EMWIS Flash 167 October-November 2023

2- Over 500 participants from all over the world attended the 3rd edition of the International Conference on Water and Climate (ICWC), held on July 6 and 7 in Fez. The event, part of a partnership between the World Water Council, the Moroccan Ministry of Equipment and Water and the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO), was an opportunity for participants to discuss the challenges of water management in the context of climate change. The Fez Declaration called for greater sharing of best practices in integrated water resource management, particularly at basin and local level, and for the promotion and inclusion of innovation and new technologies to improve knowledge and use of water resources, as well as control of water mobilization costs.  Find out more about the ICWC and read the Fez Declaration here. Further information on EMWIS website

3- Cairo Water Week is an annual event of great significance, a congregation of global experts, policymakers, and stakeholders dedicated to addressing the pressing water-related challenges facing our world. Held in the vibrant city of Cairo, Egypt, this event serves as a crucial platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing innovative solutions, and fostering international cooperation in the realm of water resources. With a focus on sustainable development, Cairo Water Week tackles a wide spectrum of issues, from water scarcity and quality to the impacts of climate change on water ecosystems. The event's comprehensive agenda includes seminars, workshops, and discussions, offering a diverse range of perspectives and strategies to shape a more water-secure and sustainable future for communities worldwide. By convening experts and thought leaders from across the globe, Cairo Water Week plays a pivotal role in fostering a deeper understanding of water-related challenges and driving the necessary changes to ensure water security for all. This year Cairo Water Week was held from 29th October – 2nd November 2023 under the thematic "Action on Water Adaptation for Sustainability".  Further information on EMWIS website

4- The European Business & Nature Summit (EBNS) is an event of the highest calibre for forward-looking businesses looking to develop and discuss sustainable business models holding biodiversity conservation at that their core. SEMIDE's director had the privilege of chairing the session focusing on "Harnessing Nature's Potential: Exploring Business Adoption of Nature-Based Solutions in Coastal and Freshwater Ecosystems", with a round table featuring UNEP Financial Initiative, Aqua Publica Europea and the European Commission DG Research (Biodiversity and NBS). A range of challenges were identified, such as: low financial return rates for the business sector and the need of standardised approach to value nature and social services provided by NBS; ownership of NBS as capital assets and responsibility in maintaining them, land availability to implement NBS, behavioral resistance to change. Participants agreed that in the future we will  need to always consider in priority green solutions, but moving to grey ones when necessary (e.g. to face extreme events). Recording of all workshops are available  here.

5- The 'European Union-Union for the Mediterranean-African Development Bank Conference on Water Finance and Investments: Applying a Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus Approach to Water Finance and Investments' was held during the Cairo Water Week from October 30th to 31st, 2023, adopting a hybrid format. This edition of the EU-UfM Conference on Water Finance and Investments marked an expansion of its geographical scope through a collaborative effort with the African Development Bank (AfDB). These conferences have been consistently organized by the EU delegation in Cairo and the UfM since 2019, with the primary objective of elevating the importance of water investment and finance issues on the Mediterranean political agenda. They also aim to continue supporting UfM countries in enhancing their water investment and finance policies. In 2021 and 2022, the European Union and the African Development Bank co-organized the European Union-African Development Bank Water Investment Forum, which took place within the framework of Cairo Water Week. Given the shared goals and target regions, the EU and the UfM are actively considering integrating these events into a single platform that would cover both the Mediterranean region and the entire African continent. In the past editions of the EU-UfM water and investment forums, special emphasis was placed on desalination in 2021 and climate change in 2022. The 2023 edition placed a distinct focus on the WEFE Nexus, aligning with the interests of UfM member states and stakeholders. This choice stemmed from the outcomes of the 1st Regional WEFE Nexus Roundtable in the Mediterranean and the 13th Meeting of the UfM Water Expert Group (WEG13) held concurrently in Rabat in June 2023. Stakeholders emphasized that advancing integrated policy-making in the WEFE Nexus requires adequate financing. Further information on EMWIS website

6- After three successful sessions, the fourth edition of the "Future in Africa" event was held on October 25 and 26, 2023, under the theme: "Digital for Water: Digital Water for Improved Water Management." This continental symposium highlighted the various opportunities offered by digitalization in addressing water scarcity in Morocco and Africa. Innovative digital transformation in the water sector is seen as a key driver for sustainable natural resource management and the development of water-related industries in agriculture and manufacturing. The "Future in Africa" project aligns perfectly with the 2022-2027 Regional Development Program of the Casablanca-Settat region, integrating digital technologies to enhance public services, promote innovation, and strengthen coordination, thereby contributing to regional growth. The event covered various topics related to the digital management of water resources, including the role of digitalization in enhancing efficiency across the water sector, its importance in innovation, education, and environmental performance improvement, and its relationship with technology to boost water performance. Additionally, the event explored digital innovations in agriculture and introduced Digital4Water FIA23, shedding light on the Regional Water Observatory. "Future in Africa" serves as a platform for bringing together public and private stakeholders in the water and digital sectors along with technology service providers. The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of best practices and the discussion of emerging trends in water management, distribution, and utilization in the context of today's technological advancements. Further information on EMWIS website

