you are not logged in
EMWIS Flash N°42, December 2006
| Released | 21/12/2006 |
|---|
|
EMWIS Flash - December 2006 |
*** EMWIS wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year 2007 ***
*** EMWIS wish you a happy Eid Al-Adha ***
========================
In this issue N°42 (http://www.emwis.net/thematicdirs/eflash/flash42)
========================
HEADLINE
1- New Stakeholder Forum on Water Scarcity and Droughts
IN BRIEF
2- Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs
3- Strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy
4 -German EU Presidency FP7 launch event
5- FEMIP partnership with the Mediterranean partners
6- First Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health to the UNECE Water Convention
7- The French initiative on the creation of an organisation of United Nations for the Environment progresses
8- Directive of the EP and of the Council on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration
9- The African Development Bank Hosted UN Advisory Board Africa’s Water Stakeholders Dialogue
10- MED JP Working Group on Shared Water Resources Management Inception Meeting
11- Tunisia: GEDEAU-virtual library of the water resources launched by EMWIS NFP
12- Tunisia: IUCN WESCANA expands collaboration in the water sector
13- Tunisia: €154 million from FEMIP for energy production and environmental protection
14- Morocco: FEMIP increases its support with €210 millions for the sectors of energy & environment
15- Egypt: Lending and technical assistance FEMIP support for environmental projects
16- Egypt: IUCN WESCANA Collaboration in the Water Sector
17- Jordan: JREDS launches Second Phase of Right to Water Project
18- France: Water law on aquatic environments adopted by the national assembly in 2nd reading
19- 15. France: The water agencies adopt the 9th program to fight against pollution
20- Denmark: US$9 million for MRC's Basin Development Plan and Environment Programme
21- Hungary: EC proposes € 15 million of aid from the EU Solidarity Fund for Hungarian regions hit by severe floods
22- Poland: €50 million to support environmental projects
23- Human rights council treats right to water issue, and France includes it in its new water law
24- WorldWater & Power Corporation and EMCORE form strategic partnership
25- First World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD)
26- Launch of Online Access to Research in the Environment
27- TIGER workshop highlights project results
28- Satellite data-sharing to benefit poorer nations
29- 3D visualizes wastewater treatment
Latest news: Suez energy unit-led consortium wins tender for Saudi Arabia water power project
NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
PUBLICATIONS
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PAPERS
TRAINING
EVENTS
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
CONTACT US / COMMENTS
=================================================
HEADLINE
=================================================
1- In recognition of the acuteness of the water scarcity and drought challenges in Europe, the Commission has undertaken an in-depth assessment of the situation at EU level. In the light of its preliminary results and of the overall policy context, the Commission is planning to present a Communication on these issues in 2007. This process requires an active involvement of the interested parties. Therefore, the Commission intends to set-up a Stakeholder Forum which will be invited to contribute to the debate. The Forum is expected to be an integral part of the process. The parties or organisations interested in taking part in the Stakeholder Forum are invited to fill in an application by 29 December 2006. The Commission will welcome a maximum of thirty representatives of organisations and will assess each application taking into account several criteria. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
IN BRIEF
=================================================
2- The Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs culminated with the unanimous adoption of the "Tampere Conclusions" on Tuesday, 28 November. According to Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, this was in itself an important achievement, as it was only the second time that the Foreign Ministers had been able to adopt conclusions unanimously. The 8th Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs brought together foreign affairs ministers from the EU Member States and their counterparts from the Mediterranean basin, as well as figures such as the CFSP High Representative Javier Solana, European Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner and the Secretary General for the Arab League Amr Mahmoud Moussa. The lengthy final declaration made a traditional list of the different acquits and ongoing projects in all areas of activity and funding for cooperation. EIB vice president, Philippe de Fontaine Vive hoped that the EU would grant the banking institution, which manages FEMIP (the financial instrument used for EuroMed cooperation) “support in keeping with the political stakes at play”. This wish was granted the very day in Brussels by the Council of ministers of the economy and finance, which set out an envelope of €8.7bn for 2007-13 as part of a strengthened FEMIP contribution. Further information at EMWIS website.
3- Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, set out new proposals to strengthen and further develop the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The first 18 months of implementation of the ENP have shown good results. The new Communication sets out to increase the impact of the policy, by proposing ways that the EU can help partners who are willing to reform to do this faster and better, and provide incentives to convince those who are still hesitant. The new proposals are accompanied by progress reports on the Neighbourhood partners whose ENP Action Plans began to be implemented in 2005. The Communication will feed into work during the incoming German Presidency in the first half of 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
4- On 15 and 16 January 2007 at the International Congress Centre Bundeshaus Bonn in Germany, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with the support of the European Commission will host a kick-off event to launch the EU's new EU Research Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013). On the first day of the conference (15 January), high-ranking European speakers will discuss the road ahead for the European Research Area (ERA) and how FP7 contributes to a competitive Europe with growth and more jobs. The second day (16 January) will take a more detailed look at a variety of topics of the new framework programme, including the thematic areas. Helpful advice for researchers on how to participate in FP7 will complement the event. The European Commission will also be present with a joint stand on "European Research" with representatives from the Research DG, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Community Research & Development Information Service (CORDIS). A number of officials from different DGs are involved in the conference sessions. Further information at EMWIS website.
5- EU Finance Ministers believe that the best way forward to enhance the partnership with the Mediterranean partners is to develop the reinforced Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the results of which have been assessed as positive. In the Conclusions adopted by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) today, the Ministers propose improving the linkages of FEMIP with the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) by a better integration of the EIB’s activities into EU country strategies and by better combining EIB loans and EU budgetary resources. To this effect, they say, adequate resources should be provided by the Community budget. Further information at EMWIS website.
