Table of Contents
Introduction
Availability
Management
Supply
Regional
Future
Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources,
Middle East Peace Process
Second World Water Forum, 17-22 March 2000, The Hague

Introduction

Photograph, see caption in table
The spring at Jericho has served as a source of freshwater for thousands of years.
The Middle East peace process and its bilateral track began with the Madrid Conference of October 1991. Subsequently, peace process partners agreed to establish a multilateral track, which began with an organizational meeting in Moscow in January 1992. The broad goal of the multilateral track is to focus on issues of common interest and importance throughout the region that can best be addressed on a regional basis. The multilateral track consists of five working groups: (1) Working Group on Water Resources, (2) Working Group on the Environment, (3) Working Group on Regional Economic Development, (4) Working Group on Refugees, and (5) Working Group on Arms Control and Regional Security.

For the Middle East, most of which has semi-arid to arid climatic conditions, the water problems are myriad. The Working Group on Water Resources (WGWR), for which the United States serves as Gavelholder and Japan and the European Union serve as co-organizers, established the following four broad agenda items to address some of the critical water issues.

Since its inception, the WGWR has been implementing a variety of projects under its four agenda items. Each project enjoys the support, both technical and financial, of one or more of the WGWR's extra-regional donor delegations. The multilateral framework has been a successful mechanism for addressing regional problems. The WGWR in particular has been successful in developing a cadre of high-level water decision-makers that now can effectively work together on regional water issues. The WGWR projects continue to provide important benefits to its participating regional parties. Selected project activities are described in this brochure.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Availability
Management
Supply
Regional
Future

Multilateral Working Group on Water Resources, Middle East Peace Process

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