Palestine: FAO organizes an exchange field visit to observe applied in-situ water harvesting techniques in Palestine - October 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized an exchange field visit which aimed to increase the participants’ capacity and knowledge about the in-situ water harvesting techniques regarding its design, construction, data monitoring and data collection process to observe the In-situ water harvesting techniques that have been implemented there.

Jordan: FAO conducts a workshop on water efficiency and sustainability - October 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched today the first day of the final workshop of the project “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/Productivity and Water Sustainability in NENA countries” funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to discuss with national key stakeholders the main findings of the implemented activities under different components in the country.

Egypt: FAO concludes Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability project and discusses future prospects for water management in Egypt - September 2022

Management of available water resources and increasing water productivity in Egypt were among the most important objectives under the framework of the regional project "Implementing the 2030 Agenda for the water efficiency/productivity and water sustainability in the Near East and North Africa region". The project’s activities have been implemented on eight countries in the Near East and North Africa region. The activities of the regional project have been implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) and the Agriculture research center (ARC), the research arm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR), were announced during the project’s final workshop organized in Al-Minya, one of the governorates in which the project is being implemented.

Tunisia: FAO strengthens capacity of Agriculture extension and training agency in Farmer Field Schools approach - September 2022

The FAO representation in Tunisia within the framework of the project "Improvement of water efficiency and productivity and its sustainability in the NENA region" organized a national training workshop on the methodology of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Held from the 5th to the 9th ofSeptember, the training brought together about thirty extension workers from different governorates of the country, affiliated to the Agriculture Extension and Training Agency (AVFA). The main objective of this workshop was to familiarize the stakeholders with this extension approach and ultimately create a pool of national experts capable of conducting sessions and accompanying farmers in the implementation of agricultural best practices important to the development of their activities and the preservation of natural resources.

Jordan: FAO, ICARDA establish small-scale agro-silvo-pastoral test site in Jordan to raise awareness, promote ecosystem services enhancement - September 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Area (ICARDA) under the regional project “Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability in the NENA region” established a small-scale agro-silvo-pastoral test site aiming at enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in dryland agriculture.

Jordan: Establishment of water-food-ecosystem nexus targeted household food processing units - September 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Area (ICARDA) under the regional project “Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability in the NENA region” by enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in dryland agriculture, through activities that involved the establishment of energy-efficient food drying units (sun-drying units) and related capacity-building programs for selected households aimed at enhancing productivity and food quality/value for local consumption and potential income generation- adapted to more rehabilitated and sustainably managed agro-silvo-pastoral environments.

Palestine: FAO holds final workshop for Palestine water project with Agriculture Ministry, Water Authority - August 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on 31 August held a closing workshop under the Palestine component of the regional project “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/Productivity and Water Sustainability in Near East and North Africa Countries,” funded by Sweden.

The closing workshop brought together government representatives with other key local players to review the five-year project’s findings and results, agree on an action plan for institutionalizing sustainable water practices and initiate collaboration among attendees to realize the action plan.

Morocco and Tunisia: NENA ET-Network, regional Evapotranspiration Measurement Network expands - August 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations established a regional evapotranspiration measurement network “NENA ET-Network” in eight countries of the NENA region in partnership with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) (coordinating) and the University of Cordoba (Spain) supporting with the ET–Cordova instrument. The ET Network was launched in 2019 with 5 pilot countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine). In each country a reference station has been selected where different instruments are used to measure the crop evapotranspiration and support the improvement of remote sensing based measurements. One of the standard instrument introduced in each reference station is the “ET-Cordova” a cost effective agro-meteo station completed with several sensors to enable automatic measurement and calculation of the real water consumption of crops (ETa). This affordable technology is designed to allow users to develop and maintain it themselves.

Lebanon: Water Governance Analysis in the Al-Kalb River Basin in Lebanon: Opportunities amid unprecedented challenges - August 2022

Water-related challenges are core obstacles to sustainable, resilient and inclusive development, especially in developing countries, and Lebanon is no exception. Multiple barriers still hinder the delivery of water in adequate quantity and quality to different users while ensuring sustainable management of water resources. Studies have consistently shown that problems related to the governance and political economy of water are among the root causes leading to poor service delivery outcomes, and hence, more vulnerabilities in the water sector. The consequences are enormous, potentially irreversible, and cutting across sectors with rippling effects on agriculture, health, gender equality, education, economic prosperity, and many more.

