Harmonisation and integration of water saving options. Convention and promotion of water saving policies and guidelines Options Méditerranéennes SERIE B : Etudes et recherches Series, Vol. 59

Integrated water resources management in cludes a number of approaches such as integration of water sources (mainly ground- and surface-water sources); linkage of social and economic development and land and water uses within the context of watersheds, groundwater basins, and estuaries; decentralization of government services to local authorities, private enterprises, and communities; stakeholder participation in decision-making and involvement in project planning and implementation; integration of sectoral water demands; integration of water-resources planning and management into the framework of the national planning process; consideration of the needs of aquatic ecosystems for water; coastal-zone management; recognition of water as a social, ecological, and economic good; integrated management of water demands; contingency planning to mitigate the social and economic effects of natural disasters; conservation of soil and water; and prevention and reduction of pollutant discharges. These approaches take into account the in terdependence among economic sectors and aquatic ecosystems. Their implementation is facilitated by the development of water data and information; the establishment of appropriate management authorities, such as financially independent river basin authorities; and public participation. The 5th Wasamed workshop on “Harmonization and Integration of Water Saving options: Convention and promotion of Water Saving Policies and Guidelines” is the 5th of a series of workshops, which were organized in the last three years within the framework of WASAMED (Water Saving in Mediterranean Agriculture) Thematic Network, granted by the 5th Framework Program of the European Commission, and coordinated by CIHEAM-Bari Institute with the participation of more than 40 research and academic institutions and stakeholders from both private and public sector in the Mediterranean region. The previous workshops addressed different thematic areas of water saving opportunities, from Water Use Efficiency & Water Productivity to Irrigation System Performance, and from Unconventional Water to Participatory Irrigation Management & Cultural Heritage. During these Works hops, the integration of technical, socio- economic, institutional and environmental sustainability concepts has always been taken into account and was the core of the discussion among international experts, researchers, decision-makers, end-users and other stakeholders operating in the relevant sectors.