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NEWS FLASH #9 -  October-December 2014

 
 THE SWIM PROGRAMME

Sustainable Water Integrated Management (SWIM) aims to contribute to the extensive dissemination and effective implementation of sustainable water management policies and practices in the Southern Mediterranean Region in the context of increasing water scarcity, combined pressures on water resources from a wide range of users, desertification processes and in connection with climate change.

SWIM Partner Countries are: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia.

SWIM consists of two major Components, which are inter-related and complement each other:

  •  A Support Mechanism
  •  Five Demonstration Projects

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NEWS FROM THE SWIM-SUPPORT MECHANISM


The new SWIM Video

The new film produced to narrate the current achievements of the SWIM program is available in Arabic and English. The French version is being finalised and will be available shortly. The movie was shown to the participants in the 4th SWIM-SM Steering Committee Meeting that took place on 15-16 December 2014 in Barcelona, Spain.


SWIM programme praised as valuable platform for regional dialogue on water policies in the Mediterranean – EU confirms additional funding for a second phase of the SWIM programme

Thirteen (13) representatives of the Ministries in charge for Water and Environment of seven (7) South Mediterranean Countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia) gathered in Barcelona – Spain (15-16 December 2014) on the occasion of the 4th SWIM-SM Steering Committee Meeting to review the advancements of the project and discuss and formulate recommendations for the way ahead. Observers from Regional organizations, institutions and academia active in the Region also participated in the event.

Participants expressed their appreciation for a number of activities carried out in 2014, and in particular for the role played by SWIM-SM in fostering peer-to-peer exchanges among water practitioners in the Mediterranean region.

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Regional Workshop on the M&E system to Monitor and Evaluate the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) Process in the SWIM-SM Countries (17-18 November 2014, Athens - Greece)

Increasing visibility efforts and sustaining the system previously set up by SWIM-SM to enhance Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) processes were among the key recommendations formulated during a Regional Conference organized by the project on 17 & 18 November 2014 in Athens, Greece.

In this framework, a set of interventions and communication and dissemination tools were identified to enhance the “institutionalisation” of the system and its long-term sustainability after the end of SWIM-SM in December 2015. Lessons learnt from the development and application of the regional monitoring and evaluation (MONEVA) system put in place were also presented and discussed.

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Training workshop on risk and insurance in PPPs for water infrastructure (30-31 October, Athens - Greece)

18 representatives of the public water sector, the private insurance sector and NGOs from 7 countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan) have been recently trained in risk and insurance for Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in water infrastructure, in the framework of an activity organised by SWIM-SM (30-31 October 2014, Athens – Greece).

Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contracts entail several types of risks such as political, commercial, legal, engineering, currency, etc. that need to be properly understood and managed. While public and private insurance institutions have a strong role in covering these risks, and thus improving the investment environment, the private local insurance sector in the Southern Mediterranean countries has not been sufficiently engaged and needs to be better informed of the existing tools and methods, as a first step to be able to properly and safely cover PPP risks in the water and wastewater infrastructure market.

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High level Policy Dialogue on enforcement of water laws (14-15 October, Athens – Greece)

How to achieve a better compliance with water laws in the South Mediterranean countries was at the focus of a 2 days policy dialogue in Athens, Greece on 14th and 15th of October 2014.

The activity brought together 31 experts and NGOs from 7 South Mediterranean countries, who reviewed the current enforcement issues and gaps their countries experience, deliberated possible policy options, identified measures to improve conformity including capacity needs, and suggested guidelines for countries of the region towards better application of rule of law in the water sector.

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ON-GOING AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES


On-line course on Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems

The  online course is expected to start shortly (English version) and to last for a period of 3 months. It aims at building the capacity of water practitioners primarily in charge of selection, design, and operation of wastewater treatment plants from ministries, municipalities, agencies, establishments, councils, and regulatory authorities working in the field of wastewater.

Natural systems are considered a suitable solution for the lack of sewage treatment in rural and remote areas due to their low cost and ease of operation and maintenance.

The course is organized in partnership with UNESCO-IHE.


NEWS FROM THE SWIM DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS


SWIM-ACLIMAS project News - Adaptation to Climate Change of the Mediterranean Agricultural Systems

The project is implemented in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia and promotes the adaptation of Mediterranean agricultural systems to climate change through a combination of modern and traditional water management and conservation techniques and new and indigenous varieties of cereals and legumes resistant to difficult climatic conditions.

ACLIMAS organised in the month of November its Third Annual Meeting and a training course.

Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements


SWIM All Across the Jordan News – Transboundary NGO Master Planning of the Lower Jordan River Basin

The project is implemented in Israel, Jordan and Palestine with the aim to publish the first ever trans-boundary integrated master plan for the Lower Jordan River Basin while advancing political will for adopting a regional approach to IWRM among key Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian figures.

In the month of November the project organised an International Conference of high calibre, involving government officials from the target countries and international experts. Moreover it actively participated in a key international Conference to lobby about the importance of implementing the action plans developed in the NGO Trans-boundary Master Plan for the Rehabilitation of the Jordan River.

Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements


SWIM IMPROWARE News - Innovative Means to Protect Water Resources in the Mediterranean Coastal Areas through Re-injection of Treated Water

The project aims to demonstrate and promote environmentally sustainable water management policies and practices in Egypt and Tunisia, with focus on wastewater treatment activities directed to produce water of appropriate quality levels for its successive re-injection into coastal aquifers

In the months October-December 2014 the project has consolidated and advanced a set of interventions related to the technical and hydro-geological characterisation of the Egyptian and Tunisian demonstration sites, to the improvement of treated wastewater quality through the upgrade of the existing wastewater treatment plants and the promotion of a scientific debate on policies and techniques for a sustainable water management.

Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements, particularly on the following:  

Technical and Hydro-geological Surveys

Pilot and demonstration activities

Involvement of Local Stakeholders, Communication, Capacity Building and Dissemination


SWIM Sustain Water MED News - Network of Demonstration Activities for Sustainable Integrated  Wastewater Treatment and Reuse in the Mediterranean

The project aims at improving sustainable integrated management of non-conventional water resources, with emphasis on wastewater treatment and reuse in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.

In the months October-December 2014 Sustain Water MED has organised two Regional events and started impact and evaluation missions in all pilot projects. Moreover, the first e-learning training course also took place.

Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements

Click here to read about the activities planned in the coming months


SWIM- WADIS-MAR News - Water harvesting and Agricultural techniques in Dry lands: an Integrated and Sustainable model in MAghreb Regions

The project aims at contributing to an integrated, sustainable and participative water harvesting and agriculture management in the watersheds of Oued Biskra in Algeria and Oum Zessar in Tunisia characterized by the overexploitation of groundwater, with a view to promote adaptation to climate change conditions and particularly droughts.

In the months October - December 2014, WADIS-MAR carried out technical and administrative missions in Algeria,  field workshops about agronomic and public participatory GIS activities in Tunisia and it finalized the processing of water quality data. It also focused on dissemination activities by publicizing two reports.

Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements

 

 

This News Flash is produced by the SWIM-Support Mechanism with the support of the European Union (EU).

Its content is the sole responsibility of the Project’s Consultant and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the EU.

 
 
 
 
   
 
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