UfM: "Governance and Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector " project launched

The Union for the Mediterranean’s labelled project Governance and Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector was launched today during a regional conference held at the Palace of Pedralbes, in Barcelona, on 28 and 29 May. Endorsed by the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, the Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector project is a joint undertaking of the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Conference was opened by the Secretary General of the UfM, Fathallah Sijilmassi, and attended by  the  Minister of Water and Wastewater Utilities of Egypt, H.E. Abdelkawi Khalifa; the Minister of Water and Irrigation of Jordan, H.E. Hazim El-Naser; the Minister and Head of Palestine Water Authority, H.E. Shaddad Attili; as well as High-Level Officials from other UfM Member states and representatives from financial institutions, private sector, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.

The Mediterranean region is currently lagging behind by 38% to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of bringing safe water to all, and the impacts of population growth, climate change and urbanization are expected to add substantially to an already challenging situation. While countries aim for wider provision of water services, significant investments are needed as well as sound policies, capable institutions and good water management. “The UfM-labelled project that we are launching today, aims to effectively address a clear demand for more efficient water service provision, wider participation of stakeholders, more decentralized planning and implementation processes and more transparent and accountable decision making”, Secretary General Sijilmassi said.

The core objective of the project is to diagnose key governance obstacles to mobilizing financing through public private partnerships (PPP) for the Mediterranean water sector and to support the development of consensual action plans based on international good practices. The project will deliver a set of country analysis, national recommendations and a regional action plan. Albania, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia will be actively engaged in the studies, while the opportunity for technical work will be available for additional countries.

Important for launching the implementation of this regional project has been the strategic partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The steady support, already since 2009, of the GEF/ MAP UNEP MedPartnership programme and the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI) has been instrumental for concretising the project’s line of work.