Background Document: Preparing the Water Security Action Plan: Purpose, Structure and FunctionIntroduction3What is an action plan?4What is proposed5Proposed structure7Proposed Format8Expected Accomplishment8Relevant Strategic Objectives8Activity8Output9Annex 1 - Table of Contents10Annex 2 Examples of the Proposed Action Plan Logical Hierarchy Template12Expected Accomplishment A: Enhanced provision of updated information on the status of water in the Arab Region12Expected Accomplishment E: Enhanced capacity for climate change assessment and adaptation16

IntroductionThe Arab Water Security Strategy encapsulates the Arab common approach to achieving sustainable development. It is a long-term program and practical mechanism for overcoming known future challenges in water resources development and management in the Arab region. The Strategy was prepared by the Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Areas (ACSAD) on commission from the Arab Ministerial Council for Water. The Arab Water Security Strategy establishes a set of key objectives, which can be grouped under three headings: I. The economic and developmental fields related to the provision of water services for drinking, agriculture and sanitation, including financing and investment, technology transfer, the application of the principles of integrated management of water resources, and the development of non-conventional water resources. II. The political field, especially in relation to the protection of Arab rights in cases of water under occupation or waters shared with neighbouring countries, promoting cooperation among Arab states for the management of shared water resources, and the implementation of the commitments of Arab states under the Millennium Development Goals. III. The field of institutional and human and technical capacity development, as well as the promotion of social and individual awareness of regional water issues, including scientific research, promote civil society participation in decision-making with environmental impacts, and other measures. The Ministerial Council approved the strategy in its third session on 15-16 June 2011. It was also approved as a guidance document by the Arab Summit on 29 March 2012 in Baghdad. The summit resolution also invited the Arab Ministerial Water Council to take the necessary steps for the implementation of strategy. Accordingly, in January 2012 the Arab Ministerial Council for Water mandated ACSAD to coordinate the preparation of an action plan to guide the implementation of the Arab Water Security Strategy.The Arab Water Security Strategy Action PlanThe Arab Water Security Strategy is a visionary document setting goals over 20 years. The Water Security Action Plan (WSAP) follows the strategic vision and timeframe of the Strategy, whilst focusing on programs and activities for implementation in 5-year phases. Further Action Plans will be developed every 5 years, each focused on sequential stages of implementing the Strategy.

Arab Water Security Strategy 2030What is an action plan?An action plan is a document that establishes a series of activities required in order for a strategy to succeed. The action plans purpose is to concretise a vision, and to serve as a road map towards realising that vision. Each activity in an action plan needs to be described in term of some key elements: Actions what will be done Institutional Arrangements who will do them Targets when outputs will be delivered Resources what funds are needed or available to do them Communication who needs to be informed about what Risks factors that may jeopardise the activity, and how to mitigate themEffective action plans: Contribute logically to the guiding strategy Cover comprehensively all the actions required Provide clarity, making responsibilities and targets unambiguous Are realistic and achievable in the given timeframe and with available resourcesExamples of intergovernmental water action plansThe Southern African Development Community has adopted a series of five-year action plans supporting a fifteen-year strategy that was approved in 1998. The current Regional Strategic Action Plan on Integrated Water Resources and Development Management 2011-2015 (RSAP III) is the third in this series. The main focus of the plan is to create an enabling environment for joint management of the regional water resources. The RSAP III builds upon the recommendations of the mid-term review of the previous plan, and in some cases re-evaluating them. RSAP III serves as a work plan to guide development and implementation of activities in the SADC water sector for five years from 2011 to 2015. It covers the strategic areas of water governance, infrastructure development and water management, and calls for the achievement of three strategic objectives to improve the impact of the strategy on the ground: capacity development, climate change adaptation, and social development. The plan incorporates regional policy documents, specific programmes and interventions, institutional arrangements, the financial framework, and a monitoring and evaluation plan.The Pacific Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Water Management was prepared by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in response to a request from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and was endorsed by the Ministers of 14 Pacific Community Countries in February 2003. The Action Plan is structured around six thematic areas: water resources management, island vulnerability, awareness, technology, institutional arrangements, and finance. Each theme provides key messages to stakeholders with supporting statements drawn from scientific and policy working groups. Under each key message the required actions are listed, including the parties deemed most appropriate to be responsible for their implementation. In 2012 the South Pacific Community announced that it would be preparing a revised Action Plan to respond to emerging challenges.What is proposedA first meeting of the Action Plan Preparation Working Group in Beirut during March 2012 resulted in a proposed Table of Contents and roles and responsibilities.ScopeRecognising and respecting the sovereignty of member countries, the Arab Water Security Action Plan serves to implement the vision and address the challenges and opportunities identified in the Arab Water Security Strategy for Sustainable Development. A plan and a processThe Strategy and Action Plan will be implemented and monitoring by Member States with support provided by regional organizations that serve on the Arab Ministerial Water Council Technical Scientific, Advisory Committee. The Arab Water Security Strategy declares that it will be revised and renewed every 5 years to reflect progress and emerging needs. The Working Group therefore proposes that the Action Plan also be revised every 5 years based on the evaluation of progress to date and changes in strategic direction. The inclusion of Progress Markers and Targets in the Action Plan provides a means of monitoring progress by session of the AMWC. An analytic evaluation framework will add a learning dimension contributing to the development of successive Water Security Strategies and Action Plans. After 3 years the Working Group will embark on a process of evaluating implementation and effectiveness, lessons learned, and analysis of emerging challenges and opportunities in order to prepare the evolution of the Arab Water Security Strategy and Action Plan into its second 5-year phase.

