HEADLINE

1. Information and training seminar for EMWIS data managers will be held in Madrid between 22nd and 25th of November 2004. The main objective is to define common metadata to allow exchanges or aggregation of “water information” among the National Focal Points (NFP) and to evaluate the use of a common multilingual water thesaurus. It will also be the opportunity to review the progress of the EMWIS thematic studies and more specially the one related to the interest of the EU Water Frame Work Directive for the Mediterranean Partner Countries.

IN BRIEF

1. The EMWIS Information Seminar organised with the Water Development Department (WDD) in Nicosia (Cyprus) last 29th October, attracted some 80 participants representing the various water stakeholders of this new EU member state. The Minister of Agriculture opened the seminar by confirming the importance of the Euro-Med cooperation in the water sector and the necessary exchange of know-how in Cyprus and in the Mediterranean basin. Such exchanges were highlighted by the speakers: Water Information System in Jordan, the implementation of the WFD in Greece, Water information in Italy, progress on MEDA-Water projects involving Cyprus and a first discussion on the concept of a Mediterranean Desalination Observatory .

2. The Mediterranean Network of Basin Organisations (MENBO) and the Euro-Mediterranean Irrigators Community (EIC) organised and International Symposium within the Strategy Plan of the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean. This event was held at the Kadir Has University of Istanbul (Turkey), parallel to a series of events of great interest that covered environmental topics. Among other events, and in addition to the Symposium, GWP-Med, MIO-ECSDE and the Marmara Group Foundation organised: an inaugural thematic panel on Turkey, the 3rd Meeting of The Circle of Mediterranean Parliamentarians for Sustainable Development (COMPSUD), and the 3rd Mediterranean Dialogue for the sustainable development of the region. For more information about all these events,

3. The 14th of October, in Foggia (Italy), the Community of Mediterranean Universities (CMU) together with RMEI (Réseau Méditerranéen des Ecoles d’Ingénieurs) organised a meeting on “Innovation as a tool for a sustainable development within the Mediterranean”. The morning session was devoted to “Capacity building in Higher Education Institutions for quality approach and pedagogical innovation: associated tools” and the afternoon session has discussed “Water management and desertification in the Mediterranean”. On the other hand, the 10th assembly of CMU took place also in the following days (15-16 October), two round tables took place also on i) “Innovation as a tool for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean” and ii) “Sport as a cohesive and peaceful factor in the Mediterranean”.

4. The Municipal Department of Wastewater Management in Vienna (Austria) takes decisive action to promote the quality of life and ecology in the Austrian capital by integrating hydro-ecological strategies.

5. The Government of the Netherlands has contributed € 600.000 to the infrastructure component of UNDP’s Srebrenica Regional Recovery Programme (SRRP) for the implementation of the “Water for Srebrenica Project”. This project involves technical assistance to the water and waste disposal utility company “Polet” in terms of new management techniques especially for billing and fee collection; support for repairing the network; and support for installing water meters.

6. The Dráva is at many sites the natural border between Hungary and Croatia. But there are sections of it flowing trough only in one country. In the last time there were tensions between the two countries because of the Croatian plan to build a water power plant at Novo Virje, on Croatian territory, but on the common river. Now both ministers responsible for water management of the neighbouring countries met on the 10th festive meeting of the Hungarian-Croatian Water Management Comity.

7. The valuation of environmental and resource costs plays a central role for the implementation of the EC Water Framework Directive (WFD). Many of the economic aspects of this implementation process are directly or indirectly related to the assessment - such as the cost recovery for water services, incentive pricing for water, or the selection of cost-effective measures. Environmental and resource costs are currently dealt with in Germany.

8. The River Ribble (UK) Pilot project has been endorsed as a best practice of public participation in the development of river basin plans in Europe. The river is being used as a pilot in river basin planning in order to prepare for the Water Framework Directive.

9. The Agricultural University of Athens is organising a workshop on water planning & desalination applications in the context of ADIRA Project one of the MEDA WATER projects. This workshop will take place in Limassol (Cyprus) on December 6th 2004. The goal of the Workshop is to provide a forum for the discussion of the short and long term market penetration of water desalination applications in Cyprus and elsewhere. This will promote wider publicity of the efforts made by various public and private bodies towards the satisfaction of fresh water demand at prices not higher than marginal costs of conventional water supplies.

