EMWIS Flash N°104, October 2012

EMWIS Flash - October 2012 Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water Sector EMWIS is a program of the Union for the Mediterranean. For further information: www.emwis.net Monthly Flash produced by the EMWIS Technical Unit- OIEAU, CEDEX, SOGESID- It is available in English, French & Arabic. (French & Arabic versions are available few days later) Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism / Geo-Catalogue / UfM-Water

يسعد النظام المعلوماتي الأورومتوسطي للمعرفة في مجال المياه (إمويس/سميد)، أن يتقدم لكم بأحر التهاني و أطيب الأماني بمناسبة حلول عيد الأضحى المبارك، أعاده الله عليكم بالخير و البركات
Happy Eid Adha

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In this issue N°104 (www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash104)
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HEADLINE
1- Towards a UfM project to enhance knowledge for IWRM planning

IN BRIEF
2- 2nd Steering Committee meeting of the EU Sustainable Water Integrated Management programme in the Mediterranean
3- SWIM-SM & H2020 CB/MEP: Impact of climate change on water resources in focus at Amman workshop
4- Regional Water Knowledge Network (RWKN) on Systemic Approaches to Water Resources Management
5- UfM: Moving forward on a Euro-Med strategy for sustainable urban development
6- European Public Service Unions fighting againts water privatization

7- European partnership promises water innovations
8- UN urged to create global fund for disaster prevention
9- Multi-disciplinary alliances key to prepare for and respond to droughts
10- Morocco: EIB lends EUR 42.5 million for irrigation and agriculture
11- Tunisia: Charter for sustainable development of Lake Bizerte adopted
12- Tunisia: TourMedEau and the Future of Water Management in Djerba
13- Algeria: Pilot project on coastal observation system
14- Algeria: The water sector boosted by the new Minister
15- Jordan: Projected desert dams to recharge northeastern badia groundwater resources
16- Lebanon: Protection of Jeita Spring
17- Malta: ALTER AQUA workshop for teachers
18- France: Southern France may miss water

19- France: Disinfecting urban wastewater for reuse and protect bathing waters

20- LIFE REGAIN project helps improving water-related ecosystem services
21- WADIS-MAR project launched
22- West Asia and North Africa (WANA) Region: Agricultural R&D Investment and Capacity

23- NASA's Aqua Satellite captures Nigeria Floods

24- Human Rights Council Calls for Integrating Right to Water in Development Agenda
25- Earth-observation satellites collect crucial data
NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS  
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
PROJECTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS

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HEADLINE
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1- Three major water actors in the Mediterranean have joined their efforts in building a regional project about water information, following the Euro-Mediterranean Water Ministerial meeting in Jordan in 2008: the Ministry of Energy & Water of Lebanon, the League of Arab States and the Euro Mediterranean Water Information System network (EMWIS). Acting as a consortium, they are developing a project proposal called “Strengthening National Water Information Systems and Harmonization of Data Collection, towards a Shared Water Information System” aiming at implementing modern tools for the water resources planners, providing training or regional compatible guidelines, strengthening national water quantity and water quality data bases within the countries as well as facilitating international reporting obligations. In a first phase, the project will be developed in four or five pilot countries which have started remarkable actions:  Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (to be confirmed). This project is based on the devcentralised approach propoted by the ENPI-SEIS programme (Shared Environmental Information System) and is also involving UNEP-MAP for validating data flows with National information systems. The consortium has requested support from the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat in order to bring this project toward labeling by the UfM Senior Officials as a UfM promoted project; The preparatory work has been conducted thanks to EMWIS and the project proposal needs now to be finalized by clarifying the next steps towards labeling and implementation, including the funding issue, communication and project management aspects as well as the synergies and coordination among the stakeholders. To this end and in agreement with the consortium, the UfM Secretariat is organizing workshop in Barcelona early November. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- The Support Mechanism of the 'Sustainable Water Integrated Management' programme (SWIM-SM) concluded recently its first year of implementation and its Steering Committee meeting was organised in Brussels last 17-18 October with the aim of providing a forum for the exchange of views on the project's future activities. The different partners of the programme and representantives of the 5 SWIM demonstration projects were present (Ldk, GWP-Med, GIZ, CEDARE, CIHEAM-Bari, WEDO/FOEME, RAED..), EC representatives and main regional initiatives as well (EIB, EEA, EMWIS, IME, Plan Bleu, MedWet, MedPol, UNDP, MEDRC, Medcities, etc) in addition to official representatives from southern Mediterranean countries. The meeting was an occasion to present the progress made during the first year regarding the different work packages, and was also the occasion to present the recently launched demonstration projects (ACLIMAS, IMPROWARE, SUSTAIN WATER MED, WADIS-MAR and SWIM Jordan River). In addition, the SWIM-SM Workplan 2013 was presented and discussed, and finally, synergies with regional organizations and other programmes initiatives were tackeld during a roundtable. All the presentations are available at EMWIS website.

