Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector - News for 2007/10

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Global Water Tool for sustainable water use management in companies

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has launched a free & easy-to-use tool for companies and organisations to map their water use and assess risks relative to their operations and supply chains in various countries. After entering the company’s water use figures, the tool automatically provides outputs, such as graphics and metric charts indicating the efficiency of water use at different sites as well as information on the corresponding water availability. These datasets provide details on the status quo of the actual water consumption and serve as a basis for further action towards sustainable water use strategies. Further information on the tool can be found online.

Practical Wastewater Treatment

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

This book serves as both a textbook for the working professional and a guide for the student to learn about the elements of wastewater treatment. The book presents a straightforward discussion of what one needs to know in order to handle various types of industrial wastes and how to design a wastewater treatment plant. Industrial wastewater treatment is no longer taught in either the Civil or Chemical Engineering Curricula.

SedNet Newsletter issue for September 2007

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Through the E-newsletter service SedNet keeps you regularly updated on SedNet and any other sediment related, latest policy or management developments, EC news, events (workshops, conferences, training courses etc.), publications etc. At the ‘Join SedNet’ site you can indicate whether you want to receive this E-newsletter.

Water and Climate Task Force: 1st meeting - Documentation

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

The first meeting of the Task Force on Water and Climate will be held on 22-23 November 2007 in Bonn (Germany). The Task Force was established at the fourth meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention and entrusted with activities in two main areas of work: transboundary flood management and water and climate adaptation. The first meeting will be devoted to the planning and development of activities in these two areas, in particular related to the preparation of a Guidance on Water and Climate Adaptation for the fifth Meeting of the Parties Please find attached the agenda for the meeting.

The supporting documentation for the first meeting of the Task Force on Water and Climate under the UNECE Water Convention are available. The Russian versions will be soon posted on the Water Convention web site.

It is reminded that the deadline for registration and for requests for financial support (20 October and 9 October, respectively)

UNDP/GEF Project ʽRegional Dialogue and Twinning to Improve Transboundary Water Resources Management in Africaʼ or 'Petersberg Africa' project has been approved

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

The project goal is to increase African leadersʼ and stakeholderʼs knowledge and political will for balancing sustainable uses of water resources at the transboundary and regional basin systems scales by institutionalizing systems-thinking and adaptive management feedback mechanisms.

The project will contribute to achieving this goal through 3 mutually instructive objectives in support of the continent wide GEF and other donor funded transboundary water cooperation initiatives:

Objective 1. To facilitate implementation of partnerships, exchanges of experience, and learning on policy, legal and institutional reform for transboundary waters management through increased knowledge and capacity of decision-makers, legislators and public opinion-makers
Objective 2. To enhance regional and national knowledge and capacity for the management and planning of shared water resource systems through the integration of groundwater dimensions, climate impacts and development of science and policy linkages for river basin and lake system management;
Objective 3. To strengthen investment planning processes in shared water resources management and infrastructure by sharing lessons on transition from donor support to self-sustaining regional water institutions and providing a basis for assessing optimal investments in support of benefit sharing discourse

GWP-Med in collaboration with MIO-ECSDE and the two Circles that we jointly facilitate ie. COMPSUD (Parliamentarians) and COMJESD (media), participate in the programme and particularly in Objective 1. Collaborations with Objective 2 (groundwater) are also foreseen.

Main focus themes of activities are on groundwater management and climate change, within the overall IWRM approach and considerations.

Focus area is the North African countries and their interaction with the African as well as the Euro-Mediterranean context. Among other key partners, collaboration is foreseen with GWP East Africa. The target groups are Parliamentarians and Media while interaction with water stakeholders will be facilitated.

Activities will be implemented from September 2007 to May 2010 and the total foreseen budget is 120,000 USD, with 60,000 USD contributed by UNDP/GEF. It is anticipated that, because of its nature, the project will attract interest and further support.

