EMWIS Flash N°64, November 2008

EMWIS Flash - November 2008 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: http://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)

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In this issue N°64 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash64)
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HEADLINE
1- The International Network of Water Training Centres (INWTC) has been launched
IN BRIEF
2- Final Declaration of the "Union for the Mediterranean ministerial conference"
3- ENPI “Mediterranean Sea Basin” cross-border cooperation Programme
4- UNEP FI: Looking for financial institutions with water activities in the Mediterranean
5- SPI-Water recommendations on facilitating the transfer of IWRM principles to non-EU countries
6- Jordan: Cooperation with Chile to ensure water sustainability
7- Jordan & Israel: to work together to overcome regional water deficit
8- Israel: Water Problem is International, it Crosses Borders and Political Disputes
9- Lebanon: SPI-Water conclusions from the Litani River Basin
10- Morocco: SPI-Water conclusions from the Sebou River Basin
11- Turkey: Final warning for Ilısu Dam from European governments
12- Turkey: UN Convention to Combat Desertification
13- Spain: Catalonian Desalination Expanding with ERI® Technology
14- Access to water is a universal human right, according to Jacques Chirac
15- First conference on Water Resources and Climate Change in MENA region
16- UNECE Water Convention Working Group on Integrated water resources management
17- The first worldwide map of groundwater resources crossing national boundaries
18- Asia-Pacific Good Practice: New Water Knowledge Hub on Hydroinformatics Launched
19- New tool improves integrated river basin management
20- Value of satellites recognized for conserving wetlands
21- Wastewater treatment fails to remove all nanoparticles
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 International Office for Water (IOWater), with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Agency for Development have organised in Paris last November 21st, the constitutive Assembly of International Network of Water Training Centres (INWTC). The objective of this network is to organize the exchanges of good practices between training centres, to develop synergies at regional or international levels, to share training tools, and to create partnerships with various donors. Twenty-five participants were present at the launch of this network in Paris, representing training centres from thirteen countries (in particular: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, France, Kenya, Laos, Mali, Morocco, Poland, Togo, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam). In the Mediterranean, such a network together with a regional data and documentation exchange system, a stakeholder forum, a prospective center, structuring projects, research networking will also be a key element for the setting up of a Mediterranean water knowledge hub. Further information on EMWIS website.

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IN BRIEF (Full news)
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2- On 3 and 4 November 2008 Marseille (France) hosted the ministerial conference of the member countries of the "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean". The ministerial conference, which brought together the foreign ministers from the member countries of  this Process, aimed at working towards implementing the ambition for a strengthened partnership around the Mediterranean renewed by the Heads of State or Government at the Paris summit on 13 July. The three main items on the agenda were: reviewing the new concrete partnership projects and their implementation; clarifying the new governance introduced by the Union for the Mediterranean; and political dialogue on the regional situation. Ministers adopted the 2009 work programme for the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (which they decided to call "Union for the Mediterranean"). Sectoral meetings set to take place next year should fully reflect the emphasis placed on implementing concrete projects in the six areas identified at the 13 July summit. Ministers decided that the League of Arab States shall participate in all meetings at all levels of the Union for the Mediterranean. The seat of the Secretariat will be in Barcelona. The Euromed Ministerial Meeting on water will be held in Jordan in early 2009. Ministers agree to define the Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean and they encourage a swift implementation of partnerships in order to implement concrete projects in line with the guidelines of the strategy. Further information on EMWIS website.

3- The first meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the ENPI “Mediterranean Sea Basin” cross-border cooperation Programme, of which the Autonomous Region of Sardinia is Joint Managing Authority, was in Cagliari on November 5th and 6th. 15 countries are currently participating in the Programme (adopted by the European Commission on August 14th), including 7 EU member states (Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal) and 8 Mediterranean partner countries (Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia). The Programme aims at promoting cross-border projects between local actors from the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the fields of socio-economic development, environmental sustainability, mobility of persons, goods and capitals, cultural dialogue and local governance. Further information on EMWIS website.