6- The Protocol aims to protect human health and well being by improving water management, including the protection of water ecosystems, and by preventing, controlling and reducing water-related diseases. The Protocol is the first international agreement of its kind adopted specifically to attain an adequate supply of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation for everyone, and to effectively protect water used as a source of drinking water. The first Meeting of the Parties will mark a milestone in the history of the agreement and pave the way for future joint work. At this meeting, Parties will make the needed institutional arrangements to support the Protocol’s implementation. They will adopt their programme of work through 2009, which will be the basis for their cooperative efforts to jointly implement the Protocol and reduce the burden of water-related diseases through national action and mutual international assistance. Further information at EMWIS website.
7- Under the impulse of the President of France, Jacques Chirac, France engaged in 2002 a diplomatic initiative to promote the creation of an organisation of United Nations for the Environment, the ONUE. This initiative proposes the reinforcement of the mandate and the means of action of the current Programme of the United Nations for environment (PNUE). Such a ONUE would pursue three goals: to give more political force to the environmental international action; to reinforce the coherence of the international action; to allow the developing countries to build and put in work their national policies of the environment. In fact, this new institution could be equipped with capacities comparable with those of the World Health Organization or world Organization of the intellectual property. Further information at EMWIS website.
8- The Groundwater Directive (80/68/EEC) and the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) both contain provisions on the protection of groundwater against pollution. However, the 1980 Groundwater Directive is to be repealed in 2013, since, with two exceptions, the Water Framework Directive also covers the key requirements for the protection of groundwater. On 19 September 2003 the EC presented a proposal for a directive on the protection of groundwater against pollution, as called for in Article 17 of the Water Framework Directive. The proposal for a directive lays down criteria and procedures to be used in assessing the chemical status of groundwater, identifying significant and sustained upward trends and defining starting points for trend reversals and provides for measures to prevent or restrict inputs of pollutants into groundwater. The last directive has been adopted officially by the EP on 12th December 2006. Further information at EMWIS website.
9- The African Development Bank (AfDB) hosted the First Dialogue between the United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) and African Stakeholders in Hotel Sheraton, Tunis on 14th of December 2006. The objective of the Dialogue is to formulate a framework of collaboration between the UNSGAB and African key organizations in support of the ongoing African water initiatives and programmes including preparations for the 2008 International Year of Sanitation. The main outcome of the Dialogue is the design of specific joint actions by UNSGAB and African key institutions to achieve a breakthrough toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on water and sanitation in Africa. Further information at EMWIS website.
10- At the Athens Conference, Phase II of Med JP was agreed by the Water Directors, the establishment of a new Working Group on Shared Water Resources Management. The overall objective of the Working Group on Shared Water Resources Management is to promote synergies between competent EU and non EU partners of the Mediterranean and SEE region and to assist for a common approach on key aspects of joint management of shared surface and ground water resources. Interested persons are invited to join the Working Group and contribute to its deliberations by contacting the GWP-Med Secretariat. Already at the Athens Conference membership to the Group has been requested by representatives of certain governments and organisations. The Inception Meeting of the Working Group will take place on 17 January 2007, from 09.30 am to 16.00 pm, at the GWP-Med premises (Kyrristou 12, Plaka), in Athens. It is planned as a brainstorming meeting that will elaborate on a work plan, active contributions from participants and time-schedule of the Working Group. Further information at EMWIS website.
11- EMWIS National Focal Point (NFP) in Tunisia (General Direction of Water Resources in the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Water Resources), has launched a virtual library called "GEDEAU", which constitutes a documentary source in the field of the water resources in Tunisia. It consists in an electronic management of documents, the sheering and the exchange of the data base between the users in the sector of water on the national and international level. This virtual library includes: water resources annual reports, publications, collection of the meta-data bibliographical references, maps of the Water Resources, reports of the studies, legislation, as well as the standards relating to the use of the water resources in Tunisia. Further information at EMWIS website.
12- As part of the Nodes Formation process undertaken by the IUCN WESCANA Water Project, a strategic mission to Tunisia was concluded to establish an IUCN Water Node (Center of Excellence) in North Africa. IUCN WESCANA Regional Director Dr. Odeh Al Jayyousi accompanied by Water Project Manager Ms. Nadia Juhari met with Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development HE Nazir Hamadi, who welcomed the IUCN team and praised the efforts that are made to formalize this partnership. Further information at EMWIS website.
13- Contracts for European Investment Bank (EIB) loans totaling €154 million for energy production and environmental protection in Tunisia were signed on 15th December 2006. €40 million is to be lent to "Office National d'Assainissement" (ONAS: National Office of Sanitation) to finance investment in wastewater collection networks and treatment plants in various cities in Tunisia in accordance with its 2006-2010 investment programme. The schemes supported by this loan are located in the following cities: Tunis, Hammamet, Kerkennah, Mahdia, Gabès, Médenine, Tataouine and Gafsa. The project will help to improve the quality of the service and living conditions for the inhabitants of Greater Tunis and a number of inland cities. It will also provide access to the sewerage system for a population of some 280 000, including 40 000 residents of the suburban areas of Greater Tunis who were not previously served. This loan attracts an interest rate subsidy financed from European Union budgetary resources, earmarked for environmental projects. Further information at EMWIS website.
