Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector - News for 2007/11

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Environmental Policy in South East Europe - 6th Ministerial Conference "Enrivonment for Europe", Belgrade, Serbia (10-12 October 2007)

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This report, issued by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), reviews progress in the development and implementation of environmental and sustainability policies in South East Europe, revealing that national environmental action plans and strategies have been developed and adopted, while implementation is still in its early stages. The report offers recommendations including: to continue the development of environmental institutions at the national level; to customize the education for sustainable development for each country; and to use the EU accession process to achieve sustainable development objectives including Millennium Development Goals.

Agreed Conclusions of the 9th Euro-Mediterranean Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs: Lisbon, 5-6 November 2007 (Horizon 2020 and a special ad hoc Euro-Mediterranean ministerial Conference on water)

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Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership met on 5 and 6 November 2007 in Lisbon, under the Presidency of H.E. Luis Amado, Foreign Minister of Portugal. This meeting offered an appropriate opportunity to assess the progress made during 2007 in implementing the Tampere programme which is derived from the 5-year Work Programme adopted in Barcelona in 2005, and to agree on the priorities for next year.

Ministers reaffirm their commitment to pursue their efforts to realise the Barcelona Declaration objectives. Ministers stress the importance of the European Neighbourhood Policy, which contributes to reinforcing and complementing the Barcelona Process through implementing bilateral Association Agreements and the Action Plans in accordance with agreed priorities. They remind that the political objectives of the Barcelona process are sustained by a substantial budget of more than € 3.3 billion for 2007-2010, which has been earmarked for Mediterranean regional and bilateral cooperation in the framework of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). They also take note of the establishment of a ENP Governance Facility to support willing Mediterranean partners in carrying out their reforms and welcome the progress towards establishing a substantial ENP Investment Facility. Ministers acknowledge the EU-Africa Joint Strategy and Plan of Action and look forward to the EU/Africa Summit in Lisbon in December 2007. Ministers welcome Albania and Mauritania into the Barcelona Process.

Ministers welcome that the Horizon 2020 initiative relating to the de-pollution of the Mediterranean will continue to implement the measures agreed under the timetable of actions approved at the third Euro-Mediterranean meeting of Environment Ministers held in Cairo and put forward by the first meeting of the Steering Committee in June 2007. The European Environment Agency will cooperate with its counterparts to design a coherent indicator process and a framework for regular indicator-based analyses, including a “scorecard” to compare and measure progress. The European Investment Bank has begun to identify the pollution reduction projects arising from the regional work of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) which appear to have the best possibility of being bankable. This is the first step to develop a project pipeline under Horizon 2020.

Ministers welcome the upcoming 4th Conference of Water Directors of the Euro-Mediterranean and South Eastern European Countries on 10-11 December 2007, which that will build on the conclusions of the third Conference, 6-7 November 2006, in Athens. Furthermore, Ministers take note of the possible organization of a special ad hoc Euro-Mediterranean ministerial Conference on water to take place in the second semester of 2008. The terms of reference for the Conference shall be agreed upon by all partners in due time.

France presented the Mediterranean Union project: The creation of a water agency to face pollution of the Mediterranean

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France has detailed its Mediterranean Union project to all the member countries of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, at a conference in Lisbon. A meeting of foreign ministers of the 37 countries participating in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was held on Tuesday, November 6 in Lisbon, just days after the first conference EU-Africa-Middle East on energy, 1 November, at Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt). The French project of the Mediterranean Union was launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy since his presidential campaign. French President then presented it in broad outline, on the occasion of a visit to Morocco, Oct 23 (Read Euractiv 25/10). In Lisbon, Alain Le Roy, ambassador in charge of implementing the project, detailed for the first time the contents of this French initiative to all the countries concerned. The Mediterranean Union would be a forum for annual or bi-annual exchange between countries bordering the Mediterranean, but not a new institution, said Alain Leroy. It would be a "union project" based on specific programs, such as a water agency responsible for combating pollution of the Mediterranean, or a development agency for small and medium enterprises. Each initiative is only supported by those countries that wish it.

The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly has also supported the Mediterranean Union Initiative during its last meeting held in Malta on November 24th.

EBRD support for Montenegrin regional water supply system: : €15 million to construct northern branch of the costal water supply system

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The EBRD is lending €15 million to the Montenegrin regional water supply company to support the rehabilitation and construction of a regional water supply system that will provide potable water from Lake Skadar to the municipalities along the Montenegrin coast.

The project, which has been developed in close co-operation with the World Bank, will provide a long-term sustainable solution to water supply requirements of the coastal cities and underpin Montenegro’s expanding tourism potential.

The Bank will finance the rehabilitation and construction of the northern branch of the system which will supply Budva, Tivat, Kotor and Herceg Novi, and the World Bank will finance water extraction from Skadar Lake, water treatment, the main continental part of the network and the southern branch supplying Bar and Ulcinj.

The borrower, “Regionalni Vodovod Crnogorsko Primorje” is a state-owned enterprise established for the purpose of providing bulk water to the local water companies serving the coastal municipalities in Montenegro.