4- Given the great importance of water issues to the global financial community and the wide range of water-related projects, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is currently undertaking its Water & Finance work stream (WFWS). UNEP FI has started to recruit new Signatory members interested in water issues such as: the mobilisation of investment and finance into the water sector, the assessment of corporate water performance across the economy, or the relevance of water-related intra-portfolio externalities to the universal owner and institutional investor. Especially but not exclusively, UNEP FI is looking for financial institutions with activities in the following geographies: Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the Mediterranean basin. Further information on EMWIS website.

5- Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is nowadays a well spread concept worldwide, being implemented by water managers from various institutions. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) has converted this concept in legal obligations and its implementation within European Member States has generated experience and common works, while transforming the national water policies and identifying practical solutions for implementation of those concepts. A huge amount of information is available. The recommendations developed by SPI-Water project (Science-Policy Interfacing in support of the Water Framework Directive implementation) aim at facilitating the transfer of IWRM principles to non- EU countries to help them to better benefit from the knowledge accumulated by EU countries during the implementation of the WFD. These guidelines are targeting the transfer of knowledge and results from research to water managers but they also promote the exchanges of information between researchers, stakeholders and water managers. Further information on EMWIS website.

6- Chile's public works ministry (MOP) signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with Jordan's public works and housing ministry that includes joint efforts to deal with water shortages in desert areas. The agreement was signed on October 20, following a meeting in Santiago between President Michelle Bachelet, Jordanian King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania. Coping with water scarcity in the desert is a priority for both Chilean and Jordanian authorities. The agreement seeks to optimize research resources and share experiences to facilitate the provision of water for industrial, agricultural and domestic use. Both countries face similar difficulties with desalination technology due to the high cost of pumping desalinated water to their industrial areas. Therefore, both have been working to research and develop renewable energy alternatives that would create sustainable solutions. Jordan economy is based on mining and agriculture. This is one of the reasons why ensuring the sustainability of water resources for industrial use and irrigation is essential, just as it is for Chile. Further information on EMWIS website.

7- The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. While Israel's water crisis is severe and much publicized, Jordan's is much worse. Jordan is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world in terms of water per capita. Water runs there for just one day a week. The rest of the week, residents must carefully ration the water they have stored in rooftop containers. Israel has offered to desalinate water and pass it on. "There has been a deficit for the last 10 to 15 years," Friends of the Earth Middle East Jordan Director Munqeth Mehyar told the press. "And with this past dry year, I fear the authorities are drawing on our strategic reserve of aquifers and that's scary." The Jordanian Water Ministry has done a good job of meeting the needs of residents, industry and agriculture, he said, and has kept up a steady flow once a week. That very reliability prompted Mehyar to worry about the danger of depleting the strategic reserves. Jordan relies mostly on groundwater and the Jordan River for its water. According to a rumor, Israel recently offered to desalinate water from the Mediterranean and pass it on, according to a source.  Israel and Jordan have been meeting regularly about water at the highest levels since signing the peace treaty in 1994. Under the treaty, Jordan is entitled to 50 million cubic meters per year from the Jordan River. Jordan's water minister was in Israel 3 weeks ago for consultations with National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.  Further information on EMWIS website.

8- During the International Water Convention in the city of Almaty, Israel and Kazakhstan high level representatives discussed options for cooperation between the countries in areas such as water desalination plants, recycling of water for agriculture and industry or filtering facility designed to treat drinking water. the Manager of the Isreali Water Authority, Prof. Uri Shani, listed in his speech the main reasons for the water problem the world face now, among them: destruction of fresh water sources, including aquifers and fresh water reservoirs; waste of water as the result of leaking piping – a widespread phenomenon in the western world as well as in developing countries; and climate changes as the result of global warming. Further information on EMWIS website.

9- Litani River Authority (LRA) has a strategic importance for the South Bekaa and South Lebanon region, representing 40% of the total national area. The most pressing water management issues of Litani RB identified in the SPI-Water Project are: pollution of surface and groundwater, overexploitation of groundwater and the lack of a basin wide approach to water management due to a missing institutional setting. Several technical visits of LRA experts to Spanish and French organisations allowed them to learn them to list possible solutions for each pressure identified. Afterwards, thanks to the WISE-RTD web portal, they consolidated their ideas with the results of EU funded projects to converge to the following proposals: "Establishment of an aquifer contract" and a twinning project for the establishment of IWRM in the Litani river basin". But taking into consideration the limited mandate of LRA, the partners underlined that in the long term LRA must get the duties and mandate of a true River Basin Agency to implement IWRM principles and to effectively use the possibilities of knowledge transfer. Further information on EMWIS website.

