Relaunch of the “UMJAE and STRATEAU” project

A new chapter in participatory water management in the Mediterranean Region

The Water Embassy (AdE) has announced the relaunch of the “UMJAE and STRATEAU” project, an innovative initiative to promote Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Mediterranean region. This relaunch is accompanied by an unprecedented cultural dimension, aimed at raising awareness among citizens in Arabic-speaking countries of the need to protect water and share it equitably.

Founded in 2006, the AdE is active in two main areas: youth, represented by the Mediterranean Union of Young Water Ambassadors (UMJAE), and the promotion of good water governance through the STRATEAU decision-making tool. STRATEAU is designed to provide a prior overview of the issues relating to water supply and demand, and is becoming a major tool in the preservation of water resources, thanks to the new version developed by the Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning
(CEREMA).

In the short term, STRATEAU will incorporate economic and employment criteria, making it easier to decide on a regional water strategy. The aim? To be the leading tool for regional planning, promoting consultation and economic, social and environmental development in harmony with water constraints.

The UMJAE and STRATEAU project is taking on a new cultural dimension by bringing together Arabic-speaking countries around language, local beliefs and ancestral methods for sharing and protecting water. A specific cooperation agreement has been signed with the Faculty of Science in Rabat (Morocco), paving the way for the first Arab Water Summit.

The next steps include running the STRATEAU users’ and developers’ club, training courses for data collection, and involving the Young Water Ambassadors in the project. The UMJAE will continue to train new ambassadors, organise training sessions and strengthen its partnership with existing university networks.