3- A three-day regional training to develop the capacity of national and local water practitioners from the southern Mediterranean to undertake immediate precautionary measures towards the adaptation of the water sector to potential negative impacts of climate change, was recently conducted by the EU-funded project 'Sustainable Water Integrated Management – Support Mechanism (SWIM-SM)' in Amman, Jordan in collaboration with the ‘Horizon 2020 Capacity Building –Mediterranean Environment Programme (H2020 CB/MEP)’. A SWIM press release said the training, which took place from 3 to 5 October 2012, focused on no-regret actions for the adaptation of the water sector, with the aim to: - Raise the awareness of participants on the potential impacts of climate changes on water resources; - Increase their understanding on the degree of vulnerability particularly; - Make the case for adopting the no-regret actions approach; - Review capacity, political commitments and measures needed; - Identify and discuss appropriate approach and practices; - Identify the optimal communication and public participation strategies. Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Spurred on by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Joradn in association with EMWIS, CEDARE and national NGOs in Morocco, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine, a draft regional network of water knowledge in the Mediterranean (Regional Water Knowledge Network 'RWKN' on Systemic Approaches to Water Resources Management) will be initiated with funding from the European Commission. The objectives are firstly to collect, analyze and assemble the knowledge generated locally on systemic approaches to management of water resources, and secondly to make this knowledge available to NGOs and policy makers and managers in particular within local authorities. This project will facilitate dialogue between stakeholders and decision-making at the local level based on a systemic and participatory approach. Further information on EMWIS website

5- Senior officials and experts of the Union for the Mediterranean have met in Barcelona to discuss the UfM's Euro-Mediterranean Sustainable Urban Development Strategy. Following a presentation on the framework for Sustainable Euro-Mediterranean Cities and Territories, participants praised the work done by the UfM Secretariat, saying the framework had become a mature document which would meet the needs of the UfM region. Some participants made additional comments that will be reflected in the new version to be presented in the coming meeting. Regarding the Urban Projects Finance Initiative (UPFI), which responds to the second element of the strategy, namely a call to donors to favour the emergence of sustainable urban development projects likely to be labelled by the UfM, it was announced that the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) Board is to give its final approval to the financing of the Technical Assistance Programme on 19 October 2012. The financing of the Project Identification Study for its part, had already been secured by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), and discussions will continue on the kick-off meeting regarding the Study. This meeting follows from the First UfM Ministerial Meeting on Sustainable Urban Development, held in Strasbourg in November 2011 which entrusted the Senior Official Experts to formulate the Euro-Mediterranean Sustainable Urban Development Strategy with the support of the Secretariat. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- The European Federation of Public Service Unions questioned EU Commissioner Olli Rehn in an open letter on the European Commission’s role in imposing privatisation through the Troika in Greece, Portugal and other countries. The civil society groups have written to Commissioner Rehn to demand that he stop “any further pressure to impose water privatisation conditionalities”. According to the public services unions, the European Commission is deliberately promoting privatization of water services as one of the conditions being imposed as part of bailouts. The Commission’s push for privatisation disregards the fact that water privatisation has failed to deliver results in Europe and around the world. Paris and many other cities have recently remunicipalised their water services due to negative experiences with privatisation. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- A major European Union initiative to promote innovation in the water sector has promised to adopt its strategic implementation plan by the end of the year, with its operational phase to start in early 2013. The European Innovation Partnership on Water (EIPW) held its kick-off meeting in Brussels on 4 September. The EIPW was established by the European Commission in May 2012, and endorsed by EU member state environment ministers at the Environment Council of 11 June. In their post-Council communiqué, the ministers backed the Commission's idea that the EIPW should speed up the adoption of new water-related technologies and management approaches by “break[ing] down barriers to innovation and facilitat[ing] the development of innovative solutions in the fields of water management”. The EIPW is one of a number of similar platforms started as part of the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative for an Innovation Union. The partnership will address threats to both EU water quality and quantity. The incidence and likelihood of floods, water scarcity and drought have increased because of climate change and other environmental threats, while insufficient water quality and sanitation problems potentially threaten public health and biodiversity. Further information on EMWIS website

