News for 2009/03

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh Sanitation Movement in India, has been named the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. As the Founder of the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, Dr. Pathak is known around the world for his wide ranging work in the sanitation field to improve public health, advance social progress, and improve human rights in India and other countries. His accomplishments span the fields of sanitation technology, social enterprise, and healthcare education for millions of people in his native country, serving as a model for NGO agencies and public health initiatives around the world. Since he established the Sulabh Sanitation Movement in 1970, Dr. Pathak has worked to change social attitudes toward traditional unsanitary latrine practices in slums, rural villages, and dense urban districts, and developed cost effective toilet systems that have improved daily life and health for millions of people. He has also waged an ongoing campaign to abolish the traditional practice of manual "scavenging" of human waste from bucket latrines in India while championing the rights of former scavengers and their families to economic opportunity, decent standards of living, and social dignity. "The results of Dr. Pathak's endeavors constitute one of the most amazing examples of how one person can impact the well being of millions," noted the Stockholm Water Prize nominating committee in its citation. "Dr. Pathak's leadership in attaining these remarkable socio-environmental results has been universally recognized, and not least by those who have secured the freedom of human dignity as a consequence of his efforts." Dr. Pathak will formally receive the 2009 Stockholm Water Prize at an Award Ceremony at an Award Ceremony in the Stockholm City Hall during the World Water Week in Stockholm this coming August.

--About the Stockholm Water Prize
First presented in 1991, The Stockholm Water Prize is the world's most prestigious prize for outstanding achievement in water-related activities. The annual prize, which includes a USD 150,000 award and a crystal sculpture, honours individuals, institutions or organisations whose work contributes broadly to the conservation and protection of water resources and to improved health of the planet's inhabitants and ecosystems. An international nominating committee appointed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is responsible to review the nominations and propose a candidate. The Founders of the prize are Swedish and international companies in co-operation with the City of Stockholm. The prize program is administered by the Stockholm International Water Institute. The patron of the Stockholm Water Prize is H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

For your information, the Procurement Notice for the ENPI Mediterranean Environment Programme was published today on the website of the Commission (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1236246338182&do=publi.getDoc&documentId=91439&pubID=127372) under the reference 127372.

This programme - one of the opportunities presented by EC Environment representative, Mr Jesus Lavina, during the SMAP Final Seminar in Alexandria in February - aims to promote better environmental integration in the different sector policies in the region and to support implementation of Horizon 2020.

As you will see in the procurement notice, the Commission targets relevant national authorities (the consortium to be selected will include at least one from the EU and one from the ENP South region). Other types of organisations are of course not excluded.

Deadline for receipt of applications: 03/04/2009, 16:00 Central European Time

The 2009 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate will be announced next Wednesday, March 25, 2009. 

The announcement will be made at the annual World Water Day seminar in Stockholm arranged by SIWI, the Swedish Water House and co-convenors.

Information on the 2009 Laureate will be posted on www.siwi.org immediately following the announcement. 

SIWI and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)welcome entries for the third edition of the WASH Media Awards competition open to journalists who publish or broadcast original investigative reports between March 2009 and April 2010 on water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues in their countries.

Journalists can submit one piece of work such as an article from traditional print or recognized online newspapers, magazines or journals; a radio broadcast; or a television documentary or report.

To be eligible, entries must be published or broadcast between 1 March 2009 and 1 April 2010. Articles or broadcasts can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. Works not originally published or broadcast in one of these languages must be translated into one of the five competition languages.

Seven prizes will be awarded:

• One in each of the five competition languages for developing country journalists
• One for the best entry focusing on gender (women and WASH) for developing country journalists
• One for the best entry from a developed country journalist

The winners will receive a cash prize and participate in the World Water Week in Stockholm in August 2010 as special guests of WSSCC and SIWI.

African economies are especially vulnerable to water shortages, delegates to the Implementing Environmental Water Allocations (IEWA) conference heard on Monday.

"Many African economies are held hostage to hydrology," World Bank senior water resources specialist Rafik Hirji said at the start of the four-day event in Port Elizabeth.

It has attracted more than 300 experts, academics and officials from 30 countries.

The international conference aims to promote the sustainable use of rivers, wetlands, estuaries and groundwater.

Hirji said Africa's vulnerability stemmed from the extreme variability of its climate, a condition exacerbated by increasing climate change.

He cited Ethiopia, Kenya and Mozambique as examples of countries on the continent where there was a strong correlation between rainfall and GDP.

"Climate events in these countries have huge economic impacts."

Speaking later to Sapa, he said some countries in the SADC region were "quite vulnerable" in this regard, one of which was Zimbabwe.

"A number of countries are really facing serious problems as a result of their inability to deal with existing climate variabilities. And now climate change is only going to make it worse," he said. - Sapa

Bilingual website of AWIS (African Water Information System) / SADIeau (Système Africain d'Information sur l'Eau), an ACP-EU water facility funded project (2007-2010) that aims to interlink water resource centres in
sub-Saharan Africa to enable information exchange via a web-interface.

AWIS approach is inspired from the "Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector" (EMWIS).  

Partners in the consortium are: Réseau Africain des Organismes de Bassin (RAOB), Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS), Office International de l'Eau (OIEau) (France), Centre Régional pour l'Eau Potable et l'Assainissement à faible coût (CREPA) (Burkina Faso), Programme Solidarité Eau (PSEau) (France), Water, Engineering and Development Center (WEDC) (UK). Most information is available only in French at the moment.The outputs of the project are not (yet) available on the web site.

Country governments are meeting in Istanbul to discuss water challenges. As instruments of public water policies, Private Water Operators experience these increasing challenges in the field in both developed and in developing countries. They feel that this Forum is a rare opportunity to make decisions that are badly needed to solve growing water challenges.

Gérard Payen; President of AquaFed, says: "An acceleration of the public programs that develop
access to safe water, hygienic toilets and waste water management is urgent in many countries."

A more realistic approach to the economics of water services is required. The challenge is to ensure viable operations and at the same time make sure that prices are affordable. Sustainable Cost- Recovery is a new concept that mixes user payments (Tariffs) with subsidies from public budgets (Taxes). The objective is to ensure that user payments are affordable for each category of users and that predictable public subsidies support the service operator if necessary. Better understanding and use of Sustainable Cost Recovery will facilitate projects that aim at expanding access to safe water and sanitation.

The magnitude of water-related challenges makes it essential for all stakeholders to be mobilised. The recurrent polemics that try to oppose public and private operators simply slow progress. They are artificial and unhelpful.

AquaFed is the International Federation of Private Water Operators. Open to companies and associations of companies of all sizes and from all countries, it aims to contribute to solving water challenges by making Private Sector know-how and experience available to the international community. It brings together more than 300 water companies that serve hundreds of millions of people in 40 countries.

The report, 'Arab Environment: Future Challenges', published by the regional nongovernmental organisation the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED), was launched last week (3 March) in Beirut, Lebanon. It assesses the current and future state of a range of environmental issues in the region, from water scarcity to urbanisation.

The region faces a temperature increase of 2–5.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, coupled with decreased precipitation of up to 20 per cent and sea level rise that could wipe out areas of agricultural land and displace millions.

The report calls for mitigation and adaptation strategies to be integrated into national and regional development strategies and for more funding and facilities for climate change research.

Most Arab countries will face severe water scarcity by 2025. In 2001, average available water supplies per person in the Arab region were 977 cubic metres —below the UN definition of water scarcity, according to the report. Projections put this figure lower still, at 460 cubic metres by 2023.

Improved management is essential to ensure better water use and improved allocation of resources between agriculture, industry and domestic use, the report says.

Land degradation has also destroyed 34 per cent of irrigated agricultural land in the region and the report says that the Arab region loses US$5 billion of agricultural revenue per year because of desertification.

Long-term environmental management strategies; powerful and effective environmental agencies; clear political and legislative mandates; and environmental research, education and media input are required, the report concludes.