Improved Water GovernanceCycles of analytic assessment and performance evaluation with strengthen the quality and effectiveness of successive Water Security Action Plans. More effective action plans will improve the effectiveness of regional institutions. The iterative process of evaluation, analysis, and revision of the Water Security Action Plan will ensure that programs and activities are based on the best currently available knowledge and information. Activities and OutputsThe action plan will focus on 18 Activities for the next 5 years. These Outputs are derived directly from the Strategic Themes in Section 5 and the Performance Indicators in Section 9 of the Arab Water Security Strategy. In reviewing the Arab Water Security Strategy the Working Group proposes clustering these Outputs into 6 Expected Accomplishments to be addressed by the action plan: Enhanced provision of updated information on the status of water in the Arab Region; Improved implementation of IWRM; Strengthened scientific, technological and industrial base; Improved sanitation and safe water; Enhanced capacity for climate change assessment and adaptation; and Established mechanisms for the protection of Arab water rights in shared water resources.Table 1. Outcome Areas and the Expected Accomplishments of the Action Plan.Expected Accomplishment Output

Enhanced provision of updated information on the status of water in the Arab RegionBuilding a digital water database to follow water resources development: Integrated Arab Water Information System

Improved implementation of IWRMPromoting the use of IWRM concepts

Institutional and human capacity building

Legislation and lawsAssessment of opportunities for decentralised services and decision making

Awareness raising

Public participation/private sector participation

Water use efficiency

Non-conventional water

Protection of coastal marine environment

Strengthened scientific, technological and industrial baseDevelopment of scientific research and transfer and localization of technology

Improved sanitation and safe waterAchieving MDG goals

Ensuring funding for water projects

Enhanced capacity for climate change assessment and adaptationImproving availability of climate change assessments in the water sector

Strengthening policy for climate change in the water sector Strengthening institutions for climate change in the water sector

Established mechanisms for the protection of Arab water rights in shared water resourcesProtection of water rights for Arab States Strengthened capacity on shared water resource issues

Each Activity is based around the delivery of a number of outputs. For example, Activity E2 Strengthening policy for climate change in the water sector includes three outputs on evaluating climate adaptation measures, integrating water resources planning into national climate change policies, and integrating climate change in national water resource policies.

PrinciplesIn reviewing the Arab Water Strategy the Working Group identified three implementation principles: Alignment with other Arab strategies Public consultation and participation PartnershipsEach activity proposed under the action plan will demonstrate how it will support each of these principles.Proposed structureThe proposed Table of Contents for the Water Security Action Plan is presented in Annex 1. The proposed structure of the action plan provides a logical hierarchy from the objectives of the Strategy down to individual activities. Each Expected Accomplishment relates to an objective of the Strategy. Each of the six Expected Accomplishments is supported by one or more Outputs. Each Output has targets for the five-year implementation period, and is supported by one or more Activities. This structure provides a clear overview of how each Activity ultimately contributes to the objectives of the Strategy.