10. The "Drop-Wise" project in the town of Stadskanaal, in the northeast of the Netherlands (population 34.000), aimed to demonstrate that sustainable water management through disconnecting clean rain water from roofs and paved areas was feasible in inner city areas and could be implemented successfully by small and medium-sized towns.

11. As part of an EU research project (AQUAREC), the School of Water Sciences at Cranfield University is conducting a web based survey. The objective of the survey is to identify the different information needs and participation requirements of stakeholders within water management projects.

12. The first National Seminar on Environmental Policy Integration and SMAP III, agreed upon at the SMAP meeting held in Brussels last June, will be held in Cairo (Egypt) on 18-19 December 2004. The draft programme recently agreed with EuropeAid and DG-ENV and in the process of being finalised in strict collaboration with the Egyptian SMAP Correspondent is available on the SMAP RMS web site.

13. The Sixth Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2002-2006) includes two new instruments which will be used, where deemed appropriate, as priority means of carrying out activities in the priority thematic areas with the objective of integrating European research. These instruments are: integrated projects and networks of excellence.

14. The EC has approved the acquisition of joint control in the German regional long-distance water supplier Fernwasser Sachsen-Anhalt by Stadtwerke Halle and Midewa, a regional utility co-controlled by Veolia Environnement from France. For more information, click here.

15. The EU has launched its € 500 million Water Facility for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries - the single biggest EU allocation ever for water and sanitation projects. The facility was approved by the EU Council in March 2004 and was endorsed by the ACP-EU Council of Ministers at their meeting in Gabarone in May. The facility will drive progress towards achievement of the water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals as well as the targets set at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg in 2002.

16. The EC organises on 1 December 2004 a second public information seminar on the ACP-EU Water Facility. This seminar will take place in Brussels. There will be invited representatives from ACP and EU States, from international organisations and IFIs, as well as from NGOs and the private sector. The aim of the seminar is to inform the participants on the ACP-EU Water Facility, in particular on how to present submissions for the Call for Proposals..

17. The launching of the Arabic version of the MEdIES educational package Water in the Mediterranean, on 8th of December 2004. This event will take place at the League of Arab States in parallel to the meeting of the Ministers for the Environment of the Arab States. The training seminar on the implementation of the MEdIES Educational Package “Water in the Mediterranean”, 9th of December 2004, which is addressed to Egyptian Educators. The workshop on “Cultural Diversity and Biodiversity”, 9th of December 2004 , which is addressed to the MIO-ECSDE Membership.

18. FEMIP (the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership) calls for the extension of the Trans-European Networks and the reinforcement of Public Private Partnerships in water and transport in the Mediterranean. Under the Dutch Presidency of the European Union, the 2nd Experts' Committee of FEMIP met in Amsterdam, on 25 and 26 October 2004. This Committee serves as a think tank with the task of putting forward practical and operational recommendations to FEMIP's Ministerial Committee, made up of the Economics and Finance Ministers of the EU and the Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs).

19. The "Eco-Volunteering around the Mediterranean" programme is coordinated by the GEC (Grouping of European Campuses) with the support and financial assistance of the EC — as part of an initiative called the European Voluntary Service for Young People (EVS). This programme is open to young people from 18 to 25 years old, residing legally in some countries of the European Union or the Mediterranean. Its objective is to provide participants with an enriching experience by including them in a voluntary project abroad for a period of 6 to 12 months. During this time, they will assist organisations or local communities whilst being immerged in another country and another culture, reinforcing their Euro-Mediterranean citizenship.

20. A TIGER Initiative offer to make ESA satellite data available for monitoring African water resources sparked an enthusiastic take-up by researchers across the continent and beyond it (see EMWIS Flash n°15). Some 95 proposals have been received, 65 of which are accepted for discussion during the annual TIGER Workshop in Pretoria, South Africa.

21. A new tool based on satellite data shows trends in the way Europeans use their landscape. Seen from the ground these changes appear gradual, but viewed from above they are often dramatic. Based on satellite observations of actual floodings in recent years it will be possible to see some trends, point out which areas are at higher risk of future flooding, and analyse how roads and other forms of sealing of the soil will impact flooding. This information is obviously of interest to policy makers. At the same time information on flooding will attract attention from people living in these areas.