2- The CMI published a report “Enhancing Mediterranean Integration” which examines the various dimensions of Mediterranean integration in today’s context and provides policy recommendations for enhancing Mediterranean integration, beyond trade agreements. The CMI  is organizing a Regional Knowledge Series that will provide an in-depth presentation of the topic and associate renowned academic scientists and researchers to discuss the report’s findings, and exchange thoughts on the multiple dimensions of regional integration in the Mediterranean. The Regional Knowledge Series will consist of several webinars organized throughout 2021 each in partnership with a key Mediterranean partner and will culminate in a face-to-face or hybrid event, to be held later in 2021.The first webinar on March 30th, 2021 will provide an overview of the current economic situation in the Mediterranean basin, and will propose several axes of discussion, including the form or forms Mediterranean integration could take; the structural obstacles that could thwart strong regional integration and economic development; and the possibility of developing an approach that directly involves essential actors of the North and the South Mediterranean.  Further information on EMWIS website

3- 'Water and Beyond: EU transformative approaches for international partnerships’ workshop took place on 18-21 January 2021. ‘Water and Beyond’ delivered insights on how to strengthen transboundary cooperation, build broader partnerships and trigger water investments in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. It laid the groundwork for applying the European Union Priorities for International Partnerships in the water sector and established links with current programming and the Team Europe approach.  This high-level event was hosted by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships and the Government of Slovenia, with the support of the Government of Portugal as the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It was addressed to policy-makers, decision-makers and stakeholders who are contributing to ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The event took place over four consecutive days, with high-level panels, thematic sessions and networking opportunities to facilitate contacts between participants with common interests to foster ongoing or future cooperation. Seven technical sessions on various water-related topics were flanked by a high-level opening and closing session led by relevant political leaders. The following topics were discussed :Water as an equaliser: realising impact for human development;Water as a catalyst for cooperation: fostering trust and peace; Bridging the financial gap: investing in SDG 6; The water-climate nexus: how to address the cascading crises;With knowledge and skills: water as the engine for economic development and jobs; Water and the environment: resource management to support nature;Water as a human right: working towards implementation with all partners. Further information on EMWIS website

4- The European Commission gathers environmental and health stakeholders to implement a European system that traces SARS-CoV-2 in the population using wastewater. JRC participated in a recent expert consultation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Commission, which demonstrated the added value of regular surveillance of wastewaters, in combination with other indicators, for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a successful feasibility assessment in an EU Umbrella Study, the European Commission has initiated a targeted EU snapshot exercise to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants.  Interested parties are invited to contact JRC at JRC-WATERLAB@ec.europa.eu. In this regard, the Commission will intensify work with EU Member States and other involved actors in the context of the recently announced HERA Incubator. Further information on EMWIS website

5- INBO (International Network of Basin Organisations)  is organising  an on-line seminar (Webinar)  devoted to the issue of Enforcement of regulations in the water sector, (“Water Police”), it will take place on 25th March 2021. This webinar in partnership with other institutions and organisations: OFB (French Office for Biodiversity), NANDO (North-American Network of Basin Organisations), MENBO (Mediterranean Network of Basin Organisations), the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITERD), the Ministry of Ecology of the Republic of China, and the Group of Basin Organisations of Quebec (ROBVQ). Further information on EMWIS website

