MENA NWC Update Volume 8

Summer 2016 MENA NWC Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence INSIDE THIS ISSUE Directors of Member Centers Meet Donors to Discuss the Future of MENA NWC 1 Reflections from Policy, Research and Development Grants 2 New Location for the MENA NWC 2 Royal visit to the MENA NWC 4 Science & Knowledge for Advancing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals- Workshop 4 Directors of Member Centers Meet Donors to Discuss the Future of MENA NWC Under the Patronage of His Excellency (HE) Dr. Hazem AlNasser, Minister of Water and Irrigation – Jordan, MENA NWC organized a three-day workshop held in Aqaba, Jordan from May 9–11, 2016. The workshop aimed at fostering partnerships between the Network NWC and international donor organizations; agreeing on interventions in the water sector that are responsive to priority development agendas; and developing a roadmap and action plan for the Network activities and member center’s participation in 2016 and 2017. Participants in the “Future Prospects of Regional R&D Priorities & the Role of Donors in Supporting Cooperation in the Water Sector” workshop discussed the future of the Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence (MENA NWC), regional cooperation and development priority issues. Participants in the workshop included Water Ministers from the region and/or their representatives, Member Centers’ Directors; representatives of donor agencies from the World Bank, SIDA, USAID, representatives form the League of Arab States; as well as researchers. The participants discussed various scenarios to build up regional cooperation and regional themes in the water sector. The meeting focused on selective regional themes: delivery of water services to marginal and poor communities, improving water productivity and efficiency, increased economic return, and sustainable management of groundwater. International donors took the lead in presenting their priority requirements to the participants. Center Directors, based on experience gained during MENA NWC’s initial phase funded by USAID, shared lessons learned in linking scientific inquiry and research with development policies in the water sector, to guide the partnerships and clarify their specific contributions to achieve the development objectives of the donors. Addressing attendees during the workshop, the Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, Hazem AlNasser, underlined the importance of the Network in linking scientific and research centers across the region. “The Arab region suffers from chronic water issues and is in dire need for developing new techniques, mechanisms and research that can help in solving the water challenge,” AlNasser said. In his remarks at the event, the President of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Gnaim, underscored the importance of cooperation among the Arab countries in order to find real and sustainable solutions for longstanding water issues. Continued on page 3