"Exchange of experiences, success stories and dissemination of the best management practices are among the effective tools to handle this problem,"Radwan Al-Weshah, regional advisor for water science in Arab states at UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt, told SciDev.Net.

Wael Hmaidan, executive director of Lebanon-based environmental group IndyAct added that unless environmental issues are prioritised on all political levels, economic costs of environmental degradation will increase exponentially with climate change.

GEO has issued a Call entitled “Earth Observations in Decision Support Projects” that seeks to identify projects that demonstrate the benefits of Earth observation applications to end users in developing countries, particularly in the fields of agriculture, energy, human health and water. Details are available in the CFP document.

Concept Proposals Due: 4-June-2009.

The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) promotes the provision and use of Earth observations to improve decision making and deliver societal benefits.

This Call for Proposals (CFP) seeks project proposals to apply Earth observations to improve policy and management decisions. The CFP has a strong interest in indentifying projects focused on helping end users in
developing countries apply Earth observations. The CFP also seeks to identify individuals and organizations interested in serving as advisors to projects.

The clear purposes of this CFP are to identify and promote practical applications of Earth observations to improve decision making and to call attention to specific examples in which Earth observations provide societal benefit. This CFP does not offer funds for preparation or participation in a proposal or project.

GEO may attempt to match the selected projects from developing countries with resource-providing organizations.

The GEO User Interface Committee and Capacity Building Committee are managing this CFP. Projects selected under this CFP will likely draw on activities of all the GEO committees. This activity supports GEO Tasks US-09-01b (Communities of Practice) and CB-09-01 (Resource Mobilisation).

This CFP requests projects for the following GEO Societal Benefit Areas: Agriculture, Energy, Human Health, and Water.

This CFP is open to all types of organizations and teams of organizations. Every project should include at least one GEO Member or Participating Organization. GEO welcomes the project proposals to apply Earth observations for improved decision making and showcase the value and societal benefits of Earth observations.

Project teams and Project Advisors shall submit an electronic copy of their proposal(s) to the GEO Secretariat (secretariat@geosec.org). Microsoft Word® 2000 for Windows, 2001 for Macintosh, or higher format is preferred; Portable Document Format and Rich Text Format are acceptable.

Proposals shall be in English-language text, formatted using one or two columns with single-spacing (or larger). Proposals shall use legible printer fonts and easily-read font size (typically 12-point font). Proposals shall use at least 2.5cm margins on all sides. Proposals may include figures and illustrations.

Concept Proposals and Final Proposals shall be received no later than the respective dates and times in the Master Schedule (Section 1.6). UIC and CBC may consider late proposals on a case-by-case basis. Project Advisors may submit their proposals at any time.

Questions and requests for clarification should be sent electronically to the attention of Fernando Ramos and Imraan Saloojee to the GEO Secretariat (secretariat@geosec.org) 

A new crop model, named AquaCrop, has been recently developed by FAO. AquaCrop focuses on simulating the attainable yield in response to water which is the key driver for agricultural production and which becomes increasingly the critical factor limiting crop production. AquaCrop uses a relatively small number of explicit and mostly intuitive parameters and attempts to balance simplicity, accuracy and robustness.

The workshop main objective is to train participants in the practical applications of AquaCrop in order to improve their skills in strategic farm management practices toward increasing crop water productivity in rainfed and irrigated production systems. 

It will take place in the facilities of the Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China during 5 days (15-19 June 2009).

Deadline for application is May, 15 2009. 

--
AquaCrop is the FAO crop-model to simulate yield response to water of several herbaceous crops. It is designed to balance simplicity, accuracy and robustness, and is particularly suited to address conditions where water is a key limiting factor in crop production. AquaCrop is a companion tool for a wide range of users and applications including yield prediction under climate change scenarios.

• Zabadani Basin, SYRIA
• Berrechid Basin, MOROCCO

as well as other documentations (report on vulnerability mapping of the Zabadani Basin, DSShelper tools and Tutorial materials) can be downloaded from www.acsad-bgr.org.

Water Resources are very scarce in the Arab region. Recent climate change models predict for the future years even more severe conditions, due to increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation.
Therefore it is important that water resources are managed carefully in a sustainable way following the IWRM concept. This is a very difficult task and reliable tools are needed to support the management and planning.
In most countries of the region the key problem is the limited knowledge of the hydrological system and thus the water resources are not well evaluated. The impact of the limited knowledge and management of the resources is often overexploitation and water quality deterioration.

ACSAD, BGR and SEI have jointly improved and applied such an IWRM-tool by combining WEAP www.weap21.org and MODFLOW2000 water.usgs.gov/nrp/gwsoftware/modflow.html. Various other institutions, researchers and projects have been applying WEAP as a Water Management and Planning tool in the region and beyond.

The aim of the conference is to share this information between all interested people in the region and to start a user network to improve jointly the IWRM by applying and sharing powerful support tools like WEAP and respective experiences.

The organizers are encouraging people from the region and beyond to present their case studies at the conference. Presentations will be 25 minutes, followed by 5 minutes discussion. The full papers need to be send in by 01.04.2009. Depending on the acceptance of the paper the organizers can sponsor the respective presenter by refunding travel and accommodation costs. 

--
Deadline for Papers: 01.04.2009.

Conference Topics are: WEAP applications in the field of water planning, transboundary water policy, climate change studies, socioeconomic studies, river ecosystems, water utilities, water rights administration, water quality, safe yield analysis, multicriteria decision analysis, optimization modelling, groundwater recharge modelling, irrigation demand and supply modelling, groundwater flow model integration, reservoir management.

The conference will take place in Baden Baden, Germany in 17-20 May 2009.

CALL FOR PAPERS
Deadline for Papers: 30 April 2009

TECHNICAL PROGRAM
Socio-economic and environmental issues
- Water scarcity and environmental implications
- Desalination and water resource management
- Desalination projects, financing schemes
- Cost of desalination and water treatment
- Desalination and environmental impact
- Concentrate handling
Processes, problems, technological advances
- Feedwater pretreatment for desalination
- Seawater desalination by reverse osmosis
- Brackish water desalination
- Nanofiltration, Ultrafiltration, Microfiltration in water treatment
processes
- Removal of specific compounds
- Membrane performance and maintenance
- Pre-treatment and Post-treatment of desalinated water
- Recent developments in desalination
- Advanced wastewater treatment
- Desalination and renewable energy sources
- Energy recovery technology
- Thermal seawater desalination
- Corrosion and scaling
- Materials selection

Announcement and Call for Papers
See http://www.desline.com/congress/badenbaden/badenbaden2009.pdf


Register as a participant
http://www.desline.com/congress/badenbaden/registration.shtml

Can we tell if there are more or fewer droughts as a result of climate change? How does one compare the intensity, duration and spatial coverage of agricultural droughts in countries?

These were some of the questions raised at the recent International Workshop on Drought and Extreme Temperatures, organized jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), which pondered ways to cope with the unwelcome impact of droughts and extreme temperatures on agriculture, rangelands and forestry.

The problem is that there are at least 20 kinds of drought indices - numerical scales based on data such as rainfall and temperature - used to measure three types of droughts: meteorological, agricultural and hydrological.

"Many a time, appropriate indices are not used, as there are no standards or guidelines for the use of drought indices," said Robert Stefanski, a WMO scientific officer who works on weather and climate issues related to agriculture. The workshop has asked the WMO to develop standards for agricultural drought indices.

The standards would address the appropriate use of an index for a particular type of drought (meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological)

Stefanski pointed out that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had used one drought index, the Palmer Index, "which was originally derived for the USA, and these kinds of indices need to be adapted and modified for the whole world."

"Standardizing and establishing guidelines for the use of indices will help such studies," he said, but developing a unified and standardized drought index would be "more difficult".

He said several ideas that combined two or three drought indices into a single one were presented at the workshop, "but this concept needs to be tested over different climates. This is why there needs to be further research into this issue."

For more information on the different types of drought see: www.wamis.org

Following the conference - debate on ` ' the Question of water in Morocco'' and an organisational meeting organized in Rabat on March 7, 2009, Acme-Morocco, on the basis of its principles and of its line of action:

- Again Invites to consider the Right to water as an human right and to organize its distribution as a basic social service who cannot be left with the law of supply and demand.

