboration with the European Union in Morocco, the Department for Environment held an online closing workshop for the twinning project that took place over the course of 24 months (September 2019 – August 2021) and received 1.2 million euros in European Union (EU) funding through the EU/Morocco Competitiveness and Green Growth Support Programme (PACC). This twinning project to “Support the implementation of the National Charter of Environment and Sustainable Development” aimed to align Morocco’s legal and regulatory environmental framework with that of the European Union. It facilitated the production of 25 draft laws and regulations, capacity-building among leaders at the Department for the Environment, and events to raise awareness and promote communication (panel discussions, workshops,) aimed at domestic stakeholders, territorial partners, and the private sector. Topics of discussion revolved around 13 themes, including waste, the coastline, odour nuisance, the environmental police, auditing and research, environmental taxation and accounting, and protected sites. Participants in the closing workshop focused on the achievements of the project and the targets achieved despite the Covid-19 pandemic, welcoming the results obtained.  Further information on EMWIS website

22- A new program piloted by the Association Agrotechnologies du Souss-Massa (AgroTech) will provide training and support to actors involved in the collection and recycling of agricultural plastic waste in Souss-Massa, Morocco. In preparation for more than a year, the program for the recovery of agricultural plastic waste in the Souss-Massa is launched since October 12th, 2021. The training begins with the component “training and support of collectors and recyclers” of the region located in northern Morocco. The training will be held at the Centre service training of the OFPPT (Office of Vocational Training and Promotion of Work) Taddart, in the city of Agadir. Further information on EMWIS website

23- Egypt suffers from a water deficit of 90 per cent of its renewable resources, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Mohamed Abdel Aty said on 24 October. Speaking at the fourth edition of the Cairo Water Week, which began in Cairo on 24 October, Abdel Aty said Egypt reuses 35 per cent of those resources to bridge the gap in water deficit. He pointed out the importance of concerted global efforts to deal with the challenges related to water, which, he said, is the most challenging crisis. "Without this cooperation, no country will be able to face these challenges alone because we live in one world with a common destiny," he said. Egypt has implemented many major national projects and used modern technology in water management in order to deal with the water crisis, he continued, pointing out that Egypt is keen to enhance cooperation with all countries, especially African countries regarding water issues. Meanwhile, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sisi told the conference that the Egyptian people are closely following up on the developments regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue. He stressed that Egypt aspires to reach a balanced and legally binding agreement with Ethiopia. Further information on EMWIS website

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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24- MOROCCO: MOHAMMED SADIKI APPOINTED MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, MARITIME FISHERIES, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, WATER AND FORESTS: State engineer in agronomy, holder of a Doctorate of State in agricultural sciences and a PhD from the University of Minnesota (USA), Mohammed Sadiki was since 2013 in Morocco, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests and President of the CIHEAM Governing Board since 2018. With more than 30 years of career, Prof. Mohammed Sadiki has accumulated varied experiences and rich know-how at the crossroads of academic, scientific, research-innovation and agricultural development. With numerous high-level responsibilities in the fields of education and training, research and innovation, and agricultural and rural development, he has been able to broaden his skills to questions of policy analysis and development. He has also developed significant expertise in international cooperation, networking and facilitation of partnerships, particularly with donors and development agencies. Further information on EMWIS website

25- TUNISIA: MR. MAHMOUD ELIES HAMZA HAS BEEN APPOINTED MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE: Delegate of Tunisia to the CIHEAM Governing Board of Directors since June 5, 2017, Mahmoud Elies HAMZA was at the head of the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA) since 2017. This Agricultural Higher Education and Research Institution brings together several agricultural higher education institutions (including the National Agronomic Institute of Tunis) and research (including the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, the Institut National de Recherche en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, the Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer or the Institut des Régions Arides de Médenine or the Institut de l'Olivier de Sfax). Mr Mahmoud Elies Hamza was also a professor of agricultural machinery and director of the preparatory school of biology and geology at the Soukra, but also the director of the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT). M. Mahmoud Elies Hamza also received the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit), in the field of education and science in July 2007.Agronomist Engineer and Doctor in Agricultural Sciences of the Institut National Agronomique de Paris Grignon, holder of a Post Doctorate of the University of Agricultural Sciences of Gembloux in the field of Agricultural Mechanization, Mahmoud Elies Hamza is also an expert in the agricultural sector and in rural areas, with organizations such as UNIDO and FAO. Further information on EMWIS website

26- The EMWIS TU is recruiting a junior European project manager, supervised by the project leaders and under the responsibility of the director, the successful candidate will carry out the following tasks:
- Support to the management of European projects related to the environment: communication, dissemination, digital marketing, exploitation and transfer plans of results
- Participation in the drafting of proposals in response to calls for proposals
- Support to the communication of EMWIS Technical Unit
 Further information on EMWIS website