Tunisia: FAO raises awareness on the importance of water through the Water Caravan in Tunisia - July 2022

Under the “Every Drop Counts” campaign, the FAO representation in Tunisia has initiated the “Water Caravan” an awareness-raising activity that aims to introduce the general public (students, school children, farmers, policy-makers, etc.) to the concepts of water sustainability and the calculation of the indirect and direct water footprint. This activity is implemented under the regional project “Implementing the 2030 Agenda for water efficiency/ productivity and water sustainability in the Near East and North Africa countries”. The Caravan was launched in the margins of the World Water Day annual celebration on the 22nd of March 2022 and have been travelling across the country’s governorates ever since, reaching different publics, promoting simple actions adapted to each audience with the aim of preserving this rare and precious resource. 

RNE: FAO launches a new Massive Open Online Course on water accounting and auditing - July 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with IHE Delft Institute for Water Education launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on water accounting and auditing. This self-paced and free course aims to increase knowledge about water accounting and auditing. The course has been developed under the framework of the regional project “Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for water efficiency/productivity and sustainability in the Near East and North Africa region (WEPS-NENA)”.

Tunisia: FAO supports the establishment of a master's degree in water productivity in Tunisia- July 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  (FAO) in Tunisia has supported the establishment of a master's degree in water productivity through a partnership between the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia and the Office of Planning and Hydraulic Balances (BPEH) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Hydraulic Resources and Maritime Fishing. This master’s degree is the first of its kind in the Mediterranean region, and aims to strengthen the capacities and enrich the practical skills of professionals operating in the sectors of water management and agricultural production so that they can integrate the concepts of water productivity, efficiency and sustainability in their work.

Jordan: FAO and ICARDA visit the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability project sites in Jordan - June 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) organized a field visit on the 23rd of June 2022 to the implementation sites of the activities supported by the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability regional project (WEPS-NENA) in the northern Jordan Valley with the participation of representatives from FAO Jordan, the Swedish international Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), ICARDA, NGO Watershed and Development Initiative (WADI) for Sustainable Ecosystems Development and the local community. The main objectives of the visit was to follow up on the achievements/progress of the activities and to conduct an on-ground evaluation, as well as get feedback from the engaged local community.

Tunisia: FAO in the International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management to Combat Desertification in Drylands - June 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) representation in Tunisia has contributed to the organization of the International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management to Combat Desertification in Drylands (SWDCC) 2022 by the Institute of Arid Regions of Medenine from 14 to 17 June 2022 in the island of Djerda. 200 participants coming mainly from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, attended the conference with the main aim of presenting, defending and discussing their research work around the five themes of the conference:

Tunisia: FAO supports the institutionalization of water accounting in Tunisia - June 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) representation in Tunisia organized a national workshop on water accounting and auditing (water governance) from 21st  to 23rd  May 2022 with the main objective of presenting the water accounting and auditing analyses of the Mejerda River. The three-day workshop was attended by 65 participants including members of the national water accounting team from the Ministry of Agriculture and its regional agricultural development commissariats.

Palestine: 40 farmers and extension agents attend an avocado farmer Field School workshop in Qalqilya, Palestine - June 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a Farmer Field School (FFS) workshop on the fifth of June 2022 in Qalqilya, Palestine with the main objective of presenting the results of the two avocado FFS’s implemented in Falamya and Qalqilya, Palestine. The workshop was attended by 40 participants including avocado farmers and extension agents from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Jordan and Palestine: FAO evaluates Farmer Field Schools in Jordan and Palestine under the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability project - May 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations organized an evaluation mission from 25 to 29 May 2022, for the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) implemented in Jordan and Palestine under the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability regional project (WEPS-NENA). The main objective of the mission was to evaluate the implementation of the FFS in Jordan and Palestine in terms of achievements, application of FAO’s FFS approach, steps, exercises and reporting, as well as identification of challenges and lessons learnt.

RNE: FAO launches a Rainwater Harvesting webinar series aiming to provide an overview of applications and illustrates the diversity of approaches - May 2022

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is considered a valuable water source, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas across the world, where (i) a large portion of the soil moisture is lost through evapotranspiration and (ii) most rainfall events are of intensity higher than the soil infiltration rates, resulting in less water available to plants and higher soil erosion with runoff flowing towards non-beneficial sinks. RWH can be considered both a practice and a technology for harvesting and retaining rainwater for beneficial use. It is seen as a valuable, relatively simple, and low-cost approach that can be adapted to provide several benefits in agriculture, as well as in rural, urban and peri-urban areas.

