MEDA WATER - Resource management

Reinforces regional cooperation and develops proposals on water management, through capacity strengthening, training, information and know-how exchanges

 

Budget €40 million (MEDA)

Timeframe 2003-2008

Participating Countries Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey

Objectives

 

It aims at identifying ways of reinforcing regional cooperation, developing proposals for the management of water resources and contributing towards the creation of new sources of water.

The Euro-Mediterranean Regional Programme for Local Water Management (MEDA WATER) seeks to prepare national and local scenarios, for the period up to 2025, which enable precise objectives to be set for sustainable water management.

 

What does it do?

 

It focuses on the integrated management of local drinking water supply, sanitation and sewage, and the prevention of drought. It also deals with the equitable management of water scarcity and irrigation water and the use of non-conventional water resources.

 

The programme encourages co-operation of non-profit organisations, and works on strengthening institutional capacity, training, construction of demonstration plants, technology and know-how transfer and raising awareness.

It aims mainly at three technical components: Water supply and wastewater reuse; Irrigation water management and improvement of decision-making structures in irrigation, rural water supply and sanitation; Drought management. Nine projects began under the MEDA Water Programme, in 2003- 2004.

 

What's next?

 

A Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference will be held in October 2008, which will pave the way for a renewed regional strategy in the water sector. On a more technical level, future regional cooperation on water will be closely linked to the implementation of the Horizon 2020 Initiative for the de-pollution of the Mediterranean.

Source : EuroMedInfoCenter