Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector

First Arab Water Forum sets the stage for concerted actions against water scarcity in the region

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

Water scarcity was the main focus of the first Arab Water Forum and exhibition, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 15-19 November 2008. The forum was held concurrently with the third International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments (2008). Both were inaugurated by His Royal Highness Prince Khaled Bin Sultan Al-Saud, Assistant Minister for Defence and Aviation and High Commissioner for Military Affairs.

In his opening statement, HH Prince Khaled underlined the importance of the three-day event in strengthening knowledge and exchanging environmental information across the region. This would help develop appropriate approaches to dealing with the current challenges, most important of which being water scarcity under global warming conditions. Over 400 delegates were present. These included ministers or deputy ministers for water, irrigation or environment of NENA countries; experts and representatives of governmental institutions from Germany, Italy, Japan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Viet Nam, the United Kingdom and the United States; and international organizations such as IFAD. The Fund also organized a stand at the forum’s exhibition to illustrate its experience in addressing water issues in the rural areas of the NENA region. The stand was visited by HH Prince Khaled, participating ministers and delegates.

HE Dr Abdullah Al-Hussein, Minister for Water and Electricity of Saudi Arabia, said his country was devoting enormous efforts to rationalizing and making best use of its unrenewable underground water resources. At the same time, it was developing alternative solutions that would maximize benefits from seawater, other saline water and grey water.

The forum was also addressed by HE Dr Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Minister for Water and Irrigation of Egypt and President of the Arab Water Council. Dr Abu Zeid emphasized the need for a comprehensive Arab water policy and better policy frameworks that would enable more investment in the water sector and greater technical cooperation and exchange of knowledge across the region. Participants could attend three sessions, the first of which featured several presentations by high-level experts on water policies. It also included presentations on the “nuclear option” for seawater desalination in Arab countries, the effects of political borders on sustainable management of aquifers resources shared by Arab countries, and the need for a bold water strategy for Arab countries and for an Arab water sustainability index. Issues related to governance of water resources in the Palestinian territories, a prerequisite for peace and stability, were also discussed.

At the second session, dedicated to water resources management, presentations were made, among others, on the sustainable use of non-conventional water resources; a group decision support system for ranking water resources projects; the evaluation of the economic aspects of “virtual water” in the Middle East and North Africa; public-private partnerships in basic irrigation services; and the role of research for the sustainable development of wadi systems.

The third session focused on the regional process of the Fifth World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul in March 2009, with introductions by the World Water Forum Secretariat, the World Water Council and the Arab Water Council. Presentations addressed the many issues to be discussed in Istanbul on each of the five thematic chapters of the regional report to the World Forum.

The 10th issue of the TIGER Newsletter, December 2008

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

12 - 2008

The 10th issue of the TIGER Newsletter

Content:
The Tiger steering committee endorses the next implementation plan 2008-2010
UNESCO G-WADI Global: Real-time Precipitation Now available at the GWADIGeoServer
Small reservoirs from space: Water management and ASAR imagery
Satellite monitoring of lake: water quality in Egypt
TIGER project wins the AARSE award
Lake Nyos: Geo-information is contributing towards disaster management
AARSE Conference
Edited by: ESA

Water supply & sewage system "collapsing" in Gaza

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

The UN has warned that power networks were down in large parts of the Gaza Strip on 4 January, with hospitals relying on generators. Without power for pumps, 70 percent of Gazans are estimated to be without tap water.

The Israeli Gisha organisation, an NGO, said seven of the 12 electricity lines in the enclave (the 12 lines normally supply about 70 percent of Gaza's electricity) were down, and warned that the lack of power was causing sewage to flood into populated areas and farmland. There continued to be a risk of sustained flooding.

On the other hand, and due to the current situation in the Gaza Strip that was imposed by the Israeli military operations since Saturday 27/12/2008, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility "CMWU" announced its inability to (failure) maintain its services in both the water sector in terms of production and distribution and wastewater sector in terms of collection and discharging in Gaza Strip governorates. Despite our several appeals to all international aid agencies and organizations to help out and support their technical teams in keeping all water and wastewater facilities operational and repairing the infrastructure damages and destructions caused by the Israeli bombarding, but all these requests were declined until this moment.

In addition to the continuation of many obstacles during the past three years such as closures and sieges, the CMWU faced acute shortage in necessary spare parts, equipments, and machines for affording the required infrastructural services and had to deal with electricity insufficiency and fuel (diesel) shortage as power supply alternative for restoring these services.

According to the above, the CMWU would like to brief the followings:

1. The water carrier line between Al-Moghraga wells and Nussierate city was damaged due to Israeli air strikes to nearby El Zahraa'a and Nussierate Bridge . As a result, more than 30,000 residents in Nussierate city are inaccessible to water services.