- Ask with insistence the Moroccan government to refuse the decisions of the World forum of water - Which are especially dictated by the great world private groups of water - and to behave about the right to water like already did by countries such as South Africa, Uruguay, Bolivia, Venezuela or Cuba

- Invites the system of the United Nations to promote in the future the organization of the World forum of water, like a first stage the recognition of the access to water like a right and in order to register that right in the Universal declaration of the human rights

- Request the promotion, within the production and the distribution of water activities, of a public-public partnership between southern and northern, and between countries of the south themselves.

- Request the institution of credible mechanisms to include the civil society in the follow-up and the control of the activities of the public agencies in charge of the production and the distribution of water and to act on this subject according to the principles of the participative democracy.

Today drought causes severe social problems and receives broad attention from the international scientific and policy communities. Drought management in the Mediterranean region exemplifies many other drought-prone regions with rapidly expanding populations that are placing increased pressure on already limited water supplies.

The experiences in the development and implementation of drought management plans in the Mediterranean highlight the success and challenges of coping with drought for societies with different vulnerabilities. Based on these experiences and the current methods for evaluating risk, the book synthesises guidelines for drought management that can be applied to other regions.

Coping with Drought Risk in Agriculture and Water Supply Systems addresses the growing issue of drought preparedness planning, monitoring, and mitigation which has worldwide application. The book collates considerable information from diverse disciplines. The information is presented to appeal to a broad scientific and policy audience seeking to develop proactive drought management plans effective for decreasing social vulnerability.

This book has been written within the framework of the MEDROPLAN (Mediterranean Drought Preparedness and MItigation Planning) Project, co-funded by the European Union through the Euro-Mediterranean Regional Programme for Local Water Management (MEDA Water) and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza - CIHEAM (Spain; Coordinator), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), University of Cyprus (Cyprus), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), University of Catania (Italy), Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hasan II (Morocco), Canal de Isabel II (Spain), Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo (Spain), Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo (Spain) and Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Environnement et des Ressources Hydrauliques (Tunisia).

Audience:
This book will be of interest to agricultural, water and land managers; policy-makers; researchers in natural hazards and risk management; graduate students in natural hazards, agricultural and water management, rural planning, policy development, and social development.

CD-ROM included
This volume contains a CD-ROM with the Medroplan Drought Management Guidelines in several languages, with examples and tutorial for application.

Palestinian water law and policy expert, Dr. Fadia Daibes Murad, has died in a car crash on her way back from the Water Forum in Istanbul to Ramallah. "Fadia was an important defender of the water rights of Palestine women and men, so intelligent, and full of energy", says Joke Muylwijk, Executive Director of the Gender and Water Alliance (GWA).

"Fadia was one of the first persons to build the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA). She was working with us under the Norwegian program on institutional capacity building for the establishment of PWA. She was so close to me as a friend and sister. Her lost was very harm to me", says Youssef Awayes, EMWIS National Focal Point Coordinator in Palestine and GD Public Relation & International in the PWA.

Dr. Daibes Murad had been in Istanbul, representing the GWA at the 5th World Water Forum on the topic of water and conflict, contributing from a gender perspective. Read her statement here.

Dr. Daibes Murad was the Regional Representative for DanChurchAid in Ramallah, Palestine. She got her PhD degree in 2004 from the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science in Dundee, UK. She then worked for eight years with the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and later became a freelance water law and policy consultant, specialising in the water conflict between Israel and Palestine.

--
Statement of Dr. Fadia Daibes Murad at 5th World Water Forum

From golf courses to books, olive oil to vaccinations, all the goods and services that we rely on, together with many of our daily activities, require a vital resource: water. A new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) confirms that in many parts of Europe water use is unsustainable and provides recommendations for a new approach to managing water resources.

The EEA report 'Water resources across Europe - confronting water scarcity and drought' highlights that while southern Europe continues to
experience the greatest water scarcity problems, water stress is growing in parts of the north too. Moreover, climate change will cause the severity and
frequency of droughts to increase in the future, exacerbating water stress, especially during the summer months.
Excluding illegal water use, Europe abstracts around 285 km3 of freshwater annually, representing on average 5 300 m3 per capita, roughly
equivalent to two olympic swimming pools.
"We are living beyond our means when it comes to water. The short-term solution to water scarcity has been to extract ever greater amounts of water
from our surface and groundwater assets. Overexploitation is not sustainable. It has a heavy impact on the quality and quantity of the remaining water as
well as the ecosystems which depend on it," said Professor 

Jacqueline McGlade

, Executive Director of EEA. "We have to cut demand, minimise the
amount of water that we are extracting and increase the efficiency of its use."
Key findings and recommendations:
Shifting the management focus from increasing supply to minimising demand needs to involve various different policies and practices:
- In all sectors, including agriculture, water should be priced according to the volume used.
- Governments should implement drought management plans more extensively and focus on risk rather than crisis management.
- Water-intensive bioenergy crops should be avoided in areas of water scarcity.
- A combination of crop selection and irrigation methods can substantially improve agricultural water efficiency if backed-up with
farmer advisory programmes. National and EU funds including the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy can play an important role
in promoting efficient and sustainable water use in agriculture.
- Measures to raise public awareness, such as eco-labelling, eco-certification, education programmes in schools, are essential to
realise sustainable water use.
- Leakage in public water supply systems must be addressed. In parts of Europe, water loss via leakage can exceed 40 % of total supplies.
- Illegal abstraction of water, often for agricultural use, is widespread in certain areas of Europe. Appropriate surveillance and a system of
fines or penalties should be put in place to address the issue.
- Authorities should create incentives for greater use of alternative water supplies, such as treated wastewater, greywater, and 'harvested'
rainwater, to help reduce water stress.



Overview of water use in Europe







In Europe as a whole, 44 % of abstraction is used for energy production, 4 % for agriculture, 21 % for public water supply and 11 % for industry.



However, these figures mask significant differences in sectoral water use cross the continent. In southern Europe, for example, agriculture accounts



for 60 % of the total water abstracted and reaches as much as 80 % in certain areas.







Across Europe, surface waters, such as lakes and rivers, provide 81 % of the total freshwater abstracted and are the predominant water source for



industry, energy and agriculture. By contrast, public water supply relies mostly on groundwater due to its generally higher quality. Almost all water



used in energy production is returned to a water body, whereas most of the water abstracted for agriculture is not.







Desalination has become a fast growing alternative to conventional sources of water, particularly in water-stressed regions of Europe. Its high



energy needs and the resulting brine must be taken into account, however, when assessing desalination's overall impact on the environment.







The report was presented to the press during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey: http://worldwaterforum5.org/

--

• Water-resources-across-europe.pdf [4.7 MB]

The report is available at http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/water-resources-across-europe

There is a job opportunity, for a short term assignment for a FWC contract in Syria: Feasibility Study "BAnias Water and Wastewater Project"

See terms of reference against the capabilities of your CV.

The mission require the expertise of different professionals, such as:

• water supply and treatment engineering,
• hydraulic network modelling,
• waste water process and sewerage/stormwater engineering,
• treated wastewater product reuse (water and sludge),
• agriculture engineering,
• economic and financial analysis,
• tariff regulation,
• water utility operations,
• water utility financial management,
• environmental and social impact assessment,
• public procurement.

The Consultant has to propose the composition of the team of experienced engineers, economists and specialists. All experts must have several years prior work experience in similar countries and must be able to work in the English language. The experts should be either category I or II. Cooperation with locally experienced consultants would be welcomed.

A team leader should be proposed who has experience in carrying out similar studies, preferably in the region, with minimum 15 years experience including experience in managing a team. The team leader should ideally be either an economist or engineer.

The estimated number of man months to be allocated to the assignment is 15. The team leader should be allocated at least much time as other experts under the contract

The project is expected to start in June 2009

Note that English is the required language and the deadline for submission is 12 April 2009.