A roadmap for calibration and validation of satellite data

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The volume of data acquired by more than 50 Earth Observation satellites is increasing at an exponential rate and is providing unprecedented synoptic views of our planet. Because these satellites often use different methodologies, using data for trend analysis and environmental monitoring can be difficult, making it essential to establish globally recognised guidelines for Calibration and Validation processes.

More than 50 experts from space agencies and organisations around the world met earlier this month at the GEO/CEOS Workshop on Calibration and Validation Processes in Geneva, Switzerland, to identify and scope key elements needed to develop and implement a data quality strategy.

Calibration is the process of quantitatively defining the system responses to known, controlled signal inputs. Validation is the process of assessing, by independent means, the quality of the data products derived from the system outputs.

The workshop, hosted by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and ESA from 2 to 4 October, was structured around four main sessions:

    * Cal/Val site characterisation & classification
    * Satellite and in situ Cal/Val data access
    * Methodology and guidelines for Cal/Val
    * Harmonisation of quality information

WaDImena seeks experts for two political economy studies

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WaDImena project is seeking the services of two experts in water political economy,
each of whom to conduct a study on:

I. The political economy of wastewater and greywater reuse in Jordan
II. The political economy of decentralization of water management in Tunisia

With a focus on treated wastewater (WW) and greywater (GW) reuse and decentralization of water management in Jordan and Tunisia, the overall objective of these two studies is to facilitate and promote water demand management (WDM) research uptake by identifying who we need to influence (key actors, stakeholders, etc..) and how to optimize this influence (entry points, opportunities, modalities and mechanisms).

The studies are intended to explore the actual role of political economy circumstances that determine WDM uptake under different governance settings in the MENA region. The studies shall provide a more nuanced understanding of the complexity of policy processes and influence (who, why and how), and will further guide policy engagement, capacity building, knowledge sharing and regional networking activities of WaDImena applied research and pilot projects and should also assist to translate WDM principles into concrete actions and results for more tangible impact. Furthermore, the experts are expected to provide inputs, including presentations and discussions, to political economy workshops that the project is planning to organize following the completion of the two studies.

The Terms of References provide more details on the objectives and scope of work under this consultancy, as well as the expected experts’ qualifications.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter expressing interest in the consultancy, the specific country (a consultant per country), a CV, and writing sample by November 20, 2007 to the attention of Dr. Hammou LAAMRANI by fax at +20 2 3336-7056 (Egypt) or email to wadimena@idrc.org.eg (subject line: Political Economy WDM Study).

Invitation and Call for Papers from the Institute of Environmental and Water Studies, Birzeit University, West Bank: First Symposium on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Water Demand Management in Palestine

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The Institute of Environmental and Water Studies (IEWS) at Birzeit University in cooperation with the Palestinian Water Authority ( PWA), the International Development Research Center (IDRC), German Technical Cooperation (GTZ ), and UNESCO-IHE Partnership for Water Education and Research (PoWER) is organizing the first symposium on "Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Water Demand Management in Palestine" along with the World Water Day 2008. The celebrations will be held on April 2-3, 2008 at Birzeit University (West Bank/Palestine).

This Symposium aims at presenting the results of IEWS research projects and exposing Palestinian policy-makers and other stakeholders to the different aspects of wastewater treatment and reuse for agricultural irrigation.

Water researchers, experts, and policy-makers are invited to submit abstracts of their papers or posters for presentation during the Symposium. The major themes of the symposium are:

Laws, policies, and guidelines related to wastewater reuse and water demand management.
Wastewater reuse within integrated water resources management.
Technical performance of various wastewater treatment systems; onsite and offsite.
Health aspects of wastewater reuse.
Financial and economic assessment of treatment and reuse projects.
Socio-cultural perceptions towards reuse.
Social and gender analysis of reclamation and reuse projects.
Institutional and organizational aspects of reuse.
Ethics and wastewater reuse.
Case studies.

Abstract submission deadline: 15 December 2007.

Call for papers: The European Geosciences Union General Assembly General Assembly: "Water science: source of conflict or cooperation?"

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Can science play a role in preventing conflicts to emerge around water, and if so which? And what role could water professionals play to foster cooperation over water?

During the European Geosciences Union General Assembly General Assembly (Vienna, Austria, 13 – 18 April 2008). A session entitled "Water science: source of conflict or cooperation?" will try to answer these questions, and you are invited to submit an abstract for the presentation of a case study or a
paper. The deadline for the submission of Abstracts is 15 January.

The session is convened by P. van der Zaag (Water Resources Management UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education), with the following co-conveners: C. McCulloch (Oxford University Centre for the Environment), P. O'Connell (School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, University of Newcastle), G.
Crescimanno (ITAF, Università di Palermo), and I (UNESCO-International Hydrological Programme).

The EGU General Assembly will bring together geoscientists from all over Europe and the rest of the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. Especially for young scientists the EGU appeals to provide a forum to present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences.

