mena nwc program flyers

MENA NWC Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence

Countries across the Middle East and North Africa face growing challenges related to water resource management and distribution. The Middle East and North Africa Network of Water Centers of Excellence (MENA NWC) is an association of research and educational institutions that are working collaboratively with governments, businesses and civil society organizations across the region to solve longstanding water issues. The Network identifies relevant policy interventions, new management practices and technologies, and innovative public-private partnerships that will improve water and food security in the region. The Network is incorporated as a non-profit corporation in Washington, D.C., USA.

Membership and Organization. The Network reflects U.S. President Obama’s vision of supporting scientific research and technological development in the Middle East. It began in 2011 with regional meetings in Qatar and Oman, where participating Centers agreed on the Network’s governance structure and launched the technical program. MENA NWC includes national, regional, and international research entities.

Technical Program. MENA NWC’s technical programing focuses on five areas: water efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-conventional water, the water/energy/food nexus; and water and sanitation.

The Network manages an integrated set of programs:

A collaborative research program forges meaningful partnerships, develops and disseminates policy tools, and conducts technical and management interventions

A regional capacity building program strengthens technical, financial, managerial, and leadership skills

A knowledge sharing program encourages long-distance collaboration and exchanges regional know-how to improve water resources planning and management

MENA NWC is working to resolve longstanding water challenges in the Middle East and North Africa through cutting-edge collaborative research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing.

For more information please contact:

John Wilson Richard Pollard Bureau for the Middle East Chief of Party USAID FABRI +1 202 712 4633 +1 301 771 7563 [email protected] [email protected]

www.menanwc.org

Research Priorities

MENA NWC’s Technical Communities and illustrative research topics include:

WATER EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY

On-farm water-use efficiency and productivity

Crop improvement and management

System-wide water use management

GROUNDWATER

Artificial and natural groundwater recharge/discharge

Exploration and monitoring technologies

Groundwater degradation Socioconomics, including

governance, economics and policy

NON-CONVENTIONAL WATER Desalination Wastewater reuse and reclamation Environmental and health impacts

on non-conventional water resources

WATER/ENERGY/FOOD NEXUS

Optimization of the reuse of treated wastewater for peri-urban agriculture in dry areas

Modeling water futures or modeling the water/energy/food nexus

Renewable energy for water treatment

WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION

Water quality standards, management and enforcement

Rural water and sanitation challenges

Improved service delivery Climate change

MENA NWC MEMBERS

Ain Shams University (ASU)

An Najah University (ANU), Water and Environmental Studies Institute

Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA)

Arabian Gulf University (AGU)

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU)

Cadi Ayyad University (UCA)

Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science Hassan II (IAV)

International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA)

International Center for Biosaline Research (ICBA)

International Institute for Water and Sanitation, National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE-IEA)

International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST)

Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST)

Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC)

National Center for Agricultural Research and Extension (NCARE)

National Research Institute for Rural Engineering, Water, and Forestry (INRGREF)

Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES)

Qatar Foundation Research & Development (QF R&D)

Royal Scientific Society (RSS)

Sana’a University, Water and Environment Center (WEC)

Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Water Research Center

Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GWRI), Grand Water Research Institute

University of Basrah (UOB), Marine Science Center

University of Jordan (UJ), Water, Energy and Environment Center


At the core of MENA NWC’s technical program is the Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants Program. The strategic objective of the program is to resolve longstanding regional water challenges by:

Fostering partnerships among research and educational institutions, governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations

Supporting collaborative research, capacity building, and knowledge sharing

The PR&D Grants Program challenges researchers to work in new ways to develop research outcomes with more immediate impact, to engage stakeholders, and to form partnerships with researchers in other institutions and countries. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing initial grant funding of $3.2 million.

TECHNICAL SCOPE

PR&D grants fund applied research projects that develop technologies, techniques, and best practices. It also encourages researchers to incorporate scientific evidence into policy and management, to scale up technologies regionally, and to overcome socioeconomic barriers to adoption of technology and best practices. Projects address one or more of MENA NWC’s priority research areas: water efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-conventional water, the water/energy/food nexus, and water supply and sanitation.

RESEARCH TEAMS

To build partnerships between institutions and countries, each PR&D Grant project is implemented by a research team consisting of at least two MENA NWC Centers from at least two countries. To support capacity building and technology transfer, the program has included external collaborators from universities and other relevant technical entities outside the Middle East and North Africa. They are hands-on participants in the research and are actively involved in proposal preparation and project implementation.