8- The NGO Islamic Relief has urged the UN to establish a global contingency fund for disaster prevention as it is cheaper to help prepare for floods and drought than spend billions on emergencies. In a recent report, "Feeling the Heat", the charity also called on governments and aid agencies to completely rethink their priorities and put disaster risk reduction at the heart of all aid programmes. "We need to give poor countries a fighting chance against climate change by investing in things like drought-resistant crops, rebuilding flood-prone houses on higher ground and preserving food and seeds for when disaster strikes," says Shahnawaz Ali, head of climate change and disaster resilience for Islamic Relief Bangladesh. "If we do that, we will not only save lives but save a lot of money on emergency aid." The EU commissioner on humanitarian aid, Kristalina Georgieva, strongly supports aid efforts that build up the capacity of communities to withstand shocks like drought or floods. Research from the US government says $1 of risk reduction spending can result in as much as a $15 decrease in disaster damage. Despite common knowledge that investment in preventive measures is cost-effective in the long run, Islamic Relief said only a tiny proportion of aid goes on disaster risk reduction (DRR). In 2010, the world spent 23 times as much on emergency relief for the 10 countries hit hardest by disasters as it spent on disaster prevention.  Further information on EMWIS website

9- A regional workshop on Integrated Drought Management was held in Bratislava at Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute on 5-6 October 2012. It was a join initiative of Global Water Partnership Central and Eastern Europe (GWP CEE), GWP Technical Committee and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The main objective of the workshop was to formulate and commit to the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) initiative. The workshop brought together 58 key stakeholders from different sectors such as meteorology, water management and agriculture and international organizations. Unlike floods, drought is a natural phenomenon that is difficult to predict. Several indicators used in climatology and agriculture have been established to assess to which extent drought occurred. Recently, GWP CEE has prepared a mapping study reviewing existing policies and strategies in Central and Eastern Europe. In his opening speech, Dr. Mohammed Ait Kadi, GWP Technical Committee Chair said "A drought is a moment of strain. Approach to mobilize stakeholders need to change over the time as drought might change from seasonal episode to a long term famine. The most important is to create alliances for cooperation that will be able to react to changes". The workshop served as a peer review of the regional Drought Management Programme by key stakeholders. Involvement of more sectors such as tourism, navigations and insurance companies during implementation phase was echoed by the participants. By end of the year, recommendations and suggestions will be incorporated in a detailed workplan and budget for 2013-2015 forming a basis for the new programme. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- Developing modern farming while ensuring effective, sustainable management of water resources, this is the aim of the European Investment Bank’s €42.5 million loan for the Green Morocco Plan. The loan agreement was signed on 4 October 2012. The loan will help to finance the National Irrigation Water Saving Programme’s priority action of developing high value added modern farming and increasing crop diversity and yields while finding sustainable irrigation solutions. This will generate the substantial environmental benefit of water savings of 20 to 50% along with the reduction of losses in the public irrigation network. Specifically, the loan will finance the conversion of 21 405 ha of the existing public irrigation network into localised systems thanks to the introduction of more efficient drip irrigation equipment and the provision of technical assistance. Nearly 8 000 small-scale farmers will benefit from this scheme in the regions of Gharb-Kenitra, d’Haouz-Marrakech and Souss-Massa-Agadir. Further information on EMWIS website

11- The “Charter for the sustainable development of Lake Bizerte” aiming at ensuring the protection and sustainable development of the lagoon from all sources of pollution has been adopted and signed by the Tunisian authorities in the framework of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 initiative. Lake Bizerte is a priority hot spot in Tunisia, characterised by multiple sources of land based pollution (industrial emissions, agricultural practices, solid waste and sanitation in terms of waste water disposal, transport, construction activities, etc.). The Horizon 2020 Initiative, through the European Investment Bank (EIB), supports an important investment in the region for the abatement of pollution deriving mostly from industrial activities, on the basis of the preparatory work carried out by the Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme Project Preparation and Implementation Facility (MeHSIP-PPIF) under the supervision of the Tunisian Ministry of Environment. This Charter not only commits local authorities and stakeholders but also establishes a real national ownership and ensures sustainability of the depollution investments. Further information on EMWIS website

