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EMWIS Flash N°40, October 2006
| Released | 27/10/2006 |
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EMWIS Flash - October 2006 |
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In this issue N°40 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash40)
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HEADLINE
1- Conference of the water directors of the Euro-Mediterranean and Southeastern European countries
IN BRIEF
2- 3th Euro-Med Ministerial Conference on the Environment & the Horizon 2020 Initiative
3- Information & Training Seminar for EMWIS NFP data managers
4- €11.181 billion to support the European Neighbourhood Policy for the period 2007-2013
5- European initiative for the standardisation of membrane bioreactor technology
6- Final Resolutions of "Water in Mountains" International Congress
7- Jordan, US Sign Grant Agreement
8- Jordan: UNDP grants $110,000 for environment protection
9- Israel: Reduction of the Amount of Desalinated Water
10- Palestine: Rafah Municipality Warns of Groundwater Pollution in the City
11- Portugal: EIB Loan for Water Management
12- Cyprus: EIB Loan for Water Management
13- Bulgaria/Romania: Serb compensation for oil spill
14- Bulgaria: Poor Water sanitation increases Hepatitis A spreads
15- Italy: Wastewater is a golden resource and saves agriculture
16- LIFE-Environment: 53 environmental innovation projects selected
17- Last year for LIFE III
18- LIFE-Third Countries: 16 environmental improvement projects
19- Islamic Development Bank’s new investments for US$706 million
20- Climate change: more research needed, but time for action is now
NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS
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HEADLINE
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1- The next Conference of the Water Directors of the Euro-Mediterranean and Southeastern European Countries will take place in Athens (Greece), on 6 & 7 November 2006. The Conference is organized by Greece, the lead country of the Mediterranean component of the EU Water Initiative (Med-EUWI) in cooperation with the European Commission, the ‘Euro-Mediterranean Information System on Know-How in the Water Sector’ (EMWIS) and the ‘Regional Monitoring and Support Unit’ (RMSU) of the MEDA-Water Programme of the EC. It aims to contribute to the implementation of the MED EUWI and review the progress of the main initiatives related to the water sector. Further information on EMWIS website
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IN BRIEF
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2- At the core of the agenda will be the endorsement of the timetable for the Horizon 2020 Initiative - the EC initiative to depollute the Mediterranean Sea by 2020 -, as well as proposals for broader cooperation between the EC and basin countries to effectively invert current environmental degradation trends. The EC proposes to achieve environmental cooperation by setting up financial assistance mechanisms, by strengthening dialogue and ownership, by enhancing coordination and by promoting procedures to ensure the exchange of environmental knowledge and know-how that have proved successful at the regional level. Further information on EMWIS website
3- The next meeting of EMWIS National Focal Points take place in Madrid (Spain) on 13-15 November 2006. They will review how to take the best benefits from the new web portal technology introduced by EMWIS and the use the common exchange standards. A specific attention will be paid to water documentation management, the use and enhancement of the common multilingual thesaurus/glossary on water (English, Arab, French, Spanish and Italian) and further development of a comprehensive water projects database. The way forward of national water portals will also be discussed with a self evaluation of services provided, review of user needs and technological and thematic watch services.
Further information on EMWIS website
4- A total of €11.181 billion will be allocated over the next seven years to support the European Neighbourhood Policy for the period 2007-2013. The regulation establishing the legal framework for the provision of assistance was approved by EU Foreign Ministers on October 17. Some 95% of the budget will be spent on country and multi-country programmes and the remaining 5% on cross-border cooperation. Implementation of the regulation begins on 1 January 2007. Further information on EMWIS website
5- AMEDEUS, a consortium on MBR-technology coordinated by the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water, has performed a comprehensive study on the market expectation and technological potential of the standardisation of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology in Europe. Two project partners, Anjou Recherche (Veolia Water) and Aquafin, major operators of MBR systems in Europe, have been in charge of this study, undertaken in liaison with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). The outcomes of the study –a White Paper on MBR standardisation– will be soon available at www.mbr-network.eu, the web-platform dedicated to the MBR technology, and will be presented on 24 November 2006 in a workshop hosted by the German Institute for Standardisation (DIN) in Berlin. Further information on EMWIS website
6- On the occasion of the 2nd International Congress on water in mountains, more than 165 representatives of governmental administrations in charge of water resources management, of basin organizations or district authorities coming from 33 countries and International Commissions, as well as the Global Water Partnership, the European Investment Bank and European Commission, met in Megève in France, from 20 to 22 September 2006, at the invitation of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development and the French Water Agencies, under the auspices of the Group of European Basin Organizations (EUROPE-INBO) for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). INBO World Liaison Bureau held a statutory meeting on the occasion of this conference.