2. Complete destruction of El-Edara Well in eastern side of Jabalia city. As a result, more than 25,000 residents in Jabalia city are inaccessible to water services. "CMWU" wants to state that the well operator has been deceived due to Israeli bombarding.

3. The main electrical transistor that belongs to El Shiekh Ejleen water well has been damaged. As a result, more than 40,000 residents of southern Tal El Hawa city and the surrounding residential towers
are out of water services.

4. The main 12" steel water carrier that supply 40% of total water produced from Gaza city northern side has been destroyed due to the Israeli military operations. As a result, more than 200,000 residents in Gaza city are out of vital water source.

5. Main sewerage line in Bait Hanoun city has been destroyed by the Israeli military actions. The line is not repaired until this moment, which caused health hazardous consequences.

6. The main power generator in Beit Lahia wastewater treatment plant "BLWWTP" has been targeted by the Israeli military operations, which halted the CMWU from carrying on its services in collection and
discharging the wastewater in Beit Lahia city. In addition to several damages in several wastewater networks due to continuous Israeli shelling.

7. Due to the presence of the Israeli troops in Netzarim area, the CMWU states that the Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant is completely out of operation and yet the plant is unable to discharge the wastewater
to the sea. As a result, the collection ponds are threatened to be broken down at any moment in which it will impose serious catastrophic humanitarian, health, and environmental consequences on the surrounding lives and properties from danger of sewerage floods.

8. Since the beginning of the Israeli military operations in Gaza Strip, the wastewater level in main Beit Lahia discharging pond is increasing due to power shortage and lack of fuel in the plant. As a result, major catastrophe shall threaten the lives of thousands of residents of eastern Beit Lahia city of danger of drowning in the sewage flooding.

9. The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility "CMWU" assures that it has applied for several coordination requests from the Israeli side and through the Palestinian Water Authority "PWA", International Committee of Red Cross "ICRC", UNRWA, and all international humanitarian aid organizations working in Gaza strip to facilitate the
CMWU to repair all the aforesaid dama ges points, and to distribute the fuel (diesel) to all water and wastewater facilities that was donated by UNRWA as an urgent aid to CMWU, but all these requests were
declined and failed until this moment.

The Coastal Municipalities Water Utility "CMWU" appeals all international humanitarian aid organizations allover the world for quick and prompt intervention and involvement with the Israeli side to allow the CMWU for providing and affording the minimum basic water and wastewater services and restoring the operational capability of its water and wastewater facilities to avoid further serious catastrophic humanitarian, health, and environmental consequences under this hard situation in Gaza Strip.

SDI Regional Newsletters for January 2009

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

The SDI Regional Newsletters for January 2008 are now posted on the GSDI home page at http://www.gsdi.org

Ministerial Conference on Water adopts strategy guidelines and identifies concrete projects

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

The guidelines of a Strategy for Water in the Mediterranean, permitting the challenges of climate change and its impacts to be met and tackled, were adopted at the Ministerial Conference on Water held in Jordan on December 22. This Strategy will make it possible to handle problems exceeding the means of action of any single country or organisation.

The Ministers, according to a press release on the meeting, “drew the attention of governance bodies of the Union for the Mediterranean, in view of the rapid development of new equipment projects in the domain of water, consistent with the Strategy. From this perspective, they have already identified an initial series of projects which will be discussed as from January 2009…“

The ‘major contribution’ of civil society partners, who met on December 21, was also commended by the Ministers in the 8-page Declaration adopted. The Declaration includes two annexes, one on the guidelines and the other on the water projects identified, based on the following priority concerns:

1 - Adaptation to climate change.

2 - Balance between supply and demand.

3 - Conservation and rehabilitation of natural environments.

4 – De-pollution of the Mediterranean.

5 – Technologies and efficient use of water

Press release

Declaration

French EU Presidency announcement

First Arab Water Forum held in Riyadh, 16-19 November 2008

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

The 1st Arab Water Forum (AWF) was held at the King Fahd Cultural Centre in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in conjunction with two other big events: the 3rd International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments, and the awards ceremony of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. The Arab Water Council (AWC) is set to organize Arab Water Forums (AWF) every three years prior to the World Water Forums to become the most important inclusive water-related event at the regional level. The objective of the AWFs is to mobilize all water stakeholders in the region, to identify priorities of water-related issues and define solutions that can successfully address regional and country specific water challenges.

The AWF comes only four months before the 5th World Water Forum (WWF5) that will be held in Istanbul on 16-22 March 2009 with the main theme “Bridging Divides for Water”. Hence, the AWF focussed on presenting and discussing the progress of the MENA/Arab Region’s preparatory processes towards the WWF5, for which the AWC acts as the regional coordinator.

