First IPEMED water workshop in view of the World Water Forum 2012

As part of its work on water issues in the Mediterranean and in view of the forthcoming World Water Forum to be held in Marseille in March 2012, the Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Mediterranean World (IPEMED) organized a first water workshop in Paris. Around a panel comprising representatives of institutes specialized in water (IME, OIEAU, EMWIS, Maghreb Mashreq Alliance for Water, etc.), representatives of water agencies, operators and intergovernmental institutions (European Commission, Secretariat of the UfM), the object of the meeting was to react the participants vis-à-vis the IPEMED proposal to develop new tools for management and governance of water in the Mediterranean region. 

The initiative launched by IPEMED builds a new approach that offers the Mediterranean to apprehend a "river basin". This approach is expected to produce greater synergy between the actors of the Mediterranean water and encourage them to enroll in commitments. In practice, the draft IPEMED comes in two propositions: first, in terms of instruments, by creating a resource center on water in the Mediterranean, pooling and extending the resources and technical skills  centers and networks of existing expertise. On the other hand, the level of governance, the establishment of a Mediterranean Water Agency guided by the principles of integrated water resources management and water use. 

Regarding the first proposal, the idea of ​​developing a tool capable of gathering and sharing across the Mediterranean basin of water information received the approval of most participants. This mechanism already exists in large part with the EMWIS (Euro-Mediterranean Information System on know-how in the Water sector) but can not be considered now as a true resource center. Greater coordination of data collection and access to the largest number among the main expectations of the Centre. Several participants expressed their wish that this new structure is not limited to the mobilization of knowledge, but is interdisciplinary. Training, research and development, the prospective transfer of know-how, etc ... are all areas in which the Centre could develop and pool the expertise of existing institutes, relying in particular on the network heads. 

The idea of ​​creating a Mediterranean Water Agency must be studied more thoroughly. It could be based on the branch network of the Mediterranean basin (MENBO) and set common guidelines for the management of water, promote the exchange of experiences between each basin agency, fund structures and encourage setting up meetings bringing together all stakeholders throughout a watershed (such as river basin committees). Particularly in the context of these forums that civil society could be expressed. The growing civil society role was particularly emphasized by much of the audience. 

The missions entrusted to the regional agency, however, remain yet to be determined and all the participants agreed that it should not be a new structure devoid of responsibility. Because it acts effectively for integrated management of water resources at regional level, choices must be made on the field of expertise (governance, finance, crisis management, planning, pricing ...). Political obstacles could also face the creation of a new supranational structure. 

The rule at the regional management of water resources by watershed, although it is recognized in many countries of the southern Mediterranean, could be perceived by some stakeholders in the south as a way to impose the European Framework Directive on Water (WFD). Other perimeters of water management also need to be taken into account (on the scale of a major city, an aquifer, lake ...). 

All these questions, however, must be linked with the small progress made by regional states in common water. If negotiations are blocked at the level of governments, water professionals that work daily at the local level should be further mobilized. The value of their mutual experience seems a way to go to advance the Mediterranean Strategy for water and concrete regional projects. A second workshop should be held in September in Porto (Portugal).