CIHEAM - International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies

IAMB - Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo of Bari

• Intergovernmental Organisation• Mission: cooperation and development in the

Mediterranean, particularly South Mediterranean • Main activities: Education (post-graduate, master,

PhD), Research (water resources, irrigation, agricultural water management, organic agriculture, plant virology)

• Resources: researchers, Mediterranean network

Main lesson learned

• Be prepared to handle complexity

• Impact depends on human’s ability to design and implement adequate national and regional integration and adequate political-institutional framework based on common-shared knowledge

• Horizonal and vertical communication

• The sustainability of the whole Mediterranean depends on Southern Mediterranean

WATER CRISIS IN THE SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN. A MORE GLOBAL PROBLEM

• Water in the South Mediterranean is at the forefront of discussions on global sustainability and food security

• The current pattern of water resources development is not sustainable and is affecting all life dimensions

• The Southern Mediterranean is facing one of the most severe water scarcity in the World

• Per capita consumption in Southern Mediterranean are the lowest in the world

• Conflicts in the region are higher than anywhere in the world, undermining efforts for peace and stability

• World water crisis of the future is already in the Mediterranean Region

The background of the water crisis in the Southern Mediterranean region

• Restricted water availability

• Weak and different knowledge of water budget (Arab region)

109 m3/y

Renewable

resources

Non-renewable GW (109 m3 )

Surface GW Total

Khouri 295 41 336 15

Rostas 282 35 317 14

Alecso 307 45 352 7.7

Saad 307 40 347 20

A. Zeid 352 - - -

Ave. 309 40 338 14

• Difficult prediction of water resources for countries depending on up-stream countries, sharing same water resources but not sharing knowledge, in absence of registered riparian rights and communication

• Irregular or absent flow measurement • Population growth: 515 M in 2000 685 M in 2025 • Growth of water demand: 278 357 415 Km3/y in 2025 • Negative balance of water equation: dramatic exeedence of use of renewable

resources: -- poor water resources Countries withdrawal exceed available resource up to

245% -- in Egypt, Syria, Israel, Malta is around 100%, and will double in 2025 -- In the majority of S. Mediterranean countries will be 90% in 2025In the frame of poor perspectives of technology development andthe tendence to loose the relevant water cultural heritage

•Difficult (almost impossible) water resources allocation and distribution equity

•Impact of climate variability and climate change on natural water yields

•Water mismanagement (in relation to physical and non-physical aspects)

•Weak policies and institutional frame (prevention and adaptation)

•Lack of integration and regional perspective

Perspectives and development for S&T in the region

• Strong knowledge is needed -- whole dynamic supply of water (SW,GW,UW) -- whole dynamic demand for water• Robust concept of dynamics: water resources not to be seen as

static total amount but as a rate that varies continuously against time

• Technical options alone do not provide solution or have weak impact on the territory

• Integrated management is needed• Need of deepening knowledge of scaling processes• Temporal scale of processes: awareness of reversibility-

irreversibility ratio of processes

• Need to enlarge concept of participatory approach• Local to regional anticipatory, preventive and

adapting approaches should be developed• New view based on efficiency (use-institutional)

rather than increase rate of supply (withdrawals)• Consensus (new models and indicators)• Integration of water policy into sustainable

development and adherence of the other economic and social policies

• National to regional scale of policies• Efficiency of public administration• Appraising water actions from economic, social,

environmental, public health point of view• Pricing

Principal target of water experts, water policy-decision makers and

all relevant water stakeholders

Co-operate and develop dialogue to improve the structural imbalance between constantly increasing demand and available water resources (natural available yields and accessibility) accounting for a strong-shared knowledge and the integration and co-participation of social, economic and environmental interests

What road to improve the balance of Water Equation in the Mediterranean

Region• Acting mainly on the structural-human

based component of water resources• Reduce losses – improve efficiencies-

performances (promising alternative)• Increasing supply (marginal) (expensive) -- most accessible natural resources are

developed -- investment are shrinking

Water losses by sectors (km3/y) (Hamdy, 2003)

Civil 11.44

Industrial 4.1

Irrigation conveyance

43.3

Irrigation efficiency 71.1

Total agriculture 114.4

Total 129.9

Use by sector in the Mediterranean

North• Public = 15%• Industry = 35%• Agriculture = 50%

South• Public = 15%• Industry = 10%• Agriculture = 75%

Irrigated land increased by 3 M hectares in 15 years and growth seems to stabilise around 200.000 hectares per year, implying a supplementary capacity in the order of 2 Bm3/y of water only for agriculture in South Mediterranean (CIHEAM,1999)

Water Saving

A possible solution: reduce losses, improve efficiencies and

performance

Possible sector water savings (km3/y) (CIHEAM, 2003)

Civil (reduction losses)

50% 7.7

Industry

(recycling)

50% 14

Hydraulic Performance Agr.

50% 21.6

Biological performance Agr.