Further information on EMWIS website
7- The US has granted Jordan, a staunch Middle East ally, an extra USD 50 million in aid to bolster its economy, bringing total assistance this year to over USD 500 million. After the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Washington doubled its annual grants to Jordan. US ambassador to Jordan David Hale said the money would go to finance major projects in water, tourism and schools along with easing Jordan's USD 8.4 billion foreign debt burden. The grant will be used for the construction of the Northern Governorates Water Supply distribution system, the construction and rehabilitation of schools, and greater employment in the tourism field. Since 1952, U.S. economic assistance to Jordan totaled more than $4.7 billion.
Further information on EMWIS website
8- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has granted $110,000 to three NGOs for the implementation of grassroots projects in the field of environmental protection and conservation in Jordan. The grant falls within the UNDP-administered Global Environment Facility /Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP), a fund that supports community-level solutions to environmental problems. The projects are in line with GEF/SGP strategic objectives, which focus on achieving global environmental benefits in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation and persistent organic pollutants, as well as enhancing livelihoods of local communities and their capacities to manage natural resources, according to a UNDP statement. The Productive Village Cooperative in Al Salhiyeh Village will use the funds to rehabilitate the plant cover surrounding the area. The project seeks to control the formation of dust and sand dunes on village dwellings, which affect the health, social and economic life of the community.
Further information on EMWIS website
9- According to a government proposition draft prepared by the budgets department in the Israelian Ministry of Finance, the amount of desalination in Israel will be reduced to 230 million cubic meters per year, compared to a former government resolution from 2003 that set a goal of 315 million cubic meters. The Ministry of National Infrastructures in general and the Water Commission in particular object to the decision and refer to it as a risk to the water sector in Israel. On the contrary, the Water Authority, backed by the Ministry of National Infrastructure, recommends increasing the volume of desalinated water to 400 million cubic meters per year.
Further information on EMWIS website
10- Engineer Ashraf Ghneim, head of the Water and Sewage Department in Rafah municipality, warned of the possibility of groundwater pollution in the city. This risk comes from the backlog of solid waste in Tal Al-Sultan area, and the fact that it is not being transported to the dumping site which is situated near the checkpoint of Sofa. The municipality made several calls and wrote urgent letters to many environmental and international organizations asking them to interfere. Moreover, Ghneim expressed that the municipality faces other water problems due to the continued cut-off of electricity.
Further information on EMWIS website
11- To serve half of the some 10 million Portuguese Population, the European Investment Bank has approved a loan of EUR 925 million over 25 years to Águas de Portugal (AdP) for investments in eleven regional public utilities. A first tranche loan contract of EUR 300 million was signed in Lisbon. The investments throughout Portugal cover bulk water supply and wastewater collection and treatment to meet the goals set by environmental EU legislation and in keeping with the national water plan covered by the Community Support Framework. Lower risks to public health will result from improving the quality of groundwater, rivers and coastal areas.
Further information on EMWIS website
12- The European Investment Bank (EIB), announces a first €70 million financing to support the continuation (phase B) of the major Sewerage and Drainage project over the whole Limassol district, on the Southern Coast of Cyprus. This is the first tranche of a €100 million credit facility approved by the EIB. The full investment programme supported by the EIB comprises the “Limassol-Amathus Sewerage and Drainage Project”, which is being implemented in several phases since 1992. Its main objective is to provide adequate provision of water management services to the 165 000 residents, businesses and tourism facilities all located in the Greater Limassol area including several villages northeast of Limassol. Further information on EMWIS website
13- Bulgaria and Romania plan to seek compensation from neighboring Serbia for an oil spill that has polluted large swaths of the Danube River in both countries. “There is one basic principle in environmental protection: The one who pollutes pays,” Bulgaria’s Environment and Waters Minister Dzhevdet Chakarov told reporters in Sofia. Romania’s Environment Minister Sulfina Barbu had already said on Wednesday that she would demand “financial compensation” from Belgrade.