Each Activity will be detailed in terms of tasks, indicators, institutional arrangements, budgets, communication needs, and risks. This level of detail provides confidence that each activity has been carefully considered in planning. It also allows for regular monitoring and evaluation by the implementing partners jointly with the Arab countries and the AMWC.Use of the action planThe proposed action plan will have three principal purposes. The first is to provide implementing partners with a clear set of responsibilities and agreed operational objectives. The second is to communicate expectations. The third is to provide AMWC with a framework for monitoring progress towards the goals of the Arab Water Strategy. Coordinated by ACSAD, implementing partners will submit a short progress report to the AMWC Technical Committee January meeting and an annual report to each June session of the AMWC. These reports will be based on the Progress Markers and Targets of the Action Plan, with the annual report highlighting key achievements and offering an analytic narrative. Proposed FormatThis section details the elements constituting the main part of the action plan. An example chapter for Expected Accomplishment 5 (Enhanced Capacity for Climate Change Impact and Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation) is presented in Annex 2.Expected AccomplishmentThe Action Plan is organised by the six Expected Accomplishments. Each of these will be presented in the form of a chapter, with the associated Outputs and Activities. Relevant Strategic ObjectivesTo ensure clarity, each Expected Accomplishment will be related to the objectives of the Strategy.ActivityEach Activity will be presented with text outlining the problem to be addressed and activities to be performed. TargetsTargets will be presented for each Output for the five-year implementation period. Targets will adhere to SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to facilitate monitoring and evaluation. OutputUnder each Activity, associated Outputs will be described. Text will present the problem to be addressed and tasks to be implemented. Implementation principlesThe role of the Implementation Principles (Connection to Arab Strategies, Public Consultation and Participation, and Partnerships) in each Output will be presented.Implementation modalityEach Output will have a section outlining the means by which the Output will be implemented. Institutional arrangementsThe responsibilities of implementing partners will be described for each Output.BudgetEach Output will have an associated budget. The budget will distinguish between funds already secured and funds to be raised. These figures will be aggregated in the Matrix to provide an overview of fund-raising needs.CommunicationThe communication needs for each Output will be presented. RisksThe risks for each Output will be documented.Progress MarkersProgress markers for each year of the implementation period will be presented for each Output to aid in monitoring and evaluation.

Annex 1 Table of ContentsArab Water Security Strategy Action Plan

Proposed Table of Contents

I. Background and RationaleA. Challenges on water resources management in the region

II. ObjectiveA. Review objective of the Arab Water Security StrategyB. Objective of the Action Plan The objective of the action plan is to operationalize and structure the implementation of the Arab Water Security Strategy (AWSS)

III. Action Plan Axes for Action (Policies, Programs, Projects)A. Enhanced provision of updated information on the status of water in the Arab Region1. Building a digital water database to follow water resources development: Integrated Arab Water Information System

B. Improved implementation of IWRM1. Promoting the use of IWRM concepts2. Institutional and human capacity building3. Legislation and laws4. Assessment of opportunities for decentralised services and decision making5. Awareness raising6. Public participation/private sector participation7. Water use efficiency8. Non-conventional water9. Protection of coastal marine environment

C. Strengthened scientific, technological and industrial base1. Development of scientific research and transfer and localization of technology

D. Improved sanitation and fresh water1. Ensuring funding for water projects2. Achieving MDG goals

E. Enhanced capacity for climate change assessment and adaptation1. Assessment of climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in the water sector2. Assessment of climate change adaptation measures3. Assessment of climate-proofing and climate mainstreaming options

F. Established mechanisms for the protection of Arab water rights in shared water resources1. Protection of water rights for Arab States2. Strengthening capacity on transboundary water issues

IV. Implementation MechanismsA. Implementation Principles1. Integration with other relevant Arab strategies2. Consultation/Public Participation3. Partnership