12- The TOURMEDAU project  continues its activities to raise awareness on the actions taken through participation in events, such as the first forum of institutions and associations operating in the town of Djerba Ajim held last July. Within two days of intense debate, with more than fifty interventions and a lively participation of the audience, it was possible to present the findings and proposals of the project TourMedEau and to highlight that many of the initiatives developed in the town of Villasimius (project leader and twinned town with Djerba Ajim) may constitute good practice in support of the efforts to protect the complex ecosystem of the island of Djerba. These good practices were summarised in the first policy document resulting from the forum. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- A pilot project on the establishment of a coastal observation system is programmed in Algerian region close to the city of Oran. This operation consists in the creation of a sea observation system, abbreviated by the acronym "Somba", which will consist of instruments and high-resolution sensors to measure various parameters such as temperature, salinity, currents and waves​​. This system collecting marine and coastal data will be complemented with the support of the national Meteorology Office (ONM).This action is implemented in the framework of the program "MerMex-Algeria," an initiative of the well-known international scientific program "Mistrals" dedicated to understanding environmental Mediterranean basin under the pressure of global change. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- The new Minister of Water Resources in Algeria, Hocine Necib visited recently the headquarters of the Algerian waters (ADE), situated on the outskirts of Algiers, at Oued Smar, where he inquired about the status of major projects of transfer of water resources. Projects engaged inter alia in the area of Chott Gherbi in Tlemcen, north of Naama, as well as in the provinces of Sidon and Sidi Bel Abbes, where it is a matter of desalinated water networks for dirnking purpose. The Minister has also asked the leaders of the ADE about the problems related to the management of the agency, including the different missions deployed across the entire national territory. He especially emphasized the quality of customers reception "in continuous improvement". Hocine Necib also made firm instructions to ensure "the quality of services provided to citizens,"in particular with better treatment of the communication with the public, as well as the need for rapid solution to various damaged sites (e.g. leaks and accidents). Further information on EMWIS website

15- Two dams and nine sand dams will be established in the northeastern badia (Jordan) by 2013 to recharge groundwater resources and secure local communities with a permanent water supply, officials said last October 9th. The dams, which will be established under two agreements signed on October 9th between the ministries of environment and water, will be constructed at a cost of JD847,030 and have a total capacity of 800,000 cubic metres. The desert dams are part of a project for the rehabilitation of natural pastures in the northeastern badia. Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said the dams will have a positive impact on the social and economic conditions of local communities and improve the green cover and ecosystems in the badia. The agreement is funded by the environmental compensation granted to the Kingdom by the United Nations Compensation Committee (UNCC). In July this year, both ministries signed two similar agreements worth around JD2.15 million, under which 15 desert dams with a total capacity of two million cubic metres will be established in the northeastern badia by 2013.  In 2005, the UNCC awarded Jordan $160.5 million in compensation for damage incurred to the country’s water, environment, wildlife, marine life and agriculture in the aftermath of the first Gulf war, in addition to $1.4 million to tackle the salinity of underground water basins. The funds will be used to support projects that focus on returning the badia’s ecosystem to its pre-1990 status and address the negative consequences of random grazing and wildlife deterioration. The Badia Restoration Programme focuses on improving the area’s vegetation cover and biodiversity, providing veterinary services for livestock, managing pastures, introducing water harvesting techniques and cultivating fodder. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- In July 2010 a German-Lebanese Technical Cooperation project started with the aim to reduce the pollution risks for the drinking water supply of Beirut through measures to be implemented in the Jeita catchment. With the rapid and uncontrolled expansion of residential areas in the catchment of Jeita spring following the end of the civil war in Lebanon, pollution of Jeita spring had become extensive. The main reason for this pollution was that wastewater was not collected and treated. At many places wastewater was even injected into wells. The main tasks of the project are to: provide advice to the partner institutions and KfW (German development bank) concerning the concept and environmental impact assessment for wastewater facilities to be built in the project area; delineate groundwater protection zones for Jeita spring and other relevant springs in the project area and implement them. This implies landuse restrictions in protection zones; establishing a monitoring system for water quality and quantity; and preparing a proposal for an improved water conveyance system from Jeita to Dbaye, i.e. between the source and the drinking water purification plant. On the Lebanese side the project has three main cooperation partners: the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), the Water Establishment of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (WEBML) and the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW). Further information on EMWIS website.

17- The training that took place in Gozo Island of Malta, 9-11 July 2012 served as an initial in depth capacity building mainly for primary teachers of Gozo on how to use the newly produced educational material on Non Conventional Water Resources Management “Alter Aqua”. It offered participants clarifications on the methods applied, and pedagogical tips on activities, “correct answers” to worksheets, pedagogic bibliography, etc. The sixty one (61) teachers that attended the training showed high interest in the printed educational material that they were given, as well as the experiential workshops that were held. The training was facilitated by MEdIES Secretariat. It was largely delivered through experiential methods including mapping exercises, using simulation models, photo & media analysis. All the educational material used was handed out to the participants in soft and e-copies. Further information on EMWIS website.