National Authorities from EU member states and European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) South partner countries are being invited to participate in a Call for Tender (reference EuropeAid/127372/C/SER/Multi) for the ENPI South Mediterranean Environment Programme.

  The objective of the Service Contract is to strengthen environmental governance within the Mediterranean Partner Countries, mainly by supporting the implementation of the road map of the Horizon 2020 Initiative for the de-pollution of the Mediterranean, through capacity building and awareness raising activities. It will also promote integration of environment issues in other sectors policies.

  The beneficiary countries are the ENPI Southern Partner countries and territories, namely: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, and Tunisia, developed under the co-operation framework of the Union for the Mediterranean which also involves Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Monaco and Mauritania. These countries will be invited to participate in some of the activities of the project, but the related costs will not be covered by the contract's budget. Libya will also be invited to participate under the same conditions.

  The candidate consortia must be composed of at least one National Authority (Ministry or Agency) relevant to the objectives of the project from an EU Member State and at least one similar Authority from an ENPI South Partner country or territory. In addition, the consortia may include other eligible partners, for example, from civil society or the private sector.Participation is also open to international organisations.

The maximum budget is €4.5 million, funded under ENPI financial co-operation with Mediterranean countries.

  On the basis of the applications received between 4 and 8 candidates will be invited to submit detailed tenders for this contract.

  The provisional date of invitation to tender is 20 April 2009, for a provisional start of contract on 1 September 2009. The contract is for three years with a possible extension.  

Applications must be submitted to the Contracting Authority (EuropeAid Cooperation Office), in English, using the standard application form available from:http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/services/index_en.htm. Detailed information, including the selection and award criteria, can be found in the service procurement notice available here.

--
Procurement Notice 

http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/news/enpi-mediterranean-environment-programme-

For your information, the Procurement Notice for the ENPI Mediterranean Environment Programme was published today on the website of the Commission (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1236246338182&do=publi.getDoc&documentId=91439&pubID=127372) under the reference 127372.

This programme - one of the opportunities presented by EC Environment representative, Mr Jesus Lavina, during the SMAP Final Seminar in Alexandria in February - aims to promote better environmental integration in the different sector policies in the region and to support implementation of Horizon 2020.

As you will see in the procurement notice, the Commission targets relevant national authorities (the consortium to be selected will include at least one from the EU and one from the ENP South region). Other types of organisations are of course not excluded.

Deadline for receipt of applications: 03/04/2009, 16:00 Central European Time

Some €1.735 billion was allocated in 2008 to projects and assistance programmes under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI,) including some €1.160 billion for southern Mediterranean countries, according to the General Report on the EU’s activities in 2008.

The report said proximity ties with the Union's neighbours were a key element in the strategy to "avoid new dividing lines emerging and promote prosperity, stability and security for all".  

ENPI 
The 250-page report devotes a section to the ENPI, outlining developments in the past year. It says that during 2008, programmes were launched at regional level to address challenges of common interest such as justice and migration flows, investment promotion, cultural heritage and gender equality.

Four new projects were also adopted to support the launch of the new Union for the Mediterranean initiative: de-pollution of the Mediterranean, maritime and land highways, civil protection and a Mediterranean solar plan. 

Institutional twinning activities continued to develop rapidly in all the ENP countries and were introduced in Israel for the first time. Overall 11 ENP countries are currently implementing 85 twinning operations. More than 100 events were also organised in 2008 under TAIEX, the technical assistance and information exchange programme, while the ENP countries became eligible in July for the instrument of support for the improvement of public institutions and management systems (SIGMA).  

Southern Mediterranean   The report says "relations between the European Union and its Mediterranean partners were given fresh impetus this year" with moves towards establishing a Union for the Mediterranean including the Member States of the EU and the non-EU Mediterranean coastal states. This culminated in a meeting in November 2008 in Marseille, where the foreign ministers of the 43 Euro-Mediterranean partner countries adopted the mandate, structure and institutional arrangements of the Union for the Mediterranean. In order to advance the regional integration process, they also agreed on priorities for the 2009 working programme.  

On the bilateral front, a number of association council meetings took place over the year: with Algeria (10 March), Egypt (28 April), Israel (16 June), Morocco (13 October), Jordan (10 November) and Tunisia (11 November).  

The report outlines progress in the relationship with Morocco, which was granted advanced status in the European Neighbourhood Policy, as well as moves towards a framework agreement with Libya, and an Association Agreement with Syria.  

The General Report on the EU's activities covers the work of all the EU institutions and bodies and seeks to provide an overview of the notable events and key trends of EU life in 2008. Totalling some 250 pages, it sets out developments in the different fields of activity according to the four strategic objectives adopted by the Commission at the beginning of its term of office: prosperity, solidarity, security, and Europe's role as a world partner.  

The General Report can be consulted on the EU's Europa website: http://europa.eu/generalreport/en/welcome.htm.  

General Report - Section on the ENP  

General Report - EC press release  

ENP website   

European Analytical Quality Control in support of the water framework directive via the Water Information System for Europe
To support Member States implementing the WFD and designing water monitoring networks, the EAQC-WISE project was built with the ultimate objective to provide a BLUEPRINT of an efficient and potentially sustainable pan-European Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC) system in order to guarantee data reliability and comparability at river basin scale as well as at European scale.

All deliverables are available on the project website

President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak has issued a Republican Decree last March 11 by holding a limited ministerial reshuffle appointing Mosheera Mahmoud Khattab as Minister of State for Family and Population and Dr. Mohammed Nasreddin Allam as Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation. The two new ministers have been sworn with the attendance of Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif and the Chief of Presidential Cabinet Zakaria Azmi.

Earlier, outgoing Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mahmoud Abu Zeid has asked for relieving him due to health problems.

--

	Dr. Mohamed Nasr-Eldin Allam
	Address : Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation Corniche El-Nile, Imbaba, Postal Code: 12666, Giza, Egypt
	Tel : 35449447 - 35449446
	Fax : 35449449
	URL : www.mwri.gov.eg/

Dr. Mohamed Nasr Eldin Allam, has been the general manager and founder of Nile Consultants, and Head of the Irrigation and Hydraulics Department of the Faculty of Engineering in Cairo University.

PROF. MOHAMED NASR ELDIN ALLAM

Professor of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University
Founder and General Manager of Nile Consultants (Eng. Consulting firm), Cairo, Egypt

BSc in civil Engineering, Cairo University, 1975
MSc in Water Resources Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, 1980
PhD inWater Resources Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, 1982

--
EMWIS National Focal Point website in Egypt 

The Turkish President Abdullah Gul will today open the World Water Forum in Istanbul that will be attended by more than 20 Heads of States and Governments and 20,000 official bodies concerned with water, the environment and agriculture, in addition to 1500 media and press personnel.

Al-Masry Al-Youm has learnt that Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Nazif sent Dr. Mohamed Nasr Eddin Allam, the new minister of water resources and irrigation, to head Egypt's delegation to the Forum in lieu of Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, the former minister, who has yesterday departed for Turkey. Abu-Zeid will attend only in his capacity as head of the Arab Water Council.

The new minister had two days ago said that Abu-Zeid would head the delegation, but sources confirmed Nazif's decision that Abu-Zeid was informed of before leaving Cairo.

Sources with the Ministry of Irrigation said although Abu-Zeid had prepared Egypt's speech at the forum to take with him, the prime minister's decision means that Allam will deliver it, which could cause embarrassment to Abu-Zeid.

Location: Abu Dhabi or Dubai, UAE

CH2M HILL's Industrial Systems Business Group has helped numerous industrial facilities develop and implement integrated water management systems using an approach that focuses on creating the most effective and efficient water systems that will enhance production, improve safety, increase compliance, and reduce life-cycle costs.  The Water & Process Market Segment focuses on services related to:

* All things dealing with water in industrial facilities (excluding potable water and domestic wastewater, which fall under the scope of Water BG)

*In-plant pollution prevention and process engineering that focuses on environmental issues

*Air pollution control systems (excluding power plants, which are managed by Power BG)

Our integrated water management service incorporates all elements of water use across the entire water envelope of a facility-water source & supply, water treatment & distribution, in-plant water use, and wastewater treatment & discharge-while minimizing environmental, economic, and societal impacts.