7- As part of the ValEUr-Gabès project, the partners organized a regional conference for the dissemination of results and capitalization of good practices of the project, with the support of the Mediterranean Water Institute, associated partner of the project. To promote fertilization mutual debates, strengthen the presence of regional actors and create synergies which promote the taking into account of the results of several projects in political debates and better visibility of the contribution of municipalities in efficient water management, this conference is part of the activities of the Mediterranean Water Forum, preparatory of the World Water Forum to be held in Bali, Indonesia in 2024. SEMIDE took part at the conference and presented examples of replication of innovative solutions of the use of unconventional water in the Mediterranean region, in particular from HYDROUSA project. Further information on EMWIS website

8- The INBO Secretariat is producing a new methodological guide on the transfer of waste and plastics into aquatic environments.  This manual will be added to the collection of "INBO Manuals", the first of which was published in 2009 and can be consulted here. This publication, like the manuals produced in 2009, 2012, 2015, 2021 and 2022 on Integrated Transboundary Water Resources Management, on adaptation to climate change, on Water Information Systems, on the participation or restoration of ecosystems, on water policing or on cities connected to basins, will be based on concrete experience and know-how acquired in the field around the world.  Edited and published in English, French and Spanish, the handbook will be presented at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali in May 2024. The purpose of this handbook is to present : i)Waste and aquatic environments, with a review of knowledge on its characterisation, sources and impacts, the management of waste flows in rivers and streams, and upstream management and reduction. ii)Plastics flows in river basins, with a review of their characterisation and quantification, their sources and their impact on aquatic environments, not forgetting solutions for reducing their impact. iii) Concrete examples of solutions implemented from around the world will be distilled from the pages of these chapters. You can download a draft table of contents of this handbook. As with INBO's previous publications, your contributions to this new "Handbook on the Transfer of Waste and Plastics in Aquatic Environments" through case studies, testimonials and recommendations are highly appreciated and are expected according to the template proposed here, specifying the chapter concerned by 15th December.  Further information on INBO website

9- On September 22, Marseille played host to act 6 of Méditerranée du Futur, a major event bringing together 36 delegations determined to tackle climate change adaptation from a water perspective. The event was organized by Région Sud-Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Round tables highlighted the imperative of a macro-regional strategy and laid the foundations for essential solutions for water management in the Mediterranean basin. Projections are showing that by 2030, almost 30% of the European population will live in regions where water will be a scarce resource. The main challenges are unequal access to this vital resource, as well as disparities in access to infrastructure, particularly in Mauritania, where water flows to financial interests, generating conflict and health crises. Nevertheless, inspiring solutions were presented, in particular the “No Water, No Us” initiative, which invest in wastewater reuse to promote sustainable water management. These discussions underlined the crucial importance of water as a collective issue, and called for massive investment in infrastructure to solve leakage problems and encourage wastewater reuse in agriculture. View the replay of the event. Further information on EMWIS website

10- SEMIDE as partner in the H2020 project The Edible Cities Network, together with the city of Nice in France took part in EdiCitNet final meeting held in Berlin on September 4 and 5. This project, which brought together cities from around the world, aims to create more sustainable urban communities by encouraging responsible food practices, promoting urban agriculture, and reducing our ecological footprint. It's an important step towards building a greener, healthier future for all. Over the past five years, the Edible Cities Network project has tirelessly worked towards transforming our urban landscapes into thriving, sustainable, and green havens. From urban gardens to vertical farms and community kitchens, we've embraced Edible City Solutions (ECS) to make our cities better places to live.  Nice was proudly represented at this international event and shared its experience in developing urban agriculture projects and its vision of a more resilient city in the face of environmental challenges. Over the course of two intensive days, we had the opportunity to meet representatives from other cities around the world, learn from best practices, and actively contribute to the future of the Edible Cities Network. This fruitful exchange strengthens our determination to work towards a more balanced and ecological urban environment. Further information on EdiCitNet website 

11- AGREEMed project took center stage at the XVII Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) in Rennes, France held  from August 29th to September 1st, 2023. EAAE Congress is a triennial event that bring together the whole Association Membership, providing an important occasion for the exchange of innovative ideas on research and teaching in the field of Agricultural Economics and related ones. Moreover, it has been the traditional venue for establishing long-term research collaborations instrumental to succeeding in the most challenging research proposals and projects. Lastly, Congresses have become a time of fruitful dialogue between academia, policy makers, agribusiness and representatives of civil society.  IAMM, one of AGREEMed dedicated partners, proudly presented a scientific poster shedding light on: "The Impact of Overexploitation of Groundwater Resources on the Resilience of Agricultural Farms in Semi-arid Zones." Learn more about AGREEMed

