Adoption and Impact Assessment of Water Policies, 22-26 May 2016

Abstract

Managing water scarcity is one of the major international challenges, particularly in the Middle East &
North Africa (MENA) region. Governments show an increasing demand for developing and implementing
broad policies to deal with the limited amounts of fresh water resources in their countries. The
administrative structures of both drinking water and irrigation systems are characterized by weak
governance and incoherent water laws.
The general perception is that governance in the MENA water sector is under a multi-dimensional
pressure of paradigms and crucial changes. In addition, water policies and regulations continue to suffer
from an important implementation gap. Under these conditions, capacity building has the potential to
help policy-makers inside and outside the governments to assess long- and short-term impacts of water
policies, programmes and activities; and then to get the best out of the strengths of players in water
management processes (governance, management and allocation). This requires effective and efficient
water management, access to water saving technologies, access to safe drinking water and sustainable
development of the economic sectors.
As within the planned activities in the framework of ICARDA-JICA training program activities targeting
Iraq, a training course on “Adoption and Impact Assessment of Water Policies” was delivered to Iraqi
researchers with the participation of trainees from other West Asia and North African Countries (WANA)
from Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen.
This training was designed in order to help manage these complex challenges through understanding
and analyzing the following issues:
a) Analyse the role of policies and institutions in order to improve water governance;
b) Assess the linkages of policies and institutions of the water sector with other sectors;
c) Identify key implications;
d) Understanding water policies (integrating gender) and their effective implementation;
e) Assessing and measuring water policies impacts;
f) Comprehend how agricultural policies affect water management;
g) Thoughts on innovation systems and research to business approaches (water saving
technologies);
h) Develop water policy and management strategy (poverty alleviation, food security, NRM);
ICARDA is considered a valued partner for countries with sub-tropical dry areas, and particulary MENA
countries to formulate integrated water management policies. This course offers a comprehensive
training programme to cover precisely this by building upon and sharing the expertise and experience of
ICARDA and the participants to training activities. Over one week, the course provides the participants
from MENA countries with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in the measurements of impacts of water policies and assessment of their adoption (constraints and oportunities) towards more
sustainable livelihoods and productive, efficient, and sustainable agriculture sector. The course offers
the opportunity to create a viable network between the leading training institutions (ICARDA and JICA)
and the participants and provide those attendees with key personal skills to use this network to
effectively manage their interests on water management, water policies analysis, important
considerations for water policies formulation, adoption and impact assessment of these policies