An increasing awareness of environmental issues poses significant challenges to the day-to-day operations of many organizations.  Our Industrial Systems Business Group provides full-service consulting and engineering solutions to help clients navigate, understand, manage, and mitigate risks, identify opportunities, and ensure regulatory compliance while satisfying the demands of investors, regulators, and the public.

Our Abu Dhabi (or possibly Dubai) office seeks an International Market Segment Leader (IMSL) who will focus on growing our business for the Water & Process sector in MENA, with a strong emphasis on large engineering and EPC projects for the oil & gas, refining, chemicals and petrochemicals industry sectors.

The IMSL is charged with leading the growth of the market segment's business in a geographic theater, as defined by CH2M HILL structure, in this case the Middle East and North Africa.  His or her performance will be measured by how the firm is perceived and performs in the theater market place.  IMSL's achieve the firm's prominence through application of strategic vision, persuasive leadership, coordination with local and remote office staff, and application of necessary directive efforts.  IMSL's are action-oriented positions; needed actions are based upon solid market information, instinct, and coordination with the firm's theater and global staff members.  IMSL's assist in development of the business units' strategies within the theater.

The successful candidate will be involved with client development in coordination with our enterprise account teams.  This BD leader will become a core part of CH2M HILL's global Industrial Water & Process Leadership Team, with a focus on growing clients through quality delivery.

The position will also include development of internal relationships to support the overall growth and success of CH2M HILL operations in MENA, mentoring mid-level staff, supporting cross-business unit activities and stewarding client satisfaction.  A competitive package would be offered including housing and relocation assistance.  If an expatriate, this assignment is expected to be over 36 months.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline

* Process knowledge of oil & gas water/wastewater treatment

* 15+ years of relevant experience and proven track record in business development

* Experience in large EPC/EPCM industrial wastewater treatment systems for refining, chemicals or petrochemicals (>$20 million US dollars)

* Ability to integrate commercial, technical, and execution aspects of project delivery into a full service package for client satisfaction and CH2M HILL success

* Experience leading clients through the entire capital projects process

* Experience creating and overseeing sustainable business development and delivery capabilities for the Water & Process market segment in the theater using a combination of locally based staff and remote delivery centers, as applicable

* Established industry leadership in the water & process market segment in the theater and experience supporting market segment activities in adjacent theaters

* Experience developing personal relationships with strategic clients' key personnel

* Strong understanding of regulatory environment and trends for countries within the theater

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Master's degree or Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or Chemical Engineering with emphasis on wastewater or water treatment

* Professional License: Registered Professional Engineer or Chartered Engineer

* Physical/chemical water/wastewater, high TDS treatment technology, broad industrial water systems technology experience is a plus

Travel Requirement:  30%

CH2M HILL is a global leader in engineering and operations. The company was founded in 1946 and is ranked as one of FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For." This is the fourth time that CH2M HILL has earned a spot on the prestigious list. CH2M HILL also has been recognized as a "Most Admired Company" by FORTUNE for the past five years. With more than $5.1 billion in revenue, CH2M HILL has more than 24,000 employees around the world.

The Transboundary Water Management for the MENA Region international training programme is now accepting applications from mid-level water professionals based in the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, West bank and Gaza.

The training helps participants identify the advantages of collaborative transboundary water management strategies and improves their ability to apply these strategies in their respective organisations.

The course takes place in Jordan, November 1 -12, 2009 and in Sweden, February 22- 26, 2010.

Application Deadline: May 4, 2009.

Download
Course Brochure
Application Form
List of Eligible Countries

SIWI, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of South Africa (CSIR) and Phillips Robinson and Associates of Namibia has issued a report "The TWO Analysis - Introducing a Methodology for the Transboundary Waters Opportunity Analysis". The report details an analytical framework for effectively developing transboundary water resources in a responsible manner and outlines an approach by which transboundary water stakeholders can collaborate on the equitable and sustainable use of their jointly held freshwater resources.

Read the full press release.

Download the Report.

The official statement by the two governments is that ‘the equipments will help measure the flow of water to manage more efficiently the resources affected by climate change’.

The accord includes the training of technical engineers to maintain and utilize the equipments.

"This report sounds an alarm. If we continue as we have been, we run the real danger of a global water crisis," Koïchiro Matsuura, head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said at the official launch of the report.

Offering a comprehensive and authoritative review of the state of the world's freshwater resources, the report is a collaborative effort of 26 UN agencies.

"Since the publication of the first report in 2003, I have constantly argued that unless we change our behaviour towards freshwater we will face a major water crisis," Matsuura said.

The report, entitled Water in a Changing World, warns of additional pressure on water resources triggered by such factors as population growth and mobility, as well as climate change (For more information on the world's water problems click here, http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap ).

Boosting capacity to cope with climate change

"Water is the principal medium through which climate change will affect economic, social and environmental conditions. The report underscores the urgent need to strengthen capacity - especially in the poorest countries - to cope with more frequent and intense water-related disasters caused by climate change," the UNESCO head said.

According to the report, the estimated cost of adaptation to climate change varies from US$37 billion - to $100 billion a year in several decades from now. Most of these investments will need to be made in developing countries where financial resources are limited.

"These costs may seem high, especially in the current economic context. However, the price of inaction will be much higher - in terms of lives lost, economies ruined and societies broken by conflict and mass displacement," he said.

Food security

Pasquale Steduto, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Water, Development and Management Unit, noted recently that with agriculture being the number-one user of water worldwide (accounting for about 70 percent of all freshwater use), and with the world's population set to grow by at least 3-4 billion in the next few decades, water resources will be under increased pressure, particularly for the production of food.

"The food crisis is not over," Steduto said, adding that increased pressure on water resources to produce more food to feed more people would not ease the pressure on food prices.

The report notes that the production of one kilo of wheat requires 800-4,000 litres of water, and a kilogram of beef 2,000-16,000 litres.

"About 3,000 litres of water are needed to feed one person per day," Steduto said, noting that multiplying that figure by the increasing population would give an idea of the magnitude of the issue.

The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate courses and PhD research programmes in Delft , The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world. The mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and training of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organisations, knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water, the environment and infrastructure in developing countries and countries in transition.

Applications with curriculum vitae can be sent until 19 April 2009 (closing date) 

The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate courses and PhD research programmes in Delft , The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world. The mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and training of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organisations, knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water, the environment and infrastructure in developing countries and countries in transition.

Applications with curriculum vitae can be sent until 19 April 2009 (closing date)

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Water Association (IWA) signed an agreement at the Fifth World Water Forum [on 20 March 20009]   to work together to increase access to clean drinking water and sanitation throughout the Middle East and Africa by strengthening water utilities and their regional associations. This partnership focuses specifically on access to clean drinking water and sanitation for the urban poor, water safety and quality management, leadership gaps and climate change.

USAID and IWA will work to strengthen water utilities and their regional associations, such as the Arab Countries Water Utility Association (ACWUA) and African Water Association (AfWA), by:

• Providing information and expertise on business planning and programs and services;
• Brokering and facilitating global or regional Water Operator Partnerships, e.g. partnerships between mentor and recipient water operators;
• Working together to create a regional Future Water Leaders program; and
• Collaborating on and disseminating pertinent information such as reports, analyses, and resources.

IWA and USAID are working closely with ACWUA: IWA can provide resources and experts to build knowledge and capacity where needed within the association and individual utilities; USAID is providing strategic and expert resources to assist ACWUA in expanding its business plan for sustainability, supporting its knowledge management and communications strategy as well as facilitating the technical working groups on poverty orientation and utility management.

USAID and IWA will promote leadership strengthening for mid-level water and wastewater management professionals to build up the water and sanitation sector.