Further information on EMWIS website
14- New hepatitis A cases, averaging more than 80 a week in the past month, were reported in a Bulgaria neighborhood, where poor water sanitation and hygiene are aiding the disease's spread. New cases of the virus, which causes inflammation of the liver without chronic disease, have climbed 45 percent this year across the East European country, according to Eurosurveillance, an online journal of peer-reviewed information on communicable diseases.
Further information on EMWIS website
15- The re-use of the water used after depollution for the irrigation of the fields, allowed the farmers of the area of Milan in Italy, to save their cultures. The city obtained a station profiting from a double circuit: a traditional, biological treatment for the water returned in the rivers, then a treatment by filtering and ultraviolet rays, allowing the total disinfection of this water, for a re-use. Suez suggests that such systems are promoted at the local level. Re-used water is so clean that they require a more important use of manure for certain plantations. In all the cases, they constitute an alternative resource. Further information on EMWIS website
16- The 2006 LIFE-Environment projects will be implemented in 14 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). The 66 million from LIFE will contribute to a total investment of 215 million. Water Management is the second most popular theme with 15 projects sharing 18.5 million, or 28 percent of the total. Three projects address the reduction of the environmental impact of products and services (just over 5 million, or 8 percent of the total EU funding). In addition, 7.2 million will be used to co-finance 3 LIFE Environment 'preparatory' projects.
Further information on EMWIS website
17- The projects selected following the 2006 call for proposals are the last to be funded under the current phase of the LIFE programme – LIFE III. In 2007, a new phase of the LIFE programme will be introduced, LIFE+. The current environment and nature components of LIFE will continue under LIFE+ and a new strand focusing on information and communication will be added. LIFE+ will focus in particular on combating climate change and the decline in Europe's biodiversity, promoting health and quality of life, and the sustainable management of waste and natural resources.
Further information on EMWIS website
18- The 2006 LIFE-Third Countries (TCY) projects will be implemented in a variety of countries of the Mediterranean and Balkan regions, and in Russia: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, Russia, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey. LIFE-TCY funding for these projects amounts to 6.5 million. The project objectives are to improve the environment and achieve Sustainable development by contributing to the creation or strengthening of the relevant institutions, policies, monitoring tools, training facilities, networks, and databases. Projects will address issues from waste management and air pollution prevention and control, to river basin management and sustainable tourism. Some projects promote harmonisation with EU environmental regulations or co-operation at regional or trans-national level.
Further information on EMWIS website
19- The Board of Executive Directors of The Islamic Development Bank (IDB), which concluded its 240th session at the Bank's Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, approved US$ 705.9 million towards project financing and trade operations. Details of some of the various projects financing and trade operations approved by the Board: 1- Development Projects: - US$ 10.16 million loan & T.A. (Grant) for Potable and Wastewater Connections to Households Project, Egypt. 2- Technical Assistance Operations and Other Projects: - US$ 278,000 T.A. (Grant) Operation for Institutional Capacity Building of National Office for Sanitation, Tunisia. Further information on EMWIS website
20- Scientists, policy makers and practitioners have outlined their priorities for future research needs for investigating the impact of climate change on the water cycle, and explained how research results in these fields can feed into the policy-making procedure. At a workshop organised by the European Commission, the experts also discussed how EU water legislation could provide tools to water managers to help them adapt to climate change. The FP7 will emphasise on climate impacts on the water cycle and resources, the prediction of impacts to the different regions of Europe and the relation between natural hazards and extreme events and climate change. It will also contribute to the coordination of national research actions and programmes in the area Water-Climate. The outcomes of the workshop will feed into an international symposium organised by the German Presidency of the EU on climate change and water, which will be held in Berlin in February 2007. Further information on EMWIS website
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NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
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21- Morocco: New Water director and new director of Oum Er Bia Bassin Agency.
Former water director Mr. Abdelaziz ZEROUALI has been nominated director of Oum Er Bia Bassin Agency in Beni Mellal. On the other hand, Mr. Majid BEN BIBA has been nominated director of Water Research & Planning in the "Secretary of State to the Ministry of Territorial Development, Water, & Environment in Charge of Water".