6- The Royal Scientific Society (RSS) and UN-Habitat  signed an agreement for a joint research project titled “COVID-19 in the Wastewater Cycle: Survival, Risk and Surveillance in Jordan” initiated by the UN agency’s Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance Programme (GWOPA). The COVID-19 pandemic has reignited interest in wastewater surveillance, specifically how sewage systems are monitored for the presence of viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, according to an RSS statement. The concentration of COVID-19 in wastewater samples provides an early alert to address potential cases, and the detection of the virus in sewage has been employed as a complementary method to clinical testing and indicator of virus’ spread in communities, the statement said.  Poor urban communities and refugee camps are most vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreaks given the dense and crowded settings, compounded by reduced financial capacity to conduct PCR testing, when needed.  Jordan has the second highest refugee population per capita in the world, although approximately 83 per cent are urban-based, the remainder live in one of the 13 refugee camps in Jordan (i.e. 10 camps for Palestinians and three for Syrians), according to UNRWA and UNHCR (2020).  Considering the limited resources in Jordan for conducting massive COVID-19 tests, immediate wastewater results can provide considerable advance notice of infection dynamics in Jordanian communities, particularly in vulnerable communities and refugee camps.  In that regard, the joint project will be implemented over six months to address the presence and fate of COVID-19 in the wastewater cycle from the source points at King Abdullah University Hospital  in Irbid to the wastewater treatment plant.  The project will propose a sustainable early warning system in Azraq Syrian refugee camp and Jerash Palestinian refugee camp  through tracking and monitoring COVID-19 in wastewater. Further information on EMWIS website

7- The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) adopted the 2nd Ministerial Declaration on Blue economy on 2 February 2021, demonstrating commitment to promote transformative policies and tools through cooperation.The Second Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Blue Economy aimed at improving maritime governance while addressing the environmental and climate-related challenges the blue economy sectors are currently facing. Ministers from the 42 UfM countries gathered virtually and agreed to a new Declaration following a broad consultation to which more than 100 experts and representatives from international organisations have contributed. The Declaration also strives to improve regional and subregional cooperation as ministers called to make full use of Interreg programmes and to further enhance synergies to actively support the development of sustainable blue economy in the Adriatic and Ionian region. Further information on EMWIS website

8- A virtual Launching event for the publication "Empowering Women in Water Diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa: A Comparative Study of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine" was held on Monday, 15 March 2021. The date was chosen to represent a symbolic bridge between the celebrations of the International Women’s Day on March 8th, and the World Water Day on March 22nd, and aiming to emphasise that “Valuing Water” (the 2021 theme for World Water Day), cannot be fully achieved without taking into consideration the value of water to women, and the 2021 International Women’s Day theme of “Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. The virtual launching event is co-organised by the Global Water Partnership (GWP-Med) and the Geneva Water Hub, within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Water Policy Framework for Actions 2030, and has the threefold objective to: Launch the publication of the Comparative Study; Briefly present the Study’s key findings and share the main components of the Initiative’s Action Plan for 2021; Receive reflections from prominent experts, foster synergies and explore operational linkages with leading regional international organisations and development partners. Further information on EMWIS website

9- The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands has the honour to announce the call for nominations for the eighth edition of the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards, to be presented at the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) in Wuhan, China. The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards recognize and honour the contributions of individuals, organizations, and governments around the world in promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. They were established at COP6 in 1996 through Resolution VI.18, and have been awarded seven times. The eighth edition will be awarded at COP14, which will take place in Wuhan, China in 2021.Three Awards will accordingly be granted in the following categories:the Ramsar Convention Award for Wetland Wise Use; the Ramsar Convention Award for Wetland Innovation; and the Ramsar Convention Award for Young Wetland Champions. Further information on EMWIS website 

10- Mediterranean climate change adaptation awards – 2021:  After two successful editions, ADEME and its Mediterranean partners, The Union for the Mediterranean and the Plan Bleu have launched the third edition of the Mediterranean Climate Change Adaptation Awards. This new edition will pay attention to an increased digital communication  within these times of pandemic and will relay on several sponsors to support the concourse. This contest aims at disseminating and promoting adaptation actions in rural, urban or coastal areas of the 23 mediteranean countries in the 3 following categories: 1 “Resilient facilities and infrastructure”; 2 “Preservation of ecosystems and nature-based solutions”; 3 “Designing, implementing and monitoring public policies”. Applications close: April 15, 2021. Further information on EMWIS website

