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File Water Scarcity and Drought Working Group – Members [1 comment(s)] (version 2007-07-10)
URL la-penurie-deau-analyse-dun-ingenieur Item only translated in French
URL la-penurie-deau-donnee-naturelle-ou-question Item only translated in French
URL gestion-de-la-secheresse-au-niveau-departemental Item only translated in French
URL rarete-de-leau-et-secheresses-dans-lunion Item only translated in French
Document la-secheresse-agricole-au-maroc Item only translated in French
URL maroc-ressources-en-eau-et-lutte-contre-la Item only translated in French
File A PhD thesis Chapter on Water Scarcity First definition or approach of Water scarcity: used in reference to countries by water engineers, condition in which the annual availability of internal renewable fresh water is 1.000 cubic meters or less per person.
(The entire thesis)
File Bulletin de Sécheresse 2005 en France - Direction de l'eau
File Bulletin de situation hydrologique - France 2003
Document Coping with Water Scarcity: A strategic issue and priority for system-wide action Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be a social construct (a product of affluence, expectations and customary behaviour) or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change. Scarcity has various causes, most of which are capable of being remedied or alleviated. A society facing water scarcity usually has options. However, scarcity often has its roots in water shortage, and it is in the arid and semiarid regions affected by droughts and wide climate variability, combined with population growth and economic development, that the problems of water scarcity are most acute.
File Drought Monitoring and assessment of water shortage mitigation measures

WUEMED Workshop - Roma, September 29-30, 2005.

URL Drought and Water Scarcity: discussion in the frame of EU Initiatives In the context of HYDROCARE actions a debate is promoted about the above mentioned issues starting from a screening of some, both closed and running,  relevant structural and research projects. The workshop held in Athens (Greece) last 19th January 2007 consisted in a first part dedicated to a brief description of the main themes concerning drought and water scarcity treated in each project. A discussion about the priorities for the new EU programming period is foreseen at the end of the presentations, focused on the main gaps still existing in research and operational approach to drought and water scarcity. See the programme.
File Drought in the Méditerranean A WWF Report, July 2006
File Désert et désertification Article de Sciences au Sud développant les problèmes inhérents au pays du Maghreb.
File Exemple d'un périmètre irrigué en Tunisie L'amélioration de l'efficience de l'irrigation pour une économie d'eau.
URL FAO document on water scarcity and agricultural biotechnologies
URL Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Bulletin
File Impact des changements climatique sur les ressources en eau au Maroc Rapport réalisé par le Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur les systèmes hydrauliques et environnementaux.
File Informal Council of Environmen Ministers - Water Scarcity & Drought (WS&D)
File Limitations des usages et des prelevements d'eau 2005 en France Bureau de l'environnement, des affaires maritimes et du tourisme - Préfecture du Var.
HTML Document Links about Water Scarcity (unesco-waterportal-en)
Document Mediterranean Water Scarcity and Drought interim Report

Technical report on water scarcity and drought management in the Mediterranean and the Water Framework Directive. Produced by the MEDITERRANEAN WATER SCARCITY & DROUGHT WORKING GROUP (MED WS&D WG) - April 2007 –

The Mediterranean report is based on the EU document produced in June 2006. It has been prepared by the Mediterranean WS&D WG, in the framework of the MED-EU Water Initiative / Water Framework Directive Joint Process.

The document is a technical report which consists of five parts. The introduction presents the situation of water scarcity and drought in the Mediterranean region and the linkages between the WFD and Water scarcity. In chapter I, the definitions and assessments of the different phenomena are described. Chapter II reports on planning and management of drought events. Chapter III deals with long-term imbalances in supply and demand. The conclusions and recommendations are presented in Chapter IV.

The main objective of this report is to present the Mediterranean specificities regarding water scarcity situations and droughts events and the role of the WFD. Examples of strategies and measures taken in the Mediterranean region for addressing WS&D illustrate the different sections of the reports. In addition, the specificities of the WFD implementation related to WS&D are identified for non-EU countries.

