Launch of the ValEUr Gabès
| Subject: International Cooperation
Project for optimising rainwater management in the city of Gabès (Tunisia)
The project "ValEUr-Gabès: Valorisation of urban water through innovative actions and instruments", funded by the European Union's (EU) EuropeAid Programme and led by the AMB, in cooperation with the MedCities Association and the Gabès City Council (Tunisia) as partner entities, recently got underway.
In a country like Tunisia, prone to episodes of drought and floods, made all the more frequent as a result of climate change, the integrated use of water resources helps make water management more efficient, while also contributing to the quality of aquifers and, in an indirect manner, preserving natural ecosystems.
ValEUr-Gabès stems from the water management needs and challenges identified during the development of the Gabès City Strategy, "Gabès 2030", completed in 2018 with the technical and methodological support of MedCities and based on a process of coordination with local actors, civil society and citizens.
The aim of the project is to exchange innovative tools and strategies with the city of Gabès with a view to optimising the management of rainwater and non-conventional water resources in the city. The experience will be shared with other urban areas in Tunisia and the Mediterranean region in order to encourage reflection and strengthen the knowledge and skills required to cope with climate change impacts related to hydrological phenomena. The project proposes innovative approaches in three different areas: methodologically, with the participatory development of an integrated urban rainwater management plan; institutionally, with efforts to define specific mechanisms and instruments to encourage the management of urban rainwater; and technically, through the implementation of pilot projects linked to the collection of non-contaminated water from roofs for domestic and municipal use, as well as the valorisation of storm water to recharge groundwater or for municipal use.
In addition to the general management of the project, which will be carried out by the AMB Area for International Relations and Cooperation, with support from MedCities, the AMB Water Management Servicewill play an active role in the project as a technical consultant. Furthermore, the involvement of research institutions such as the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME) and INSA LYON - Waste, Water, Environment and Pollution Laboratory (INSA-DEEP), which will act as project associates, will also bring added value to the experience.
