Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector - News for 2007/09

DSI Director General Prof. Eroglu became the Minister of Environment and Forestry in Turkey

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

Prof. Dr. Veysel EROGLU is nominated new minister of Environment and Forestry in the new government of Turkey, and now DSI is under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment. After being the academic member of the Environmental Department in Istanbul Technical University, Prof. Dr. Veysel EROGLU has acted as the Director General of State Hydraulic Works since the year of 2003. Prof. Dr. Veysel Eroglu was the Director General of ISKI before his appointment to General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSI). After he became in charge of ISKI they found solutions against Istanbul's water shortage problems prevailing for years. Prof. Dr. EROGLU had spent big efforts to solve the water related problems in Istanbul. Being the Director General of State Hydraulic Works, he is in a position now to be able to solve the problems and to improve the water issues around the Country.

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

The eighth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will convene in Madrid, Spain, from 3-14 September 2007. In addition to the work of the COP, UNCCD parties will also conduct the sixth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 6) from 4-7 September 2007, and the eighth session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST 8) from 4-6 September 2007. Additional events will include a dialogue session with members of parliament, from 8-9 September, and a special segment on 12-13 September, which will feature a dialogue among highlevel officials on the theme “Desertification and adaptation to climate change.”

Four Multilateral Institutions coordinate efforts in the Mediterranean

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

IFC, International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, recently joined a partnership comprising the European Investment Bank, the European Commission and the World Bank, to help create a favourable private sector environment in the Middle East and North Africa. The four multilateral institutions have agreed to share knowledge and training opportunities in innovation and new technologies, as well as urban development to promote private sector development.

This initiative aligns with the strategy of the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), EIB’s instrument dedicated to the Euro-Mediterranean area, to stimulate the private sector in the Mediterranean partner countries. Between 2002 and 2006 the facility provided a total of EUR 6 billion with an increased share in favour of the private sector. FEMIP aims to devote 50% of its annual lending to the private sector, while public projects, mainly transport and energy infrastructure, should contribute to improving the investment climate.

IFC fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. IFC’s vision is that poor people have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In 2006, IFC committed USD 8.3 billion, including loan participations, to 284 investments in 66 developing countries.

Water Economist Vacancy

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Reference PJ07WWW15: Appointment to the post is for a fixed period of one year with the possibility of prolongation - Short-term availability is required

Business Unit: Projects Directorate (PJ) - Convergence and Environment Department (COENV) - Water and Environmental Protection Division (WEP)

Responsibilities:
Assessment, within a multidisciplinary team, of the economic, financial, technical, operational, environmental and social viability of water and sanitation investment projects.
Monitoring of the implementation of projects financed by the Bank.
Preparation of water sector studies and sector lending strategies.
Management of technical assignments for project preparation and technical assistance to promoters.
Co-ordination of water sector strategies and project development with the European Commission and International Aid Agencies.

Qualifications:
University degree in Economics. Complementary business studies are considered beneficial.
A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the water sector, to include wide practical experience (economical, financial, technical, environmental, managerial, social) of the main aspects of the project cycle and the definition of water sector development strategies.
International working experience in developing countries.
Very good knowledge of either English or French and a good working knowledge of the other are essential. Knowledge of other languages would be an advantage.

Experience considered advantageous: Regulation, institutional frameworks, water sector reform, transition management, and implementation of private-sector participation in water services. Operational management of public or private water companies.

Competencies:
Analytical approach and ability to draft clear and concise reports
Team player and good inter-personal skills at all levels.
Ability to work under pressure

Please note that this advertisement will be withdrawn on the 30th September 2007.

Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers outputs

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

The Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers was held in Lisbon (Portugal) last 31-08/ 02-09.

Climate change and desertification two sides of same coin

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

Climate change and desertification are two sides of the same coin and must be tackled together, according to participants at the Madrid conference on desertification. "These two issues are very intimately related in the way you can describe them as two halfs of a coin," according to Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Spanish Environment Minister Cristina Narbona also addressed the twin problem during a round table discussion Wednesday on "desertification and adaptation to climate change" at the UN-sponsored conference which opened on September 3.

Technical Bulletin on Greywater Treatment and Reuse in MENA

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

This technical bulletin introduces greywater as a water demand management tool that could alleviate water scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The bulletin captures local knowledge on greywater treatment and reuse gained as a result of research projects in MENA funded and coordinated by IDRC. It is intended to highlight the future courses of action required to balance the increasing challenges of water scarcity, food security, and sustainable development.

It also sheds light on the Aqaba declaration born of the greywater experts meeting held back in February 2007.