Call for papers for the water seminar: "The commercialisation of water delivery in Europe: examining developments and exploring opportunities for reclaiming public water"

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The Reclaiming Public Water Network and the Public Interest Research Network are hosting a seminar in Brussels the 7-8 January 2008 to discuss the developments in water delivery in Europe. The seminar aims to bring together campaigners and researchers to share experiences, research and practices; to discuss the nature of public water delivery; and to develop collaborative campaigning and research networks associated with movements to defend and reclaim public water in Europe.

Contributions

We invite a broad range of papers documenting water delivery in Europe, inclusive of management and governance issues associated with the following themes.

- Conceptual discussion of water delivery in Europe

- Campaigns against commercialisation and privatisation of water delivery

- Examples of developments in public participation and democratisation

- Progressive institutional policy reform at management and governance level

- Examples of neo-liberal policy agenda proposed by European and transnational institutions

- Developing an alternative vision of water delivery and of water governance

The deadline for submission of abstracts is Friday 30 November 2007.

Attendance

Contact Tommy Kane (thomas.kane@strath.ac.uk) to register your interest and for information about bursaries for travel.

ENMaR project report is published: “Water: local planning and management”

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The key aim of the Handbook “Water: local planning and management” is to share good practice concerning water management. The Handbook therefore has two audiences. Firstly the main target group of the ENMaR project the municipalities and stakeholders at local level, who can compare their circumstances with other river basins and can learn from what others are doing. Secondly, decision-makers will be able to gain an overall impression of the current situation concerning water management and its related fields. A chapter is given to each of the project’s key themes (spatial planning, tourism, water management, agriculture and forestry) which highlight differences and similarities among the regions. Due to the high importance placed on public participation, a chapter on stakeholder engagement has also been included. Further on, the Handbook contains 60 case studies, selected from good examples of projects on-the-ground in the ENMaR regions.

Soon the report will be available in German, Latvian, Spanish and Swedish language.

If you wish to get a paper version of the handbook please contact ENMaR project: info@enmar.org. The handbook is for free, but mailing expanses will be charged.

ENMaR Newsletter 3/2007

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The ENMaR (European Network of Municipalities and Rivers) project partly financed by the EU under the INTERREG IIIC programme, published its 11th newsletter issue.

EU Partnership for Peace: Call for Proposals

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The European Commission has published an Open Call for Proposals (Reference: EuropeAid/126231/L/ACT/PS) under the EU Partnership for Peace programme which aims at strengthening civil society actions in peace building and conflict transformation in the Middle East. It focuses on initiatives which are likely to have an impact on people’s everyday lives through practical actions: rebuilding mutual trust through reconciliation, building capacity for conflict resistance, empowering marginalized parties and launching joint development policies and strategies.

Deadline for receipt of applications: Thursday, 7th February, 2008 at 16:00.

First call for proposals open for INTERREG IVC programme

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The first INTERREG IVC call for proposals was launched on 21st September 2007 and will close on 15th January 2008.

Authorities and stakeholders at local and regional level have a vital role to play in the achievement of the EU’s strategies for growth, jobs and sustainable development. The exchange, sharing & transfer of policy experience, knowledge and good practices will contribute to the success of this objective.

The INTERREG IVC Programme is part of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective of the Structural Fund policies for the period 2007-2013. It aims, by means of interregional cooperation, to improve the effectiveness of regional development policies and contribute to economic modernisation and increased competitiveness of Europe, by:

Enabling local and regional actors across the EU to exchange their experiences and knowledge;
Matching regions less experienced in a certain policy field with more advanced regions;
Ensuring the transfer of good practices into Structural Funds mainstream programmes.

The INTERREG IVC Programme is financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), whose principles and regulations are laid down in Council Regulation N° 1083/2006 (General Regulation), Council and Parliament Regulation N° 1080/2006 (ERDF Regulation) and Commission Regulation N° 1828/2006 (Implementation Regulation). The principles and regulations for projects developed within the Programme are laid down in the Operational Programme, which was officially approved by the European Commission on 11th September 2007

The INTERREG IVC Programme is divided into two thematic priorities related to the EU strategy for growth and sustainable development known as the Lisbon and Gothenburg strategies. Project partners are invited to submit their project application under one of the sub-themes listed below.

Innovation and the Knowledge Economy: (ERDF €177 million, 55%)
- Natural & Technological Risks (incl. climate change)
- Water Management
- Waste Prevention and Management
- Biodiversity and Natural Heritage (incl. air quality)
- Energy and Sustainable Transport
- Cultural Heritage and Landscape

Environment and Risk Prevention: (ERDF €125 million, 39%)
- Innovation, Research & Technology Development
- Entrepreneurship and SMEs
- Information Society
- Employment, Human Resources and Education

Mr. Walter Mazzitti nominated president of MENBO

2009-05-12T17:39:14Z

During the General Assembly of the Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations (MENBO), which took place in Rome last November 9th, 2007, Mr. Walter Mazzitti, EMWIS General Secretary, was elected president of MENBO for the next two years.