The Region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is one of the most arid regions of the world and climate change is expected to further complicate this situation. Integrated approaches to treatment and reuse of effluents help achieve efficient utilization and avoid further deterioration of existing water resources. The SustainWaterMED project aims to promote sustainable and integrated approaches to wastewater treatment and reuse in the Region through a set of demonstration activities: pilot activities will be carried out in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia that demonstrate the potentials and solutions for water reuse at different stages of the treatment cycle, especially for the reuse of treated domestic wastewater for irrigation. All pilot activities will be accompanied by thorough assessments of the social, economic, and environmental effects of water reuse.

The SustainWater MED partners will plan and implement the pilot activities together with relevant stakeholders. Regional knowledge exchange and local capacity development will further enhance related technical, planning and management capacities in the region. This will be complemented by awareness raising interventions targeting local stakeholders, the general public and decision makers to promote an enabling environment for the sustainable reuse of treated waters.

The lessons learnt and recommendations from the SustainWater MED project will finally be presented in a case study collection, policy briefing papers, and a regional conference.