Context
Livelihoods and socio-economic development in the Arab Region are challenged by increasing water scarcity, a situation which climate change will worsen.
Expected impacts of climate change include decreasing rainfall, increasing temperature, possible increases of extreme events such as floods and droughts, and further gaps in food security. Countries in the region are beginning to prepare responses to these new climate challenges. Capacity Development is an urgent need at the institutional and political levels, as it strengthens the resilience of communities and civil society.

Objective
To develop the capacity of the Arab Region’s water sector institutions for anticipating and adapting to impacts of climate change

Approach
The programme’s approach focuses on four main areas of intervention:

• Policy and Strategy
• Institutional Framework
• Tools & Methodology
• Technologies & Resource Management Systems

Core elements of the approach include involving key regional actors, aligning with the Arab Regional Strategy for Water Security, and building capacity in the institutions and authorities responsible for water management. The programme also supports national water institutions to a) mainstream climate change in their sectoral strategies and b) plan for innovative adaptation measures appropriate for upscaling.

Impacts & Results

• an Action Plan adopted by the Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC), building on the Arab Regional Strategy for Water Security
• implementation of Climate Change Innovation Measures through the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD)
• an Arab Knowledge Hub for climate and water in the framework of the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR) in close cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
• Guidelines and Manuals for the region’s national water ministries and institutions to adapt to climate change in their strategies and action plans

Partners

The political partner of this Regional Technical Cooperation Programme is AMWC – established in 2009 under the umbrella of the League of Arab States (LAS). Intermediary partners are ACSAD in Damascus and ESCWA in Beirut. During its first phase – 2011-2014 – the project will focus on Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, especially with regard to the adaptation measures.

Funding

The programme is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).

For further information, please contact matthias.bartels(at)giz.de

Links

Factsheet: Adaptation to Climate Change in the Water Sector in the MENA Region (ACCWaM)
Factsheet ACCWaM: Transboundary Water Management
Egypt: Increasing Water Efficiency through Drainage Water Reuse
Jordan: From Irrigated Agriculture to Solar Energy Farming