14- In the framework of FEMIP, the European Investment Bank, EU funding tool, advanced a total of €210 millions for the sectors of energy and environment in Morocco. Within the framework of its Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the institution of financing of the EU, advances a total of 210 million euros for energy and the environment in Morocco. The contracts of financing relative to these loans relate to the following projects: 170 million euros are granted to the National office of Electricity (ONE), and 40 million euros are granted to the National office of Drinking water (ONEP) for investments in favour of sanitation systems of 17 urban centres localised essentially in the basin of the Sebou river, which is located between Taza at the east and Khenitra on the Atlantic coast. The impact awaited of the project on the environment is important and justifies an interest rebate financed by budgetary resources of the European Union. Further information at EMWIS website.
15- Under its Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s lending institution, is providing EUR 40 million to enable mostly private but also public sector industrial companies to invest in pollution abatement measures. Geographically, the focus is on the greater Cairo and Alexandria areas, where more than 80% of the country’s industry is located, although industrial pollution abatement projects can be financed throughout Egypt. The funds, for this Egyptian Pollution Abatement Project, are advanced in the form of a global loan to the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), the country’s largest commercial bank, with strong market shares and branch network. The EIB funds will subsequently be on-lent in smaller portions by the NBE directly to corporates as well as Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), or though other commercial banks located in Egypt. The EIB global loan benefits from a EUR 10 million interest rate subsidy from the European Commission. The agreement was signed at the EIB headquarters in Luxembourg on 21 November 2006. The implementation of Egyptian Pollution Abatement Project is assured by the Egyptian Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, and namely, through its Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) over a 5-year period from 2007-2012. Further information at EMWIS website.
16- In the aim to explore potential cooperation in the water sector in Egypt, IUCN WESCANA Regional Director Dr. Odeh Al Jayyousi accompanied by Water Programme Coordinator, Ms. Nadia Juhari, met with the Egyptian Minister of Water and Irrigation Dr. Mahmoud Abu-Zeid to identify the strategic areas of collaborations in the field of water sector and relevant capacity building programs in Egypt. The Minister invited IUCN WESCANA to be part of the Arab Water Council so as to contribute to its governance. Further information at EMWIS website.
17- Under the patronage of H.E. Eng. Khalid Al-Irani, Jordanian Minister of Environment, The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) launched the second phase of the Right to Water project. This project is funded by Heinrich BÖll Foundation (HBF), and aims at empowering the young leaders in the Right to Water topic and provide them with the needed skills to train others and act as a multiple factor effect. Further information at EMWIS website.
18- The water law on aquatic environments was adopted with modification in its 2nd reading by the French National Assembly on December 13, 2006, text adopted n° 632. Further information at EMWIS website.
19- 6 water agencies in France come to validate the programs of the period 2007-2012, applicable since next January. Small review of the orientations of these 9th programs whose tendency is overall with the rise of the assistances. Thus, to the Rhine-Meuse agency, the intervention appropriations will increase 10% per year, that is to say 200 M€/year. From a record amount of 1, 2 billion of euros, these assistances give the priority to the control of pollution (728 M€), and more particularly with the networks of cleansing (38%). Further information at EMWIS website.
20- The Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark today signed an agreement worth 52.5 million Danish Kroner (around $US9 million) to fund the second phase of the MRC’s Basin Development Plan (BDP2) and to continue the work of the Environment Programme. Under the terms of the grant 45 million Danish Kroner (DKK) will go to the BDP2, while 7.5 million DKK will go to the MRC’s Environment Programme. The grant will extend to 2010. Both the BDP and the Environment Programme are both programmes which were called for in the 1995 Agreement on Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, which formed the MRC. The BDP2 programme will formulate a joint development rolling plan which takes a basin wide perspective of shared water and related resources and aims to manage and develop them in an integrated, sustainable and equitable manner for the mutual benefit of the MRC’s member countries. In its second phase the BDP will also further develop its established knowledge base and its assessment tools and see these used effectively both within the MRC and the National Mekong Committees (NMCs). It will also build capacity at MRC and NMC levels for integrated water resources management (IWRM) planning. Further information at EMWIS website.
21- The European Commission proposed to grant aid from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) totalling € 15.06 million to help to deal with the consequences of the flood disaster that severely hit Hungary earlier this year. The money will be used to reimburse a part of the cost of emergency measures such as rescue services, the cleaning up of disaster stricken areas and the restoration of basic infrastructures to working condition. The severe floods along the Danube and Tisza rivers in Hungary, which continued for several weeks during April and May this year, were caused by unusually high quantities of quickly melting snow and intensive rainfall adding to the already unusually high levels of water coming from Austria on the Danube. The flood disaster caused casualties, extensive damage to public and private property, as well as disruptions to public services. Total direct damage is estimated at around € 519 million. Further information at EMWIS website.
22- The European Investment Bank (EIB) lends €50 million to BNP Paribas SA Branch in Poland to support small and medium scale projects promoted usually by public or private promoters, in the fields of environmental protection, rational use of energy, diversification of energy sources and improvements in environmental infrastructure. Further information at EMWIS website.
23- Numerous States in human rights council were united to ask the High commissioner for human rights to prepare a "detailed study on the reach and the content of the pertinent obligations related to the human rights that concern the equitable access to drinking water and sanitation" to be presented to this Council before September of 2007. The approval of this decision by the new Council of human rights constitutes a very positive step towards the international recognition of the right to drinking water like right protected by the international Pact relative to the economic, social and cultural rights. On the other hand, the right to water appears in head of the new French water law. The adopted text is: "Each physical person, for her feeding and its hygiene, has the right to access to drinking water in economically acceptable conditions by all". Further information at EMWIS website. Check also Right to Water Section at our website.
