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Closing of Applications for the ToT on Climate Change

The applications for the ToT on Climate Change in Cairo 20-24 October 2008 have been received. If you are accepted into the program, you will be receiving notice soon. Thank you for all the applications.

EGM on the Application of Indicators and Indices for Water Quality Management in the ESCWA region

Within its on-going activities to strengthen the capacity of Member States in developing and Implementing IWRM plans and in achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), ESCWA prepared a study on the Assessment of water quality management practices in the ESCWA region, which aims to characterize and assess water quality management practices in selected countries of the region and to propose recommendations to Member States on the needed measures and actions to improve water quality.

The EGM will discuss the case studies in the document, along with other experiences of water quality managment from within and outside the ESCWA region as well as recommended guidelines, which will provide the basis for discussions and in-depth reviews by leading international and regional experts in water quality management during this meeting.

The EGM is structured as an interactive process, to initiate debate and dialogue and to enrich discussions on water quality management in the ESCWA region, with participants strongly encouraged to bring forth their experiences and to identify case studies which best illustrate the various challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt in integrated water quality management within the framework of national strategies and IWRM plans. Accordingly, the meeting will involve selected key presentations, with extensive discussions and debates and working group sessions, which revolve around different themes.

This EGM is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Environment in Yemen, Water and Environment Center in Sana'a University, BGR, GTZ.

IWRM Training Manual Available for Free Download

A comprehensive IWRM Training Manual that covers all the major features of IWRM in the region, now available for free download in the resources section of this website (under Tools and Manuals).

This training manual is a valuable tool for improving IWRM practices. It has been used to create a number of courses throughout the region.

Resources Section

ToT of EFI for IWRM

AWARENET, in collaboration with AGUAJARING network and with the support of CAP-NET, co-organized a training of trainers’ (ToT) course on economic and financial instruments (EFI) for integrated water resources management (IWRM) from 2-6 June 2008 at Mahidol University, Bangkok.

The ToT Course aimed at developing and/or strengthening training capacity in the South East Asian (SEA), South Asia (SA) and Arab Regions to contribute in the effort of continuously improving the performance of the water sector in these Countries. Among the 22 participants attended the course, 5 were from the Arab region.

The main outcomes of the course are (1) to strengthen regional capacities in development and application of EFI for IWRM, estimated at 2 participants per country member; (2) to develop standard learning material and delivery methodologies that allows local content and adjustments to address national and local IWRM issues within the context of national water legislations and governance; and (3) to create a regional Community of Practice in EFI concepts and application where skill and knowledge exchange in this field could take place, in this way enhancing regional knowledge in this field.

The course consisted of a combination of presentations, discussions, group work, role play and a field visit. It introduced the IWRM principles and concepts; water values and costs; economic and financial instruments and their application in IWRM; climate change, risk management and financial implications; and capacity building and planning for IWRM. Several case studies were presented among which four cases from the Arab region (Lebanon, Syria, UAE and Oman). The course was ended by a field visit to the Mae Klong Dam whereby participants were introduced to the coverage of the dam, overview about water allocation, costs and finances of the dam. The field visit gave the participants hands-on experience on the application of EFI in IWRM.

This training course will be followed by a number of similar courses that will be organized by the participants in their regions. For instance, a ToT on EFI for IWRM course will be organized in Oman early 2009.

ToT on Climate Change and Water Resources, Panama City

A Training-of- Trainers (ToT) course on climate change and water resources was held in Panama City from August 4th to 8th, 2008. The ToT was organized by Cap-Net, WMO, UNESCO-IHE, AWARENET and REDICA to develop capacity on integrated water resources management as an adaptation approach to global climate change.

The course aimed at introducing water resources professionals, policy makers, researchers and other stakeholders to the concepts of IWRM and water resources implications of climate change. Through an intensive and interactive 5 day sessions, participants were expected to develop a good understanding of the social, economical, environmental and health implications of climate change and the role of IWRM as an adaptation tool, and master interactive training methods for disseminating gained knowledge through own organized workshops.

The course brought together participants from several countries in Latin and central Americas, Middle East, Taiwan and Africa. Two AWARENET members, Dr. Hamed Assaf and Mrs. Hanan Atallah, both from Lebanon have participated in the course. The 5 day course was organized along 5 themes that introduced IWRM and climate change, discussed the potential impact of climate change and methods for assessing it, presented instruments and techniques for adaptation, explored development of strategy and planning for adaptation, and finally focused on adaptation in water management. Several training methods were used including traditional power point presentations, case study presentations by participants, group based discussions and presentations, and role playing, along with ice breaking techniques. The participants have also visited the Panama Canal facility.

The course was quite successful and well organized. Several participants have expressed great enthusiasm about developing their own courses at home. The gathering provided a great opportunity for networking and developing better understanding of the potential ramifications of climate change in different parts of the world.

Water Resource Protection in the Arab World

From 2 to 4 June 2008, the regional workshop on "Protecting Drinking Water Sources from Pollution: Policy Options and Practical Solutions" was held under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Water and Irrigation of Jordan, Eng. Raed Abu Soud at the Dead Sea in Jordan. The workshop was organised by the regional BGR-ESCWA water project in cooperation with the MWI-BGR project in Jordan, AWARENET, ACWUA, and was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The workshop brought together over 70 participants from competent government authorities, water utilities, academia, NGOs, the private sector and development projects from 12 Arab Countries, namely: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen, including resource people from Germany, Japan, UK and USA.

At the center of the workshop was the interactive exchange of experiences and approaches for water resources protection, with ample time given to workgroup discussions on specific technical and governance aspects. A field trip to important water supply facilities and water protection areas in the North of Jordan provided first-hand information on the on-going Jordanian efforts towards better water management and conservation.

The participants issued the "Dead Sea Statement" on water protection recommendations in condensed form. The "Dead Sea Statement" shall facilitate and support advocacy work by local, national and regional initiatives and projects for water and environmental protection.

This regional workshop is intended to be a first step in a wider regional initiative for water protection, and possible platforms and approaches for such regional initiative have been discussed. Representatives of the Arab Integrated Water Resources Management Network (AWARENET) and the Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA) have already expressed their interest in partnering with, or hosting, these efforts.

Download the Dead Sea Statement here