• USAID is promoting Middle East leadership in the sector by bringing twenty-five future leaders from nine Middle Eastern countries together to discuss issues that they will face as leaders in ten years time.
• IWA has a Young Professionals group and mentorship program that offers support and guidance. Both parties will collaborate on curriculum design and creating linkages among young professionals across countries and regions, as well as connections to senior mentors in order to build leadership capacity and networks in support of Future Water Leader career development.

A kit designed to treat household waste water for reuse could be one of the ways to tackle water scarcity in rural areas of the Middle East and North Africa, according to a Canadian organisation.

“This is a household-based technology mainly for rural areas to treat grey water that comes from the kitchen sink and bath for re-use,” said Hammou Laamrani, project coordinator at the Regional Water Demand Initiative of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), based in Canada. 

“It is a very simple, easy to manipulate, inexpensive water treatment kit which can be handled without special training and technological skills, and can be used in the context of poor and marginalised communities,” Laamrani told IRIN in Istanbul at the World Water Forum.

Grey water, also called `sullage’, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing, laundry and bathing. Greywater comprises 50-80 percent of residential wastewater - everything from the home, except blackwater, or sewage.

The kit consists of two large PVC barrels about 1.2m high, each able to contain up to 200 litres of water, pipes and sand. Before reaching the barrels, the waste water goes through a separate filter where things like small bits of food are removed. The barrels are filled with sand; there is an anaerobic digestion of the organic matter when the water goes through the sand filter and becomes cleaner.

“The quality of the treated water is improved chemically and biologically; it [the filter] removes the pathogens, particularly the E. coli that could pose a health risk. It also removes parasite eggs as they cannot go through the filter because the filter is a kind of a bio-membrane that removes all those things,” Laamrani explained.

Benefits

It has a socio-economic impact, it has a positive impact on the environment and it’s viable in terms of technology used,” Laamrani said.

Waste water treated by sand filter has very little nitrogen and potassium, and in terms of chemical pollution poses no risk for the soil, according to Laamrani. It is not a risk to soil because it does not have mineral components that can increase soil salinity and degradation, and it is not a risk to human beings in terms of exposure to pathogens, he said.

“It reduces the amount of water that goes into cesspits - sanitation in rural areas. So they don’t need to clean the cesspit so often - only once every three months, instead of once a week. This reduces the cost of emptying the cesspits,” he said.

“This water can also be used for productive purposes. It is used for the irrigation of saplings, particularly olive trees like we saw in Jordan… This water can also be reused in the household, like for flushing toilets,” he said.

However, it is not suitable for crops or vegetables consumed without cooking, like cucumbers and tomatoes, he said.

“The cost of the kit is $300-400, and in some cases even less depending on the price of components in any given market. If you take into account the productive use of the treated waste water and the reduced frequency of cesspit evacuation, outlay costs can be recouped in a year in places like Jordan and Lebanon,” the IDRC official said, adding that they also had projects in the occupied Palestinian territories and Yemen.

Maintenance is simple: sand in the barrels needs to be changed every 10-15 years, Laamrani said.

Challenges

One of the drawbacks with the system initially was the smell: “There was no technology to remove the smell when the water was in the barrels. But it has been overcome with a new system that takes the gas out of the barrels… No longer is there a risk of attracting ants or other insects,” he said.

“We expect governments and development agencies to be engaged at this stage, but this is not yet happening,” he said, adding that there was a need for an effort to make such solutions popular. “A social marketing exercise is needed to promote it, but we cannot do that ourselves because our role is to see whether this works, and when it works we will tell people.”

Laamrani said that there was no single solution to the water problem in North Africa and the Middle East but that all options should be kept open.

Premature? 

Some researchers say scaling up household water treatment is premature, and that more research is needed before it can be recommended to policy-makers.

Wolf-Peter Schmidt and Sandy Cairncross from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in a report published by the Environmental Science and Technology journal that the household water treatment (HWT) had been advocated as a means to substantially decrease the global burden of diarrhoea and to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.

"To determine whether HWT should be scaled up now, we reviewed the evidence on acceptability, scalability, adverse effects, and nonhealth benefits as the main criteria to establish how much evidence is needed before scaling up. We found that the acceptability and scalability of HWT is still unclear, and that there are substantial barriers making it difficult to identify populations that would benefit most from a potential effect," the authors said.

"The nonhealth benefits of HWT are negligible. We conclude that widespread promotion of HWT is premature given the available evidence. Further acceptability studies and large blinded trials or trials with an objective health outcome are needed before HWT can be recommended to policy-makers and implementers," they added. 

The Government of Japan, in partnership with the Palestinian Water Authority and the United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People signed a US$6.2 million agreement on Monday, 16th March 2009, to launch the cross boundary wastewater management project in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). [...] The project will include the construction of three wastewater collection systems in the Jenin, Tulkarem and Qalqylia Governorates [serving 16,500 people], in addition to building the capacities of the service providers and the Palestinian Water Authority regarding waste management issues. [...] This project [...] will also bring new jobs to the Qalqylia, Jenin, and Tulkarem areas and create a platform for cross boundary cooperation between Palestinian and Israeli municipalities on environmental problems.

[...] “The Palestinian Water Authority has put in place with the Israeli Authorities a coordination mechanism were the wastewater generated by these three governorates is treated by Israeli water systems inside the Green Line and are following up on it with the Joint Water Committee”. Said Mr. Ahmad Al Hindi, Director General of Water Council.

[A]pproximately 35% of the population of the West Bank has access to wastewater network collection systems and there are only three treatment plants located in the Ramallah, Jenin, and Tulkarem districts. Due to old existing collection systems, sewage leakage reaches up to 50% in the areas of Tulkarem and Qalqylia. Poor wastewater management and lack of infrastructure development are one of the leading causes for environmental pollution and degradation of natural resources in the oPt.

--
Press release

National authorities will then have until 22 October to submit proposals to the European Commission. Following this, the Commission will begin the process of evaluating the proposals, firstly verifying eligibility, and then assessing them on the basis of the selection and award criteria.

The evaluation process is expected to be completed by the end of February 2010, with a revision stage scheduled from March to June. The final selection of successful projects will then be announced during the summer of 2010.

As previously communicated, the 2009 applications package will be made available on the date the call is published (15 May 2009). However, since there are unlikely to be significant changes with respect to the 2008 call, potential applicants can begin preparing their applications using as a guide, the 2008 applications package. This is available to download from the LIFE website now. In principle, a maximum of EUR 250 million will be available for the 2009 call.

More details at the LIFE+ pages. View the calendar.

Climate change and increased greenhouse gases will raise the level of the Mediterranean Sea and ocean temperatures in this area, a Spanish-British research team has forecast. The scientists from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) and the National Oceanography Centre of Southampton in the UK analysed simulations based on three scenarios. Their aim is to predict the sea level, salinity and temperature of the Mediterranean in the 21st century. The study's findings were recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans.

The models used in the study comprised a series of socioeconomic scenarios capable of predicting what lies in store for the area. Concerning the salinity of the area, the models showed that the Mediterranean will become saltier. But the scientists said the forecast is not 100% accurate.

'The variations in salinity in the Mediterranean are controlled by the exchange of water through the Straits of Gibraltar, and this has not been incorporated as an indicator, meaning the related results are not very reliable,' said Dr Marcos and Dr Michael Tsimplis, a researcher at the National Oceanography Centre of Southampton.

According to them, IPCC models have very low spatial resolution. So while they are capable of showing global processes 'reasonably well', the challenge emerges with regional ones, where it is harder for the researchers to 'be sure of the scale of the changes', Dr Marcos said.

Drs Marcos and Tsimplis said the Straits of Gibraltar are not well reproduced in the models. They added that global models cannot calculate the impact of sea level rise in coastal areas 'because of the high level of regional variability for this factor'.

The scientists believe that using high-resolution, regional climate models would resolve this problem, particularly since they would show the Mediterranean straits and oceanic processes (occurring within the ocean's basin and coastal areas) with greater clarity.

European researchers focusing on the prediction of climate change effects at regional level are targeting such a strategy and they believe that predictions made will become more certain over the short term.

