Workshop - "The Water Short Middle East and Africa"

Date: October 10, 2005 | 9:30 – 12:00
Venue: Institute of International Relations, Nerudova 3, Prague

Organizer: Forum 2000 Foundation, London School of Economics

Moderator: Pavel Seifter - EWE, London (UK)

Guests:
Khaled N. Elshuraydeh - Higher Council for Science and Technology, Amman (JO)
Hillel Shuval - Hadassah Academic College / Hebrew University, Jerusalem (IL)
Gerhard Knies - Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation, Hamburg (DE)
Petr Drulák – Institute of International Relations, Prague (CR)
Michal Stibitz - GeoMedia, Prague (CR)
Fadia Daibes - Water Policy Consultant (PNA)
Lydia Kan – EWE, (UK)
Eva Diegel – EWE, (UK)
Jan Šnaidauf - Forum 2000 Foundation, Prague (CR)

Objective:
A small round table of experts coordinated by Dr Pavel Seifter from London School of Economics and Political Science concentrated on water conflicts and solutions in the MENA region and specifically on finding solutions between Israel and Palestine. The overall purpose of the Prague workshop meeting was first to prepare the EWE project, to get feedback for presented projects and to prepare the ground for the specific task of the EWE project which is based on the “Community” (regimes as well as networks) idea. A second, more specific, aim of the workshop was to discuss the issues of water markets, alternative water resources and strategies, desalination, the role of international law and the transboundary environmental policy. The specific projects presented and discussed were the Red/Dead Sea Canal and the Gaza Project. The discussion aimed not only to find ways of approaching water scarcity but also water conflicts, including the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.