18- The Water Agency "Rhone-Mediterranean and Corsica" has charged the climatologist Hervé Le Treut (Institut Pierre Simon Laplace) and a multidisciplinary team to prepare a synthesis of knowledge on climate change in Mediterranean area of France. It will be the first document of the "river basin management plan" looking at climate change adaptation. The aim of this process is to identify the best ways to adapt that Mediterranean territory to the effects of acute shortage of water. It already affects 40% of geographical area corresponding roughly to Corsica, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur, Languedoc Roussillon, and a large part of Rhône-Alpes. In early September 2012, many experts gathered in Lyon confronted the results of their studies on the subject. Scientists predict that "over 75 endemic species, 50 will have their habitats fragmented or reduced. Among these species, 14 will probably disappear. " These estimates generate debate and numerous exchanges between scientists who will provide a series of vulnerability maps by the end of 2012. They highlight the major challenges posed by climate change and will be used for discussion and exchange of different actors in water management during the year 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- Disinfecting the effluents of urban wastewater treatment plants is necessary when discharge is connected to bathing areas and shellfish areas or the reusing the treated wastewater in irrigation. A one day training session will be organised by the International Office of Water in Paris on 20 November 2012. It will provide an update on exsiting expereinces, case studies, legal framework and new technologies for urban wastewater disinfection. These technologies are characterized by their intensive nature (UV, membrane bioreactors, ...) or extensive (lagoons, infiltration-percolation, ...). These facilities need to be chosen appropriately and to be properly
designed and operated to meet the health requirements related to these uses. This is particularly relevant to protect bathing water in the Mediterranean area. Further information on EMWIS website.

20- Denmark's Nature Agency has used LIFE for a number of different projects involved with managing the supply of water-based ecosystem services. A good example is the LIFE REGAIN project that used a regional approach on the island of Fyn to improve water quality in the River Odense and Odense Fjord. The REGAIN project was designed to help reduce the amount of nitrates that were leaching from the fields through the river systems and out into the Baltic Sea at the fjord. The project team took a regional approach that involved carrying out coordinated actions in different parts of the island that would combine to create synergies for tackling the nitrification problem.” REGAIN received a Best of the Best LIFE Nature project prize in 2012 and much of the project’s main physical works took place inland on the island near the village of Nr. Broby. Here is where the project achieved some significant outcomes in terms of establishing effective ways of including farmers in the process of improving water quality. Around 350 hectares of priority habitat were covered by the LIFE project’s nature conservation activity where extensive approaches to grassland and wetland management are now practiced. The LIFE team estimate that this helps to retain around 60 tonnes of nitrates in the landscape each year, and thus prevents it from leaching into the Baltic Sea where it has had an adverse effect on water quality. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- The SWIM Demonstration project "WADIS-MAR: Water harvesting and Agricultural techniques in Dry lands: an Integrated and Sustainable model in MAghreb Regions" was launched officially during a workshop that took place from 7 to 10 October 2012 in Algiers (Algeria). This demonstration project is implemented by the University of Sassari together with the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), the Institute of Arid Region (IRA), the university of Barcelona, the National Agency Water Resources (ANRH), the Nucleo Ricerca Desertificazione (NRD). WADIS-MAR action concerns the realization of an integrated water harvesting and aquifer recharge techniques in two watersheds in Maghreb Region, Oued Biskra in Algeria and Oum Zessar in Tunisia, characterized by water scarcity, over-exploitation of groundwater resources and high vulnerability to climate change risk. WADIS-MAR project, taking into account past local traditional experiences, will implement a sustainable water and agriculture management system based on participative and bottom-up approach and will achieve to enable local communities to manage groundwater resources, starting from a more efficient use of water harvesting techniques (WHT) and from a sustainable agricultural practices application. Further information on EMWIS website.

