Mediterranean countries share water emergency and recovery plans to tackle the aftermath of COVID-19

May 7, 2020
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Together with the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME), the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held a series of virtual working sessions on the effects of COVID-19 on water and sanitation. Experts from Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey participated in the meeting and exchanged best practices, lessons learned, and the emergency plans that water and utility operators have prepared in their respected countries in order to cope with the crisis.

COVID-19 is putting further pressure on water supply. Together, the UfM and the Joint Research Centre(JRC) will host a webinar showcasing guidelines and tools for keeping wastewater treatment plants and its services safe and secure, especially for countries using treated effluent for their agricultural activities.

Water -including coastal water- is a key component of the productive systems, from agriculture, energy production and industrial production to transport and tourism. Today, 3 out of 4 jobs are water-dependent. To face this, the UfM is launching a study on the impact of COVID-19 on the water sector, and will support the implementation of the recovery strategy by providing a platform for policy dialogue and up-scaling of exemplary projects. The UfM, along with its partners, will support national policies and action plans, starting with two or three pilot countries from the Maghreb, Mashrek and Balkans regions.

 

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Press Release

UfM response on COVID-19

The UfM Ministerial Declaration on Water (2017)

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)

Countries covered:

  • Algeria
  • Egypt
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Libya
  • Morocco
  • Palestine *
  • Syria *
  • Tunisia