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, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria and Tunisia.
SWIM consists of two major Components, which are inter-related and complement each other:
NEWS FROM THE SWIM-SUPPORT MECHANISM
ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES MAINSTREAMING INTO OTHER SECTORS' POLICIES
Kick-off Meeting of the Pilot Implementation for the System to Monitor and Evaluate the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) Process in Jordan (9 December 2013, Amman)
Following the development of a regional system to enable the effective Monitoring & Evaluation of participatory irrigation management (PIM) and Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) process in the SWIM Partner Countries (PCs), SWIM-SM will proceed in 2014 with a pilot implementation of the system in two PCs, namely Jordan and Tunsia.
The kick-off meeting of the pilot implementation in Jordan was organized in Amman on 9 December and included a meeting with relevant National stakeholders and a visit and discussion with the leaders of Water Users Associations proposed to participate in the pilot implementation.
Read More
APPLICATION OF WATER MANAGEMENT PLANS
National Consultations on the Cost of Water Degradation and Remediation Actions for the Seybouse River Basin (Algeria) and for the Litani River Basin (Lebanon).
SWIM-SM has recently assessed the cost of degradation and remediation of the Seybouse River Basin in Algeria and of the Litani River Basin in Lebanon with a view to assist decision makers at national and local levels to identify and prioritize specific actions and investments based on cost/benefit analysis - for improving the management of these river basins that are keys for the socio-economic development of the two countries. The provisional findings of these studies have been presented to and discussed with National stakeholders during consultations organized respectively in Algiers on 26 November 2013 and in Beirut on 12 December 2013.
Pending the approval of National Focal Points in Algeria and Lebanon the final versions of the assessments that integrate the comments received by National stakeholders and related brief policy notes will be available on SWIM website shortly.
To download presentations and materials click for the Seybouse River-Algeria here and for the Litani River-Lebanon here
3rd SWIM-SM Steering Committee Meeting (Athens, Greece - 12-13 November 2013)
The meeting’s main objective was to discuss about how to capitalize on current SWIM-SM achievements and leave a legacy for the water sector of South Mediterranean countries once the project will come to an end in December 2014.
Read More
ON-GOING AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Collection and wide dissemination of “solutions” for sustainable integrated water management in the South Mediterranean
After the approval of this activity by the SWIM-SM 3rd Steering Committee in November 2013, criteria for the collection and evaluation of success stories presenting local solutions for sustainable water resources management that have replicability potential at regional scale have been developed.
Solutions should fall under the following topics: non-conventional water resources, water governance, economic valuation of water degradation and remediation actions and water financing, and no-regret action for adaptation to climate change.
The collection process is expected to be launched in February 2014 through a wide invitation of relevant SWIM stakeholders (at the Regional-Mediterranean and National levels) to submit preliminary ideas for evaluation by a panel of experts.
Pilot application of the regional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for Participative Irrigation Management and Irrigation Management Transfer processes (PIM/IMT) in Jordan and Tunisia.
Following the preparation of a M&E system to assist SWIM Partner Countries in assessing, initiating and/or improving the decentralization of irrigation management responsibilities to Water Users Associations, SWIM-SM is now preparing to test the applicability of the system in Jordan and Tunisia, the two countries who have expressed a keen interest in this process.
Read More
Training and study tour on the state of the art for desalination using renewable energy sources (17-21 March 2014, Spain)
Aiming to build the capacity of seawater desalination professionals from the water and environment sectors in SWIM Partner Countries a 3 days training workshop followed by 2 days study tour in an advanced desalination center in Europe is planned to be organized in March 2014.
Read More
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 activities in the months of October-December 2013 mostly focused on carrying out sowing activities in all beneficiary countries and organizing field days in Lebanon to promote the varieties tested by the project in this country.
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
IMPROWARE activities in the months October-December 2013 mainly focused on the design and tendering process preparation for building the constructed wetland in Nobarya – Egypt and on the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant of Korba – Tunisia. Moreover, a set of technical surveys to gather additional key information about the sites and activities to enhance the participation of local stakeholders in the project’s activities were organized. Finally, the preparation of IMPROWARE e-learning programme was finalised and lessons are likely to start in February-March 2014.
Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements
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 2013 Sustain Water MED finalized the Baseline studies for the Egyptian and Tunisian pilot projects, each one including a thorough socio-economic, legal, environment and health assessment. The recommendations of these studies were shared and discussed with local stakeholders to agree on next steps. A training of actors from the beneficiary countries on Decentralized Wastewater Management was also organized.
Click here to read more about the project’s news and achievements