B. Implementation Modalities1. Timeframe2. Targetsa. Timeline for achieving each targetb. Indicators for achieving each target3. Institutional Framework/Role and Responsibilities4. Financing/Budget (commitments)5. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluationa. Monitoring framework and reporting processes b. Evaluation frameworkc. Preparation of the Second Arab Water Security Action Plan

C. Risks and Constraints1. Peace and security2. Political will3. Funding

V. Matrix

Annex 2 Examples of the Proposed Action Plan Logical Hierarchy Template Expected Accomplishment A: Enhanced provision of updated information on the status of water in the Arab RegionRelates to Theme 1 Review regional studies on the status of water resources in the Arab region and building an integrated Arab water information system of the Arab Water Security Strategy The Arab Water Security Strategy stresses the critical importance of information for sound planning and development of appropriate policies for managing water resources. Advances in information and communication technologies have facilitated the collection, storage, processing and sharing of data and information, offering new opportunities for regional approaches to water resource management. Linking water information and decision support systems at the national level to a regional Arab water information system will support all other activities at the regional scale. ActivitiesA1 Build a database to follow water resources development: the Integrated Arab Water Resources SystemActivity A1: Build a database to follow water resources development: the Integrated Arab Water Resources SystemA key challenge in the Arab region is the lack of readily available and accessible data on water resources. This limits regional approaches to water resources assessments, and the potential benefits and synergies that might arise from regional approaches. This gap will be addressed by a series of activities that will review extant knowledge, develop a system for enhanced data and information sharing, and produce analytic reports demonstrating the benefits of regional cooperation. Output A1.1: Review regional studies on the status of water resources in the Arab RegionTo inform and frame policy dialogue, a series of reports will be produced evaluating water resource challenges at the regional level. Reports will focus on priority areas of the Arab Water Security Strategy, such as needs for improved sanitation, the status of integrated water resources management, and vulnerabilities to climate change, with priorities established by the Arab Ministerial Water Council. Reports will be developed from literature reviews of reports and publications at national and regional levels and regional consultations, and be subject to peer-review by regional experts and scholars. Reports will establish the state of knowledge, identify key opportunities and challenges for the region, and identify potential policy responses. Targets Five reports produced by 2015 Reports informing decision making of AMWC by 2015Implementation principlesKey opportunities, challenges, and policy responses will be identified through consultation workshops with regional experts and stakeholders. Reports will be peer-reviewed by national stakeholders, civil society representatives and scholarly experts. Implementation modalityTeams from appropriate regional and international institutions will be commissioned to prepare each report. Institutional arrangementsACSAD will take lead responsibility for this activity, identifying priorities with the AMWC, commissioning teams to prepare reports and hold consultation workshops, and will take responsibility for organising peer-review and dissemination of products. BudgetThe projected budget for this activity is US$1,200,000 until 2015. $XXXXXX has been raised, with further fundraising needs of $YYYYYYYYY.Communication needs Agreement of priorities areas for reports with AMWC Recruitment of teams and commissioning of reports Holding consultation workshops for each report Management of peer-review process Editing, layout and digital and hardcopy printing of reports Dissemination of digital and hardcopy reportsRisks Effective prioritisation will be ensured by consultation with AMWC with reference to national strategies Consultation workshops with high quality facilitation will support more inclusive and grounded identification of needs and opportunities Quality of analysis will be ensured by retaining high quality teams and the peer-review processProgress Markers One report released in 2013 Two reports released in 2014 Two reports released in 2015 Reports discussed in meetings of the AMWC Reports referred to in decisions of AMWCOutput A1.4: Prepare State of Arab Water ReportThe crafting of policies that anticipate emerging opportunities and challenges requires judicious analysis of the best available information. This activity will prepare an integrated analysis of water resources in the Arab region for the year 2016. The State of Arab Water Report will draw on analytical documents prepared under activity A1.1, analytic outputs from activities A1.2 and A1.3, and outputs from other Activity Areas of the Action Plan. The report will provide a solid analytical base for the preparation of the second 5-year Arab Water Security Action Plan. Targets State of Arab Water Report released in 2016 State of Arab Water Report used to inform drafting of second 5-year Action PlanImplementation principlesThe State of Arab Water Report will relate to the priorities of nations as expressed in national Water Strategies, and the writing team will liaise with focal points in national ministries. Wider consultation and participation will be sought through peer-review processes with regional and international experts from civil society and research, as well as experts from national ministries. Implementation modalityA technical working group coordinated by CEDARE, with wider consultation processes. Institutional arrangementsCEDARE will have lead responsibility for coordination of the writing team. The Arab Water Council will have responsibility for coordinating the consultation and peer-review process, and identification of focal points in each national ministry. ACSAD will be responsible for providing technical analysis of water resources at a regional scale based on analytic outputs of activities A1.2 and A1.3, and coordinating the supply of information from other outputs to the writing team.BudgetThe projected budget for this activity is US$500,000 until 2016. $XXXXXX has been raised, with further fundraising needs of $YYYYYYYYY.Communication needs Framing needs according to priorities of member states Collection of analytic data and inputs Coordination of technical working group Consultation mechanisms with civil society Peer-review process Editing, publication and disseminationRisks Relevance will be ensured through prior consultation with national focal points Analytic strength will be supported by outputs from other activities and quality of writing team and peer-review processProgress Markers Funding secured by 2015 National focal points consulted with by 2015 Circulation for peer-review by 2016 Publication in 2016