Mediterranean Water Scarcity and Drought Final Technical Report published

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

Technical report on water scarcity and drought management in the Mediterranean and the Water Framework Directive. Produced by the MEDITERRANEAN WATER SCARCITY & DROUGHT WORKING GROUP (MED WS&D WG) - April 2007 –

The Mediterranean report is based on the EU document produced in June 2006. It has been prepared by the Mediterranean WS&D WG, in the framework of the MED-EU Water Initiative / Water Framework Directive Joint Process.

The document is a technical report which consists of five parts. The introduction presents the situation of water scarcity and drought in the Mediterranean region and the linkages between the WFD and Water scarcity. In chapter I, the definitions and assessments of the different phenomena are described. Chapter II reports on planning and management of drought events. Chapter III deals with long-term imbalances in supply and demand. The conclusions and recommendations are presented in Chapter IV.

The main objective of this report is to present the Mediterranean specificities regarding water scarcity situations and droughts events and the role of the WFD. Examples of strategies and measures taken in the Mediterranean region for addressing WS&D illustrate the different sections of the reports. In addition, the specificities of the WFD implementation related to WS&D are identified for non-EU countries.

Farewell to EMPOWERS & a Welcome to the ETG

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

EMPOWERS (Euro-Med Participatory Water Resources Scenarios), a four-year EU-funded regional programme working in Egypt, Jordan and West Bank and Gaza, officially ended on 31 August, 2007. It was one of ten projects belonging to the MEDA Water Programme.

Due to the success of the project in achieving integrated water resource development and management at both the community and district level, several EMPOWERS Partners have decided to form the EMPOWERS Thematic Group (ETG) to build on and continue developing the methodologies and tools that were developed from 2003-2007 by the original project.

The ETG will be launching its new website shortly, to which all the content of the existing EMPOWERS website will be transferred.

Eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification - Summary and Analysis

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

The eighth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) convened in Madrid, Spain, from 3-14 September 2007. In addition to the work of the COP, UNCCD parties also attended the sixth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 6) from 4-14 September, and the eighth session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST 8) from 4-7 September. Additional events included a special segment on 12-13 September, which featured a dialogue among high-level officials on the theme. Desertification and adaptation to climate change. During its opening meeting, many delegations highlighted that COP 8 would be a pivotal meeting in the Conventions history. They looked to both its development of a ten-year strategic plan and its focus on elements related to its institutional structure, such as the relationship between the Secretariat and Global Mechanism, and the formats of the CRIC and CST, to provide new guidance and opportunities for the Convention to achieve its objectives. Negotiations on most elements proceeded slowly but constructively, with delegates indicating overall satisfaction with the outcomes. The decision on programme and budget, however, was not adopted, leaving parties uncertain about how the reforms adopted in Madrid will be implemented The COP approved twenty-nine decisions before the final gavel at 7:43 am on Saturday, 15 September. These included five decisions related to the CRICs agenda and eight decisions related to the CSTs agenda. The decision on the ten-year strategic plan attracted the most attention from COP 8 delegates, because they saw it as an opportunity to refocus the Conventions institutions with the goal of furthering implementation. The CRIC decision to ask the Secretariat, in consultation with the Global Mechanism, to revise the format of
national reports and the CST decision to convene future sessions in a conference-style format contributed additional efforts to reform the UNCCDs implementation mechanisms in the coming decade.

World Bank Urges Countries to Fight Desertification

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

The Bank called for sustained and collective action by the international community to address land degradation and desertification, adding that for these efforts to succeed, action must be guided and defined at the country level. The Bank views sustainable land management as a poverty reduction and development instrument at local, national, regional, and global levels. The Bank has been involved in projects in numerous countries with a focus on poverty reduction, combating desertification and land degradation and managing the effects of drought. Between fiscal years 2001 and 2006, the Bank committed US $1.4 billion for projects in natural resources management, with US $701 million specifically aimed at sustainable land management.

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Professor Mohammad Shatanawi has been nominated Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation in Jordan

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Professor Mohammad Shatanawi is a University Professor in Water Resources and Irrigation, has diverse and wide expertise of more than twenty five years in water resources and irrigation management, water and agriculture policy, irrigation systems, hydrology of arid areas, and environmental impact of water projects. He is coordinating many research projects funded by EU and UNESCO. Dr. Shatanawi was the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture (1999-2003), GEWAMED Jordan National Coordinator, and the director of Water and Environment Research and Study Centre for 7 years (1992-1999). He worked as FAO expert in the North Western Coastal Zone of Egypt in water resources management. He is the chief editor and member of the editorial boards of many scientific journals in water policy, water planning and agricultural water management. Dr. Shatanawi has more than 50 publications in water resources and irrigation management, water policy, hydrology of arid region and the use of reclaimed water for irrigation.

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z