22- The WANA region faces critical limitations on land and water resources for agriculture while experiencing rapid growth in population and food demand. The extent to which countries in this region will be able to meet their own food security needs will depend on how well they manage their food and agricultural policies, especially their investments in agricultural R&D and related S&T policies. Information on recent agricultural R&D trends are currently unavailable or out of date for nearly all of the countries in the WANA region. This new ASTI project will work in close collaboration with the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA) to: 1. Survey R&D institutions in the region, analyzing: -R&D investment and capacity levels; -The changing institutional structure of R&D; and -How science and technology policies influence R&D incentives and performance. 2. Give particular attention to how R&D is being used to address critical resource constraints, especially water supply and irrigation efficiency. The project will focus on Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey. These countries comprise a representative sample of the different economic, social, political, and agro-climatic conditions in the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

23- Nigeria continues to be heavily affected by floods. The country’s National Emergency Management Agency reported that floods had killed 431 people and displaced 1.3 million more. Floods had also wiped out 152,575 hectares (377,020 acres) of farmland, and Nigerians could expect rapidly rising food prices as a result. On 25 September 2012, the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" was activated to produce maps of the flooding of the Niger and Benue River close to the city of Lokoja. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellites captured an image of the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers in southern Nigeria on October 11, 2012. The comparison to an images acquired October 8, 2010 shows the extent of the floods. Both images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water varies from electric blue to navy, vegetation is bright green, and clouds range in color from nearly white to pale blue-green. The contrast between the images is stark. In October 2012, flood water swamped areas that had been dry two years earlier. News reports described major rivers such as the Niger bursting their banks, and severe flooding in the Niger Delta. Although flash floods frequently occur during the rainy season from May to September, news sources described the 2012 floods as the worst in more than 40 years. . Further information on EMWIS website.

24- The UN Human Rights Council suspended its 21st session after adopting 33 resolutions, including one on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation (Resolution A/HRC/21/L1). The resolution recalls the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 64/292 on the establishment of the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as an essential human right, as well as the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people unable to access or afford safe drinking water and basic sanitation. In the resolution, the Council calls on States to ensure that safe drinking water and sanitation remain affordable. The resolution further calls on States, when considering the post-2015 framework, to integrate the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation into the international development agenda. Further information on EMWIS website.

25- Our climate is in transition – for the worse. Sea levels are rising, storms are becoming more severe, ice is disappearing, and it's all happening faster than predicted. Part of the solution is to make satellite observation data widely available as quickly as possible. ESA plus European and US scientists are feeding processed atmospheric data collected by European satellites free to the public web. With these data, scientists help decision-makers take informed decisions – for our future. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS and VACANCIES
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26- Greece: New Water Director nominated. Andreas Andreadakis was changed. His successor is Dr. Kostas Triantis as General Director of Water in Greece. He is now Special Secretary at the Special Secretariat for Water. The Secretariat is composed of four Directorates and is headed by a Special Secretary, appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and the Government. Further information on EMWIS website.

27- SnowMonit wins GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) Masters Best Service Challenge: A service designed to improve natural resource management and detect hydropower generation and areas at risk of drought. This year, almost 900 visitors to the GMES Masters website voted for the Earth observation service they found most beneficial to European citizens. The clear winner of the Best Service Challenge 2012 with a total of 3477 votes was SnowMonit – Monitoring Snow and Water Equivalent. Submitted by the Italian company GeoBeyond Srl, it improves natural resource management and early-warning tools for detecting hydropower generation and areas at risk of drought. It thus addresses the GMES Masters’ focus area of emergency management. SnowMonit is also designed to integrate and improve current services that treat snow avalanche information, snow accumulation and derived parameters such as snow water equivalent for mapping the management of resources (hydropower, water) and the predictability of mountain hazards. Further information on EMWIS website.

28- The International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management is an internationally recognised prize acknowledging leadership in the implementation of the principles of sustainability in watershed management. Every year US$150,000 is awarded by an international jury to either one, or across several, projects.  Entries should aim to ensure that water will remain a readily available, clean resource in the future. Prize money is awarded strictly for project implementation activities. Further information on EMWIS website.

29- The European Environment Agency is looking for a training and career development coordinator. Temporary Agent contract. Apply by 5 November. Further information on EMWIS website.

30- The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate education in Delft, The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world.  Its Laboratory of Environmental Engineering is looking for a Laboratory Research Analyst.  Applications can be sent till 4 November 2012 (closing date). Further information on EMWIS website.

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PUBLICATIONS
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31- "Mediterranean Footprint Report": AFED participated in the launching of the Mediterranean Footprint Report at the UNESCO office in Venice. The report was produced by the Global Footprint Network (GFN), who are AFED's partners for the report on Ecological Footprint in Arab Countries. The report revealed that, from 1961 to 2008, the Mediterranean's per capita Ecological Footprint increased by 52 percent, while per capita biocapacity in the region decreased 16 percent. The average Mediterranean resident now has an Ecological Footprint of 3.1 global hectares (gha), but only 1.3 gha per person are available in the region. In less than 50 years, the growing gap in supply and demand created a 230 percent increase in the region's ecological deficit. By 2008, only 40 percent of the region's Ecological Footprint was met by local ecological assets. The deficit has been met by depleting local stocks and overloading global carbon sinks, as well as importing resources such as food and energy from outside the region. The report concluded that the widening gap between demand and supply makes the stability of the region highly dependent on the availability of ecological assets outside the Mediterranean region, as well as its ability to pay for accessing the resources and services they produce. Further information on EMWIS website or page.