Further information on EMWIS website
22- Vacancy: PhD Decision culture in European Water Governance: A PhD studentship on Decision culture in European Water Governance is now available, funded under the EC ISBP project, a NEST-PATHFINDER project, due to begin in November 2006. The studentship will involve carrying out research to characterise and understand the way in which UK Water Service Providers (WSPs) are responding to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The broader aims of the Project Workpackage in which the studentship will be located will be to develop a concept of ‘decision culture’ in the context of European water governance. Further information on EMWIS website
23- Campaigners combating global desertification win key environment prize: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced that Rodrigo Vivas Rosas of Colombia and the Tenadi Cooperative Group of Mauritania will be the recipients of the 2006 UNEP Sasakawa Prize for their achievements in combating desertification and land degradation. The new UNEP Sasakawa Prize, worth US$200,000 is awarded annually.
Further information on EMWIS website
24- A Vacancy Announcement for the post of Sustainable Development Officer in UNEP/MAP is announced. The Announcement is posted on the UNEP web site. Kindly note that the closing date for applications is the 31 October 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
25- Morocco: National office of Drinking Water « ONEP » seeks Engineers: in Morocco. The development of its activities at the regional level in terms of generalisation of the access to drinking water of the rural world and by its active intervention in the sanitation sector, the National office of Drinking water recruits 40 Engineers in the following specialities: - Hydraulics - Electromechanics - Genius environment - civil Engineering - Automatism - Electrical engineering. Deadline: 31/10/2006. Further information on EMWIS website
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PUBLICATIONS
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26- New publication: Improving access to water in deserts and drylands
Water scarcity and drought affect over one billion people in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, threatening livelihoods and food security. In these areas, the only available water may be surface runoff during rainy seasons, or shallow groundwater. This policy brief describes traditional ways of harvesting such water, outlines what improvements modern science offers, and discusses the implications for decision-makers, identifying both constraints and recommendations.
Further information on EMWIS website
27- The book "Dry: Life Without Water", recently published by Harvard University Press is based in part on research that was overseen by TWAS and the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO) under a project sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It includes 16 stories written by leading science journalists from around the world.
Further information on EMWIS website
28- The comprehensive assessment on water management in agriculture is being finalised and the book "water for food, water for life: the comprehensive assessment" will be available at the end of the year. The first in a series issue briefs that summarise the key messages coming out from individual chapters is now available here. The first issue brief is about agriculture and ecosystems and entitled 'Reaping what we sow: Acting now to reduce the negative environmental consequences of agriculture'. Further information on EMWIS website
29- New publication: Non-renewable groundwater resources
This guidebook on socially-sustainable management for water-policy makers discusses the utilization of non-renewable groundwater resources. Whether the utilization is planned or unplanned, it implies the mining of storage reserves. The guidebook places strong emphasis on the socio-economic, institutional and legal dimensions of groundwater utilization and management. The target audience for this publication is water resource decision-makers.
Further information on EMWIS website
30- New publication: "Water scarcity: a natural factor or a social question?"
The last issue of "Géocarrefour" coordinated by Anne Rivière-Honegger & Jean-Paul Bravard is dedicated to the theme: "Water scarcity: a natural factor or a social question?". In this issue, the first four articles contribute to better understand the water scarcity, which does not have a consensus definition.
Further information on EMWIS website
31- The publication: "Linking Poverty Reduction and Water Management" by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) analyzes the link between poverty reduction and water management, and outlines the different ways in which improvements to water management can advance the cause of poverty reduction. Indeed, improving access to water is in some cases an essential pre-condition to the attainment of other MDG targets. The paper also illustrates that improving the contribution of water management to poverty reduction is not just achievable: it is affordable.
Further information on EMWIS website
32- New publication: Groundwater assessment through an integrated approach using remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS) and resistivity techniques: a case study from a hard rock terrain: Satellite data are useful for extracting various thematic maps required for groundwater assessment. In this study, Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) 1D LISS III and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)/Enhanced TM (ETM+) digital data, and digital elevation models (DEMs) from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) along with other collateral data were analysed to create various thematic maps (geomorphology, landuse, lithology, lineament, soil, drainage density, river gradient and slope maps) required for groundwater modelling.
Further information on EMWIS website
33- New website of the MedWet CODDE project: The upgraded website of the MedWet CODDE project is online. Enriched with new graphics the website now features additional contents on news as well as a section with material available for downloading. From the new pages you can now navigate to materials of the workshop on remote sensing tools for inventorying wetlands. Further information on EMWIS website
34- New website of the "LIFE3 TCY/INT/031 Protection et Developpement Durable des Zones Humides en Afrique du Nord"
Recently re-designed the new webpages of "the LIFE3 TCY/INT/031 Protection et Developpement Durable des Zones Humides en Afrique du Nord" were launched this month. With an improved structure making information easier to trace the new website features a fresh look and two new pages devoted to an introduction and background of the project.
