The Kick off meeting of MEDISS project will take place in Cagliari, on October 21 and 22.

The Kick Off is the first plenary meeting for the six partners involved in the project: Palestinian Wastewater Engineers Group and Jericho authorities (Palestine), Aqaba Water Company (Jordan), Institute des Regions Arides (Tunisia), CRENoS and Enas with the local stakeholders Cooperativa Coltivatori Arborea, Comune di Arborea (Italy).

Objectives:

The project aims to address the issue of improving the quality of saline groundwater present in the MED area opening up alternative irrigation for higher quality and more diversified cultivations. Specific Objectives are threefold: To reduce water and soil salinity through non-conventional water supply, reduce stress on groundwater and enabling high productivity and diversification of agricultural production; to support non-conventional water solutions for agricultural use, to reduce water consumption and limit costs for water supply; to encourage behavioral change of end-users toward the use of non-conventional water agriculture.

Project Areas of Intervention

To help address the problems of the Mediterranean areas involved in the project, MEDISS experiments new innovative solutions. In particular:

• In Palestine (Jordan Valley) MEDISS collects lost surface water in Wadi Quilt, blend it with saline water from artesian wells and Treated Waste Water from Jericho city and then use it to irrigate pilot areas;
• In Jordan (Governorate of Aqaba) innovative approach never tested before in the Middle East is applied to desalination plant of brackish groundwater, extending membrane’s lifetime with innovative treatments and using PV panels for energy supply;
• In Tunisia (Gabes) MEDISS develops existing pilot plant (8 ha) for tertiary treatment through infiltration percolation, and test an innovative filter bed of clay;
• In Italy (Arborea) MEDISS develops a prototype for ammonia stripping from waste sludges, in a plant equipped with biogas cogeneration producing electricity and heat and contributing to the support of the plant itself.

The results and lessons learned will be disseminated at the MED level with an ad hoc communication strategy to facilitate transfer and capitalization in other countries and in other sectors. In the long term, the project will contribute to a sustainable water balance in MEDISS areas, increasing resilience to water stress and climate change.

The pressure on primary water resources and the costs for water supply will be reduced. Local communities and institutions will benefit from the results of the project thanks to the network of professionals / experts of the MEDISS Project that will facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices in the international area.

Project Duration: 36 months/ 3 years, the period between 2019 and 2022.

Financial data: MEDISS total budget: 2.4 million (EU contribution 2.2 million - 10% Project co-financing)