11- The EU’s circular economy action plan and additional measures proposed the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) have been set to reduce waste and make products more sustainable. A circular economy will cut CO2-emissions, whilst stimulating economic growth and creating job opportunities.  The Ecodesign Directive will be extended to non-energy-related products. The textile industry is called to set stricter standards on water use.  The EU generates more than 2.5 billion tonnes of waste a year, mainly from households. MEPs urge EU countries to increase high-quality recycling, move away from landfilling and minimise incineration. Further information on EMWIS website

12- On February 24th and 25th, the SAFERS International User Requirements Workshop (IURW) was held virtually in the aim of identifying requirements and co-designing solutions for the development of the SAFERS platform. The event was attended by around 90 participants representing all profiles of wildfire specialists, mainly from Europe, but also from North and South America as well as North Africa. Among the participants were security practitioners (firefighters, civil protection services), scientists (fire ecologists, social scientists) and other participants working in the public and private sectors (wildfire analysts, environmental consultants, forest services, environmental educators). Further information on SAFERS IURW is provided on SAFERS website.

13- HYDROUSA 2021 webinar series are designed by a community of water allies to introduce the mission towards a viable scenario of a circular economy. HYDROUSA consortium addresses the challenges of water supply, wastewater and biodiversity loss – by extracting water from unconventional sources utilising state-of-the-art and nature based technological innovations. The online sessions include an induction to the project of HYDROUSA, its theoretical approach, methodologies & actions, backed up by interactive slots with questions on the distinct on-site applications, & collective mapping of the webinar’s outcomes & future steps. The first webinar revolved around HYDROUSA applications on the island of Mykonos and took place on 4th March  2021. Next webinars will be:  WEBINAR B: HYDROUSA applications of the island of Tinos, Topic: Desalination system, Greenhouse, Ecotourist water-loops, Date: : 1/4/2021, 17:00 -18:30 Registration [link], and WEBINAR C: HYDROUSA applications on the island of Lesvos, Topic: Wastewater Treatment system, Agroforestry system, Date & Time: 6/5/2021, 17:00 -18:30. Registration [link]. Further information about the project is provided on HYDROUSA website.

14- On 24 March 2021, the second Technical meeting of the SUPROMED project “Sustainable production in water limited environments of Mediterranean agro-ecosystem” will be held. Considering the pandemic that the world is living in, this meeting will take place on an online platform. This second meeting has as main objective to discuss between all partners the progress of the project activities and adaptation measures against Covid 19 pandemic. Further information on SUPROMED website

15- Stakeholders play a pivotal role within the project Sustain-COAST “Sustainable coastal groundwater management and pollution reduction through innovative governance in a changing climate” . That is why  in Arborea (Italy) the project team is conducting semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with local stakeholders (farmers, representatives of local cooperatives, representatives of local authorities...). This will allow on the one hand to improve the overall understanding of stakeholders’ perceptions of water-related problems, and on the other hand to identify potential water-related conflicts in the case study area.  This activity, which is being carried out as part of the Work Package 4 of the Sustain-COAST project, started at the end of January and is planned to be completed by the end of the spring. Further information on Sustain-COAST website

16-The MedGIRE project (Integrated Water Resources Management of the BV Medjerda) is funded by the MAVA Foundation for Nature and is implemented in partnership between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF North Africa, based in Tunisia) and the Research Institute for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands of Tour du Valat (TdV, based in France).  One of the long-term objectives of the MedGIRE project is to contribute significantly to the conservation, restoration and regeneration of wetlands and all water-related natural ecosystems in the Medjerda BV, both inland and coastal. This will be achieved through the involvement of all the key stakeholders identified in the two countries (Algeria and Tunisia), in order to encourage them to build a common and shared vision for the rational use of water resources, integrating the needs of natural ecosystems as well as those of the different socio-economic sectors. The launching workshop of the MedGIRE project will take place soon.Further information on  EMWIS website

17- EdiCitNet project "Edible Cities Network Integrating Edible City Solutions for social resilient and sustainably productive cities" has created  EdiCitNet Marketplace, it is a digital common platform for entrepreneurs, creating solutions for urban food systems all across the globe. Its goal is to connect Edible City Solutions (ECS), entrepreneurs, institutions, NGOs and other third parties at the local, regional and global level to enable global knowledge sharing, scalability, replicability, and to create complimentary collaborations with other enterprises worldwide. The Marketplace as multi-sided platform (MSP) is based on four pillars: Easy access, Brokerage, Stewardship and the ECS Club. The  market place brings together ECS around the world! Once registered at the Marketplace they can benefit from EdiCitNet already financed Business Consultancy! Workshops-series will start soon and will cover the following topics: What can the marketplace offer your business? Collaborative networking: roundtables, working groups, and workshops curated based on your needs; Expertise: support from experts to develop your ECS products/services further; Promotion: a global platform to highlight your ECS services and products to find your target consumers and partners; Free business consultation: a tailor-made professional consulting service based on the maturity, position in value chain, needs, scalability, replicability of your business. Further information on EdiCitNet website

18- Through its "water and biodiversity" call for projects, the Rhône Méditerranée Corse (RMC) water agency intends to finance projects to restore the turquoise grid, the junction between the green and blue grid (also called corridors). The call for projects "water and biodiversity" is opened until 1st November for the year 2021. This year, the Rhône Méditerranée Corse (RMC) water agency is allocating a budget of 10 million euros. This amount is an increase compared to 2019 and 2020, when it reached 3.3 million euros and 7.5 million euros respectively. In 2020, 52 projects were able to benefit from these investments. What is it all about? Combating biodiversity loss. In metropolitan France, 32% of breeding birds and 23% of amphibians are threatened with extinction. Funding from the Water Agency is intended to participate in programmes to restore the turquoise grid, a new concept because some species have a life cycle that depends on both aquatic and wet environments (blue grid) and drier terrestrial environments (green grid). Further information on EMWIS website

19- The wilaya of Tizi Ouzou, like the 57 other wilayas in Algeria, suffers from significant water stress. To alleviate the lack of water in this part of the country, the authorities of Tizi Ouzou are planning to rehabilitate all the standpipes, i.e. around 250 units. The director of hydraulics of the wilaya, Mokrane Djouder, underlines that new spring water collectors will also be installed.  After the works, Tizi Ouzou, located in the north-central part of Algeria, should have around 400 standpipes, thus improving the drinking water supply. The implementation of this project will require an investment of around 74.2 million euros. The Taksebt dam is the main source of drinking water supply for Tizi Ouzou, as well as the wilayas of Algiers and Boumerdès. But for the past few months, water transfers have been reduced due to the drop in the dam’s water level, i.e. by 80% according to the National Agency for Dams and Transfers (ANBT). The water reservoir, located on the Taxuxt and Aït Aïssi rivers at Tizi Ouzou, currently has a storage capacity of 29 million m3 of water, with a filling rate that currently stands at 17% against 181 million m3 at its commissioning. In addition to the exploitation of groundwater, the Tizi Ouzou Hydraulic Directorate is planning to collect rainwater and return it to the Taksebt dam. According to the director of the institution, Mokrane Djouder rainwater harvesting could guarantee the availability of water throughout the year. Algeria is 95% arid land and 80% desert, according to ISI Water, an American supplier of water treatment equipment, engineering and consulting services. Other North African countries are already exploring this route, notably Morocco. Further information on EMWIS website

20- Morocco’s National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) is building on its commitment to support the development of country’s southern provinces by attempting to solve the water scarcity issue in Tarfaya and Laayoune. A new desalination plant expected to start operating by the end of June this year, will reliably provide drinking water to the 230,000 residents of Laayoune and its neighboring populations until 2040.  ONEE reported the investment amounts to MAD 370 million ($41 million) and can supply the region with 26,000 m3 of water per day. In addition to the existing desalination plant and groundwater resources, the region will have a water supply of 62,000 m3 per day to meet local demand.  The seawater desalination plant is part of ONEE’s large plan of strengthening the production of raw water, constructing three reservoirs with the capacity of 5,500 m3,  building water pumping stations, and initiating a remote water management system.Further information on EMWIS website

