The Centre for Environment and Development in the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) was established in 1992 as an international inter-governmental organisation based in Cairo. This was in response to a convention adopted by the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) in Damascus in 1991, and upon the initiative of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United Nations Development Program, and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development. CEDARE is governed by a high-level Board of Trustees comprising environmental policymakers and leaders from the Arab region, Europe and the international community. The Centre works in close partnership with governments, non- governmental organisations, business, the private sector, media and civil society at large. CEDARE strives to cope with changing variables in order to spread, enhance and encourage the concept of "environment for development", which many agencies around the world are trying to popularise. This is a modern concept which holds that solving environmental problems eventually contributes to eliminating many obstacles to development, emphasising that addressing environmental issues -- important from a moral and ethical point of view -- has a positive impact on health and the quality of life, which in itself is the loftiest goal of development. CEDARE's long-term focus is set on a future in which everyone will be able to enjoy the benefits of a clean, safe and healthy environment, based on an integrated approach that recognises the many dimensions of sustainable development. This can be achieved through CEDARE's five main priority areas of water resource management, land resource management, knowledge management and information technology, markets, business and the environment, and lastly "areas of strategic concern", focusing on issues of climate change and corporate social and environmental responsibility. Among the many activities undertaken by the centre, CEDARE partakes in achieving water Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and assessing the state of water resources in the Arab region. CEDARE hosts the technical secretariat for the Arab Water Council (AWC) that implements and facilitates a joint vision for "integrated water resources management" in the Arab world. CEDARE has also produced many publications, including the recent World Bank-supported study on "Water Conflicts and Conflict Management Mechanisms in the Middle East and North Africa Region". That study investigates working mechanisms for minimising and resolving conflicts over water allocation and use. As part of CEDARE's aim to collaborate with European countries and the international community, it has recently been selected by the European Commission as a member of the Horizon 2020 Steering Committee. It has also been selected by CAMRE as the lead agency for the development of the first United Nations Environment Program-supported Environment Outlook for the Arab Region. CEDARE is also currently implementing the Climate Change and Impact Research in the Mediterranean Environment project, in partnership with 47 international agencies, as part of its initiative to tackle issues relating to climate change. CEDARE works to maintain national, regional and international cooperation with numerous organisations. A fine example is its establishment of both the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-MED) initiative at a regional level and the Egyptian Water Partnership project at a national level, as well as its activities with the AWC and the African Ministerial Council on Water. CEDARE also hosts the technical secretariat for the North African Ministerial Council on Water, which aims to optimise coordination on water issues within the region. CEDARE has carried out several projects across the globe, ranging from Europe, North Africa, the Nile Basin countries, and the Arab region, to assess the needs of different countries, advance environmental action, and develop means of cooperation and provision of technical support. Hence, CEDARE aims to build bridges of cooperation between the Arab world and the international community in this strategic field, for the betterment of the environment today and tomorrow. Source: Dr. Khaled Abu-Zeid, CEDARE. CEDARE projects in Egypt CEDARE is currently undertaking a European Commission (EC)-funded project called "SWITCH" for "integrated urban water management" in Alexandria. The SWITCH project aims to research, review, and utilise all capable and feasible water resources in the city as a means to relieve pressure from water resources. CEDARE focuses on water demand management as well as providing water supply and sanitation services for the poor. CEDARE continues to work in Alexandria through another EC-funded project called "SMAP III" for environmental management of Alexandria's Lake Maryut. The aim of this project is to encourage "integrated coastal zone management" around the Mediterranean through the adoption of sound environment protection and tailoring economic development to the needs and interests of all stakeholders. CEDARE's work in Sharkia and Beni Suef has been providing low-cost sanitation services for villages in these governorates. This was done in cooperation with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program, the United Nations Development Program, and the Egyptian Water Partnership (EWP). A regional Euro- Med participatory water management project named "Empowers" has also aimed to investigate water resource scenarios in selected areas in Egypt, Palestine and Jordan. Its aim in Egypt is to improve long-term access and rights to water of vulnerable populations by providing a model in Ehnasia district in Beni Suef where local communities worked together with governmental officials in a participatory approach for water planning. Amongst CEDARE's national initiatives in Egypt is the development of a water awareness campaign for children in Egypt under the auspice of Egypt's First Lady. This campaign created awareness material with respect to the conservation, protection and pollution of water resources in Egypt, including the creation of a water-awareness cartoon character called "Meema". The initiative was undertaken in cooperation with the EWP and other organisations.