RNE: Water Practitioners from the NENA region meet for the Regional Water Accounting Synthesis Workshop in Alexandria, Egypt - May 2022

“It is with the regional ‘Water Efficiency, productivity and Sustainability (WEPS-NENA)’ project that the need for standardization of the implementation of water accounting was felt necessary.” said Abdulhakim Elwaer, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa. The approach proposed is a step-wise approach starting with rapid assessment and moving on to more exhaustive and detailed water accounting if and when critical uncertainties need to be reduced. The project promote capacity strengthening for the institutions responsible for informing strategic planning and modernization of the water and agriculture sector. The final aim being to leave the countries with a pool of experts and tools/approaches tailored to country realities. The project guide the tailoring of water accounting systems to country context.

RNE: FAO implements a Regional Water Accounting Training to water practitioners from the NENA region - May 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with IHE Delft Water Education Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) have implemented a Regional Water Accounting training to 60 practitioners from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region from the 11th to the 13th of May 2022. The training which took place in Alexandria, Egypt over three days, aimed to review the learning status of the regional training on advanced water accounting that took place and discuss findings and tools with a broader group of stakeholders interested in its institutionalization in some NENA countries.  

RNE: FAO trains on Wat'Count - a serious game on water accounting - May 2022

Within the framework of the project "Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/ Productivity and Water Sustainability in the NENA Countries" ​​implemented by FAO and funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), eight experts from FAO and IHE-Delft were trained on a serious game on water accounting. The training was conducted by Lisode – which is specialized in the design and implementation of participatory approaches – for three days in Montpellier.

EGYPT: SIDA joins FAO's Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability Project Team in Egypt to discuss project status and observe on-ground field activities - March 2022

A mission of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) visited Egypt to follow the implementation of the activities of the regional project –“Implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Water Efficiency / Productivity and Water Sustainability in Near East and North Africa Countries (WEPS-NENA)”. In the Field, the members of the mission were able to see the interest and impact of the work accomplished in favor of the farmers and of all the actors involved in this project.

Egypt: FAO raises awareness to schools on the importance of combating water misuse and using water sustainably through the #EveryDropCounts campaign - March 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation have implemented awareness sessions in two preparatory schools in Al-Minya and Kafr ElSheikh governorates in Egypt, targeting 140 students aged 9 to 12. The main objective of the sessions was to spread the #EveryDropCounts campaign message, which tackles three main themes: Water is life. Water if food. Water is your responsibility.

PALESTINE: FAO raises students awareness on the importance of combating water waste and using water sustainably through #EveryDropCounts campaign - March 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Water Authority have implemented two awareness sessions in Palestine; one in a high school in Qalqilya governorate targeting 50 students aged 14, and one in Najah National University in Nablus governorate, targeting 40 university students. The main objective of the sessions was to spread the #EveryDropCounts campaign message, which tackles three main themes: Water is life. Water is food. Water is your responsibility.

RNE: Water Accounting in Use webinar series continues for fourth round in 2022 - March 2022

After 37 sessions organized on water accounting under the project "Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Water Efficiency/Productivity and Water Sustainability in the NENA Countries", the Water Accounting in Use webinar series will continue in 2022. Building on what has been presented, the new sessions will address case studies on water accounting in the Near East and North Africa region. From water accounting activities in the south Atlas basins in Morocco to groundwater modeling in Palestine to water accounting in the El-Hamiz site in Algeria and different others, the next webinars will introduce these activities one by one.

LEBANON: The Food and Agriculture Organization of Lebanon concludes the training of facilitators on Farmer Field Schools and distributes certificates to participants - March 2022

Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Lebanon, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, concluded the training of facilitators for the Farmers Field Schools, which lasted eight consecutive days. Twenty-eight facilitators from the Ministry of Agriculture and from the Industrial Development and Research Agro- Center (IDRAC) service center of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture of Tripoli (CCIAT) received their facilitator certificate today, in the presence of Etienne Careme, FAO Representative a.i in Lebanon, Alexandra Santillana, Senior Development Officer of the Embassy of Canada, Mariam Eid, PSDP Focal Point of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Linda Sultan, Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture of Tripoli and North Lebanon.

EGYPT: #EveryDropCounts awareness day for 135 male and female farmers in Al-Minya - March 2022

Water is life. Water is food. Water is your responsibility. The main theme of the #EveryDropCounts awareness raising campaign, and the focus of the awareness workshop where more than 135 male and female farmers from different villages in Al-Minya governorate participated. The workshop aimed to introduce different water issues and modern irrigation methods; as well as introduced approaches for food loss and waste reduction, as well as water waste reduction.

Also available in ARABIC.