24- On November 30, 2006, WorldWater & Power Corporation, a developer and marketer of proprietary high-horsepower solar systems, and EMCORE Corporation, announced that they formed a strategic partnership. EMCORE agreed to purchase 26.5 percent on a fully diluted basis of WorldWater for US$ 18 million in cash. In return, EMCORE will receive convertible preferred stock and warrants of WorldWater. The two companies also announced the formation of a strategic alliance and supply agreement under which EMCORE is the exclusive supplier of high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells, assemblies and concentrator subsystems to WorldWater with a contract valued at up to US$ 100 million over the next three years. On November 29, 2006, EMCORE invested $13.5 million in WorldWater, representing the first tranche of its $18 million investment. The investment of the remaining $4.5 million second tranche will occur once the definitive strategic agreement is signed and certain other conditions are met. The parties expect the execution of the definitive strategic agreement and second closing to occur before the end of the year. In connection with the investment, EMCORE will also gain two seats on WorldWater's Board of Directors. Further information at EMWIS website.
25- The recent First World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD), held in Rome (Italy) the days 24-27 October 2006, and organized by the World Bank, FAO and the Communication Initiative, reinforced the growing recognition that Communication for Development is an essential development tool and needs to be raised on the global agenda. NGOs, multilateral development institutions, bilateral donors, development practitioners and academics extracted the most useful conclusions from the vast array of debates, discussions and exchanges which took place at the Congress and transformed them into a set of simple recommendations for policymakers on, for example, ways to improve how communication is used by governments and communities to produce more tangible results. A concrete set of recommendations was eventually agreed upon and will serve as an advocacy tool to reach policymakers. Further information at EMWIS website.
26- In an effort to help reduce great disparities in scientific capital between developed and developing nations, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Yale University, and leading science and technology publishers have launched a new collaborative initiative to make global scientific research in the environmental sciences available online to tens of thousands of environmental scientists, researchers, and policy makers in the developing world for free or at nominal cost. Through Online Access to Research in the Environment (OARE), more than 200 prestigious publishers, societies and associations will offer one of the world’s largest collections of scholarly, peer-reviewed environmental science journals to over 1200 public and non-profit environmental institutions in more than 100 developing nations of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. ‘OARE is a new and inspiring example of international cooperation that can contribute to the reduction of the North-South scientific gap and digital divide, objectives that are both at the top of the UN agenda and the UN Millennium Development Goals’, said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director. Further information at EMWIS website.
27- Water resources, the 'blue gold' of the 21st century, are scarce across Africa where the hydrological network is the world’s least developed. ESA launched the TIGER initiative in 2002 as a CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation satellites) contribution to assist African countries to overcome water-related problems and to bridge Africa's water information gap using satellite data. Further information at EMWIS website.
28- A new data-pooling system will make data from satellites run by China, Europe and the United States available for a fee of US$1,500: This new satellite-based information system will allow poorer nations to gain cheap access to crop, health and climate data, enabling them to better prepare for natural disasters. Starting next year, the GEONETCast system will give countries access to data gathered by satellites and weather stations run largely by the world's richer nations. To receive the data, users must buy a receiver and a US$1,500 licence fee. The system combines satellites operated by China, Europe and the United States, and was demonstrated this week (28 November) at a conference of the Group on Earth Observations in Bonn, Germany. The satellite data could be used by officials trying to contain forest fires, who could use near real-time data on wind speed, wind direction and surface temperature to forecast the course of the fire. Data on soil moisture, rain and vegetation cover could help officials forecast droughts, enabling farmers and governments to take preventive steps. Further information at EMWIS website.
29- Series of three UK projects involving the UK consultancy Atkins include 3D modeling as part of new design criteria. The United Kingdom is facing its worst drought in 75 years. Not surprisingly, the UK consultancy Atkins has found itself increasingly active in water resource management project ranging from dam engineering to leakage management for water companies. As the world's fourth largest global design firm and the United Kingdom's largest engineering and multidisciplinary consultancy, Atkins is currently involved with joint venture partner Galliford Costain in the asset delivery for the United Utilities 2-billion Euros AMP4 Programme. Atkins recently delivered three-dimensional (3D) design on three wastewater treatment projects with a fourth about to commence. Further information at EMWIS website.
Latest news: Utility Suez said its energy unit, in a consortium with Gulf Investment Corporation and Arabian Company for Water and Power Projects, has won a tender for the Marafiq water power project in Jubail, north east of Saudi Arabia. The group calls the scheme the "world''s largest power and desalination project", offering 2,750 mega watts (MW) and 800,000 metres cubed capacity per day. It supplies water and electricity to industrial and non-industrial customers in Jubail and eastern province. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
NOMINATIONS & VACANCIES
=================================================
30- Mr. Jean-François Donzier has been nominated member of the Steering Committee of the Global Water Partnership (GWP). Mr. DONZIER was unanimously elected during the meeting held in Sri Lanka from 27 to 29 November 2006, at this position by the Assembly of GWP Partners, after a long process proposing international candidates and with prior agreement of the Partnership Donors Committee. He will be the only representative of the French-speaking world and of the Western European countries in the Committee. Jean-François DONZIER is the General Manager of the International Office for Water (IOWater) and Permanent Technical Secretary of the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO). Further information at EMWIS website.