10- Morocco has today water resources of about 700 m3 per capita/year, which is below the scarcity threshold of 1000 m3/per capita/year set by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Studies show that this level might decrease below 500 m3 per capita/year by year 2020. Water degradation costs Morocco 1.2% of its GDP. The Sebou River Basin (ABHS) is one of Morocco's most populated hydrographical basins, with 6.2 million inhabitants (2004), who account for 20% of the total population. Some of the main water management issues affecting the Sebou RB are: pollution of surface water, overexploitation of groundwater as well as the loss of freshwater ecosystems and their functions. In the framework of SPI-Water project, following a similar approach as for the Litani River Basin, ABHS experts found potential solutions for the groundwater overexploitation and monitoring activities:  "Use of biological indicators for surface water monitoring" and "Establishment of an aquifer contract". Further information on EMWIS website.

11- The German, Austrian and Swiss governments have sent a final warning to the Turkish government regarding their intention to withdraw financial support from the controversial Ilısu Dam Project in southeastern Anatolia. The governments allege that Turkey failed to meet the credit criteria set by the German government, according to the environmentalist association Doğa Derneği. The main warning is about the threats posed by the Ilısu Dam Project to the ancient southeastern town of Hasankeyf and surrounding areas. There has been local and international criticism of the project, as once the dam is complete, Hasankeyf, which has both historical and environmental importance, will be submerged underwater. The threat of the Ilısu Dam project prompted the World Monuments Fund to list Hasankeyf on its 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites. Turkish officials have insisted the environmental damage will not be as bad as some make out and the relocation would be executed without much trouble. Further information on EMWIS website.

12- As various sessions of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) opened in Istanbul, Turkey, last 3rd November 2008, Veysel Eroğlu, Minister of Environment and Forestry of Turkey, said desertification is one of the most important environmental issues at present and emphasized that it causes poverty, migration, unemployment, and food and security threats. He highlighted the role that the ten-year strategic plan of this UN convention (the Strategy) can play in reducing poverty. Eroğlu stressed the importance of cooperation at the regional as well as international levels. Arguing that “we cannot let the soil disappear in silence”. Further information on EMWIS website.

13- Energy Recovery, Inc., a global leader of ultra-high-efficiency energy recovery products and technology for desalination, announced that it was awarded the energy recovery contract for the expansion of the Tordera seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant near Barcelona. The production capacity of the plant will double to 55,000 m³/d (14.5 MGD) of fresh water. The Tordera plant expansion will be constructed by a consortium consisting of Spanish companies. In the past few years, Barcelona and surrounding areas have been suffering from drought conditions which put restrictions on the usage of water for swimming pools, fountains and lawns. Earlier this year, the Catalonian region was importing drinking water by barge due to the severity of the situation. Although rains inundated the region recently, government utilities are investing in expanding existing capacity and building new capacity to provide reliable, secure water resources for the future. Further information on EMWIS website.

14- For Jacques Chirac "Access to water is a universal human right." In a speech last week at the conference "Water for peace, peace for water", the former president of France has suggested, as he did for airline tickets, a tax applicable to maritime transport, to ensure access to water and sanitation. Further information on EMWIS website.

15- The first conference on Water Resources and Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region concluded in Muscat (Oman) last 6th November under the auspices of the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources of Oman. The conference came out with a number of recommendations including the importance of enhancing the application of comprehensive water resources management, inclusion of climate change in national development plans and strategies and encouraging transfer and application of new technologies to match with climate changes. The conference also urged governments to formulate and set up environment friendly regulations and establishments, drafting national strategies that conserve water and enhancing regional co-operation through exchange of information and expertise on water and climate change related issues. The conference also urged regional countries to enhance their capacities and raise awareness on water and climate change related issues and develop regional sustainability programme in collaboration with the respective international organisations. It also called for conducting more researches to improve the current database on water resources and cope with climate changes in managing these resources. Further information on EMWIS website.