Further information on EMWIS website
35- Two new publications on river basin management were brought out by NGOs participating in the MedWet NGO network. CSDC (Civil Society Development Center), Network member from Albania, published a leaflet to raise awareness on the ecological and socio-economic value of the Shkodra basin and the need to align Albanian legislation to the EU Water Framework Directive. The Algerian NGO, “Promotion of Rural Women in the Wilaya of Skikda” translated the manual “Integrated River Basin Management – Guidelines for the Mediterranean“ into French.
Further information on EMWIS website
36- New publication: Water Governance for Sustainability, Approaches and Lessons from Developing and Transitional Countries
This book presents best practices for policy- and decision-makers, governments and regulators, NGOs and user groups, farmers, water supply companies and researchers, as well as pointing towards how good water governance structures can be developed and implemented for the benefit of all. Further information on EMWIS website
37- New publication: "Liquid Assets- An Economic Approach for Water Management and Conflict Resolution in the Middle East and Beyond" shows that the common view of water as an inevitable cause of future wars is neither rational nor necessary.
"Liquid Assets" presents a comprehensive and careful way to think about water conflicts. It shows clearly where economics can be useful to the profoundly political aspects of water conflicts, but it is not authoritarian about what should be done. It is, rather, illustrative of what could be done, and why it might make sense to do it that way. Further information on EMWIS website
38- Study of historical flood events on Spanish rivers using documentary data: Series of reconstructed historical floods are valuable sources of proxy data that can be utilized for the study of flooding fluctuations in the pre-instrumental period. In this work, the severity and frequency of historical flood events in different Spanish rivers are analysed using documentary evidence. Further information on EMWIS website
39- Adour Garonne Water Agency launched a new website version: www.eau-adour-garonne.fr. New sections, information on missions, organisation, programmes, information on water resources, water data issued from different water services, etc.
Further information on EMWIS website
40- New publication: "Participatory Mapping and Geographic Information Systems: Whose Map?"
Article written by Robert Chambers. In recent years, changes in participatory methodologies (PMs) may have been even more rapid than those in spatial technologies. Local people's abilities to make maps only became widely known and facilitated in the early 1990s. Further information on EMWIS website
41- Introducing "Arab Environment Monitor": Mr. Batir Wardam has launched a special website/blog named "Arab Environmental Monitor": www.arabenvironment.net which also has an Arabic interface at www.arabenvironment.net/arabic/
This blog was created in February 2006 as a virtual platform for updates and analysis of the Jordanian environmental issues and now Mr. Wardam decided to expand it into an Arab platform targeting the Jordanian, Arab and international environmental community. Further information on EMWIS website
42- New publication: Living with water, 49 water projects in the Netherlands within the context of LIFE Environment (1992-2006): The projects are organised into a number of themes: wastewater, groundwater, water and green, drinking water and industrial water-supply, maritime, and water management. For each project, an overview and weblinks are given. The compilation includes both completed projects and projects in progress. Further information: SenterNovem website or see LIFE publications section. Further information on EMWIS website
43- New publication: Water Resources in Jordan: Evolving Policies for Development, the Environment, and Conflict Resolution: This is the first comprehensive, multi-disciplinary book to address water policy in Jordan. Edited by the former Minister of Water and Irrigation of Jordan, with contributions by other prominent Jordanian and international water professionals, this volume covers such areas as the population-water resources equation in Jordan; institutional and legal frameworks; the data systems used for the assessment and formulation of water policy; water allocations and uses in municipal, industrial, and agricultural sectors; social and environmental issues; and water conflict with Jordan's neighbors.