31- New Director of Resources Management named at ESA (European Space Agency): ESA PR 46-2006. Meeting on 12 December at the Agency’s headquarters in Paris, the ESA Council appointed Mr Ludwig Kronthaler, of German nationality, to the post of Director of Resources Management for a four-year term. Mr Kronthaler will take up his duties in April 2007 and will succeed Mr Hans Kappler, who will end his mandate on 31 May 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
32- CGIAR Award for ICARDA’s Innovative Research Partnership: ICARDA’s collaborative research on integrated management of Sunn pest in West and Central Asia won the CGIAR Award for Innovative Partnership at a competition held on 5 December during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the CGIAR in Washington, DC. Dr Mustapha El-Bouhssini, ICARDA entomologist, and Drs Bruce L. Parker and Margaret Skinner, from the University of Vermont, USA, who have been leading the partnership for over a decade in collaboration with scientists from national agricultural research systems as well as specialists worldwide, received the award from Dr Katherine Sierra, Vice-President of the World Bank’s recently formed Sustainable Development Network , and the new CGIAR Chair. The award was won in the “People’s Choice” category. Further information at EMWIS website.
33- CIWEM World of Difference Award 2007: This award was established in 2004 by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), United Kingdom, as a means of rewarding the leading proponents of the practical application of science and engineering for environmental improvement. The award is international and open to all, and focuses on innovative design in water and wastewater projects. The award consists of a trophy, a certificate, publicity for the winning project and a cheque for £1000. To be eligible for the award, projects must: (1) be related to the water cycle; (2) be at least at the application stage and specific, rather than theoretical design; (3) be innovative and achievable; (4) demonstrate sustainability; and (5) be beneficial to the environment. Deadline for submission: January 12, 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
34- Paques wins EEP Award at Pollutec: Paques won the prestigious European Environmental Press (EEP) Award 2006 for its ANAMMOX technology, a revolutionary technology in wastewater treatment that enables the removal of nitrogen from wastewater in a cost effective and sustainable way. The EEP-Award was presented to Rob van As, manager of marketing and sales of Paques, on Wednesday 29th of November 2006, during the international environmental exhibition Pollutec in Lyon, France. Further information at EMWIS website.
35- Vacancy notice for Statistician at WHO: WHO is currently announcing a vacancy for a Statistician P-3 (80% Post) in the Water, Sanitation and Health Unit of the Department of Public Health and Environment. Essential: - Five years experience in the area of statistics of which at least two are at international level. - Extensive experience with Excel, MSAccess and the major statistical analysis packages (Stata, etc.) and maps. - Extensive experience in working with primary data from major surveys (DHS, MICS, LSMS, WHS, national censuses). Desirable: Experience within UN or other international or multinational organizations. Deadline for applications: 21 December 2006. Further information at EMWIS website.
36- Economist water vacancy: The Agency of Water Seine-Normandy seeks to recruit an economist of category III on the water pricing. Further information at EMWIS website.
37- Water position at ICLEI Europe: Project and training officer for sustainable local water management. The European Secretariat of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability has opened the position of a Project Officer in the field of sustainable water management. The Secretariat is based in Freiburg, Germany. ICLEI’s International Training Centre, located at the ICLEI European Secretariat, currently coordinates the LoGo Water project and takes part in the SWITCH project with a major role in capacity-building. Furthermore, the ICLEI Europe Water Network serves water specialists of all kind with up-to-date information on latest policies and practices in Europe. Deadline for applications: 31 January 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
PUBLICATIONS
=================================================
38- The Mediterranean Water Institute (MWI) has just published its newsletter issue of November 2006. This issue can be downloaded (french version only available) on IME's website. Further information at EMWIS website.
39- The Mediterranean yearbook Med.2006 is a joint publication of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and the Fundació CIDOB in Barcelona that analyses the most outstanding events that took place in the Mediterranean in 2005. This work is published in three editions: Spanish, English and French. This yearbook offers political, economic, social and cultural keys to the Mediterranean agenda. Indispensable for all those interested in the Mediterranean and its future, the Med.2006 includes contributions by ninety international authors who present their analyses from a diverse and plural perspective and with a wide selection of data and complementary information that result in more than 57 tables, 47 graphics, 21 maps, 25 information boxes and more than 200 web links. All the contents of the Med.2006, Med.2005 and Med.2004 are on-line. Order print version. Further information at EMWIS website.
40- The web page dedicated to the Regional Workshop on Information and Communication for Improving Environmental Knowledge and Reporting in the Mediterranean, held in Rome on the 30th and 31st October 2006 is now available through the website of the SMAP RMSU. Further information at EMWIS website.
41- ENMaR project 8th newsletter: The ENMaR (European Network of Municipalities and Rivers) project partly financed by the EU under the INTERREG IIIC programme, published last 15th December its 8th newsletter issue. This issue offers you some information about ENMaR Seminar on Biogas and Water Protection, the regional workshop on impacts on water resources from agriculture/forestry, the SEAD and the WFD: exploring the linkages, and other important issues.. Further information at EMWIS website.
42- Third edition of the LoGo Water newsletter: LoGo Water is an EU Funded project that brings together African and European researchers along with local governments from Southern Africa, for jointly contributing to support local governments to improve water resources management in the region. This project has just published the third edition of the LoGo Water newsletter. In this issue of the newsletter you will find information about: Workshop "Local Action for Integrated Water Resources Management", Gaborone, Botswana, 27 - 28 July 2006: facts & figures and main outcomes, and Limpopo River Commission and the LoGo Water project: opportunities for future actions. The third edition of the newsletter is available also in French and Portuguese. Further information at EMWIS website.
43- Water & Wastewater International Digital Issue: October/November 2006, Vol. 21 Issue 5. This issue tackles among others themes, the desalination, overcoming water scarcity in Israel, Ion exchange technology to remove nitrates from drinking water, the partnership signed by Veolia Water in Russia, etc. Further information at EMWIS website.