Document Model-based scenarios of Mediterranean droughts This study examines the change in current 100-year hydrological drought frequencies in the Mediterranean in comparison to the 2070s as simulated by the global model WaterGAP. The analysis considers socio-economic and climate changes as indicated by the IPCC scenarios A2 and B2 and the global general circulation model ECHAM4. Under these conditions today's 100-year drought is estimated to occur 10 times more frequently in the future over a large part of the Northern Mediterranean while in North Africa, today's 100-year drought will occur less frequently. Water abstractions are shown to play a minor role in comparison to the impact of climate change, but can intensify the situation.

This study will, explicitly for the Mediterranean Region, examine whether the upward trend of droughts (IPCC, 2001), as described above, is likely to continue in the future, examining drought frequency as the main indicator. It will investigate the impacts of global change, including climate and socio-economic changes on future hydrological drought frequencies using two of the IPCC global emission scenarios, A2 and B2 (IPCC, 2000). These emission scenarios were constructed to explore future global developments of society and environment. Scenario A2 assumes a strong, but regionally oriented economic growth and fragmented technological change with an emphasis on human wealth, while B2 emphasizes the protection of the environment and social equity, but also relies on local solutions to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Both scenarios represent a world in which the differences between developed and developing countries remain strong.

It is shown that climate change has a comparably stronger impact on the change in drought frequency than anthropogenic water uses. Water abstractions can, however, intensify drought conditions. On the other hand, this kind of drought analysis reaches its limits in a dry climate, as drought frequencies cannot increase in deserts and in these areas flows are too low to assume statistical significance of the changes.

URL New Stakeholder Forum on Water Scarcity and Droughts
File Note d'information - Création du CGSESE

Mise en place en Slovénie, du Centre de Gestion de la Sécheresse de l'Europe du Sud-est.

URL Overview of Drought Preparedness and Coping Strategies
HTML Document Publications related to water scarcity (unesco-waterportal-en)
Document Syria Drought Response Plan

Syria has been affected by drought since 2006. While the 2007-2008 drought was very severe and had a wider geographical reach, the current drought has again affected a population that was already suffering from the impacts of previous drought spells. According to the Government of Syria and UN assessment missions, some 1.3 million inhabitants of eastern Syria have been affected by this disaster, out of which 803,000 have lost almost all of their livelihoods and face extreme hardship. According to the UN Needs Assessment Mission, up to 80% of those severely affected live on a diet consisting of bread and sugared tea, which only covers on average some 50% of both caloric and protein requirements. These families are not able to sustain or restore their livelihood without emergency support including food aid, farming inputs, and animal feeds, supplemented by other types of assistance.

One of the most visible effects of the drought is a dramatic increase in the already substantial migration out of the affected areas during the last year, due to loss of livelihoods and lack of income to buy food. Migration figures range from 40,000 – 60,000 families. 36,000 families have reportedly migrated from Hassakeh Governorate alone. This dramatic move often does not save the families from destitution: even in the areas where they have temporarily settled, migrants still face hardship and poverty. Communities inhabiting the drought-affected areas suffer from an acute shortage of water as many wells and rivers have dried up. Poor nutrition, heat, and dust storms have a detrimental effect on their health status. Very high levels of school drop-outs have been registered in the area, as children have migrated with their families or are required to contribute to the family income by working.

The Government and the United Nations believe that a combination of actions – food and agriculture assistance, supplemented by water and health interventions, and measures aimed at increasing drought resilience – is required to allow affected populations to remain in their villages and re-start agriculture production in October 2009. Assistance will have to continue until mid-2010, by when new crops should help to improve food security. The Syria Drought Response Plan (SDRP) has thus been developed with the aim of supplementing and enhancing the assistance already put in place by the Syrian Government. All projects have been developed and will be implemented in close coordination with the concerned authorities and targeted communities. Due to a small number of international NGOs working in Syria, the projects included in the SDRP have been presented by UN agencies, International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Qatari Red Crescent Society, which implements its activities through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The Response Plan does not cover all needs of the most severely affected population, which receives assistance also from the Government, but focuses on the needs of 38,000 households (some 300,000 people) considered the most vulnerable.


