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The Report draws attention to some of the common enemies in the Mediterranean region, namely water scarcity, climate change and pollution, which in combination greatly constrain human existence.

The Palestinian Water Authority and the UfM are working together to raise the 310 Million euros necessary investment. Arab countries, coordinated by the Islamic Development Bank, committed to provide half of the necessary funds as a match to European financial commitment. 10 Million euros were already pledged by France during the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille.

The establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean University in Morocco, an employability training program addressed at Southern Mediterranean disadvantaged women, and a plan for overcoming governance challenges to the mobilisation of financing for the Mediterranean water sector are the three new projects recently labelled by the UfM.

Five countries are participating in the first phase of this project with an overall budget of 2 Million Euros: Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan, Albania and Palestine. The project has the financial support of the EIB. The promoters and the UfM Secretariat will mobilize other donors for the remaining financing needs.

The construction of a 100 million cubic meters desalination facility and distribution system in the Gaza strip will help to address the major water deficit for a population of 1.6 million.

The UfM’s Environment and Water Division dicussed the project of integrated-depollution of the lake of Bizerte, identified under the Horizon 2020 initiative.

A Delegation headed by Deputy Secretary General Rafiq Husseini, in charge of Water and Environment portfolio in the UfM Secretariat, visited Kuwait and Saudi Arabia last week to present the Gaza water desalination project to financing institutions and funds.

Member states’ energy experts for the MSP teamed up for the first time in Barcelona on 5 and 6 July2011.

The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean welcomes the decision taken by Senior Officials representing the 43-member countries of the Union on 22 June in Brussels, by which they have unanimously “labelled” the first project submitted by the Secretariat for the construction of a major desalination facility in Gaza capable of producing 100 million cubic meters of potable water every year.

The Energy Division of the Union for the Mediterranean gave a speech about the Mediterranean Solar Plan in the public hearing on “Renewable Energy in the MEDA Region”, held in Brussels on 16 June 2011.