44- A recent review of progress toward the MDGs in 16 African countries shows encouraging progress in the development of national programs and country-owned MDG roadmaps. Countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Ethiopia, Kenya, Benin and Burkina Faso have restructured their sectors and are now attracting considerable investment. Donor harmonization shows clear signs of improvement between bilateral and multilateral agencies and regional finance institutions. The challenges are the continuing neglect of sanitation, Africa's weakness in harnessing credible sector data and building effective national monitoring processes and, most critically, sector sustainability still appears low. The Country Status Overview reports, together with a comparative summary, will be published shortly by AMCOW in association with WSP, AfDB, EUWI and UNDP. Further information at EMWIS website.
45- Caravan 23 is a Special Issue on International Year of Deserts and Desertification. This issue includes articles on Desertification and explains how such a scheme could work for communally managed rangelands, and what implementation problems need to be overcome. It also includes the issue of Soil fertility decline, which is a major problem in dry areas worldwide, and an important factor in desertification. Further information at EMWIS website.
46- "Water Resource Economics And Policy : An introduction" by W. Douglas Shaw. For Shaw (agricultural economics, Texas A&M U.), economics lays at the heart of most issues of water allocation and water conflict. In this work he provides an economist's view of a range of topics related to human uses of water. After an introduction to water resources, water resource economics, and law. Further information at EMWIS website.
47- World Bank Launches Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Budget Support Guidelines for Task Teams: The Guidelines website and publication (in English and French) are designed to assist development practitioners using budget support/development policy lending to achieve rural water supply and sanitation (WSS) targets in national Poverty Reduction Strategies and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Budget support operations channel funds to national budgets and engage with fundamental policy reforms. In countries where governments and donors have recognized its potential, budget support represents a unique opportunity to scale up the fight against poverty and work towards the MDG targets. Further information at EMWIS website.
48- Building Partnerships (BPD) for Development in Water and Sanitation Announces a New Publication of a new piece of work entitled "Creating Space for Innovation: Understanding Enablers for Multi-Sector Partnerships in the Water and Sanitation Sector" which guides partnership practitioners with a dialogue tool that goes into some detail on organizational cohesion, partner relationships (including trust, participation and information sharing), and whether the scope of a partnership is well matched to the context in which it operates. The concepts and the tool itself are being integrated into ongoing training provided by BPD. Further information at EMWIS website.
49- Water and capacities in the Mediterranean, "Confluences Méditerranée n°58": This publication gathers many articles on this topic: Hydraulic poverty in the Mediterranean: the case of Egypt (Habib Ayeb); Water in the Maghreb: a perpetually unfinished awakening (Barah Mikaïl); The three times of water in Morocco: the water of the sky, the water of State, private water (Anne-Marie Jouve); Israel: water with crossroads (Jacques Bendelac); Damas: chronicle of an announced shortage (Fabrice Balanche); Lebanon, water, sovereignty (White Pierre) etc... Further information at EMWIS website.
50- Methodology to assess the hydrological impact of weed control practices with a view to management of Mediterranean winegrowing catchments: This paper proposes a methodology to assist water resources managers in assessing the hydrological impact of weed control practices in Mediterranean winegrowing catchments. The methodology is based on a spatial representation of practices and its integration in a distributed hydrologic model. The representation is based on the search for indicators that can be used to attribute a distribution of practices to each hydrological unit of the model and a classification of practices according to their effect on soil surface hydraulic conductivity. The observed diversity is integrated in the hydrologic modelling running an existing physical hydrologic model on an elementary experimental catchment. Further information at EMWIS website.
51- "Anthropology of the Irrigation: Oases of Tiznit, Morocco": Water is one of the great social, economic and political stakes of our time and the individual and collective management of this resource is on the agenda. The author describes how imbricate themselves forced environmental and technical, appropriation and distribution of this resource in the Moroccan oases of Tiznit where irrigation and capacity are closely dependent. With through various interrogations is posed to become to it oases in arid regions and that of the men and companies which created them and maintained. Further information at EMWIS website.
52- "Water Law Reforms - Analysis of Recent Developments": This article is divided in four main sections. The first section focuses on some of the principles underpinning water sector reforms that have been highlighted in existing national and international policy documents. This provides the conceptual background to understand the legislative changes introduced in the section. The latter section focuses on a limited number of regulatory changes that have been proposed in recent years to put the water law framework in line with proposed policy initiatives. The third section provides a general analysis of the law and policy changes that have been introduced. The last section provides some pointers for moving beyond existing reforms with a view to correct some of the perceived shortcoming of existing water law reforms. Further information at EMWIS website.
53- New report: "Land accounts for Europe 1990-2000". Based on spatial information, the land accounts produced by the EEA provide assessments of the magnitude of the various types of change and, at the same time, of their distribution over the European territory. Built up using the methodology of the integrated system of economic environmental accounting (SEEA2003) of the United Nations, land cover accounts are connected to other sets of tables whic! It describe the use of the natural resources by the economy. Land cover accounts can serve as well as a platform to account for ecosystem integrity and goods and services provided to societies by these ecosystems. Land cover accounts 1990-2000 have been produced for 24 European countries. The report analyses the main results for these countries and presents the methodology used for that purpose. The complete database is available at the EEA via its website, and its access is supported by powerful as well as user friendly extraction tools which make it possible to produce accounts for various types of geographical breakdowns. Further information at EMWIS website.
54- The Stern report on the economy of the climatic change - synopsis in French version: The Stern report on the economy of the climatic change was made public by the British government on October 30, 2006. Its French version was put on line on the official site of the report. This document contributes not only one invaluable share to the debate on the climatic change, which currently agitates the international community, but it also answers the legitimate preoccupations of the mediums of businesses and finance. Further information at EMWIS website.