Expected Accomplishment E: Enhanced capacity for climate change assessment and adaptationRelates to Objective 4 and Theme 3 Tackling climate change impacts on water resources in the Arab region, and taking adaptation measures of the Arab Water Security Strategy

The Arab Water Security Strategy aims to assist Arab States in tackling the potential impacts of climate change on available water resources, and taking appropriate adaptation measures. In doing so, the strategy aims at achieving sustainable development that is in line with available water resources and the effects of climate change as a specific outcome. In support of this objective, the following set of activities will be implemented.Activities E1 Assessment of climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in the water sectorE2 Assessment of climate change adaptation measuresActivity E1: Assessment of climate change impacts and vulnerabilities related to the water sectorClimate change is an emergent threat that compounds the effects of growing population levels and economic pressures on water scarcity. The Arab region needs better information regarding the potential impacts of climate change on water resources, in terms of both absolute quantity and changing variability. Effective adaptation will also require improved understanding of climate vulnerabilities related to the water sector, in terms of biophysical, social, economic and institutional vulnerabilities. To address these needs, this activity will focus on strengthening capacity for the assessment of climate impacts and vulnerabilities. Activities will support the development of regional climate databases, the application of regional climate models, the preparation of impact and vulnerability assessments, and a collaborative framework for establishing an early warning system.Output E1.1: Establish a regional knowledge hubThe establishment of a regional knowledge hub interfaced with a geographical information system (GIS) platform that is linked to national and international databases and regional climate change assessments will facilitate the preparation and dissemination of the findings from the regional climate change impact and vulnerability assessments. Improved sharing of, and access to, regional and national information sources will also stimulate new research on climate trends and challenges facing the Arab region. This activity will include a review of available climate monitoring systems and services, the collection of available climate and water data, the mapping of institutions engaged in climate change assessments in the Arab region, and the development of a web-based regional knowledge hub.Targets Establishment of a regional knowledge hub that is GIS-interfaced and online by 2015. 100% of Arab countries supplying information to the regional knowledge hub by 2015. 100% of countries with access to the regional knowledge hub by 2015. 1000 views of the regional knowledge hub website by 2015.Implementation principlesConsultation with institutional stakeholders regarding data availability, access and sharing will be crucial to both the design and operation of the regional knowledge hub. The development, hosting and sustained operation of the regional knowledge hub will rely on partnerships between regional and national institutions. The release of a web-based knowledge hub will provide opportunities for participation from researchers in data analysis and knowledge creation on climate change issues facing the Arab region.Implementation modality High-level endorsement and supporting resolutions and protocols on data-sharing and information exchange will be formulated by Arab Governments to solicit national input to the regional knowledge hub. Institutional arrangementsESCWA will coordinate the working group that will have overall responsibility for this activity. ACSAD will be responsible for leading the assessment of climate monitoring systems and collection of available climate data. UNEP will be responsible for the mapping of institutions engaged in climate sciences and assessments. The working group will determine the modalities for the the establishment of the web-based knowledge hub. The implementation partners include ACSAD, CEDARE, ESCWA, GIZ, UNEP, UNESCO, UNISDR and UNU. BudgetThe projected budget for this activity is US$XXX,XXX until 2015. $YYYYYYY has been raised, with further fundraising needs of $ZZZZZZZ.Communication needs Communicating the benefits of data-sharing and information exchange to holders of data and responsible authorities Requesting data and information from Arab member states Reporting