The Regional Process

Introduction
Africa Region
Americas Region
Asia-Pacific Region
Europe Region
Mediterranean Cross-Continental Process
Arab Countries Cross-Continental Process

MEDITERRANEAN Cross-Continental Process

Geographical Scope

All countries at the northern, southern, and eastern boarders of the Mediterranean basin including Jordan

Participating countries and organisations

Algeria : Ministry of Water Resources
Egypt: Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation
Spain: General Direction of Water Ministry of Environment, Rural Area and the Sea
Greece: Department of International Relations and European Affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change
Morocco: General Direction of Hydraulic at the Secretary of State of Water and Environment
France: Water and Biodiversity Directorate at Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing
Turkey: General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works

Regional targets

Med 1.1: By 2015, each Mediterranean country has set its own national objectives for water use efficiency in the various using sectors and for water allocation between the different uses (productive and environmental) and defined (implemented) “efficiency plans” for achieving their short-, medium- and long-term objectives.

Med 1.2: By 2020, each Mediterranean country has set its own national objectives for improving the water productivity of rainfed and irrigated agriculture, in the framework of an integrated water and food-security strategy, defined and implemented measures for achieving their objectives in the short, medium and long term.

Med 2.1: By 2015, to ensure that national water resources planning in all Mediterranean countries includes the contribution of non-conventional resources within the global water resources systems models and analysis. This planning should take into account the related possible effects on the environment, economy, health and energy.

Med 2.2: By 2015 to develop a common regulatory framework for the Mediterranean area that considers the specific hydroclimatic features of the region, with its singular problems of scarcity and droughts in semiarid environments. This framework must integrate the contribution of non-conventional resources with the rest of supply and demand, structural and non-structural alternatives.

Med 3.1: In the medium term (by 2020), every Mediterranean country - supported by multi-stakeholder national dialogues and in view of achieving cross-sectoral water resources management - has in place operational and applicable national IWRM Plans and Water Efficiency Strategies and has developed and/or substantially advanced river basin management plans, all of which are linked/align with National Development Strategies, National and/or Sectoral Financing Strategies, National Adaptation Plans and, where applicable, National Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans and International Agreements regarding the protection of transboundary water bodies.

Med 3.2: By 2020, every country has activated and implemented mechanisms for effective stakeholder participation throughout the different components of basin water resources management, and has in place a functioning articulation between central and decentralized levels

Med 4.1: By 2020, every Mediterranean country has established the technical and economic modalities for the discharge of industrial waste in the public sanitation systems

Med 4.2: By 2018, each Mediterranean country has defined a strategy of sustainable cost recovery (SCR) for sanitation services through the use of tariffs and fees, public subsidies and international financial assistance to ensure economical sustainability, equitable access for all and pollution control.

Context

The Mediterranean water community has strongly imprinted her presence. For the 6^th World Water Forum, the Mediterranean water community will propose solutions to a large number of issues related to water in order to ensure a better regional implementation with a world impact.

The Mediterranean Cross-Continental Process

The Mediterranean Cross-Continental Process, which gathers all categories of stakeholders including decision-makers (Ministries, Parliamentarians, and Local and Territorial Authorities), professionals (public and private), and representatives from the civil society, will enable the related water community to identify and outline innovative and existing solutions to the main issues including:

•   Governance ;
•   demand-supply management;
•   non-conventional water use ;
•   depollution of a shared ecosystem.

The 1^st Mediterranean Water Forum that will be held in Marrakech (Morocco) in December 2011 is crucial to the Mediterranean regional preparatory process of the 6^th World Water Forum, which is based on priorities and targets specific to the Mediterranean region in accordance with the other processes of the Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe regions.

Priorities and preliminary Targets in this cross-continental process

By 2015, each Mediterranean country has set its own national objectives for water use efficiency in the various using sectors and for water allocation between the different uses (productive and environmental) and defined/implemented “efficiency plans” for achieving their short-, medium- and long-term objectives.

By 2015/2020, Mediterranean country has set its own national objectives for improving the water productivity of rainfed and irrigated agriculture, in the framework of an integrated water and food-security strategy, and defined/implemented measures for achieving their objectives in the short, medium and long term

Water resources planning in all the countries of the Mediterranean region should include the assessment and contribution of non conventional resources, considering possible impacts on the environment, economy, health and energy

Furthermore, a regulatory framework must be developed, considering the singular geo-climatic features of the region, their specific problems of droughts and scarcity, and the need to include non conventional resources within the integrated water resources planning of the countries.

In the medium term (by 2020), every Mediterranean country - supported by multi-stakeholder national dialogues and in view of achieving cross-sectoral water resources management - has in place operational and applicable national IWRM Plans and Water Efficiency Strategies and has developed and/or substantially advanced river basin management plans, all of which are linked/align with National Development Strategies, National and/or Sectoral Financing Strategies, National Adaptation Plans and, where applicable, National Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans and International Agreements regarding the protection of transboundary water bodies.

In the medium term (by 2020), every Mediterranean country has activated and operationally implemented mechanisms for effective stakeholder participation throughout the different components of integrated water resources management and has in place a functioning articulation between central and decentralised levels.

By 2020, every Mediterranean country has put into force a rule supervising the discharge of industrial waste in the collective sanitation systems, and by specifying the technical, financial and monitoring modalities.

By 2015, each Mediterranean country has defined a strategy of sustainable cost recovery (SCR) for sanitation services through the use of tariffs and fees, public subsidies and international financial assistance to ensure economical sustainability, equitable access for all and pollution control.