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PUBLICATIONS
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27- Nature-based solutions in agriculture Sustainable management and conservation of land, water, and biodiversity: In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the area of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that improve ecosystem functions of environments and landscapes affected by agricultural practices and land degradation, while enhancing livelihoods and other social and cultural functions. This has opened up a portfolio of NbS options that offer a pragmatic way forward for simultaneously addressing conservation, climate and socioeconomic objectives while maintaining healthy and productive agricultural systems. NbS can mimic natural processes and build on land restoration and operational water-land management concepts that aim to simultaneously improve vegetation and water availability and quality, and raise agricultural productivity. NbS can involve conserving or rehabilitating natural ecosystems and/or the enhancement or the creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems. In agricultural landscapes, NbS can be applied for soil health, soil moisture, carbon mitigation (through soil and forestry), downstream water quality protections, biodiversity benefits as well as agricultural production and supply chains to achieve net-zero environmental impacts while achieving food and water security, and meet climate goals. Further information on EMWIS website

28-Hydro-diplomacy: A new approach to water security and sustainable de-velopment in the Arab region: A large portion of the world’s population depend on neighboring countries for their water. This is particularly the case in the Arab region, which also happens to be the most water scarce region in the world. The Arab region is also facing political instability and is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. International conventions on collaboration over transboundary water don’t appear to be meaningful and many people are now calling for better water diplomacy in and between countries in the Arab region. In this publication, Hassan Aboelnga, Hazim El-Naser, Mufleh Al Alaween Al Abbadi, Almotaz Abadi and Shammy Puri set out the case for a new outlook expressed by the term hydrodiplomacy. Further information on EMWIS website 

29- Special issue "Water and Circular Cities" in the MDPI journal Water: this issue embraces the knowledge from the COST Action CA17133 Circular City (Implementing nature based solutions (NBS) for creating a resourceful circular city), which incorporates members from all 39 COST countries. It features 12 papers, some them written on the basis of H2020 projects such as HYDROUSA or EdiCitNet.  Further information on MDPI journal website

 

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CALL FOR TENDERS AND PROPOSALS

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30- Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of 95.5 billion euros. It tackles climate change, helps to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and boosts the EU’s competitiveness and growth. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of research and innovation in developing, supporting and implementing EU policies while tackling global challenges. It supports creating and better dispersing of excellent knowledge and technologies. It creates jobs, fully engages the EU’s talent pool, boosts economic growth, promotes industrial competitiveness and optimises investment impact within a strengthened European Research Area. Legal entities from the EU and associated countries can participate. Calls for proposals are open since June 22.

31- Launching event of Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership. Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, is pleased to announce that its 2021-2022 joint Call for Transnational Research Proposals on “Supporting biodiversity and ecosystem protection across land and sea” is now open. The launch of this call also marks the official start of Biodiversa+ (formal launch event is planned 17-18 November 2021. Save the date & register for virtual participation.  This call aims to support transnational research projects (3-years duration) addressing one or more of the three (non-exclusive) themes below:
      THEME 1 – Knowledge for identifying priority conservation areas, establishing effective and resilient ecological networks, enhancing species-based protection and preserving genetic diversity
      THEME 2 – Multiple benefits and costs of biodiversity and ecosystem protection: synergies and trade-offs
      THEME 3 – Effective management and equitable governance to deliver bold conservation outcome
Projects combining aspects from several themes are encouraged. This call is focused on the protection of biodiversity in the wild. This does not, for example, include efforts for restoration of habitats and species, or ex-situ conservation. The call covers all environments, i.e. terrestrial, freshwater and marine. It also covers research on biodiversity conservation in the Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) of the EU. Further information on EMWIS website

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TRAINING
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32- MOOC on "Nature-based urban regeneration" : The edX MOOC "Nature-based urban regeneration" based on  the H2020 NBS project proGIreg was launched on November 1. The NBS MOOC is a permanent course on a renowned platform which will be further improved during the project and also available after its end.  Estimated duration: 5 weeks 5–6 hours per week. Further information on EMWIS website

33- MOOC on "Aquaponics – the circular food production system " In the MOOC "Aquaponics - the circular food production system" by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland, you will learn the most important things about aquaponics. Course duration: 6 weeks à 4-6h/week in the period from 20 September 2021 to 21 February 2022. Further information on EMWIS website

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Events
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[2022/03/21 - 2022/03/26] THE 9 th WORLD WATER FORUM IN DAKAR: Postponed for MARCH 2022

Further information on EMWIS website

[2021/12/08 - 2021/12/10] 19th “EUROPE-INBO” INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE for the Implementation of the European Water Directives

Further information on EMWIS website

[2021/12/06 - 2021/12/08] 4th Mediterranean Water Forum

Further information on EMWIS website

[2021/11/30 - 2021/12/01] European Business & Nature Summit 2021

Further information on EMWIS website

[2021/11/28 -2021/11/28] Day of the Mediterranean !

Further information on EMWIS website


[2021/11/25 - 2021/11/25 ] 2nd introductory webinar to the May 2022 International Conference “Groundwater, key to the Sustainable Development Goals”.

Further information on EMWIS website

 

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