16- Sibylle Vermont, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, chaired the third meeting of the UNECE Water Convention Working Group on IWRM last October. The Working Group started by reviewing the status of ratification of the UNECE Water Convention, under which the Working Group is operating. The Convention entered into force in 1996, and currently has 36 parties. The Working Group exchanged views on the preparation of the second assessment on transboundary rivers, lakes and groundwaters in the UNECE region. Support was given to make the new assessment more integrative, and focus, in particular, on IWRM, climate change impacts, and the Central Asian subregion. The assessment is expected to be presented at the next “Environment for Europe” conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2011. Suggestions were made on the work plan on IWRM for presentation to the Working Group at its fourth meeting to be held from 8-10 July 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. Further information on EMWIS website.

17- Almost 96 per cent of the planet's freshwater resources are found in underground aquifers, most of which straddle national boundaries. What the UNESCO map reveals is just how many aquifers cross international borders. So far, the organisation has identified 273 trans-boundary aquifers: 68 in the Americas, 38 in Africa, 155 in Eastern and Western Europe and 12 in Asia. Each trans-boundary aquifer holds the potential for international conflict – if two countries share an aquifer, pumping in one country will affect its neighbour's water supply. The map is the culmination of eight years of research and development of an extensive ground water database by UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP). Despite its strategic importance, no global inventory of this resource had been compiled to date. The detailed map of transboundary aquifers - available online - also indicates water quality of the aquifers, recharge of the aquifers, streams and rivers in the region of the aquifers, and population density near the aquifers. Further information on EMWIS website.

18- The Center for Hydroinformatics in River Basins (CHIRB) is an important member of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum's KnowledgeHubs network. CHIB will help develop decision-support mechanisms for river basin management in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing further support in expanding and improving investments in integrated water resources management (IWRM) in river basins under the Water Financing Program 2006-2010 and is a major supporter of APWF activities, particularly in developing regional water knowledge hubs.  CHIRB is looking to become the regional water knowledge hub on hydro-informatics. The new hub is expected to provide knowledge and capacity development services for this topic to meet the needs of river basin projects and river basin organizations across the region. Further information on EMWIS website.

19- An innovative computer system provides a 'full picture' of a river basin's health, by taking into account all relevant influences, including rainfall, pollution and soil. The system integrates several existing environmental data programmes in a user-friendly way, and is aimed at helping the sustainable management of entire river catchment areas. The system, called the 'Elbe-DSS' (Elbe decision support system) will help users meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive on water quality, especially in cross-border situations. It was designed and implemented by researchers for the river Elbe, one of the largest rivers in central Europe.  It helps to predict the likely outcome of management actions, as well as the range of possible options needed to achieve specific objectives. The system is available free of charge for not-for-profit or research institutions from the German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG). Further information on EMWIS website.

20- Wetlands contribute to our lives in remarkable ways by providing food and water, controlling floods, protecting against storms and supporting biodiversity, yet they are experiencing loss and degradation on a massive scale. Wetlands are areas that are covered with water for long enough periods to support plants that thrive in wet soils, so they are not all wet year-round. The areas include marshes, swamps, bogs and wet meadows. Countering their loss requires baseline information on wetland resources and effective monitoring programmes, but because they are often made up of complex and impenetrable terrain monitoring them is very difficult. In this context ESA carried out the GlobWetland project from 2003 to 2008 in order to demonstrate how employing satellite data can support the inventorying, monitoring and assessing of wetland ecosystems. The project was carried out in collaboration with the Ramsar Convention – an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Further information on EMWIS website.

21- Nanomaterials are being used increasingly in the manufacturing industry, but questions remain about the best way to efficiently remove these nanoparticles from industrial wastewater processes or sewage treatment plants. Recent research suggests that some nanoparticles escape from treatment plants and are discharged into water. Swiss researchers studied what happened to a common nanomaterial, cerium oxide, when it was added to a laboratory-scale model of a water treatment plant. The model plant contained activated sludge taken from an actual wastewater treatment plant in Zurich. Cerium oxide is used to polish silicon wafers in the computer industry and optical lenses for mobile phones. Further studies are required to understand how different nanoparticles behave in water treatment sludge and how they can effectively be removed from industrial wastewater and sewage treatment plants. Further information on EMWIS website.

