The Public Awareness Forum in the MENA/Arab Region - Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies

The forum “Public Awareness in the Water Sector in the MENA region” was held as a response to the current water situation worldwide with a focus on the MENA region. Awareness-raising for efficient uses of water had been neglected for long in the MENA region. The commonly held belief was that water was readily available in abundance everywhere and at any time since more and more households had direct access to water. This misconception of the water situation prompted the need to raise public awareness amongst those involved in the water sector. This would be done through the design of awareness-raising programs and campaigns that would target not only water users but also students, industrials, stakeholders and decision-makers. In return, this would require an intersectoral and multidisciplinary approach to Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). The common shared objective was to fulfill the basic needs of safe water resources and adequate sanitation as well as a wiser management of water resources. The forum’s objectives are: strengthening regional cooperation and networking processes, supporting the public awareness network in the MENA region, sharing experience of effective approaches to public awareness campaigns and presenting of public awareness case studies to InWEnt partner forum.