Further information on EMWIS website
44- 68% of Europeans tend to have a positive perception of relations with neighbouring countries and believe cooperation will bring mutual benefits according to a Eurobarometer Special Report on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) issued on October 10. Most Europeans also believe that supporting reforms in neighbouring countries will benefit the EU’s neighbours in terms of economic and social development, as well as good governance. Further information on EMWIS website
45- New publication: "The rivers and the right". The rivers seem to be lost in the meanders of the right. The delicate question of their statute and their legal status besides never was really solved. Not more than their legal definition. It is all the object of this work. Further information on EMWIS website (Only in French)
46- New publication: "Social change and flood risk management in the delta of the Rhone, the catastrophes of 1856 and 1993-1994". This guide proposes an original multi-field approach of the flood risk management flood in the delta of the Rhone, treated like element of a total and decisional social system. Further information on EMWIS website (Only in French)
47- New publication: "To associate reduction of poverty and water management". This article analyzes the potential role of the water management in the reduction of poverty and identifies the actions by which this potential can be carried out. This approach touches all the objectives and targets of the Millenium Development Goals (MDG). Further information on EMWIS website (Only in French)
48- WHO published the 3rd edition of the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater. It gathers four volumes, respectively treating political and lawful aspects, use of the wastewater in agriculture, use of grey water and excreta in pisciculture and the use of excreta and wastewaters in agriculture.
Further information on EMWIS website
49- The "Glossary of IWRM terminology used by different disciplines and methodologies" is available in the download section of the NOSTRUM-DSS/FEEM website. NOSTRUM (Network on gOvernance, Science and Technology for sustainable water ResoUrce management in the Mediterranean: The role of Dss tools) is an INCO-MPC project which aims to contribute to bridge the gaps between science and real life, in order to provide Dss developers with insight into the language and the needs of policy makers (PMs) and stakeholders, and subsequently to provide PMs effective tools based on an integrated approach for problem solving in the context of IWRM. Further information on EMWIS website
50- The Conference of African River and Lake Basin Organisations held in Kampala (Uganda) last 19-20 October 2006 and organised in the framework of AMCOW published its Conclusions and Recommendations of in which it stressed the need for harmonised water information systems at regional, national and river basins levels.
Further information on EMWIS website
51- The Aquastress project (Mitigation of Water Stress through new Approaches to Integrating Management, Technical, Economic and Institutional Instruments) has published its 2nd newsletter. Further information on EMWIS website
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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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52- The thematic Group on Productive Uses of Water (PRODWAT) and IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre offer an award of €1000 towards further documentation of a story relating to multiple uses of water. Case studies may be submitted in English, Spanish or French. The case study must be less than 2000 words. Apply before: 31 October 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
53- ADIRA project supported financially by the European Union in the framework of the MEDA Water programme announced a call for Tender for installing 2.0 m3/day solar distillation (thermal) unit in the North Coast of Egypt. Last Day for offer submission is Saturday, November 4, 2006 at hr 12:00. Further information on EMWIS website
54- Call for Proposals: Free Access to Major Experimental Facilities. Hydralab, an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative in the EU-FP6, invites all European scientists to submit a proposal regarding free access to 18 major and unique Hydraulic facilities and 6 Ships Hydrodynamics and Ice Engineering facilities of top institutes in Europe. The European Commission finances access for researchers from the EC and Associated States (EC States, Bulgaria, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, Romania, Switzerland and Turkey) to these experimental facilities. Deadline for submitting proposals: October 31, 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
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CALL FOR PAPERS
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55- The Arab Science & Technology Foundation (ASTF) has announced a call for papers for the "International Symposium" which is going to be held on the 12-13 of December during the SRO4 (Scientific Research Outlook Symposium) that is considered one of the largest biannual series that ASTF runs. SRO4 will be held in Damascus, Syria, biennial 11th-14th December 2006. Some Special Sessions and Workshops include themes such as the session 7: "Water Desalination by Renewable Energy Sources". Deadline for submission of abstracts: November 2nd, 2006.
Note: Regional and international organizations may organize workshops to present their varied performance throughout the Arab World. Further information on EMWIS website
56- Call for information on wetland monitoring, Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat, France
A call for information on applied models for monitoring of wetlands has been circulated by The Station BIologique de la Tour du Valat. Ideally the model wanted would be developed to address key management issues on the wetland.
