The partnerships has for six years mobilized policy makers, technical experts, rural development specialists and farmers in eight MENA countries. The project has been unique in in its broad, inclusive and multidisciplinary approach to promote a transition needed to deliver water related targets under agenda 2030. The WEPS programme has produced a wealth of knowledge and innovative thinking to support counties in the region to move towards a more efficient and effective use of water resources in the agricultural sector producing more food with less water. More than 5000 people have been directly involved in project activities and some 10000 people involved in water management and use across the region have been interactions with the WEPS programme.
In each country, one or two sites were established and used for experiments and the piloting of different tools and approaches. The beneficiaries included local farmers, extension agents, researchers, academics and government officers in charge of decisionmaking, planning, managing or monitoring in institutions having a role in water resource management. The knowledge sharing and interactions took place on different levels, from project sites functioning as laboratories to generate evidence and promote new practises locally, to national trainings and conferences bringing ministries and agencies responsible for water and agriculture closer together, to regional events allowing policy development and the dissemination of best practises. Technologies that have been tested are: water harvesting techniques, water saving technology, ground measurements of evapotranspiration, satellite remote sensing. Aslo, the WEFE nexus approach was piloted in operational strategic planning in Morocco and Jordan.
Significant results that were highlighted in the report were:
-A water accounting unit has been set up in Egypt within the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and Jordan and Palestine are integrating water accounting into their regular reporting requirements.
-Tunisia has launched a master degree in water productivity.
-The first Joint Meeting of the Arab Ministers of of Agriculture and Water in Cairo was held at the League of Arab States providing policy guidance for improving the coordination the work between the two sectors.
-Climate vulnerability action plans have been developed at the watershed level in Algeria and Lebanon.
-A technical community of practice was established involving an more than 10 000 people.
-Farmer field schools was originally planned for 5 countries but expanded to all eight during course of the programme