The preparatory documents of 1st AWF are available on the Arab Water Council web site [please note that many of the links were broken on 22 Dec 2008].

The Water Demand Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa (WaDImena) presented progress and findings of its applied research and pilot projects at the AWF. See a list of presentations below:

Source: IDRC, 27 Nov 2008

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

Call for papers for the International Journal on Hydropower & Dams: HYDRO 2009

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

This conference will be held in Lyon (Fance) in 26-28 October 2009. Key themes for the programme have been drawn up on the basis of feedback from our International Steering Committee, and participants of HYDRO 2008 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Abstracts of proposed papers are called for by 30 January.

Lyon, in a beautiful and easily-accessible part of France, will be the perfect venue for HYDRO 2009, allowing for site visits to important French dams and hydro plants. The French Government is strongly supporting the conference: major partners being EDF, Compagnie Nationale du Rhône and GDF Suez.

In recognition of the greater impetus for hydro development worldwide, the solid commitment of international financing agencies, and (despite anxieties about recession in many parts of the world) the large number of hydro schemes now moving ahead in developing countries, we have made the sub-title of this year's event ‘Progress - Potential - Plans'. This is intended to represent progress in all sectors of the profession: greater sensitivity to environmental and social aspects; refinements in technology to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and protect the environment; new ways to maximize the benefits of existing and new hydro facilities; new approaches to financing; and, experience with new strategies.

A number of workshops, inter-active debates and side events hosted by national and international professional associations will run alongside HYDRO 2009. Supporting organizations include IEA, ICOLD, ESHA and the British Hydropower Association.

The international hydro community - owners + operators, consultants, international financiers, contractors, manufacturers, researchers, and others - will assemble at HYDRO 2009. If you are active in the field of hydropower development, your presence and your input to the discussions will be welcome.

2009-01-05T00:00:00Z

Cyprus: Mr Christodoulos Artemis is on pre-retirement leave until 28/2/2009 when he officially retires, and nomination of thew Water Director: Sofoclis Aletraris

2009-01-06T00:00:00Z

Mr. Christodoulos Artemis, Director of the Water Development Department (WDD) since 2001, is on pre-retirement leave until 28/2/2009 when he officially retires.

The new Water Director has been nominated. He is Mr. Sofoclis Aletraris, the new head of Cyprus' Water Development Department'.

2009-01-06T00:00:00Z

Call for papers for the Special issue: "Hydraulic Bureaucracies: Flows of Water and Power"

2009-01-06T00:00:00Z

Send abstracts before the 1st of March.

Since the 19^th century large-scale water resource development has led to the extensive development of irrigation areas, supply of water to ever expanding megacities, and the construction of massive infrastructures for hydropower and flood control. But it has also been associated with an ideology of domination of nature by steel and concrete. In many countries this 'hydraulic mission' has been carried out by –and has also given rise to- powerful water bureaucracies that, often up to these days, have acquired and sustained enormous power. This power was bureaucratic, through the command of large budgets and the control of decision-making on what to build and where, but also expanded socially (i.e. the prestige attached to the engineering profession), politically (through close relationships between both local and national politicians and state bureaucrats), and economically (due to their proximity with construction companies and consulting firms, either national or foreign). Relatively little scholarly work has investigated the role of these state water bureaucracies in the development of water resources, environmental transformations and state-citizen relationships, although exceptions include institutions like the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers, in the US. Many other countries like France, Spain, the Netherlands, UK, Australia, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, etc. have seen the emergence of powerful water bureaucracies. This special issue will include case studies from various countries that will emphasize the inner historical transformations and the role of these water bureaucracies in the transformation of landscapes, as well as in the formation of the state and wider social relationships.

Potential contributors interested in this topic can send an abstract to WaA before the 1^st of March 2009. After selection of articles authors will be requested to send their articles before the 30^th of May. Papers will be reviewed and published as a special issue in the WaA issue of October 1.

Approval of the website design of the Hydria Project

2009-01-07T00:00:00Z

The HYDRIA project: "Collection, storage & distribution of water in antiquity-Linking ancient wisdom to modern needs" was approved by the UNESCO Participation Programme 2008-09.

The HYDRIA project is about the development of a website to promote selected case studies of Water Related Cultural Heritage, with the participation of six Mediterranean countries, namely, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.

The basic goals of the project is to raise awareness of the wider public & educate youth on water-related Mediterranean cultural heritage and to highlight the possible adaptation of water management systems used in the past to modern needs and realities, giving emphasis to environmental friendly applications; through the development of appropriate educational web -based applications.

2009-01-06T00:00:00Z

2009-01-07T00:00:00Z