Further information on EMWIS website
57- Postponement of the conference: BULAQUA 2006
BULAQUA 2006 Conference scheduled originally for 18-19 Oct 2006 in Sofia shall be postponed for 6-7 June 2007 due to reasons related to the President elections scheduled for the same period. Further information on EMWIS website
58- The second circular for the WAPO2 International Conference on WAter POllution in natural POrous media at different scales: Assessment of fate, impact and indicators: The WAPO2 conference to be held in Barcelona on April 11-13, 2007 is aimed at scientists, students, policy makers and managers concerned with problems of groundwater contamination in porous media. Reception of abstracts: 31 October 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
59- Call for papers for the World Congress on Advancing Sustainable Hydropower: The International Hydropower Association (IHA) in collaboration with the Turkish State Hydraulic Works and the Turkish Hydropower Association, is organizing its 2007 Congress in Antalya, Turkey. A 300-word Abstracts should be submitted before Monday 20 November 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
60- Call for papers for the MEDA WATER International Conference on Sustainable Water Management: The conference organised by zer0-M project will be held in Tunis (Tunisia) on March 21-24, 2007, and its aims are sustainable water management stimulating the interest of people in water saving, considering treated wastewater as part of the community's water budget, considering the substances contained in wastewater as resources and adopting approaches that preserve the public health and the environment. Deadline for abstracts: 30 November 2006. Further information on EMWIS website
61- The XIIIth World Water Congress to be held in Montpellier the days 01-04 September 2008, has announced a call for abstracts to be due on 31 March 2007. Authors will be notified of acceptance by 30 June 2007 and will receive detailed instructions for presentation of their paper or poster. Deadline for submission of accepted papers (complete version) is 31 January 2008. Further information on EMWIS website
62- The Symposium of the Hydrautechnique Society of France: "Climate variations and Hydrology" has announced a call for papers to be due on 15 November 2006. This event will take place in Lyon (France) next 27-28 March 2007.
Further information on EMWIS website
63- The European Space Agency’s smallest satellite is unsurpassed by any other mission of its type in collecting vital scientific information. The successes the Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS), part of the Earth Observation satellite Proba, were the focus of a recent conference at ESRIN, ESA's Earth Observation Centre in Frascati, Italy. Scientists highlighted the need to continue the Proba mission until future missions become available. To promote the work of Proba and garner further support for its mission, participants decided to present their findings at the 2007 Envisat Symposium in Montreux, Switzerland in April. To this end, Proba Scientific Investigators are invited to submit their contributions to be included in dedicated sessions at the symposium. Further information on EMWIS website
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TRAINING
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64- Training Program on Gender Role in Extension and Water Awareness: Under the kind auspices of H.E. Dr. Akif Al Zoebi , Minister of Agriculture in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , AOAD held in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture , the Training Program on Gender Role in Extension and Water Awareness in Amman – Jordan during the period 17 – 21/9/2006. (22) ladies participated in the program representing (16)Arab countries in addition to the expert lecturers from (6) Arab countries. Further information on EMWIS website
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EVENTS (Full Agenda)
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[2006/11/28 - 2006/11/28] Workshop: Environmental Research for SMEs - Technology Challenges and Market Opportunities in Waste Water Treatment, Brussels, Belgium.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/27 - 2006/11/28] 8th EuroMed Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Barcelona VIII), Tampere, Finland.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/27 - 2006/11/28] 1st thematic workshop of the EU project NORMAN, Menorca, Spain.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/27 - 2006/12/08] Environmental capacity building training course, Sardinia, Italy.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/26 - 2006/11/27] Senior Officials and EuroMed Committee meetings, Tampere, Finland.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/26 - 2006/11/29] 2nd International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environment, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/24 - 2006/11/24] CEN Workshop on MBR standardisation, Berlin, Germany.
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[2006/11/23 - 2006/11/26] 3rd International Exposition & Conference: Technologies for Water & Environment - WATERTEC 2006, Athens, Greece.
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[2006/11/22 - 2006/11/22] SWIFT Seminar: "Méthodes alternatives de mesures de la qualité chimique de l’eau - Perspectives d’application dans le cadre de la Directive Cadre sur l'Eau en France", Paris, France.
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[2006/11/22 - 2006/11/22] Conference Challenge of Delivering Global Water Infrastructure, London, UK.
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[2006/11/21 - 2006/11/24] 6th Forum Edition RHONE-ALPES / Water & Energy in Africa, Lyon, France.
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[2006/11/20 - 2006/11/20] 3th Euro-Med Ministerial Conference on the Environment, Cairo, Egypt.
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[2006/11/20 - 2006/11/23] Climate Change and the Middle East : Past, Present and Future, Istanbul, Turkey.
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[20/11/2006 - 23/11/2006] European Water Congress 2006, London, United Kingdom.
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[2006/11/20 - 2006/11/22] Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, Bonn, Germany.