55- Has just appeared in France a legislative report: "Report of Mr. André Flajolet", in the name of the commission of the economic affairs, on the law draft, adopted with modification in second reading by the French Senate, on water and the aquatic environments (n°3303), n° 3455. Further information at EMWIS website.
56- "Protecting Groundwater for Health": This book focuses on the relationship between management of groundwater quality and protection of public health. In the context of the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, including the application of Water Safety Plans. Protecting Groundwater for Health covers a comprehensive analysis of natural and man-made hazards and tools available for effective protection and management of groundwater. Further information at EMWIS website.
57- "Planning and Managing Water Resources at the River-Basin Level: Emergence and Evolution of a Concept" is a new report by François Molle, a Senior Researcher at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), France. This report recounts the evolution of the concept of a river basin and how it has been associated with various strands of thinking and sometimes co-opted or mobilized by particular groups to strengthen the legitimacy of their agenda. This illustrates the fact that beyond its relevance as a geographical unit for the study of hydrology or for water resources development purposes, the river basin is also a political and ideological construct. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
CALL FOR TENDERS and PROPOSALS
=================================================
58- Call for tender n°21/FM21_ADIRA/2006: Foundation Marrakech 21 (FM21), association of development, is re-laucnching a second call for tenders concerning the acquisition of two autonomous desalination units powered by PV for the production of drinking water by desalination of brackish water programmed within the framework of the ADIRA project supported financially by the European Union within the framework of the MEDA water project (reference: N° ME8/AIDCO/2001/0515/59610). The participation in the procedure is open according to same conditions to all physical and moral persons from Morocco and the Member States of the European Union. Companies can apply for one lot or the two lots both. The limiting date for the submission of offers is combined with that of the beginning of the session of opening of offers which will take place December 25, 2006 at 10 am (standard time) in the headquarters of Foundation Marrakech 21. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
CALL FOR PAPERS
=================================================
59. BULAQUA 2006: Call for papers: Bulgaria will join the European Union on 1 January 2007, which calls for a full harmonization with the European directives and standards, and particularly, in the water sector. The membership in EU will allow more full and effective utilization of the European intellectual and financial potential in the field of water. BULAQUA 2006 Conference will take place in Sofia on 6-7 June 2007. Topics addressed during the conference include Water supply and drinking water treatment, Sanitation and wastewater treatment, Integrated management of water resources, Management, seconomics and pricing of water supply and wastewater services, and Flood assessment and management. Authors wishing to submit papers should send an abstract in English or Bulgarian, up to 400 words, until 31 Dec 2006 at the latest. Further information at EMWIS website.
60. Call for papers for the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2007: This meeting to be held in Vienna (Austria) the days 15-20 April 2007, includes many session topics relevant to geomorphology, hydrology and natural hazards. Deadline for abstract submission: January 15, 2007. The EGU General Assembly will bring together geoscientists from all over Europe and the rest of the world into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. Especially for young scientists the EGU appeals to provide a forum to present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences. The EGU invites all geoscientists to participate in the assembly, submit contributions to the topical sessions and share their research with colleagues and friends. Further information at EMWIS website.
61. Call For papers for the Special Issue on: “Integrated Water Resources Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas”: The purpose of this special issue is to better understand the key aspects of the sustainable management of water resources in arid and semi-arid area, to construct new mathematical and physical models using modern instruments of system engineering, management science, and information technologies, and to attempt to determine what is needed to improve effective water resources management in arid and semi-arid areas. Articles for consideration are invited for submissions; manuscripts may be technical, conceptual, case-studies, policy or practice oriented and can range from original research to overviews, assessments, and reviews. Deadline for Submission: 15 May 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
62. Call for papers for the World Water Week in Stockholm 2007: The World Water Week in Stockholm to be held in the week 12-18 of August 2007 has announced a call for papers to be due on the 1st February 2007. The World Water Week in Stockholm is the leading annual global meeting place for capacity-building, partnership-building and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programmes in water and development. On this site you'll find more information about the plenary sessions, seminars, workshops, side events and special activities that will take place during the next World Water Week in Stockholm. Abstracts are welcome on the specific workshop themes. Further information at EMWIS website.
63- The XIIIth World Water Congress to be held in Montpellier the days 01-04 September 2008, has announced a call for abstracts to be due on 31 March 2007. Authors will be notified of acceptance by 30 June 2007 and will receive detailed instructions for presentation of their paper or poster. Deadline for submission of accepted papers (complete version) is 31 January 2008. Further information at EMWIS website.
64- Over the years, the biennial IWA water reuse conference: "the 6th IWA Conference on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Sustainability (WRRS 2007)" has become a major global platform to share best practice and discuss the latest developments in the field of sustainable reuse of municipal and industrial wastewater. An appointment not to miss by research institutions, companies and organisations active in this sector, both in developed and developing countries. This event will be held in Antwerp (Belgium) on October 09-12, 2007. Deadline for submitting abstracts is: January 12, 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
65- Call for contributions to the World Water Report Summary: The United Nations project to produce a youth summary of this year's UN Human Development Report which was released last week. It is on the theme of water. The UN want it out in English, French and Spanish by March 22nd: World Water Day. The Report is saying that water is a fundamental human right and that, with political will, we have the technology to get “beyond scarcity” to an equitable distribution of this basic human resource to all. The incentive is not just to get your story, or your poem or painting into a UN booklet that will be distributed around the world: it is also an opportunity for the best contributors to get an all expenses paid trip to the UK to work at the Editorial Meeting for the booklet at Peace Child’s International Centre near Cambridge in the UK. As any one who has been to one of these editorial meetings, they are a life-changing experience. On this one, you will get to work with some of the finest minds from the UN and leading UK think-tanks on an issue that is, literally, the source of human life. The deadline for your entries has been extended to 31st January 2007. Winners will be notified by e-mail on February 5th and will be expected to be ready to travel to the UK by 17th February. Further information at EMWIS website.