Through the SDRP, seven agencies seek a total of $52,938,616 to work with Governmental partners and targeted communities in addressing emergency humanitarian needs and mitigating further impacts of the drought of some 300,000 of the most vulnerable from the 1.3 million persons affected by the drought. Food, agriculture and livelihoods, including measures aimed at improving drought resilience, amount to 98% of the total requirements. Due to the timing of the agriculture season, with crops expected only in May-June 2010, this Response Plan has been prepared for a period of 12 months (August 2009 – July 2010).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Table I: Summary of Requirements (grouped by sector)

Table II: Summary of Requirements (grouped by appealing organisation)

Table III: Summary of Requirements (grouped by priority)

2. CONTEXT AND NEEDS ANALYSIS

2.1 CONTEXT

2.1.1 Population in need

2.1.2 Response to-date by the Government of Syria and the United Nations

2.2 HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ANALYSIS

2.2.1 Household food security and nutrition

2.2.2 Education

2.2.3 Water and sanitation

2.2.4 Health

2.2.5 Agriculture and livelihoods

3. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

4. PROJECT PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA AND TIME-CRITICAL FUNDING REQUESTS

5. COORDINATION ARRANGEMENTS

6. RESPONSE PLANS

6.1 FOOD

6.2 WATER AND SANITATION

6.3 HEALTH AND NUTRITION

6.4 EDUCATION

6.5 AGRICULTURE AND LIVELIHOODS

7. STRATEGIC MONITORING MATRIX

ANNEX I. LETTERS RELATED TO THE DROUGHT AND SDRP FROM THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRARIAN REFORM, AND FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE GENERAL COMMISSION FOR BADIA DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

ANNEX II. FULL PROJECT LIST AND FUNDING TABLES

Table IV: List of Projects (grouped by sector)

Table V: List of Projects (grouped by appealing organisation)

Table VI: Summary of Requirements (grouped by IASC standard sector)

ANNEX III. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

 Full_Report (pdf format - 11,8 Mbytes)
File Usage de l'eau en Tunisie Ressources en eau, usages et concurrences dans al Jeffara tunisienne.
Document Water Scarcity and Drought, 1st Interim report, November 2006
Document Water Scarcity and Droughts, Second Interim report, June 2007 Version no.: 1.0 Date: June 2007
Author(s): DG Environment, European Commission

Background:
Following the presentation of a first analysis of water scarcity and drought issues during the Water Directors meeting in June 2006 and the Environment Council meeting on 27 June 2006, Member States asked for further discussion on specific measures.

The Commission proposed to come back with an in-depth assessment identifying the magnitude of the problems linked to water scarcity and drought and the size of the residual gaps in the implementation of EU existing policies.

The Expert Network on Water Scarcity and Droughts supported the Commission's further data collection and analysis carried out through a questionnaire.

A first interim report was presented to the Water Directors in November 2006. The conclusions of the report pointed out the need to better assess the scope and the impacts of the issues. A second questionnaire was disseminated to all Member States in early 2007 in order to fill in the gaps identified by Member States and the Commission.

This document is the second interim report on Water Scarcity and Droughts. It updates the first interim report on basis of Member State replies to the second questionnaire and information provided by other DGs of the Commission.

It is presented to the Water Directors on 18 June for discussion.
HTML Document L'agriculture assèche le pourtour du bassin Méditerranéen Communiqué de presse du WWF - Paris le 13 juillet 2006.
URL Evolution du climat et Sécheresse en Méditerranée Article mettant en perspective le changement climatique et état de sécheresse dans le bassin Méditerranéen.
URL Liste des arrétés préfectoraux - France Arrétés préfectoraux en cas de sécheresse afin de limiter les usages en eau, l'exemple français.
URL Institutions, et organismes de lutte contre la désertification Liste de sites regroupant divers organisations luttant et organisant la gestion des phénomènes de désertifications et de sécheresses.
URL Inventaire des Sécheresse dans le Monde
URL Développer l'agriculture et le pays, en dépit du manque d'eau, le rôle des bio-technologies