PALESTINE: Improving farmers' water harvesting techniques for rain-fed olive orchards in Palestine - March 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), and the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ) conducted a three-day training from 27 February to 1 March to improve the technique of Palestinian olive farmers to harvest water and to impart good agricultural practices, attended by 84 olive farmers and extension agents in the villages of Tayaseer, Faqu'a, and Tammoun in the West Bank.

Also available in ARABIC.

JORDAN: Capacity building activities in Jordan to enhance the dairy value chain in north Jordan Valley - February 2022

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with The International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Area (ICARDA) under the regional project “Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability in the NENA region” by enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in dryland agriculture, through providing household and community level support.

This activity aimed at enhancing the socio-economic livelihoods and resilience of rural communities in the north Jordan Valley. It involved the establishment of livestock dairy units and related capacity-building programs for enhanced productivity and food quality for local consumption and for potential income generation.

RNE: The Steering Committee of the water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability Regional project meet to validate the final phase of the project and strategically plan the way forward - January 2022

The steering committee of the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability (WEPS-NENA) project in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region met from the 23rd to 25th January in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting gathered the national focal points of the eight target countries as well as the leads of the key components of the project at regional and country level and FAO country teams. The 30 participants were from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. The meeting reviewed the status and progress of the project; discussed sustainability and highlighted the  importance of communication and capitalization of results.

PALESTINE: Expanding the potential of olive orchard water productivity through knowledge sharing on tailored micro water harvesting design and monitoring - December 2021

FAO - the International Center for Agricultural Research the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Jordan's National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) hosted a training of trainers event to share experiences with Palestinian experts in olive orchard agriculture. The training took place on December 13 to 16, 2021, at the NARC headquarters in Jordan, and gathered 12 participants with the trainers. Seven Palestinian representatives from agricultural research and governmental institutions worked along three experts from Jordan. The focus was on demonstrating tailored in situ water harvesting solutions that simultaneously enhance yield and strengthen  the entire agro-ecosystem's resilience to degradation and climate change effects, and learning the installation of soil moisture sensing equipment, monitoring procedure and data interpretation. 

EGYPT: FAO discusses water accounting and auditing in practice at the fourth Cairo Water Week - October 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute, IHE-Delft, The World Bank, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI), and EU Water STARS project, have implemented a session at the fourth Cairo Water Week under the title Water Accounting and Auditing in Practice: sharing lessons and proposing a protocol informing sustainable water use.

RNE: Disseminating knowledge in the NENA region on the most widely used Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration models - October 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has started implementing a webinar series on Remote Sensing (RS) determination of evapotranspiration (ET) which pursues four main objectives, including updating the participants’ knowledge regarding current adoptions and the latest advances in RS ET determination methods and approaches, increasing the capacity of key water professionals in the assessment of RS ET uncertainty, improving audiences’ awareness on the strengths and limitations for the range of RS ET models and databases available, and provision of a complete and advanced set of documentation on the various topics treated during the webinar series.

Also available in ARABIC and FRENCH.

TUNISIA: FAO is supporting the update of the Irrigation Management mobile application of the Institute of Field Crops in Tunisia - October 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Tunisia supported the Tunisian National Institute of Field Crops (INGC) to update the mobile irrigation management application "Irey". Dedicated for Tunisian cereal growers, this application allows farmers to register for an online platform and thereby receive personalized notifications and recommendations concerning irrigation periods and the quantities required.

Also available in FRENCH.

TUNISIA: Water accounting process is ongoing at the strategic basin of the Medjerda in Tunisia - September 2021

September 2021 - FAO in Tunisia has supported the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries in setting up a multidisciplinary team specializing in water accounting. This national team will be responsible for carrying out the water accounting exercise in a sub-basin of the Medjerda.

Also available in ARABIC and FRENCH.

RNE: FAO discusses water accounting and auditing at the fifth Arab Water Forum - September 2021

First practical lessons on what can be learnt from water accounting and auditing were shared at the fifth Arab Water Forum organized in Dubai from 21 to 23 September 2021, gathering high level professionals, and decision makers. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) organized a regional session under the title: Regional Water Accounting and Auditing. The session shared and reflected on the implementation and piloting of the water accounting and governance (water auditing) analysis. Many participants attended the session physically and virtually, whom included representatives from multiple sectors and countries.

ALGERIA: Continuation of the Farmer Field School training program for facilitators in Algeria- July 2021

July 2021 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Algeria organized the second Farmer Field School (FFS) training for 30 facilitators from the Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development, with the objective of improving the facilitators knowledge on good agricultural practices for greenhouse tomato production to enhance water and crop productivity and efficiency.

Also available in ARABIC.