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NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
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22- The American newspaper TIME selected Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) as Environmental Heroes alongside internationally renowned leaders, entrepreneurs and scientists in the environmental field. FoEME is a unique organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli environmentalists. Its primary objective is the promotion of cooperative efforts to protect Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian shared environmental heritage. FoEME has three Directors: Gidon Bromberg, Nader Al-Khateeb And Munqeth Mehyar, who were received recently by Israeli President Shimon Peres to honor them. Further information on EMWIS website

23- The deadline for applications for the second edition of the Kyoto World Water Prize has been extended to November 30th, 2008. The Prize, subtitled "Contributing to the Millennium Development Goals through grassroots initiatives", aims to give those working on water-related issues at the grassroots level the opportunity to present their work to the global water community, at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, in March 2009. Through the Prize, around 30 applicants will be selected and funded to attend the 5th World Water Forum. 10 finalists will be selected by an International Panel to compete for the prize money of 3 million JPY (around 28,000 USD). All applications will be collected in a database of water-related actions from around the world that will be distributed to the expected 20,000 participants at the 5th World Water Forum.

Hassan II Great World Water Prize - lifetime achievement award in recognition of "cooperation and solidarity in the fields of management and development in water resources." Eligible candidates: institutions organizations, individuals or group of individuals. Prize money: US$100,000.

Turkish Republic Prime Minister's Water Prize - For journalistic excellence in the coverage of issues related to the theme of the 5th World Water Forum, "Bridging Divides for Water." Two awards will be given, one for Turkey and another for the rest of the world. Prize money: 20,000 Euros each.
Further information on EMWIS website

24- Director, Center for Environmental Health Activities (CEHA), WHO/EMRO, Jordan: The incumbent who is the first level supervisor of various professionals (presently six) and general staff (presently eight) will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination, integration and direction of the work of the Centre for Environmental Health Activities (CEHA), and will provide technical, administrative and financial guidance and support to the staff. Application deadline: 1 December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website

25- Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer, WaterAid America, USA: Under the direction of the President/CEO and in coordination with relevant colleagues throughout WaterAid, the Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer (a new position) is responsible for providing strategic direction and leadership in planning, implementing, and evaluating WaterAid America's policy analysis, advocacy, and campaigning.  Application deadline: 01 December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website

26- The Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University's Center for International Development invites applications for resident fellowships in Sustainability science for the University's academic year beginning in September 2009. The fellowship competition is open to advanced doctoral and post-doctoral students, and to mid-career professionals engaged in research or practice to facilitate the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective interventions that promote sustainable development. Applications are due January 15, 2009. Further information on EMWIS website

27- SwissRe invites applications for the International ReSource Award for Sustainable Watershed Management 2009: The Award worth USD 150 000 is an internationally recognized prize for leadership in implementing the principles of sustainability in watershed management, and is granted to one or several projects selected by an international jury. The prize money is open to NGOs, private, scientific and public institutions. As the world’s leading and most diversified global reinsurer, Swiss Re offers financial services products that enable risk taking essential to enterprise and progress. Deadline: 31 May 2009. Further information on EMWIS website
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PUBLICATIONS
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CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
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46- EuropeAid website makes Call for Proposals & Procurement Notices section more user-friendly: The page containing the Calls for Proposals and Procurement Notices on the EuropeAid website has recently been remodelled, in order to become more user-friendly. More than a simple design makeover, the new module creates a specific hyperlink address for each call or notice, consequently making referencing to a specific document much easier. In addition, the search engine has been improved allowing among other things to search per programme category and organising the results according to different fields (date of publication, programme, geographic area etc). Further information on EMWIS website

47- Search for Partners on the call for proposals: KBBE-2009-1-2-03 - Irrigation water saving solutions for Mediterranean agriculture: This call is under the 7th Framework Programme of DG Research. Irrigation water demand is increasing in Mediterranean countries, putting more pressure on the available fresh water reserves. A participatory approach is recommended. Deadline: 15 January 2009 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time). On the other hand, "InterSus - Sustainability Services" (Germany) is looking for partners to respond to this call in the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia. Further information on EMWIS website. IBEX - International Biotechnology Experts (Israel) is also looking for partners for this call in the North African countries. Further information on EMWIS website. 