progress in development to institutional stakeholders and end-users at the regular sessions of the AMWC Technical Scientific and Advisory Committee Disseminating information on the web-based knowledge hub to public and private stakeholders.Risks Unable to obtain access to climate and water data Lack of sustainability in data-sharing Technical challenges and constraints, including issues affecting internet accessibility Budgetary limitations Sustainability of the regional knowledge hub beyond 2015 Insufficient capacity of stakeholders to effectively benefit from the potential uses of the regional knowledge hub.Progress Markers1 Climate monitoring systems assessed and evaluated 2 Available climate and water data and information collected3 Institutions engaged in climate science and assessment mapped4 Web-based regional knowledge hub designed, hosted and established5 Functional database online6 Number of countries linked to the database7 Number of countries with access to the database8 Number of stakeholders using the databaseOutput E1.2: Ensemble of Regional Climate Change Impact Projections for Arab RegionGeneral Circulation Models (GCMs) applied at the global level do not provide a sufficient level of detail and do not focus on regional specificities to adequately support regional dialogue on projected climate change impacts on Arab countries. National-level climate change projections conducted by Arab countries can also not be consolidated to reflect Arab regional circumstances as they are not based on the same assumptions, scenarios or methodologies. This increases uncertainty and reduces confidence in the findings of projections of future climate conditions on the Arab region. The use of an ensemble of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) and projections based on the internationally recognized Arab Domain can reduce these uncertainties. This activity will focus on parameterising Regional Climate Models for the Arab region, projecting the impacts of future climate change on water resources in the region to view of identifying hotspots, generating projections until the year 2100, and conducting capacity building workshops and expert group meetings on the findings. Target An ensemble of regional climate projections will be available by 2015.Implementation principlesConsultation with regional and international experts and institutional stakeholders will ensure that inputs to the regional climate models generating the climate projections address the knowledge needs of the Arab Water Security Strategy and national areas of interest. Implementation modalityActivities led by regional institutions with input from international scientific institutions, and regional and national scientific and expert group meetings and extensive peer-review verification.Institutional arrangementsESCWA will have overall responsibility for coordinating this activity. ACSAD will support the preparation and analysis of the outputs of the regional climate models and support the conduct of training activities. ESCWA will coordinate the assessment of climate impacts on water resources to identify vulnerability hotspots through inter-agency and inter-governmental contributions and consultations. The implementing partners will include ACSAD, ESCWA, SMHI, UNEP, UNESCO, UNISDR, WMO as well as regional, national and international climate centres. BudgetThe projected budget for this activity is US$XXXXXXXX until 2016. $YYYYYYY has been raised, with further fundraising needs of $ZZZZZZZ.Communication needs Consultation with national agencies and institutions over data needs for regional climate modelling Input from regional and international experts Peer-review Dissemination of results to national and high-level stakeholders Risks Sufficient data for calibration and verification of models is not available Sufficient data is not available at required spatial and temporal resolutions Uncertainties inherent in RCMs insufficiently appreciated by users Use of limited number of RCMs in the ensemble may lead to false sense of certainty regarding the projectionsProgress Markers1 National, regional and global institutions agree to contribute to the ensemble of regional climate projections generated for the Arab Domain based on a common set of protocols2 Regional climate models tested3 Regional climate models adjusted to reflect and represent the specific conditions characteristic of the Arab region 4 Climate Change impacts on water resources projected to 2100 5 Climate Change hotspots identified at an Arab regional level6 Capacity building and training workshops conducted