Approval Date
January 2016
Project Duration
January 2016 - December 2019
Financial & Technical Partners
The project is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and is implemented by the Global Water Partnership for the Mediterranean- GWP-Med, the Economic Commission for Europe of the Nations United Nations (UNECE)
Country of operations
The study area is the transboundary basin of the Aquifer System of the Northern Sahara (SASS) shared between Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.
Main Beneficiaries
Algeria, Libya and Tunisia and all the national institutions of the Water, Agriculture, Energy and Environment sectors as well as the "SASS Concertation Mechanism".
Objectives
The project aims to develop and evaluate the intrinsic links of the NEXUS approach "Water, Food Security, Energy, Ecosystems". The project focuses on three components namely:
- A NEXUS assessment "Water, Food Security, Energy, Ecosystems" to map and describe / characterize the interconnections in the use and management of water, land, energy and ecosystems ;
- An institutional analysis and evaluation of options for strengthening cross-border cooperation between countries,
- The development of a common vision of the management of the SASS reflecting the priorities and aspirations of the countries and stakeholders of the different sectors using the water resources and setting out the general direction of the cross-border cooperation.
These include:
- Strengthening the capacity of national governments on international water law, in particular the UN / ECE Water Conventions and the draft articles on the law of transboundary aquifers;
- Demonstrating the benefits of transboundary cooperation in the shared basins / aquifers of the region, and to improve the political process to facilitate the establishment of cooperation mechanisms that will advance the SASS cross-border management.
Project Status
Ongoing
Expected Outcomes
- A set of recommendations that may be technical, institutional or governance;
- Identification of actions to be taken to develop synergy;
- An analysis and proposal of appropriate solutions (institutional, communication-information, economic instruments, infrastructure development, development of cross-border cooperation).
This will be concretized by:
- Two regional round tables;
- Three national round tables bringing together the different "stakeholders";
- Analysis study of the institutional and legal framework
- Study on Options for Enhancing Cross-Border Co-operation Agreements and Associated Organization Schemes
- Feasibility study for specific options selected by countries for strengthening cross-border cooperation agreements and associated organizational designs;
- A new institutional arrangement (or organization).
- Stakeholder analysis;
Consultation Process
- A multi-stakeholder consultation meeting in each of the three SASS countries;
- Two multi-stakeholder consultation meetings (see also 1.2.3) at cross-border level.
- SASS (TM) Coordination back-to-back meetings with national and cross-border consultation meetings;
- A shared Vision strategic document.
- Participatory process for the joint assessment of interdependent issues on the SASS, including: two cross-border workshops, with a strong capacity building component; a workshop in each SASS country; survey of experts and stakeholders.
- Nexus evaluation report including the results of: bibliographic review of the background documents; the results of the participatory process for the joint assessment of interrelated issues; indicator-based analysis.
- Publication of the Nexus evaluation.
Achievements
- Organization of the 1st regional round table - Algiers, 18-19 July 2017;
- Validated Nexus Assessment Methodology and Evaluation Document being developed;
- Stakeholder Analysis: in the process of being launched;
- Energy model: in progress.