MENA Water Matchmaker 2: Making Water Cooperation Happen in the Middle East and North Africa – Piloting Tangibles
Context and objectives
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are influenced by distinctive geographical, ecological, geopolitical, and cultural factors. The region grapples with challenges such as water scarcity, demographic shifts, youth unemployment, poverty, changing consumption patterns, urbanization, energy demands, environmental degradation, climate change, and gender disparities. Many of these issues are directly tied to water resources.
Water, food, energy, and ecosystems are crucial for human well-being, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development, playing interconnected roles within natural, institutional, economic, and social frameworks. For instance, water is vital for agricultural production and sustains the entire agro-food supply chain.
The Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus aims to bolster water, energy, and food security while preserving ecosystems, enhancing climate resilience, promoting sustainable consumption patterns, increasing efficiency, and improving governance.
At the heart of the MENA Water Matchmaker 2 project were two scalable WEFE Nexus interventions. These projects utilized renewable solar energy to pump treated wastewater from Wadis for irrigation, benefitting nearby farmlands in Jordan and Palestine. Gender mainstreaming was achieved by involving female farmers in wastewater reuse and agribusiness promotion. The interventions aimed to support families and create seasonal job opportunities.
The project also aimed to provide measurable and scalable contributions for broader application in UfM MENA countries, aligning with the UfM Water Agenda and Sweden’s Strategy for MENA 2021-2025
Location
Key figures
Duration:
34 months
from 1 September 2020 to 30 June 2023
Number of beneficiaries:
43
Total cost:
€ 1,582,493
Countries:
2
Financial contribution
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) provided a grant of EUR 1,582,493 through the UfM Secretariat’s fund-forwarding mechanism.
Promoter
Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med).
Aiming for a water-secure Mediterranean, GWP-Med works at the regional, transboundary, national, basin and local level. GWP-Med promotes action and facilitates dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM); provides technical support to policy making; implements demonstration activities; and contributes to skills and knowledge development.
Beneficiaries
- No. of families benefiting by the project (direct beneficiaries): Jordan 5 / Palestine 6
- No. of farmers engaged in the project: Jordan 8 / Palestine 17
- No. of female farmers engaged in the project: Jordan 2 / Palestine 3
- No. of young scientists, researchers and trainees: Jordan 2 / Palestine 2
- No. decision makers, managers involved in the project: Jordan 8 / Palestine 6
In addition to direct beneficiaries, the project had a regional dimension attained through several cross-fertilization events and capacity building activities with cross-country approach and towards regional benefits for MENA countries.
Key actions
Three field technical interventions (small/medium-scale WEFE Nexus/Non-Conventional Water Resources) in As-Salt municipality, Jordan and Sa’ir, Palestine.
These technical pilots have included:
• Building three constructed wetlands for tertiary treatment of treated wastewater and reusing it for irrigation in three pilot farms.
• Planting trees in the new irrigation areas in the three pilot farms.
• Installing irrigation networks in the three pilot farms in each country.
• Installing solar power stations to supply electricity, covering the irrigation pumping costs of the new plantations.
Technical interventions on WEFE Nexus/Non-Conventional Water Resources fields were screened, prioritized, and explored financing options in Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Capacity development and mentorship on WEFE Nexus/Non-Conventional Water Resources fields in Jordan and Palestine through a training course.
Regional events for cross-fertilization and sharing experiences on the WEFE Nexus and its technical applications.
Knowledge product on WEFE Nexus/Non-Conventional Water Resources technical solutions, and one capacity-building/dialogue event.
Knowledge product on employability/entrepreneurship/gender/youth, and one capacity-building/dialogue event.
Results
The MENA Water Matchmaker 2 Project aimed to showcase WEFE Nexus local technical solutions in Jordan and Palestine within a cross-country framework. It also aimed to enhance employability and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth and women.
Additionally, the project aimed to disseminate knowledge and policy tools to facilitate the scaling-up of interventions and advance Water-Employment-Migration (WEM) objectives outlined in the UfM Water Policy Framework for Action 2030.
This framework served as the project’s overall political reference, while also contributing to Sweden’s regional development cooperation strategy with the Middle East and North Africa 2021–2025
