Deux journées d’information ont été organisées en Algérie (Oran) en mai 2015 dans le but de sensibiliser davantage les agriculteurs et de renforcer la capacité des techniciens dans le cadre d’une utilisation plus sûre des eaux usées retraitées dans l’irrigation et l’agriculture. Les événements ont été planifiés conjointement et menés en collaboration avec l’Office National de l’Irrigation et du Drainage (ONID) et avec le soutien du Ministère des Ressources en Eau – Direction des Etudes et Installations Hydrauliques.

Ont participé à ces journées d’information 92 personnes le 1er Jour (13 mai 2015, consacré à l’information et la sensibilisation des agriculteurs) et 67 personnes le second Jour (14 mai 2015, consacré aux formateurs, gestionnaires et décideurs). Tous les participants venaient de différents secteurs liés à la réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées et en particulier : les agriculteurs de la région déjà irriguée de Hennaya-Tlemcen et de la région M'léta - Oran (prévue) ; des formateurs et techniciens des secteurs de l’agriculture et des ressources en eau ; des représentants des Ministères chargés des Ressources en Eau, du Développement agricole et rural, de la Santé publique, du commerce et le partenaire national de cette campagne, ONID, et toutes ses agences régionales.

Journée 1 : essentiellement consacrée à l’explication des textes réglementaires et aux aspects sociaux liés à la réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées dans l’irrigation et aux mesures pour prévenir les risques sanitaires et éviter la contamination de quelque nature que ce soit aux personnes, aux animaux et à l’environnement lors de l’utilisation de cette eau. Les diverses expériences de réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées en Algérie et dans la Méditerranée ont également été présentées et discutées. Des sessions ont été organisées pour que différents spécialistes expliquent le contenu et la portée de la brochure préparée dans le cadre de la campagne et distribuée aux participants afin de faciliter la mise en œuvre des mesures de prévention des risques sanitaires liés à la réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées.
Journée 2 : centrée sur les diverses initiatives de formation et de renforcement de capacités ainsi que sur les programmes entrepris par les spécialistes nationaux en lien avec la réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées, les diverses techniques pour le traitement des eaux usées utilisées par l’Office National de l’Assainissement et les mesures à prendre en amont et en aval des usines de traitement afin d’arriver à une bonne qualité des eaux et d’éviter toute contamination aux usagers et à l’environnement. En sus des présentation habituelles, il y a eu des échanges entre les experts et les participants sous forme de débats. Les participants ont eu la possibilité de présenter des exemples de réutilisation des eaux usées retraitées en Algérie et dans la Méditerranée, y compris le représentant de l’association des irrigants du périmètre de Hennaya-Tlemcen qui a expliqué les résultats obtenus par tous les irrigants au cours des 5 dernières années. Le manuel produit dans le cadre de la campagne a été expliqué et distribué à tous les participants de cette session.

Une campagne similaire a été organisée en Tunisie en janvier 2015.

Legal and institutional capacities are known to be key success factors for prosecution of violators of environment and water legislations and therefore to enhance water governance and IWRM implementation.

This document assesses and provides guidelines on the institutional and legislative capacities needed for the prosecution of non-compliance with water legislation in the three countries. French and English/Welsh’s systems are also described in order to provide a general overview on how some countries have improved their systems and procedures in these matters.

The adequacy of the selected countries current water and environmental legislations has been assessed in terms of their compliance and enforcement, including a short analysis of the suitability of structure, content, integrity, acceptability and techno-economic feasibility for compliance and enforcement.
Moreover, the assessment also includes an examination of the existing institutional and judiciary capacities to appropriately put on trial cases of water violations and the identification of the main achievements, gaps, constraints, challenges and opportunities available to prosecute and adjudicate cases of non conformity (systems, mechanisms, legal procedures, trained prosecutors and judges responsible for water and environment, etc.). Based on the outcomes of the assessment, specific recommendations have been formulated for each country on measures needed to develop adequate institutional and legislative capacities for the appropriate prosecution of noncompliance and enforce water and legislations. Finally, guidelines catered for South Mediterranean countries have been developed on measures and policy options they could implement to gradually develop their capacities in these matters, such as amendments in water and environmental legislations, set-up of institutional structures and legal procedures for the judiciary system to address violations, capacity development needed for prosecutors and judges, operational systems and mechanisms for systematic enforcement of legislations, basic rules in assessing sanctions that commensurate with degree of violation, etc.

The structure of the report is composed of the 5 following chapters:

1. The first chapter consists of a review of best practices in prosecuting violators of water legislation in France, England and Wales.
2. The second chapter assesses the adequacy of the currently existing water legislation in terms of their compliance and enforcement in the three selected countries.
3. The third chapter examines their current institutional and judiciary capacities (systems, procedures, mechanisms, prosecutors and judges responsible for water and environment, etc.) to handle cases of water and/or environment violations.
4. The fourth chapter sets out recommendations and advices on procedures, institutional and legislative capacities needed for the prosecution of non-compliance with water and environment legislations.
5. The fifth chapter sets out a regional guideline foreseeing a set of recommendations and advices for the establishment of adequate water and environment prosecution systems and magistrates as part of the national judiciary systems in the South Mediterranean countries.

To download the report click here

Twenty-nine representatives from relevant institutions, the private sector (investors/operators) and NGOs from Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia were trained on how the public sector can assess opportunities for PPPs in the water sector, taking into account all parameters to structure the PPP transactions, from financial sustainability and bankability to legal clauses, performance monitoring, guarantees, insurance, staffing, reporting etc.
Specific successes and failures in water PPPs were also showcased, including a complete analysis of the As-Samra Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) structuring in Jordan, with risks, benefits, financial configuration, modus of collaboration between public sector and private operator, reporting of the private entity and approvals needed to be provided by the two parties during operation, plus all responsibilities on the implementation and on new investments that might be needed.

The training was carried out by high caliber experts in PPPs, including representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the PPP Centre of Poland and PPP Units’ representatives from Morocco, Jordan and Egypt, who shared the experience of how Water PPPs are administered in their countries.
Trainees expressed their satisfaction for the training, through which they gained a good insight on the different forms of PPPs, and particular benefit from the case-studies and the practical examples, especially the walk-through of the As-Samra WWTP.

The training is organized in the framework of SWIM-SM activities directed to enhance the understanding of South Mediterranean countries on how to promote successful PPPs, since most of them are already partnering (or considering to) with the private sector for mobilizing investments through PPPs and with a view of expanding the coverage of their water and wastewater infrastructure.

To download all materials and presentations related to the training click here

Other related SWIM-SM activities have included:

• Review and Analysis of Private Sector Participation: Modalities in Water Service Delivery, with emphasis on the Southern Mediterranean Region
• Training workshop on Strengthening Public Sector Capacity to Mobilize Depollution Investments and Private Sector Participation
• Training workshop on risk and insurance in PPPs for water infrastructure
• 1st Regional Conference of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled project Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector organized by the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean with SWIM-SM support
• Regional training course on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Water infrastructure