Total agriculture

80% 30.6

52.2

A possible priority: water saving in agriculture

• Nearly 52 km3/y

• Corresponding to more than 40% of total actual losses

• Giving an additional supply of 20% of the actual demand

• Possible savings in irrigation represent more than 70% of total water savings

Past research in Water Saving had little national-regional impact and will fail in the

future if not developed within a comprehensive conceptual frame, based on a clear intervention

logic that accounts for specific keys and passwords

Keys and passwords• Adoption and promotion of a comprehensive and dynamic

methodological framework that develops integration• Identification and consensus on dynamic indicators to build

socio-political-environmental scenarios for decision making and development of water saving policies

• Strengthening WS participatory approach• Scaling properly the issues of concerns to assess local-

catchment-basin water saving yields• Build common and shared knowledge to support negotiation

of different interests and emerging conflicts in relation to saved water re-allocation

• Strengthening communication and networking• Abstraction of knowledge rather than on-filed conventional

research• Integration of policies

THE EU PROJECTWASAMED

WAter SAving in MEDiterranean Agriculture

A contribution and a tool to improve balance of water equation and a

practical approach to Mediterranean dialogue on water management to

develop horizontal and vertical integration, and build shared knowledge

• It derives from the development of a conceptual frame based on new keys and passwords

• Type of action: Thematic Network

• 5th FP (INCO-MED)Co-ordinator: CIHEAM-IAMB (Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo)

• Duration: 1 Jan. 2003 – 31 Dec. 2006

The WASAMED intervention logic

1 - D ia logueand

com m unica tionS hared k n.

2 - B iolog ica l-soilre la ted w ateruse e ff ic iency

3 - H yd rolog ica l-hyd raulic system

p erform ance

4 - U nconventiona lw ater useR ecyc ling

5 - P rom otion ofp artic ip a toryap p roach &

cultura l her itage

6 - H arm onisa tionand integration

7 - R eg iona ld a ta -b ase

andind ica tor b ase

8 -M ed iterraneanconsensus &

future researchneed s

S p ec if ic ob jective : d ecreased p ressure on na tura l w aters through an im p roved b a lance w ater d em and vs . w ater sup p ly

O vera ll ob jec tive : contr ib ution to susta inab le d eve lop m ent in the M ed iterranean reg ion

RESULTS

WP2 Water Use Efficiency and

Water Productivity Workshop Research Review Knowledgebase Assessment (socio-

economic, environmental)

WP1 Co-ordination, knowledge management and

internet based communication – dissemination – share (Forum)

Internet communication Data Base Maintenance of internet Forum Overall co-ordination Networking Organisation, integration of review results

WP3 Irrigation System

Performance Workshop Research Review Knowledgebase Assessment (socio-

economic, environmental)

WP4 Unconventional waters use

Workshop Research Review Knowledgebase Assessment (socio-

economic, environmental)

WP5 Participatory Water

Management & Cultural Heritage

Workshop Research Review Knowledgebase Assessment (socio-ec.,

env.)

WP8 Information retrieval and

Indicators

WP6 Harmonisation and integration of Water Saving

options. Convention and promotion of water saving policies and guidelines

Workshop Research Review, Knowledgebase Integration Assessment and Logical Framework for

policies and guidelines

WP7 International Conference on

Water Saving in Mediterranean agriculture & Future Research Needs

Conference Rational and compilation

of results from WPs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

Integrated Knowledgebase

Assessment Consensus

InformationRetrieval

Researches

Studies

Projects

Data

Abstraction of insights(indicators/scenarios)

DisseminationWEB-Forum

Conceptualization

Guidelines forRegional Policies

InternationalConference

ApproachApproach

No conventional Research!!!

Participatory Management- Scientists- Gov. Decision Makers- Water Users Associations

WShops

Wat

er S

avin

g

• Identification of alternative “water savingIdentification of alternative “water saving options/strategies” under the wide range ofoptions/strategies” under the wide range of agro-climatic, technical & socio-economicagro-climatic, technical & socio-economic conditions prevailing in the Mediterraneanconditions prevailing in the Mediterranean Region, and in the context of different long-Region, and in the context of different long- term socio-economic and climatic scenariosterm socio-economic and climatic scenarios

• Evaluate the social, economical andEvaluate the social, economical and environmental “costs” and “benefits” of suchenvironmental “costs” and “benefits” of such “ “water saving options/strategies”, to shapewater saving options/strategies”, to shape them out into “policy guidelines”them out into “policy guidelines”

Additional considerations

• Give strong visibility to the work done within the Region (capitalize the existing knowledge)• Confer, as much as possible, a common comprehensive “Reference Framework” to address “water saving” under the different perspectives (…physical, biological, social, economical, environmental, …)• Account for the “scaling” aspects (spatial & temporal)• Conciliate the “site-specific” and “regional” dimensions of “water saving”• Handle “complexity”

The PartnershipThe Partnership

• Scientists (University/Research Centers) – 19 Partners

• WASAMED has a relevant critical mass of Partners in terms of “category”, “profile” and “provenience”

• Decision Makers (Governmental Ministries) – 11 Partners

• End Users of Water (Farmers Associations/Consortia, Water services, NGOs, communities) – 11 Partners

• A total of 42 Partners (…including IAMB) coming from 16 Mediterranean Countries (Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria)

ExpectationsExpectations

• Identification of gaps in the knowledgebase of “water saving”

• Improved flows of knowledge exchange

• Re-addressing the future research needs & priorities in “water saving”

• Adequate “policy guidelines” for “water saving”

• Increased awarness of the “water value” by all stakeholders

• Reinforce the spirit of cooperation among the countries of the Euro-Mediterranean “space”

• Maintaining a Mediterranean-wide dimension of the Network beyond the life-span of the project is a way of ensuring future funding in Water Saving