Data is downloaded from data loggers at a research site in Oman.

Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants Program

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For more information, or to view

application materials:

www.menanwc.org


Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants

Research Project Title and Synopsis MENA NWC Research Team

Expanding Access to Sanitation for Unsewered Communities: Test and demonstrate technical, management, financial, regulatory and participatory aspects of building and operating decentralized treatment systems in Morocco and Jordan.

National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, Morocco

Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco

Royal Scientific Society, Jordan

University of Jordan

University Cadi Ayyad, Morocco

Upgrading Treatment Processes to Improve Effluent Quality for Irrigation: Develop technical and operational approaches with membrane treatment systems to produce water suitable for irrigation.

Technion Israel Institute of Technology

National Center for Agricultural Research & Extension, Jordan

Al Quds University, West Bank

Mitigating Environmental Risks of Wastewater Reuse for Agriculture: Identify tools to optimally use treated wastewater in conjunction with other available water resources for irrigation, considering agronomic, environmental, human health, and economic components.

Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

The University of Jordan

National Institute of Research for Rural Engineering, Water,

and Forestry, Tunisia

University of Florida, USA

Developing and Applying Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction Decision Support Criteria and Tools: Forge a unique partnership between two regional water associations to reduce NRW.

Arab Countries Water Utilities Association, International

African Water Association

Participatory Planning for Improving Water Use Efficiency in River Basins: Apply the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) decision support tool to analyze water system performance based on current climate variability and water use patterns and identify strategies to improve future system performance under conditions of change.




Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco

Stockholm Environment Institute - US Center, USA

The Use of Green Nanoparticles as a Biofouling- Resistant Agent in Reverse Osmosis Desalination: Develop biofouling-resistant nanocomposite membranes impregnated with silver ions, from synthesis to macro scale production, and investigate and test membrane performance under operational conditions.

Jordan University of Science and Technology

National Office of Electricity and Potable Water, Morocco

University of Toledo, USA

University of Rhode Island, USA

Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Application of Near-Real Time Monitoring Systems for Irrigated Agriculture: Test and demonstrate weather, soil, and plant sensor systems to improve irrigation water use efficiency in a variety of environments, production systems and scales, in cooperation with the private sector and national research and outreach systems.

International Center for Biosaline Research, International





Water and Environment Centre, Sana’a University, Yemen

Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Using Treated Wastewater: Evaluate MAR schemes and optimize recovery efficiency, safety, and economic benefit.



University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

Prospects of Utilizing Solar Energy for Water Pumping and Brackish Water Desalination in Agriculture: Assess the technical and economic feasibility of water pumping and brackish water desalination using solar energy for agricultural production.


An Najah University, West Bank

Utah State University, USA

Drought Monitoring for the Middle East and North Africa: Design, test and implementing an operational drought monitoring and early warning system for the region.

International Center for Biosaline Research, International


University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA


OVERVIEW

MENA NWC has created the Water Innovation Fellowships grants program to stimulate partnerships between researchers and practitioners and to reward innovative thinking to solve water problems. Grants have a period of performance ending no later than January 31, 2016.

TECHNICAL SCOPE

Water Innovation Fellowships are designed to make a concrete impact in the water sector. Research projects must address a policy, operational, technical, or managerial issue identified by stakeholders in government, business, NGOs, or civil society. They must also address one or more of MENA NWC’s priority research areas: water efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-conventional water, the water/energy/food nexus, and water supply and sanitation.

ELIGIBILITY

To seek funding for research projects under this program, applicants must be citizens and residents of a Middle Eastern and North African country, and full-time employees of an institution or entity based in the Middle East and North Africa. Fellowships seek to build a strong partnership between one research scientist or one water practitioner and one

Network Center. MENA NWC will pair successful applicants with member Centers of MENA NWC, based on best fit.

FUNDING

A funding pool of US $250,000 is available for fellowships under this program. Research projects may range in size from $5,000 to $25,000, with most projects anticipated at the lower range.

****ANNOUNCING ****

Water Innovation Fellowships Grants Program

A participant at the Network’s Water and Sanitation technical meeting.

For more information, or to view application materials:

www.menanwc.org


Water Innovation Fellowships

MENA NWC Fellow Research Project Title and Synopsis MENA NWC Grantee

Rana Munkith Al-Jaibaji

Madian for Smart Green Buildings

Promoting Eco-Restaurants in Remote Areas: Test and demonstrate a high-tech grey water reuse system to reduce and reuse high volume of water large hotels and restaurants use for services and landscaping.


