Call for expression of intest : Merja Zerga Hydrology Consultancy

Reduced river flows, depleted groundwater aquifers, and deteriorating water quality are resulting in significant adverse ecological and social impacts and threaten to check economic growth and poverty reduction efforts in many parts of the world. WWF-UK has recently completed a report on the virtual water trade of a number of crops destined for the EU/UK. WWFs aim is to illustrate the role that water plays as an invisible and forgotten aspect of various commodities in our food economy and how water used for food and fibre production can significantly contribute to changes of regional water systems. WWF-UK foresees a desk study to determine the impacts of abstraction and pollution in the areas of intensive crop production in Merja Zerga ; and determine whether or not current levels of water use in the Merja Zerga lagoon is sustainable. The overall objective for this study is to establish a concrete picture of the impacts directly attributable to the water used for producing export commodities in the Merja Zerga area of Morocco. It is foreseen that this study will be a desk study of between 4 to 8 days in length at an agreed day rate. This report will be a Word document, no more than 20 pages, figures and graphs in Microsoft office package and delivered as an electronic copy. This report will be delivered in English. Consideration will be given to a French language report although translation costs will be incurred by the consultant. This is due by January 10th 2007. The FINAL report would be delivered no later than February 25th, 2007.