21-  An EU-funded study explores the environmental impact of desalination on the island of Cyprus and proposes a more sustainable solution. Cyprus, Europe’s most water-stressed nation, secures as much as 70 % of its drinking water supply through water desalination. Unfortunately, the island’s main desalination technology – reverse osmosis – is harmful to the environment. A team of scientists from Cyprus, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sought to gain a clearer picture of this technology’s use on the island. In their paper, published in the journal ‘Desalination and Water Treatment’, they explore the scale of seawater desalination in the country, the technology’s impact on the environment and potential sustainable solutions. The study proposes a promising solution that could deal with both the CO2 emission problem and the brine waste. This is renewables-driven (and waste heat-driven) desalination, followed by zero liquid discharge. This would make it possible to recover salts and also promote the decarbonisation of Cyprus’ desalination sector. “We should make more sensible use of salt and not dump it into the sea at all,” remarked Kuepper. “Sea salt is basically a mixture of raw materials and can be used, for example to produce lithium, a much-needed component for batteries. So we could run cars in Cyprus by solar power and sea salt. Further information on EMWIS website

22- The Indian multinational Va Tech Wabag building drinking water production plants in Libya and Tunisia. In Libya, three seawater desalination plants will be constructed in 24 months, for the General Desalination Company of Libya (GDCOL), in Bomba, in the east of the country. The contract includes the design, supply, construction and commissioning of three steam compression desalination systems. In this desalination system, the condensation of the steam causes the salt water to heat up and vaporise as a result of a pressure drop. The three thermocompression desalination plants will be capable of producing 30,000 m3 of drinking water per day, enough to supply 300,000 people. In Tunisia, an agreement was signed with the national water exploitation and distribution company (SONEDE) for the design and construction of a drinking water plant near the Kasseb dam. This other project will be implemented in partnership with several Tunisian companies. They have 20 months to execute the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the drinking water plant, which will have a capacity of 30 000 m3 per day. In the future plant that will treat water from the Kasseb dam, Va Tech Wabag plans to install “advanced technology” of lamella clarification, a type of decanter often used in primary water treatment instead of conventional decanters. The company will also operate and maintain the plant for six months. The value of this contract is 11 million euros. The work is being financed by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the German development agency. Further information on EMWIS website

23-  The African Development Bank Group has signed financing agreements of 109 million euros with the Government of Egypt to improve sanitation infrastructure and services for rural communities in Luxor Governorate in Egypt’s Upper Nile region. The financing consists of a 108 million euros loan from the Bank, and a grant of 1 million euros from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI) – an Africa-wide initiative hosted by the African Development Bank. The funding, provided in a challenging global context, will help meet the Egyptian government’s financing requirements in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and support a sound water and sanitation infrastructure base, a key enabler for the country’s inclusive development. The Integrated Rural Sanitation in Upper Egypt-Luxor (IRSUE-Luxor) project is set to boost sewage coverage in the region from 6% to 55%, improving the quality of life of citizens, including women and children, who are most affected by poor sanitation.  Further information on EMWIS website

24- Lisbon officials informed the public that the larger Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) has won a Grant from the European Environment Agency that will allow for the installation of the digital meteorological system on the territory of the 18 municipalities that compose the metropolis. The project, known as CLIMA.AML, will also include 9 urban measurement micro-systems and a freely accessible online platform that will analyze the data to create continuous monitoring of the weather patterns and their impact on the communities living there. Further information on EMWIS website

25-The Ministry of Water and Irrigation from Jordan signed three agreements for a total of 10.34 million euros to finance water feasibility studies and develop agricultural enterprises in the Jordan Valley. The agreements were signed by Minister Muhammad Najjar and Deputy Director at the German Development Bank (KfW) Sawsan Aruri. Najjar said the finance which is provided as a grant from the German government will be channeled to develop water resources and address climate change effects. He added that the government will seek additional finance for water projects and will join hands with donors and funding parties to upgrade water supply and resources which have come under pressure due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Syrian refugee crisis. Further information on EMWIS website