Boshra Bakr Salem

University of Alexandria

Decentralized Desalination Stills: Adapt the design of a solar-powered desalination still to promote large scale manufacturing and use of the technology.

TBD

Dalila Loudyi

Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science

Urban Wastewater Systems and Climate Change: Assess flood vulnerability and identify appropriate adaptation and pre-flood measures of sewerage infrastructure in two Moroccan cities.

Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco

Abdel Fattah R. Hasan

An Najah University

Treatment of Secondary Effluents: Develop and test a simple and affordable self-cleaning advanced–treatment filter to treat secondary effluents.


Hicham Hajji

Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science

BIG Data for Water Management: Develop new methods for collecting large volumes of structured and unstructured data and prototyping a new methodology to analyze and process data more efficiently.

Hassan II Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Science, Morocco

Shehdeh Jodeh

An Najah University

Purification of Groundwater from Heavy Toxic Metals: Implement and test a new approach to remove toxic materials from groundwater.


Groundwater Water Efficiency and Productivity

Non-Conventional Water

Water Supply and Sanitation

Water, Energy, Food Nexus

MENA NWC’s Technical Communities


OVERVIEW

MENA NWC created the Young Water Scientist Partnerships (YWSP) Small Grants Program to stimulate partnerships among the Centers’ young water research scientists and reward innovative thinking to solve water problems. Grants have a period of performance ending no later than January 31, 2016.

TECHNICAL SCOPE

YWSP research projects are designed to have a concrete impact in the water sector. They must address a policy, operational, technical, or managerial issue identified by stakeholders in government, business, NGOs, or civil society. Projects address one or more of MENA NWC’s priority research areas: water efficiency and productivity, groundwater, non-conventional water, the water/energy/food nexus, and water supply and sanitation.

ELIGIBILITY

The YWSP Small Grants Program is open to full- or part-time employees of the MENA NWC Centers who are between the ages of 21 and 40.

FUNDING

A funding pool of US $250,000 is available for YWSP small grants.

Option 1: Scientists from two different Centers can seek a maximum of $50,000 in funding to collaborate on a joint research project.

Option 2: One research scientist can seek a maximum of $25,000 to join an established research team that is currently receiving funding through the Network’s Policy, Research, and Development (PR&D) Grants Program.

****ANNOUNCING ****

Young Water Scientist Partnerships Small Grants Program

Researchers from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) collaborate on field research in Oman.

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For more information, or to view

application materials:

www.menanwc.org


Young Water Scientist Partnerships Small Grants

Young Water Scientists Research Project Title and Synopsis

Lina Abu-Ghunmi


Faissal Aziz

International Institute for Water and Sanitation, National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE-IEA), Morocco

Minimizing Risk Hazard By Using Nanotechnology for Water Disinfection: Generate nano-composites from naturally occurring materials, such as clay and zeolite, and test their effectiveness in water disinfection. The larger objective is to test and eventually commercialize an affordable and simple technology that can be used by rural households to expand their access to potable water.

Dionyssia Lyra

International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), United Arab Emirates

Javier Mateo-Sagasta

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Sri Lanka

Improving Economics of Using Saline Water in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas Through Integrated Aqua-Agriculture Systems (IAAS): Set-up and test a pilot-scale Integrated Aqua-Agriculture System (IAAS). After treating brackish groundwater using reverse osmosis (RO) unit the resulting freshwater will be used to irrigate crops and the brine water will be used to irrigate salt-tolerant crops and for aquiculture. The performance, cost, and potential revenue from the IAAS will be evaluated for replication and scalability.

Alsharifa Hind Mohammad


Rana Aarda


Promoting Water Use Efficiency in Green Schools: Through partnerships with two schools in Amman, Jordan, implement water conservation technologies and collaborate with school administrators and students to increase awareness of water reuse efficiency.

Henda Mahmoudi

International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), United Arab Emirates

Ali El Battay

Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain

Improving Agricultural Soil Properties Using Soil Amendments to Enhance Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Crop Production: Use field experiments and remote sensing techniques to assess the effectiveness of soil amendments on soil quality and crop production in the Gulf. Results will be used to publish soil improvement guidelines.

Groundwater Water Efficiency and

Productivity Non-Conventional

Water

Water Supply and

Sanitation Water, Energy, Food

Nexus

MENA NWC’s Technical Communities

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