IMEDEA is a joint centre run by UIB and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

During its intervention during the Mediterranean session of the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul last 19th March, Spanish Minister of Environment, and Rural and Marine Affairs, Mrs. Elena ESPINOSA MANGANA, expressed the commitment of Spain to the Barcelona Process - Union for the Mediterranean, and reaffirmed the will to host the next Ministerial Conference on Water by the first semester of 2010.

On the other hand, she underscored the interest of Spain in supporting a solid Mediterranean water strategy through strengthening the institutional organisations in the region, creating and reinforcing training and technology transfer programs, the involvement in all common climate change adaptation processes and establishing a common drought observatory, which could collect suitable data and indicators of the Mediterranean region.

In her speech, she highlighted the experience of Spain with drought management plans, and insisted on the necessity of basing work on existing tools and networks, such as the European Water Information System (WISE) and the Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector (EMWIS), in order to acquire a knowledge base that can be shared.

Finally, she also underlined the importance of new technological tools applied to water management (e.g.: desalination, water treatment or water reuse, irrigation modernization) in which Spain has made very important advances in the last years.

Full speech (in English)

--
More (in Spanish)

Suez Environnement subsidiary Degrémont has entered into contract with its client, the Maltese Ministry of Finance, for the design and construction of the most important wastewater purification plant on the main island.

This contract, signed by the consortium formed and led by Degrémont and including two Italian civil engineering companies (CCC & CMR), undertakes the design, construction and one year of operational support for a treatment plant that, with a capacity of 500.000 population equivalents, will process 80% of Malta's wastewater, including the quantity generated by the summer tourist population.

The total value of the contract amounts to EUR 57 million, of which EUR 34,5 million will be paid to Degrémont, along with an additional EUR 0,5 million for operational support over one year. The rest of the contract's value (EUR 22 million) will go to the civil engineering companies. The future facility will be ready in 18 months for treatment of initial water and three months later for the processing of sludge.

Degrémont has become involved with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), for which pollution control is one of its trong principals, by constructing many facilities that contribute to this objective:

• Degrémont Italy opened a wastewater treatment unit last year to serve Gozo, Malta's second island.
• In Lebanon,Degrémont is currently completing a purification plant for Tripoli's 1 million inhabitants in the north of the country.
• In Egypt, Degrémont has recently won the contract for the design and construction of a plant in East Alexandria.

Organisation: Networking and Knowledge Management department, Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council's (WSSCC)
Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland
Salary scale: P2
Contract Type: Temporary appointment
Vacancy Number: HQ/09/HQ/HSE/TA42

This position is currently listed as temporary to speed up recruitment but the role will be established as a permanent one before expiration of the first 12 months of this position. The position requires someone with some practical and conceptual understanding of the key issues in the water and sanitation sector, and competent and credible writing and communicating skills.

Apply online here and complete the on-line form to register and then return later to complete the Personal History Form.

Please do not send any applications to this blog or to the WSSCC Secretariat, as only applications submitted through the official WHO channel can be taken into consideration.

Application deadline: 03 April 2009

The course for Sustainability and Action will be comprised of 3 modules:

1. Module 1: Introduction to sustainable development (social, economic and environmental pillars; 80-90 participants); May 24 to 31, 2009 in Budva, Montenegro ("Queen of Montenegro" Hotel http://www.queenofmontenegro.com)
2. Module 2: Advanced SD topical issues (35 participants); September 27 to October 4, 2009 at VIU, San Servolo Island, Venice
3. Module 3: Sustainability in practice + site visits; October 4 to 7, 2009 in REC Head Office, Szentendre, Hungary

The Regional Environmental Center (REC) with the support of the Ministry for Development Cooperation of The Netherlands and the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea of Italy (IMELS) is proud to announce the Course for Sustainability and Action for representatives of national governments, cities and local communities, associations of towns and municipalities, NGOs, regional and local development agencies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary,  Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, and Slovakia and Kosovo/a (territory under interim UN administration).

In a world challenged by growing economic and environmental crises, sustainable development is the approach most likely to provide a balance between the environmental, economic and social needs of humanity nowadays. We are inviting mid-level professionals with a working knowledge of English to apply for this exciting training opportunity and broaden their existing knowledge with important information and practical skills that will help them work towards sustainable development in a more efficient and concrete manner.

Successful applications will include a completed application form, a brief resume with the description of key responsibilities (Curriculum Vitae), a brief statement of interest (maximum 450 words) as well as a brief letter of support from the applicant's supervisor. Deadline for applications is 05 April, 2009.

For all forms and additional information please visit www.localsustainableaction.org or contact Ms. Tamara Nikolic at localsustainability@rec.org.

Earlier this month the UN warned that climate change could spark conflicts over water. But the idea of future 'water wars' is a myth, says Wendy Barnaby.

Neither Egypt, Israel nor Jordon produce enough water for their needs. But while they have fought wars with each other, it has not been over water, says Barnaby. Instead, areas in need of water import food as a 'virtual' boost to water supplies. Tony Allan, a scientist at Kings College London, says more water flows into the Middle East embedded in grain each year than down the Nile to Egyptian farmers.

International agreements also help solve water shortages, says Barnaby. Israeli and Palestinian water professionals cooperate through a Joint Water Committee. Similarly, the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan helps diffuse tensions over water.

Barnaby argues that although water management will need to adapt in the face of climate change, the basic mechanisms of trade, international agreements and economic development that currently ease water shortages will persist.

We must improve the conditions for developing countries to trade, she says. And convince water engineers and managers that the solutions to water scarcity lie in the water/food/trade/development nexus. Most importantly, we must dispel the myth of water wars.

--

References

1. Water in a Changing World United Nations World Water Development Rep. 3; available online at http://www.unesco-wwap.org/wwdr3/media-kit/documents/WWDR3%20low%20res.pdf (2009).
2. Yoffe, S., Wolf, A. T. & Giordano, M. J. Am. Wat. Resour. Assoc. 39, 1109-1126 (2003). | Article |
3. Barnaby, W. The Plague Makers: The Secret World of Biological Warfare (Continuum, 2002).
4. Allan, J. A. Government and Opposition 40, 615-617 (2005). | Article |
5. Allan, A. J. The Middle East Water Question (I. B. Tauris, 2000).
6. Zeitoun, M. Wat. Int. 32, 105-120 (2007). | Article |
7. Climate Change and Water Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; available online at http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/technical-papers/climate-change-water-en.pdf (2008).

Job Experience: 9 and more

Expiration date: 1 April 2009

Location :
Belgrade, SERBIA

Application Deadline :
19-Mar-09

Additional Category
Environment and Energy

Type of Contract :
SSA

Languages Required :

English  

Starting Date :
(date when the selected canditate is expected to start)
01-Apr-2009

Duration of Initial Contract :
up to 15 working days in two missions to Serbia within 3 months

Expected Duration of Assignment :
up to 15 working days in two missions to Serbia within 3 months

  Apply Now

Background

UNDP Country Offices in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia FYR, Montenegro, Serbia and UN Administered Province of Kosovo developed a regional demonstration programme around demand driven projects in nine locations in the Western Balkans suffering from the legacy of polluting industries and requiring industrial renewal, environmental cleanup and new economic initiative. The approach of the 30 months, approximately 15 million USD programme is to achieve improvement of environmental situation and quality of life for citizens living in and around polluted areas through least cost measures, improved local and national policy dialogue and supply of domestic professional services in the environmental management sector. While the main focus will be the physical works needed to mitigate the environmental problems, institutional strengthening and capacity building will be an important subject running throughout the programme.
 
Intervention in the municipality of Vrbas within the framework of this programme represents a part of a major environmental remediation project that consist of: construction of a new waste water network (in progress) and industrial waste water pretreatments, construction of central waste water treatment plant (CWWTP) and clean up and remediation of Grand Backa Canal.
 