TUNISIA:FAO Story: Mohamed Mouldi “I have better control over my olive plot thanks to FAO’s Farmer Field Schools.- July 2021

Seeing as it was not possible to go back to school to learn how to better manage my plot of olive trees, it is the school that came to me " said Mohamed Mouldi, an olive farmer in El Ksour's delegation in Kairouan, a governorate located in the center of the country and a member of the Farmers Field Schools implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) since 2019, under the regional Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability project.

Also available in ARABIC.

JORDAN: FAO implements an Advanced Water Accounting training to water experts in Jordan - June 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, implemented a two-day on-ground training in Jordan for six members from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) under the title of advanced water accounting. The overall objective of the training was to support MWI activities in the areas of water management and planning by building the capacity of its staff in the area, using the open source data of FAO WaPOR needed for water accounting. 

JORDAN: Launch of the third season of Farmer Field Schools in north Jordan Valley in Jordan - June 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) have launched the third season of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) in north Jordan Valley in Jordan through an opening ceremony in Al Mashare’ area at the Water User Association, pump number 33. The main aim of the third FFS season is to improve farmers’ skills and facilitate the adaptation of the best farming practices for more sustainable water and food management.

Also available in ARABIC.

TUNISIA: FAO supports a new startup that facilitates market access for small farmers and Tunisian artisans - June 2021

“We imagined a platform that connects small scale women farmers and artisans, that helps them better handle problems related to water and irrigation and gives them a better chance to access formal markets,” said Marwa and Saoussen, two successful Tunisian students, who were among the winners of the Hackathon organized during a Regional conference held by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

MOROCCO: Enhancing management of water resources in the Berrechid aquifer in Morocco through the implementation of contracts - June 2021

The FAO Representation in Morocco supported the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, And Water and Forests, and the Ministry of Equipment, Transportation, Logistics and Water, in establishing a participatory dialogue through the preparation of concession and aquifer contracts with the overall aim of enhancing the management of water resources in the Berrechid groundwater table, located in the region of Casablanca – Settat in the center west of the country.

Also available in FRENCH. 

EGYPT: Junior Farmer Field Schools conclude in Al-Minya governorate in Egypt - June 2021

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with Life Vision, a local Non-Governmental Organization have implemented two Junior Farmer Field School (JFFS) to 50 students in Al-Minya governorate with the aim of raising awareness on the importance of water, good nutrition and a general introduction on good agricultural practices and farming, as well as linking the junior FFS’s to the women FFSs that are taking place under the project as well.

RNE: Hands on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus - A new approach to support food security and sustainable agriculture in the NENA region- May 2021

water, energy and food are essential for human well-being, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The term ‘nexus’ has been used in a variety of contexts with the aim of advancing the understanding of how sectors are inter-linked, how sector policies impact each other and, in turn, to inform coherent cross-sectoral governance. When resources become scarcer and demand for them increases, developing and implementing sectoral plans independently, without accounting for physical constraints and trade-offs and impacts across sectors, society becomes more vulnerable because spill-over effects across sectoral policies become more expensive and unsustainable. In other words, the interlinkage (or “nexus”) between sectors becomes stronger and this calls for coherent, responsible and consultative planning.

LEBANON: Rapid Water Accounting assessment in the Nahr El-Kalb River Basin - determining data gaps and capacity building needs- May 2021

Agriculture in Lebanon is by far the largest consumer of freshwater resources, with 61 percent of total water consumption, followed by 30 percent for municipal use and nine percent for industrial use. With the deteriorating quality of surface water and the lack of adequate water networks, farmers are increasingly relying on groundwater sources and increasing the pressure on water resources. According to the 2017-2020 Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, the demand for safe water access and wastewater management services has risen by 30 percent and contamination has reached two-thirds of the country’s water resources, thus exacerbating environmental concerns and limits water availability.

MOROCCO: SIDA visits the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability Project- May 2021

A mission of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) visited Morocco to follow the implementation of the activities of the regional project –“Implementation of the 2030 Agenda on Water Efficiency / Productivity and Water Sustainability in Near East and North Africa Countries ”. In the Field, the members of the mission were able to see the interest and impact of the work accomplished in favor of the farmers and of all the actors involved in this project.

EGYPT: SIDA visits the Water Efficiency, Productivity and Sustainability Project in Egypt and discuss possibilities for future development - May 2021

A delegation from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) met with officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the aim of following the latest developments of the activities under the regional project "Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for water efficiency/productivity and water sustainability in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) countries" implemented by the FAO in each of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Algeria, Palestine, Jordan, and Iran.