66- RISKBASE project (a EU-FP6 funded Coordination Action) has announced its 1st open general assembly: "Towards Risk Based Management of European River Basins", to be held in Seville (Spain) the days 24-26 January 2007. Registration Deadline for admission into the attendee list is January 15th, 2007. Further information at EMWIS website.
67- The Second Conference "Pool & Spa" (2nd International Conference on Health and Water Quality Aspects of the Man Made Recreational Water Environment) will be held in Munich in 14-16 March 2007. This Conference shall concentrate on themes which are often neglected on water congresses. In different countries different approaches and strategies are realized. The Conference will be designed to become a useful tool for more transparency and mutual understanding between Pool and Spa experts all over the world, to learn from the different points of view, and last but not least to serve the idea of modern consumer protection. Deadline for the submission of abstracts (both, oral or poster presentations are encouraged) has been extended to December 31st, 2006. Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
TRAINING
=================================================
68- 6-day intensive course on: “Operation and Maintenance of Distillation Processes” will be organised by the MEDRC in Tripoli (Libya) the days 10-15 February 2007. This course on distillation practice will be held at the LPI Conference Hall in Tripoli, Libya, from 10 to 15 December 2007. The course is aimed at those who are new to distillation and those who wish to improve their knowledge and understand the operation and maintenance of distillation processes. Further information at EMWIS website.
69- InWent & IUCN WESCANA conducted a regional training course on IWRM awareness campaigns in Syria: Sixty trainers from seven countries were able to design a public awareness campaign aimed at water conservation following a 6-day-training course implemented by IUCN WESCANA Water Project. The training course entitled "How to Design and Implement a Public Awareness Campaign" which was held during Sept. 9-14, 2006 in Damascus-Syria was conducted in partnership with InWent (Capacity Building International, Germany) and in cooperation with Damascus University, Jordan Environment Society and the Jordanian Association for Water Conservation (JACA). Further information at EMWIS website.
=================================================
EVENTS (Full Agenda)
=================================================
[2007/01/31 - 2007/02/01] CIWEM: World Wetlands Day Conference 2007- Developing Practice on the Ground, London, UK.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/31 - 2007/01/31] PIANC Seminar "Navigation and the EU Water Framework Directive", Brussels, Belgium.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/30 - 2007/01/30] Advanced International Training Program: Integrated Water Resource Management and Security in the Middle East, Kibbutz Ketura, Israel.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/29 - 2007/01/29] The first meeting of the New Stakeholder Forum on Water Scarcity and Droughts, Brussels, Belgium.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/29 - 2007/01/29] International Conference on Diffuse Inputs into Groundwater: Monitoring - Modelling - Management- Agriculture and water management in the light of future challenges, Graz, Austria.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/29 - 2007/01/29] European Seminar on Integrated and Participative Management of Water, Brussels, Belgium.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/28 - 2007/01/31] Environment 2007, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/24 - 2007/01/26] 1st open general assembly: "Towards Risk Based Management of European River Basins", Seville, Spain.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/23 - 2007/01/25] 2nd Congress on Rivers and Wetlands Restoration, Tarragona, Spain.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/22 - 2007/01/24] 4th International Exhibition and Conference for Water Technology: Water Middle East, Manama, Bahrain.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/17 - 2007/01/19] First Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health to the UNECE Water Convention, Geneva, Switzerland.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/17 - 2007/01/17] MED JP Working Group on Shared Water Resources Management Inception Meeting, Athens, Greece.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/16 - 2007/01/19] InfraTech 2007, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/15 - 2007/01/16] German EU Presidency FP7 launch event, Bonn, Germany.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2007/01/11 - 2007/01/12] Harmoni-CA CoreGroup Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2006/12/18 - 2006/12/21] 4-day intensive course on: “Seawater and Brackish Water Desalination by RO Technology – Engineering Practices”, Tunis, Tunisia.
Further information at EMWIS website.
[2006/11/29 - 2007/01/29] Moroccan National Debate on Water, Rabat, Morocco.
Further information at EMWIS website.
===============================================
BRIEF EMWIS SITE MAP
=================================================
ABOUT EMWIS
WATER in the EURO-MED PARTNERSHIP
EMWIS NATIONAL WEBSITES
EMWIS WATER MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS
WATER PROJECTS DATABASE
INTERNATIONAL WATER LEGISLATION
WHO DOES WHAT IN THE WATER SECTOR
MEDA-WATER PROJECTS
FORUM ; FAQ
SEARCH EMWIS WEBSITE
EMWIS SITEMAP
=================================================
CONTACT US
=================================================
- This is a monthly Flash provided by the EMWIS Technical Unit (sent to: 10758 subscribers), to which you can get a free subscription, click here for an open subscription.
- The EMWIS Flash gives you regular and quality information on the water sector in the Euro-Mediterranean area. The main headlines are: Institutions, Documentation, Training, Research and Development, Data Administration. You will also find updates on: international events, relevant web sites, the Euro-Med Water programme of the European Commission, and much more ...
- This Flash exists also in French and Arabic, you can view it and also the previous issues in our website.
- This Flash is also yours, please give us your comments and information to improve it Contact the EMWIS Technical Unit.
=================================================
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Commission. The content can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. This disclaimer is not intended to contravene any requirements laid down in applicable national law nor to exclude liability for matters which may not be excluded under that law.
