The Regional Water Demand Initiative for the Middle East and North Africa[1] (WaDImena) is a five-year project supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The project is coordinated by IDRC. It officially began in July 2005 and will end June 2010.  The project has been working with international, regional, national and local partners to help mitigate the water crisis in the MENA region by supporting improved water governance processes with focus on promoting knowledge and developing capacity on and about Water Demand Management (WDM) approaches and policies. 

 

WaDImena, as a network, has contributed to effective water governance by promoting WDM tools, approaches and strategies to enhance water-use efficiency, equity and sustainability. The project has resulted in significant WDM capacity and has enhanced abilities of institutions to translate knowledge into concrete changes in the way water decisions are made and how water is managed, as well as to influence water policy in specific national and local contexts.

 

 

·         Improvements in research and the knowledge base on WDM and its associated challenges, opportunities and incentives for its practical application in specific contexts, with particular focus on participation, women and the rural poor.

 

·         Enhanced skills development, and strengthening of individual and institutional capacities to positively affect WDM application.

 

·         Creation of a viable network to share experiences, foster dialogue and promote partnerships among key actors.

 

·         Strengthened relationships and collaborative arrangements with national, regional and international water governance programs to motivate the WDM agenda.

 

We would like you to join us to attend this project’s final conference. The conference will bring together the project’s key partners, networks and institutions from the research, policy making and government communities, including like-minded organizations, donors, the private sector, NGOs and the media to reflect and assess the past, present and future of Water Demand Management in MENA. It is a stock-taking event to determine what was accomplished, what was not and what is needed for the future.

 

 

·         Share project achievements and lessons learnt-what worked, what did not and why?

 

·         Elaborate future directions and generate momentum for the next generation of WDM research, capacity strengthening and water policy related work in the region.