48- The European Commission has published a number calls for proposals under the specific programmes Cooperation and Capacities of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Related to the water community, see the call on Environment (including Climate inducing changes in water resources in southern Europe and neighbouring countries as a threat to security) - FP7-ENV-2009-1. Deadline for application: January 8, 2009 (17:00hrs Brussels local time). Further information on EMWIS website

49- A Call for expressions of interest (Reference Nr EuropeAid/ 123304/C/SER/TPS) for the "Provision of training on various subjects related to the implementation of projects financed from the EU General Budget in the context of external actions" is open until 4 February 2009. The activities for this Call may be related to distance learning, or pedagogical methods such as on-the-job training or case studies. The sub-fields are including Knowledge Management projects and Information systems. Further information on EMWIS website.

50- Mitigating Flood Risk in Flooded Areas in the GAP region in Turkey: The global objective of this assignment is to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of the 'Mitigating flood risk in flooded areas in the GAP region' project. Closing date: 19 December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website.

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CALL FOR PAPERS
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51- The Department of Environmental Engineering of Democritus University of Thrace (Greece) organizes two parallel conferences: 1. 2nd International Conference on Water Economics, Statistics, and Finance Alexandroupolis, Thrace - Greece, 3-5 July 2009 for which full manuscript submissions deadline is 30 November 2008, and 2. Asset Management of Medium and Small Wastewater Utilities, Alexandroupolis, Thrace - Greece 3 - 4 July 2009, for which full manuscript submissions deadline is 05 December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website.

52- Call for papers for the 33rd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment: This symposium will take place on May 4-8, 2009 in Stresa, Italy. The overall theme of the Symposium is the use of Earth Observation systems and airborne techniques for understanding and managing the Earth environment and natural resources. ISRSE-33 will specifically address the UN Millennium Development Goals and be structured along the societal benefit areas of the GEO (Group on Earth Observations) initiative. Abstract submission deadline is set for 01 December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website.

53- The Third INSPIRE Conference will take place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 15-19 June 2009, in conjunction with the Eleventh International Conference of the GSDI Association and the national conference on Dutch SDI: Results and Challenges. The deadline form submitting abstracts is the 1st December 2008. Further information on EMWIS website.

54- The final MBR-Network workshop is organised by the Berlin Centre of Competence for Water and will take place on 31 March - 1 April 2009 in Berlin, Germany, during the international conference and exhibition Wasser Berlin 2009. The advanced program is now available for download on the workshop website (http://mbr-network.kompetenz-wasser.de), and the registration is open with a deadline for early bird fee up to 31 December 2008.

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TRAINING
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EVENTS (Full Agenda)
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BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
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ABOUT EMWIS (Priorities, Activities, Objectives, Structure, Funding, Team)
WATER in the EURO-MED PARTNERSHIP (MEDA programme, Key dates, European Neighbourhood Policy)
EMWIS NATIONAL WEBSITES: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg
EMWIS WATER MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS (Available in English, French, Arabic, Spanish & Italian)- Water glossaries
WATER PROJECTS DATABASE (MEDA-NIPs, MEDA-Water, LIFE, SMAP, INCO-MED, FP4-FP6, INTERREG, etc)
DOCUMENTATION (EMWIS meetings, Documentary database, Funding for water, Key documents, Water Legislation)
WHO DOES WHAT IN THE WATER SECTOR (By contacts, organisations & information sources)
PARTNERS & SPONSORS (OIEau, CEDEX, SOGESID, EC, INBO, IME, GWP-Med, MED-EUWI, SMAP-RMSU)
MEDA-WATER PROJECTS (ADIRA, EMPOWERS, EMWater, IrWA, ISIIMM, MEDAWARE, MEDROPLAN, MEDWA, Zer0-M)
WATER INITIATIVES (MED-EUWI, WFD, INCO-MED, LIFE, MEDSTAT, SMAP, EXACT, UNEP-MAP, MSSD, HORIZON 2020, Union for the Mediterranean) & Mediterranean Water Information Mechanism
FORUM ; FAQ ; TOPICS (MedWIP, Water scarcity, groundwater, wastewater reuse, desalination, satellite data, etc)
SEARCH EMWIS WEBSITE
EMWIS SITEMAP
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CONTACT US
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