Presentation from Mac McKee, Director of UWRL at MENA NWC Muscat Meeting, December 5-8, 2011

1. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Agreement on Thematic Partnerships:
Opportunity Survey Results
Opportunity Survey:
• Completed by Center directors last month
• Topics:
 Key Areas for Applied Research on Water
 Private Sector Involvement
 Strengthening Research Capacity
 Communications and Information Sharing
 Research Center Demographics

2. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Responses were received from 15 Centers:
• Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science Hassan II (IAVS) (Morocco)
• International Institute of Water and Sanitation under the National Office of
Potable Water (ONEP) (Morocco)
• University of Jordan (WEEC) (Jordan)
• National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE) (Jordan)
• Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) (Jordan)
• Royal Scientific Society (RSS) (Jordan)
• Water and Environmental Studies Institute, An Najah National University
(WESI) (Palestine)
• Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural (INRGREF) (Tunisia)
• Institute of Arid Regions, Medenine, Tunisia (IRA) (Tunisia)
• Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute, Qatar Foundation (QEERI)
(Qatar)
• Center for Environmental Study and Research (CESAR) (Oman)
• International Center for Biosaline Research (ICBA) (International)
• International Center for Agricultural Reseach in Dry Areas (ICARDA)
(International)
• Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) (International)
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI) (International)

3. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Key areas for applied research:
“From the list below, please indicate your Center’s top five research
strengths, the MENA region’s top five water challenges that applied research
can help solve, and, of those five challenges, the top three areas in which you
would like to collaborate with others:
1. groundwater 6. watershed/river basin management
2. water supply 7. water resources economics
(municipal, industrial, 8. water policy and governance
commercial, domestic), sanitatio 9. wastewater reuse
n, and water utilities 10. coastal, marine, and wetlands
3. desalination 11. water-energy-food security
4. water use efficiency relationships/ interactions
5. water productivity (crop 12. other (specify)
production) and irrigation
Responses were received from 15 Centers.

4. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

5. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Groundwater
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

6. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Water supply, sanitation, utilities
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

7. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Water use efficiency and productivity
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

8. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Non-conventional water
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

9. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
What are:
--your Center’s top five research strengths?
--the MENA region’s top five water challenges?
--the top three areas in which you would like to collaborate with others?
90%
80% Strengths
70% Challenges
60% Collaboration
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Water/energy/food security relationships
Others: Climate change and utilities
Climate change and water resources
Water quality

10. Combining the responses from the Centers on the questions
of research strengths and regional water challenges, and
combining the categories as discussed:
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Suggested Thematic Partnerships Cross-cutting theme
(one of many possible)

11. Middle East and North Africa
_____________________________________
Network of Water Centers of Excellence
Proposed Initial Thematic Partnerships for MENA NWC:
governance
Water policy and
Groundwater
Water use efficiency &
productivity
Water supply, sanitation, utilities
Non-conventional use of water
Water, energy & food security