32- UN report indicates climate change as key challenge for Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Cities: "The State of Arab Cities 2012 - Challenges of Urban Transition": The recently published UN-HABITAT State of Arab Cities 2012 indicates climate change induced extreme weather and sea level rise as key challenges for Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Cities. These rising threats – the document says - will have significant and largely negative impacts on cities in the Arab world by displacing farmers and increasing urbanization pressures, increasing food imports, decreasing the availability of water in a region that is already water stressed, increasing the likelihood of flooding in coastal areas where most of the Arab world lives and increasing energy demands for cooling and desalination. Further information on EMWIS website

33- The European Water Association (EWA) published its third issue of the EWA Water Manifesto: The topics of the third issue are a continuation of the “hot topics” (eg: Implementation of the EU Water Legislation, Climate Change and Water, Demographic Changes and Water Safety, Water Scarcity and Droughts in Europe, Flood Resilience - a Major and Growing Challenge, Emerging Pollutants, Water Cost Recovery and Incentive Pricing, etc.). Further information on EMWIS website.

34- Remote Sensing of Drought: Innovative Monitoring Approaches presents emerging remote sensing-based tools and techniques that can be applied to operational drought monitoring and early warning around the world. The book explores a range of applications for monitoring four critical components of the hydrological cycle related to drought: vegetation health, evapotranspiration, soil moisture and groundwater, and precipitation. These applications use remotely sensed optical, thermal, microwave, radar, and gravity data from instruments such as AMSR-E, GOES, GRACE, MERIS, MODIS, and Landsat and implement several advanced modeling and data assimilation techniques.  Further information on EMWIS website

35- Water Use and Customer Behaviour - A good practice manual and roadmap for household consumption forecasting: This latest UK Water Industry Research report provdes guidance on good practice for consumption forecasting, including changes from the approach used in previous analysis. Further information on EMWIS website.

36- The UNFCCC Secretariat has released a report on progress made by space agencies involved in global climate observations for consideration at the 37th session of its Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to be held at the end of 2012, in Doha, Qatar. Further information on EMWIS website.

37- Guidelines for Water Reuse 2012 - EPA: This document updates and builds on the 2004 Guidelines for Water Reuse by incorporating information on water reuse that has been developed since the 2004 document was issued. This document includes updated discussion of regional variations of water reuse in the United States, advances in wastewater treatment technologies relevant to reuse, best practices for involving communities in planning projects, international water reuse practices, and factors that will allow expansion of safe and sustainable water reuse throughout the world.  Further information on EMWIS website

38- WaA: Volume 5 Special issue: Open for business or opening Pandora’s Box? A constructive critique of corporate engagement in water policy. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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39- ENPI CBC MEd second call for standard projects: Given the very high number of projects to be assessed under the second call for standard projects (1095 proposals submitted, more than 3 times the expected number), the Joint Managing Authority informs that the outcomes of step 1 "Concept Note Evaluation" will be communicated to Applicants no sooner than the first week of December 2012. No information on the evaluation of a specific proposal will be given to Applicants before the end of step 1. Further information on EMWIS website

40- Partnership for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Call for application: The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Science program is now accepting proposals from developing country researchers interested in collaborating with their U.S. counterparts. Application deadline of December 4, 2012. PEER Science is a partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is designed to address development challenges through international research collaboration.  PEER Science invites proposals from applicants in the various specific countries including Water for the Middle East and North Africa. Regardless of the country or topic, all applicants must have a U.S. collaborator with an active NSF award. Further information on EMWIS website

41- Gates Foundation announces new round of grants for on-site sanitation: The Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is inviting innovators to send letters of inquiry for round 3 of the Reinvent The Toilet Challenge. Successful applicants will receive grants to design, prototype and test on-site, self-contained sanitation modules for individual families or neighbourhoods. Self-contained means no connections to piped water, sewerage or energy (electricity/gas) utility services. with Capital and operational costs should not exceed US$ 0.05/user/day. Designs should be able to deal with sanitary products like paper, cloth, sand, and other personal hygiene products and chemicals. There is a two-step application process: 1) submission of a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) in the form of a 5 page concept note by 8 November 2012, 11:00pm PST, and 2) eligible applicants will be requested to submit a full proposal. Further information on EMWIS website.