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[2006/11/20 - 2006/12/08] Training Course on Flood Risk Management and the Water Framework Directive, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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[2006/11/18 - 2006/11/20] The Third Franco-Maghrebine Meeting on Membrane Science and Technology, Algiers, Algeria.
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[2006/11/16 - 2006/11/18] Water and Governance Research Workshop, Barcelona, Spain.
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[2006/11/14 - 2006/11/18] The ECO-IMAGINE Thematic Conference: The WaterFront Management and GI, Genova, Italy.
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[2006/11/14 - 2006/11/15] A Two-Day Intensive Training Course on Membrane Desalination Technologies in Practice, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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[2006/11/14 - 2006/11/14] Water Resources in Ireland and Climate Change Seminar, Tullamore, Ireland.
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[2006/11/14 - 2006/11/14] 6e 'Rencontres Fluviales': Une journée de découverte, d'échange et de rencontres transrégionales, (France-Belgique)
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[2006/11/13 - 2006/11/15] Hydronòmica 2006 Convention: The Costs and Price of Water, Barcelona, Spain.
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[2006/11/13 - 2006/11/13] Environmental Education meeting at Hera, Hera, Greece.
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[2006/11/13 - 2006/11/15] Information and training seminar for EMWIS data managers, Madrid, Spain.
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[2006/11/08 - 2006/11/09] Water Finance and Investment Summit, New York, USA.
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[2006/11/08 - 2006/11/11] The 10th edition of Ecomondo, Rimini, Italy.
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[2006/11/08 - 2006/11/10] Euro-Mediterranean International Seminar on GIS and Remote Sensing: Aid to Decision and territory tools management in the mediterranean countries, Meknes, Morocco.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/08 - 2006/11/08] GWP-Med Partnership Council Meeting, Athens, Greece.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/07 - 2006/11/07] 2nd European Water Association Brussels Conference, Brussels, Belgium.
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[2006/11/07 - 2006/11/28] Agriculture and the Environment: Practices and Processes in Soil and Water, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/06] 10th EMWIS Steering Committee Meeting, Athens, Greece.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/07] Conference of the water directors of the Euro-mediterranean and southeastern european countries, Athens, Greece.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/09] Deserts and Desertification : Challenges and Opportunities, Sede Boqer, Israel.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/08] NATO Advanced Research Workshop: Sharing Knowledge Across the Mediterranean (3), Trieste, Italy.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/10] MWWD Conferences on Marine Waste Water Discharges and Coastal Environment, Antalya, Turkey.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/06 - 2006/11/09] Seminar: Futur of irrigation in the Mediterranean, Cahors, France.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/05 - 2006/11/16] New opportunity of training on Integrated Transboundary Water Resources Management (ITWRM) for the MENA Region, first phase, Amman, Jordan.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/05 - 2006/11/05] 4th General Assembly of MENBO - Mediterranean Cooperation Session: Capacity Building of River Basin Organisations (RBOs) and Mediterranean Cooperation, Athens, Greece.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/03 - 2006/11/03] The ADVANCE Workshop Series, Stockholm, Sweden.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/01 - 2006/11/03] The 3rd International Conference on the Water Resources in the Mediterranean Basin, WATMED 3, Tripoli, Lebanon.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/01 - 2006/11/03] 3rd International Conference on Scour and Erosion, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/11/01 - 2007/01/15] The second run of Arabic MedOpen, a virtual training course on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) in Arabic language, Virtual.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/30 - 2006/11/01] EMWater Project Regional Conference on Efficient Management of Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in the Mediterranean Countries, Amman, Jordan.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/30 - 2006/10/31] SMAP RMSU Regional Workshop on Information and Communication: improving environmental knowledge and reporting in the Mediterranean, Rome, Italy.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/30 - 2006/11/01] Deserts and desertification conference, Sebha, Libya.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/28 - 2006/10/30] 1st International Symposium on Water and Wastewater Technologies, Heraklion-Crete, Greece.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/27 - 2006/10/29] Congress of African Scientists and Policymakers, Alexandria, Egypt.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/27 - 2006/10/29] National Day on Environment & Sustainable Development, Meknes, Morocco.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/27 - 2006/10/29] International Symposium on Desertification and Migration, Almeria, Spain.
Further information on EMWIS website
[2006/10/25 - 2006/10/27] 1st World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD), Rome, Italy.
Further information on EMWIS website
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