 Within the regional context, a national Serbian component of the Programme "Strengthening capacities in the Western Balkan countries to address environmental problems through remediation of high priority hot spots- Remediation of Grand Backa Canal" includes the construction works on entire completion of the missing part of a waste water collector of the new waste water network Phase IV.1 Ch. km 5+999 - 8+ 057 , Phase IV.2 Ch. km 8 + 057 - 9 + 600 municipality of Vrbas and Phase V Ch. Km 9+ 600 - 12+000 in municipality of Kula. 
 

Project will be implemented in a period of time of 30 months and will cover three areas: clean up (construction works), policy dialogue and supply of domestic professional services in the environmental management sector. While the main focus will be the physical works needed to mitigate the environmental problems, institutional strengthening and capacity building will be an important subject running throughout the programme.
 
Capacity building activities that are subject of this assignment will be implemented in line with the findings of "Environmental Policy Integration and Capacity Building Needs Assessment" report developed by the UNDP project team. The analyses identified the need for development of the bylaw on limited values of dangerous substances in waters.
The objective of the work under this assignment is to implement Capacity Building activities related to EU water directive and technical part of the new bylaw on limited values of dangerous substances in waters.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities
 
Measurable outputs of the work assignment

Taking into consideration information listed above United Nations Development Programme, Country Office Serbia is seeking for an international consultant who will be responsible for implementation of the following activities:
 
Deliver training/workshop to relevant staff from institutions from Serbia on EU water directives: 

• The basic overall training in the field of the EU water related Directives will include : Directive 2006/118/EC on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration;
• Directive 2006/11/EC on pollution caused by certain dangerous substances discharged into the aquatic environment of the Community;
• Directive of the Council 75/440/EEC on the quality required of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States and
• The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC with the Guidelines. The training will encompass basics about the scope of the directives, implementation issues in the EU and the countries in transition, recommendations for the implementation in the Republic of Serbia.

The training should enable participants to understand EU water related directives, most important implementation issues and aspects of perspective transposition in Serbia.  
 
Develop a draft technical part of the new bylaw on limited values of dangerous substances in waters, will include:

• Development of the technical part of the by-law - on limited values of dangerous substances in waters, to be harmonized with the Decision No. 2455/2001, necessary guidelines, recommendations for implementation in the Republic of Serbia  and delivering of final training the to the ministry's staff and relevant stakeholders;
• Workshop with the ministry's and other relevant staff from institutions from Serbia on the Decision No. 2455/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the list of priority substances in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC. The previously developed technical part of the by-law will be discussed in line with the guidelines, recommendations for its implementation and available case studies.

The Consultant will provide:

• Detailed CB programme plan of activities;
• Delivery of training/workshop , training materials, etc;
• Draft text of the Bylaw on Limiting Values of Dangerous Substances in Waters, guidelines and recommendations for its implementation;
• Supporting methodological instruments/tools as necessary;
• Monitoring  and supervision of  the work of national consultant;
• Provide missions' and final reports in English.

The Expert should consult and collaborate with the national water expert as well as with focal points in the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (MoESP) relevant staff and the UNDP project team.
 
Performance Indicators for evaluation of results

• CB project work plan submitted;
• Instruction to national expert provided, national expert work monitored and deliverables of national expert reviewed, as needed; 
• Trainings and materials prepared ( presentations, guidelines, recommendations, case studies examples from the countries in the transition process);
• Trainings/workshops delivered, minimum 2;  
• All deliverables harmonized with requirements of the MoESP relevant staff and the UNDP project team;
• Number of missions to Serbia:  2;
• Submission of brief mission reports (2 ) after each mission to Serbia;
• The technical part of the by-law - the Regulations on limited values of dangerous substances in waters, harmonized with the Decision No. 2455/2001, and the guidelines and recommendations for its implementation, developed and submitted; 
• Final report submitted in English;
• The report should be approved by the UNDP project team.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; 
• Ability to apply conceptual models in support of formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications and Experience 

• Relevant university or post-graduate degree in Environmental Protection with specialization on water; issues,;Hydrology, Technology, Hydraulic engineering or other relevant with a combination with experience;
• Posses experience with implementation of the EU water directives; 
• Posses experience in implementation of water directives in the countries in transition; 
• Experienced in the UNDP implementation procedures would be an asset;
• Participated in environmental and water international development projects; 
• Experience in Western Balkans and Serbia and countries in transition would be an asset; 
• Ability to work independently and within a team; energetic; proactive; self-motivated;
• Excellent communication and writing skills;
• Full working knowledge of English; 
• 10+ years of experience working in the field of water issues and water regulations. 

Confidentiality:

UNDP General Conditions of Contract for Professional services should apply. Special attention should be given to the following:
 
All results compiled by or obtained by the Consultant under this Contract shall be the property of UNDP, shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to UNDP authorized officials upon completion of work under this Contract.

 When applying please state that you found the position advertised in EurActiv.

The professor is expected to have his main expertise in the field of water quality and treatment with an overall insight and understanding of the urban water supply system as a whole including water transport and distribution. Furthermore, the professor should be able to integrate water supply engineering into the wider technical, social, economic and environmental context of the urban water cycle.

The professor will lead the WSE core to address the visibility of UNESCO-IHE in the field of water supply engineering. The core has been actively developing and profiling itself to be recognized, as a leader in development-relevant research and education in the field of water supply engineering, relevant for both developed and developing countries. In this context the professor should be part of an international network, for acquisition of education, research and capacity building projects.

The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education offers post-graduate courses and PhD research programmes in Delft , The Netherlands, and carries out research and capacity building projects all over the world. The mission of UNESCO-IHE is to contribute to the education and training of professionals and to build the capacity of sector organisations, knowledge centres and other institutions active in the fields of water, the environment and infrastructure in developing countries and countries in transition.

 Applications with curriculum vitae can be sent until 3 May 2009 (closing date)

The Arab Forum for Environment and Development published its report on "Arab Environment: Future Challenges" at the end of 2008 (The full report may be downloaded here: http://www.afedonline.org/afedreport/). 

The report contains a chapter on Water Resources written by Dr. Musa Nimah. The water resources chapter provides information on the present availability of fresh water in the Arab world and  discusses predicted future water demands in selected Arab countries by section. 

The chapter concludes by offering the following recommendations:

1. Optimization of water allocation among the three domains (agricultural, industrial, domestic).

2. Implementation of an optimal water productivity strategy that leads to the import of water through virtual water.

3. Holistic and integrated approach to water resources supply and demand planning and management.

4. Capacity building and technical upgrading of all stakeholders.

5. Awareness raising at levels, from end users to decision makers.

6. Issuing and implementing of sustainable water policies based on the above points, current and prospective water data and research.

7.  Development of water resources management models that will be able to unfold many solution scenarios to select the optimal approach.

No doubt many of those principles and recommendations are not new to those of us working on water resources issues in the MENA region. It would have been very interesting if the report had included an analysis of the policies or projects that have been implemented in the region to address some of those recommendations.

It would be great to hear from the MENA Water community on their experiences with projects or programs that are related to some of these recommendations. For example, has the concept of virtual water been used in the MENA region?  If so, what has been the result?  What have been some of the outcomes from the many awareness raising, capacity building and technical training programs? etc.

In 2004, the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality recommended that water suppliers develop and implement "Water Safety Plans" (WSPs) in order to systematically assess and manage risks. Since this time, governments and regulators, water suppliers and practitioners have increasingly embraced this approach, but they have also requested further guidance.

This much-anticipated workbook answers this call by describing how to develop and implement a WSP in clear and practical terms. Stepwise advice is provided through 11 learning modules, each representing a key step in the WSP development and implementation process.

Water Safety Plan Manual

Despite the vast amount of water on the planet, decades of unsustainable management mean that water shortages have reached crisis point in many regions. Globally, humans appropriate more than 50 % of all renewable and accessible freshwater, while billions still lack the most basic water services (Pacific, 2009). Until now, most Europeans have been insulated from the social, economic and environmental impacts of severe water shortages. But as demand increases and the global climate changes, is Europe becoming more susceptible?

• Water-resources-final-low-res-17032009.pdf [4.5 MB]