42- The European Commission has published a contract forecast notice for the second phase of the Euromed programme for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made Disasters (PPRD) South with a budget of €5 million. The reference is EuropeAid/133524/C/SER/Multi.  Further information on EMWIS website.

43- France: Public awareness of the preservation of water resources and aquatic environments. Throughout the Mediterranean Rhône basin and Corsica, the call for proposals launched by the agency target water management structures, and environmental protection associations, consumers, of education to the environment, fishing federations, communities, public water and sanitation, regional parks and national parks, natural areas conservatory, the conservatory, etc.. for projects to engage the public on the 10th thematic priority intervention program. The call for proposals is open from 1 August to 30 November 2012. Further information on EMWIS website

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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44- The XIth International Symposium on Environment, Catalysis and Process Engineering (ECGP’11), 26-28 June, 2013, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France calls for abstracts submission up to 31th of January, 2013. Topics: Clean and End-of-Pipe catalytic technologies for the environmental protection : clean fuels and air pollution control, Transformation of waste/biomass to useful materials, Valorisation of wastes in civil Engineering and environmental impacts, Analysis and water treatment. Further information on EMWIS website.

45- Call for abstracts for the 5th Delft Symposium on Water Sector Capacity Development to be held in Delft (Netherlands) on 29- 31/05/2013. The symposium will look at the innovative capacity development approaches required to respond to the new challenges countries face as each strives for green growth and 'blue sustainability'. Abstract deadline: 15 December 2012. Further information on EMWIS website

46- Call for abstracts for the 8th International Conference of EWRA"Water Resources Management in an Interdisciplinary and Changing Context" to be held next 26- 29/06/2013 in Porto (Portugal) Deadline for abstract submissions: 30th of November 2012. Further information on EMWIS website

47- Call for abstracts for the International Joint Conference CB-WR-MED: recent developments in the water treatment, reuse and recycling for sustainable water management (SWM) with a special focus on the contribution of advanced oxidation process (AOP). Submission of extended abstract (2 pages): November, 30- 2012. Selected papers will be published after reviewing in “Desalination and Water Treatment“ Journal. Further information on EMWIS website

48- The World Life Sciences Forum, BioVision, invites 100 promising PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to attend the 3-day forum, BioVision.Nxt, which will be held on 24–26 March in Lyon, France. The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) will partially cover the travel expenses of 50 distinguished young scientists. The young scientists selected from the Arab Region will be partially sponsored by TWAS-Arab Regional Office (TWAS-ARO). Priority will be given to first-time applicants. Online applications will close on 15 November 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

49- Call for abstracts for the 12th International Conference CCWI 2013: Computing and Control for the Water Industry: “Informatics for Water Systems and Smart Cities”. The University of Perugia and the Technical University of Bari are proud to be hosting this conference as well as the next Water Distribution Systems Analysis conference (WDSA2014). The main focus of the conference is on water supply/distribution and urban drainage/sewerage systems. Submission of abstracts: 1 February 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- The "International Symposium on Materials and Sustainable Development" will be held from 6 to 9 May 2013 in Boumerdes (Algeria). The CIMDD'2013 wants to be a global forum for researchers and PhD students of various branches and specialties to present and discuss recent innovations and new techniques in materials science and sustainable development. December 31, 2012 is the deadline for registration and papers submission. Further information on EMWIS website

51- The Global Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (GIWEH) Geneva – Switzerland, and the Mohamadia School for Engineers, Rabat (Morocco), will hold the second of GIWEH’s Water Series conferences, devoted to ‘Water, Food, Energy Security and Climate Change’ (ICWRE 2013) from 12th to 14th February 2013 at the conference center in Marrakech, Morocco. Deadline for abstracts: 1st November 2012. Further information on EMWIS website.

52- Call for abstracts for the CMTDE 2013: The 4th Maghreb Conference on Desalination and Water Treatment to be held in Hammamet (Tunisia) from 15 to 18 December 2013. Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2013. Further information on EMWIS website.

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TRAINING
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53- UNITAR e-learning courses on environmental law - October-December 2012 (English, French, Spanish): The International Law Programme (ILP) of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) announced its forthcoming e-learning courses on environmental law that will be conducted in English, Spanish and French. Each course lasts 2 weeks and is specially designed for participants working on a full time basis. They are moderated by a subject matter expert who will guide participants in their learning process as well as respond to questions. A fee is required for the ILP courses. However, reduced fees are available for participants from least developed countries, developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Further information on EMWIS website.

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