Project Notice |
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| PNR | 915 |
| Project Name | Adapting to climate change in the water sector in the MENA region |
| Project Detail | The rapid economic and population growth seen in recent decades in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region) has adversely affected the ecological balance in the region. Natural resources, in particular water, are already under great pressure. The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) attests to a continuous rise in recent years in the average temperature and a reduction in annual rainfall across the entire Mediterranean region. These trends will continue, the knock-on effect being a reduction in surface runoff and groundwater recharge. The countries in the region have so far not implemented adequate adaptation measures in the water sector. It is of great importance when it comes to securing development potentials, for conflict and crisis prevention, and for preventing migration that regional and national adaptation strategies to climate change in the water sector are developed and implemented as soon as possible. The Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC) was formally constituted in 2009. It has commissioned the Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), as the AMWC’s technical advisory committee, with addressing the issue of climate change in the water sector in the member states of the League of Arab States (LAS). The AMWC adopted the Arab Water Strategy in 2012. Objective The regional and national institutions in the water sector have greater capacity for developing and implementing climate adaptation strategies. Approach The key factor for the success of the measure is strengthening regional governance in the water sector in accord with the LAS, its specialist institution the ACSAD, the ESCWA and the ministries responsible for water in the member states. In the first phase of the project (2011 to 2014) the Egyptian, Jordanian and Lebanese water ministries will be supported in formulating national adaptation strategies and in developing the necessary capacities. Priority will be given to policy advice, developing methods and instruments, and providing practical support to technical and institutional innovations for climate adaptation. The project covers three areas: AMWC: Given that it is necessary to develop the bases for planning and to create an enabling environment for adapting to climate change, awareness needs to be increased among the actors — in this case the AMWC — for regional vulnerabilities and the need for adaptation in the water sector. This should be reflected in the planning and implementation of regional and national policies. ESCWA: Networking and data and information management for adaptation will be promoted in cooperation with ESCWA. A knowledge platform will be set up by practitioners and academics in the countries in the MENA region and Europe, and it will make available up-to-date research results on climate models, the consequences of climate change and possible adaptation measures. ACSAD: The third area is part of the Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD). The ‘technical arm’ of the LAS is responsible for operative implementation of the Arab Water Strategy and for establishing a Centre of Excellence for Climate Change in the Arab Region. The ACSAD will advise the AMWC when it comes to the comprehensive implementation and financing of climate adaptation measures in the LAS member states. Given the urgency of the issue, the level of identification and ownership are high. Partners take part in workshops and other events where they define concepts, approaches and concrete measures regarding the strategy and policies, the enabling environment, instruments and methods, and technologies and utilisation systems. However, in light of the ongoing transformation in these countries that has been caused by the Arab Spring and, as the outcome is difficult to predict, the project faces the challenge of mobilising consistent institutional commitment to long-term, sustainable problem-solving. |
| Funded By | Other Funding Agencies |
| Sector | Water & Sanitation |
| Country | Ghana , Western Africa |
| Project Value | Plz Refer Document |
Contact Information |
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| Company Name | German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) |
| Address | Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche, Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, Postfach 12 03 22, 53045 Bonn, Germany, Tel: +49/228/99535-0. |
| Web Site | www.bmz.de/en |