12- The Pau Costa Foundation (PCF) organized the Spanish demonstration of the European project SAFERS that took place in El Perelló (Catalonia) from Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 October 2023 with the support and collaboration received from the local Forest Defense Volunteers (ADF) and Enervent S.L. The main objective of this event is to assess the capabilities of the tested services (such as the Chatbot for citizens and volunteers, Sub-seasonal weather forecast, Operational early-warnings, Smoke and fire detection systems, Fire propagation model, EO-based fire delineation models and the EO-based post-wildfire monitoring) to improve the management of wildfire risk across all the phases of the emergency management cycle (i.e., prevention & preparedness, detection & response, adaptation & restoration), including the engagement with citizens. During the demonstration, the functionalities of the SAFERS Intelligent Services (beta version) were tested for the third time in a controlled and realistic environment with data and information from the well-known event of El Perelló fire of 2019. This allowed for gathering information on the reliability and usefulness of the proposed service in simulated in-field scenarios while testing its adaptability to different scenarios and landscapes. The demonstration involved technical entities, first responders, local authorities and citizens as well as the projects’ partners. This event is the third out of the four project demos. The first was performed in Corsica-France in October 2022 and the second pilot took place in February 2023 in Piedmont (Italy). The last pilot demonstration will be executed in Greece in December 2023. Learn more about SAFERS platform

13- 22 HORIZON and H2020 projects, concerning biofuels and biomethane, came together to set up collaboration, gather lessons learnt & create synergies. The project coordinator NTUA represented the CRONUS HORIZON project at the cluster meeting organised by CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) and  in the Introductory workshop of the EUBCE Field Trip 2023 Finnish Bio-Innovation held on 1-7 October 2023 in Finland. The field trip was organised by EUBCE – European Biomass Conference & Exhibition and attracted the participation of 15 representatives from european academic, pioneer energy industries and policy makers and consultants who had the chance to experience first-hand state of the art Finnish Bio-innovation by visiting a number of more than 8 biorefineries in Finland. Learn more about CRONUS.

14- As an integral component of the OurMED project, the German team successfully conducted 2 workshops in Magdeburg,  the first one was held on July 18th to 19th, 2023, focused on comprehending the profound consequences of prolonged droughts on both forest ecosystems and water quality. This engaging and informative workshop was specially designed to engage and educate children, and the second one on September 22nd   was about the integration of multi-parameter sensors and remote sensing. More information about OurMED objectives and services are available on OurMED website

15- The kick off meeting of CARDIMED project was held in Athens from 27-29 September 2023. CARDIMED is a HORIZON project aims at  introducing a framework to build Climate Resilience in the Mediterranean biogeographical region, efficiently unifying individual efforts of regions and communities across different countries and continents. This will be achieved by deploying the digital infrastructure to harmonise the data collection and evaluation processes, providing open data to all the actors involved in the Nature-based Solutions (NBS) value chain and integrating crucial functions for Climate Resilience. Among these functions, smart digital tools for citizen participation and capacity building will supplement an ambitious multi-stakeholder engagement strategy, focused on knowledge translation and impact pathways. Furthermore, holistic modelling tools introducing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach will provide comprehensive knowledge on the complex NBS interfaces, that will decisively contribute to addressing socio-ecological challenges, along with issues of valuation and low-investment rate in NBS. These actions will be implemented across 9 demonstration sites, composed of 10 regions, 20 locations and 28 communities and comprising 47 NBS that directly relate to over 80 interventions and supporting units that tackle climate change and circularity challenges. The consolidation of the demonstrating regions and communities will establish the CARDIMED Regional Alliance, that will function as the vehicle for expanding the network via upscaling the existing sites and adding new ones. The project includes 5 transferability cases, as well as an additional 10 that will be defined during the implementation from Europe and MENA regions. Through these actions, the CARDIMED alliance will achieve at least 28 regions and 70 communities by 2030, will create 8000 jobs especially in the NBS sector, and will leverage over 450M€ in climate investment. Learn more about CARDIMED

16- Water management has reached a crucial moment due to the effects of climate change, urgently requiring a new paradigm to ensure it is sustainably managed. MAGNUM is the new project by Meliá Hotels International, Cetaqua, IDP and Aquatec, which aims to develop a pilot tool capable of addressing the greatest challenges in sustainable water management in the tourism sector. It will promote responsible water consumption through the combination of the latest advances in digitisation, water footprint and behavioural sciences. This innovation project, due to run until 2025, is financed with NextGen funds in line with the RETOS programme, which is aimed at public-private partnership initiatives to advance scientific knowledge. The project will develop a digital twin of the water infrastructure for the two Meliá hotels, creating a virtual replica of the hotel for remote, real-time data monitoring and analysis. The tool, known as MAGNUM Digital Twin, will allow us to tackle the global challenge of monitoring the impact of the tourism sector on the environment and water in particular. Thus MAGNUM will improve the efficiency of Meliá hotels in monitoring water consumption and identifying anomalies and areas for improvement for sustainable water use in hotel infrastructures. The project will begin by implementing the solution and digitising the water system at two of its flagship hotels, Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora (Isora, Tenerife) and Meliá Palma Marina (Palma de Mallorca). After on-site testing, it will be deployed in the rest of the Group’s hotels. Further information on EMWIS website