Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in the Middle East, North Africa, & West Asia

1. The Mediterranean Environmental Sustainable Development Program“Sustainable MED”Dahlia LotayefSenior Environmental SpecialistMNSSDThe World Bank Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in the Middle East, North Africa, & West Asia Cairo, Egypt, 20-22 October 2009

2. 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 Convention • Renewed and strengthened regional initiative - the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM)

3. Rationale for a new initiative • Accentuated 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 droughts • Newly 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)

4. Goal of Sustainable MED • To integrate environment within the economic development agenda of the Mediterranean following a shared common approach.

5. Main Areas of Intervention • Sustainable 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

6. Program Components • Governance Component: Common shared vision, Sectorial integration, Commitment of resources • Knowledge Generation and Technical Assistance: “Know-MED” • Investments : first-order environmental priorities

7. Sustainable MED Knowledge & TA • Regional 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)

8. Mediterranean Strategic Partnership

9. 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 (Phase II) (MSP) • Coastal ecosystem management • Bosnia and Herzegovina: Neretva and Trebisnjica Management Project (MSP) • Montenegro: Habitat and nutrients reduction (MSP)

10. Submitted projects: Investment projects • Integrated 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 Management • Libya: Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Conservation and Economic Development • Morocco: Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Lake Nador

11. Increased knowledge and Technical Assistance Projects • Sustainable 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)

12. State of implementation 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

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