The new MAP website is now available in English, French and Arabic

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

The new MAP website is now available in English, French and Arabic.
MAP tackles Mediterranean environmental and sustainable development issues. It gets different sectors of Mediterranean society involved in preserving the region's human and natural resources that have been eroded by rapid development, and that have not always been planned with a view on the need for sustainability.

WWF Water Job announcement

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

WWF Mediterranean Programme is looking for a policy officer to deal with conservation of freshwater ecosystems in some of the Mediterranean countries. The position is based in Rome (Italy) and will start as soon as the position is filled.

Closing date for applications is 21 October 2007.

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Conclusion of the Training Workshop on Water Resources Monitoring and Data Management Systems (3 – 30 July 2007)

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

A ceremony was held on 30 July 2007 at ACSAD’s headquarters in Damascus, Syria on the occasion of the conclusion of the Training Workshop on Water Resources Monitoring and Data Management Systems which was organized by ACSAD in cooperation with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for 20 trainees from 14 English-speaking African countries.

Dr. Nabi Rasheed Mohammad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the Syrian Arab Republic, delivered a speech at the ceremony in which he spoke about the urgent need for the provision of the integrated databases to help identify the agricultural and development policies. He thanked both ACSAD and BADEA for organizing this important training workshop and stressed that: “the cooperation between these two organizations can be considered as a good example of the cooporation between the regional and international organizations”.

Prof. Dr. Farouk Saleh Fares, Director-General of the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) delivered a speech in which he spoke about the importance of the cooperation between ACSAD and BADEA and mentioned that: “ACSAD is always ready to transfer its experiences to the friendly African countries to help achieve the sustainable development in these countries.
Ms. Fatima Abdulrahaman Yousef, representative of BADEA, also delivered a speech at the ceremony in which she spoke about the maximum importance of the water question in achieving the sustainable economic and environmental development in Africa. She mentioned that: “ACSAD has gained valuable experiences that enabled it to become an important expertise house at the Arab and international levels”.

After that Eng. Soni Elisha Johnfrom from Nigeria made a speech in the name of the participants in which he expressed gratitude to both ACSAD and BADEA for organizing this training workshop.

The ceremony was concluded with the distribution of certificates for the participants in the training workshop.

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Jordan: US$600 million project to end water shortage

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

Jordan has launched a US$600 million project to pump water from its Disi aquifer in the south, signaling an end in sight to the kingdom's chronic water shortage, experts and government officials say. A Turkish company named Gama was declared the winner of the project's bid, floated by the government to build pipelines and pumping stations to bring water up to 250km from Disi, on the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border, to Amman , the capital, and other cities. The project will be executed on a BOT (build operate and transfer) basis, whereby the Turkish firm will sell water to Jordan for 40 years before handing the project to the Jordanian government.

Municipal Services Project in Turkey

2010-10-28T17:54:33Z

Iller Bank has received a loan from the World Bank for the Municipal Services Project and has allocated a portion of this credit to the General Directorate of ASAT (hereinafter it is referred to as “Sub-Borrower”/“Employer”) for financing the “Antalya Sewerage System Construction and Potable Water Network Rehabilitation Project.” The Sub-Borrower intends to use a portion of the loan for appropriate payments, as per the provisions of Sub-Loan Agreement, under Construction of Sewerage Collection Mains and Water Networks with House Connection in Varsak West, (Contract No. ASAT W10/A42-R).

Position announcement at ACTeon - Innovation, Policy, Environment: (Junior) Environmental socio-economist

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

ACTeon, a small research and consultancy company active in the field of environment policy, is looking for a dynamic and qualified (young) expert for a new full time position. This junior expert will participate in studies and projects of ACTeon dealing with environmental policy development and implementation in Europe and neighbouring regions (e.g. the Mediterranean region). Emphasis will be on water policy, climate change/renewable energy, nature protection, “green transport” policy and marine resources, policy areas where ACTeon is currently developing new expertise.

In the medium to long-term, ACTeon will provide key opportunities for the junior expert to take initiatives and responsibilities and thus to develop professionally in the competitive European market.