Visit of a delegation from Gabès
| Subject: International Cooperation
The AMB explains water cycle management and rainwater valorisation
The Barcelona Metropolitan Area contributed in a study visit on water cycle management by a delegation from Gabès to Barcelona, which was organized by MedCities on 3-5 December, with the participation of the Mayor and representatives of the Municipality and the Tunisian National Agency of Water and Sanitation.
During the three-day visit to Barcelona, the representatives of Gabès visited several institutions involved in water cycle management, including the AMB. The AMB Water Cycle Services Directorate explained the management of water in the metropolis and representatives of the Public Space Services accompanied the delegation to visit the Llobregat river, where the delegation got familiar with the measures for the artificial recharge of the aquifer in order to face the sustainability challenges of the river, as well as with its transformation as a metropolitan multifunctional green space.
As a result of the study visit and the technical assistance, a workshop will be organized in a few months in order to debate and decide on specific projects to be implemented in the city of Gabès in 2019 as part of its urban development strategy.
The visit was part of a broader technical assistance provided by MedCities to the city of Gabès, launched in October 2018 and stemming from its urban development strategic plan, which identifies the management of wastewater and rainwater as one of the major issues of the city.
Support from MedCities to Gabès
MedCities is supporting the city of Gabès in identifying possible water management projects for rainwater valorisation and projects that might help avoiding floods. The projects will be implemented in 2019 with international cooperation funding.
With this aim, a benchmarking study was launched in order to identify measures implemented in other Mediterranean cities with possible replicability in Gabès, with regards to various aspects of water cycle management, including the following: urban rainwater harvesting, rainwater infiltration and greywater valorisation for the recharging of the aquifer, as well as fighting salinity, implementing sustainable urban drainage systems, and flood prevention.
