Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in the Middle East, North Africa, & West AsiaCairo, Egypt, 20-22 October 2009

Environmental management and protection in the Mediterranean

Groundbreaking efforts since 1990 by Eastern and Southern Mediterranean countries

Environment as a major national priority: establishment of ministries of environment, development of national environmental strategies, action plans and implementation of national projects

Ratification of the Barcelona ConventionRenewed and strengthened regional initiative

- the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM)

Rationale for a new initiativeAccentuated pressures on natural resources, especially water

and land, due to economic and population growth Studies on the costs of environmental degradation (COED):

losses in the order of 2.1 to 4.8% of the GDP of the countries of the region

Food shortages Increased water stress from droughtsNewly recognized emerging climate change risks (with a focus

on the Mediterranean Sea as a shared large marine ecosystem)Continued need for institutional strengthening, sectoral

reforms, capacity building activities and lack of reliable data for informed decision making

Renewed and strengthened regional political committment - the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM)

Goal of Sustainable MED

To integrate environment within the economic development agenda of the Mediterranean following a shared common approach.

Main Areas of InterventionSustainable natural resources management,

integrated coastal zone management, protection of marine resources and vulnerable ecosystems

De-pollution – corrective and preventative measures - water treatment, solid and hazardous waste, industrial pollution, sea transportation, maritime safety

Climate Change : resilience to reduced surface and groundwater reserves, and increased occurrence of droughts and floods (weather-related disaster management), carbon finance

Program Components1. Governance Component: Common

shared vision, Sectorial integration, Commitment of resources

2. Knowledge Generation and Technical Assistance: “Know-MED”

3. Investments : first-order environmental priorities

Sustainable MED Knowledge & TARegional hub for knowledge development, dissemination and

sharing of information on transboundary pollution reduction and improved water resources management, North-South and South-South cooperation, exchange of information and expertise, technology transfer, capacity building, and identification of new investments

Increased knowledge on vulnerability of water resources to climate variability, droughts, and floods, and means to enhance resilience to climate change

Enhanced investment project s cross fertilization, experience sharing and replication strategy (linkages between Knowledge and Investment Components)

Regional Technical Assistance(Governance & Know-MED)

Marseilles Center for Mediterran ea n Integration

SPM Regional Component

(UNEP/MAP)+

PotentialCC adaptation

project

Water Prog.:SPM Investment

Fund (IW) under GEF IV

Solid and Hazardous

Waste Program

Other Programs(GEF and other

funding mechanisms

Shared Coordination , Communication

and Replication Strategy

The Environmental Mediterranean Sustainable Development Program“Sustainable MED”

Investments

SPM: Strategic Partnership for the Mediterrane an Large Marine Ecosystem

TSWWTR: Technical support, planning and capacity for wastewater treatment and recycling technology

Western Med MHD: Western Mediterra nea n Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine Contamination Prevention Project

Tr eated WWReuse

(TSWWTR)

Arab Regional

Coordinatio non NRM

Technical Secretariat

Ad-hoc Joint Technical

Committees

Gov ernance Structure(Cabinet/minis ter ial level)

Western Med MHD Shared Coordination ,

Communication Replication Strategy

Mediterranean Strategic

Partnership

Projects under implementation :

Domestic and industrial wastewater treatment in selected priority hotspots: Egypt: Alexandria – Lake Mariout management project (MSP)Croatia: Coastal Cities Pollution Control 2 Coastal Cities Pollution Control 2 (Phase II)

(MSP)

Coastal ecosystem managementBosnia and Herzegovina: Neretva and Trebisnjica Neretva and Trebisnjica

Management Project Management Project (MSP)Montenegro: Habitat and nutrients reduction (MSP)

Submitted projects: Investment projectsIntegrated surface and groundwater

management Egypt: Improvement of Water Resources Management

Domestic and industrial wastewater treatment in selected priority hotspots: Tunisia: Treated Waste Water Reuse and Optimization Program

Coastal ecosystem management Syria: Coastal and Orontes River Basins Water Resources

ManagementLibya: Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Conservation and

Economic DevelopmentMorocco: Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Lake Nador

Increased knowledge and Technical Assistance ProjectsSustainable MED Governance and Know-MED Center

Technical Support, Planning and Capacity for Waste Water Treatment and Recycling Technology (Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia)

Regional Coordination on Improved Water Resources Management and Capacity Building (TA) with Arab Water Academy and NASA

Western Mediterranean Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine Contamination Prevention Project

Assessment of climate variability and integration of adaptation measures into national strategies and regional plans for ICZM in the Mediterranean (UNEP)

MNA Regional Climate Change Program (financed by EC , Italian Government, and other donors tbc)

•Program approved by the GEF Council in its June 2009 meeting

•Overall envelop of US$ 50 million grant committed with approx US$ 700 million of co-financing

•Fully developed proposals (PIFs) for 5 projects , with a total co-financing envelop of US$ 30 million submitted and approved during the same June meeting

•Two additional proposals and under review by GEF Sec

•Remaining 3 proposals to be submitted within the next few weeks

« THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION »