NCWR is a multi-stakeholder Programme, bringing together GWP-Med, with actors from the private sector as partners and primary donors - the “Mission Water” Environmental Programme in Greece, the Coca-Cola Systems in Cyprus and Malta and the Coca-Cola Foundation, the national and local authorities - the Municipalities in the Greek Islands, the Ministry for Gozo and the Ministry for Energy & Health in Malta, the Ministry of Education in Cyprus, and NGOs - the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development, Nature Trust Malta.
Programme activities, though country specific and selected according to local needs and available budget, can be easily replicated in other water scarce communities in the Mediterranean and beyond. Acting as a “demonstration” case proving the NCWRs’ potential, the programme aims at advancing the use of NCWR, mainly rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse, improved by innovative techniques and methods, in water scarce Mediterranean insular communities, as a cost-effective method for enhancing water availability and addressing current and future water scarcity challenges at local level.
On 15 April 2015, the Programme was presented at the Water Showcase Live World Final & Award Ceremony of the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu, The Republic of Korea. Out of a 120 entries and among 9 finalists, the NCWR Programme in the Mediterranean was ranked 2nd place.
The Programme offers a holistic approach towards NCWR management, which is viewed as part of the climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy, including:
- demonstration applications of NCWR systems at local level - mainly rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling;
- educational activities and material for students and teachers;
- awareness raising activities aiming at sensitizing people towards a new water culture;
- regional policy dialogue on the subject as well as capacity building activities for targeted stakeholders - local and national authorities, NGOs, technicians, etc. - in order to advance NCWR Management.
The Programme’s objectives are:
- to position the use of NCWR as a helpful tool for climate change adaptation at local level;
- to advance the use of NCWR, as a sustainable, innovative and cost-effective way of improving community access to water in water scarce areas, thereby contributing to climate adaptation at local level;
- to educate students and teachers on NCWR and increase awareness on sustainable water use;
- to train local technicians on the application of modern NCWR systems and materials;
- to promote multi-stakeholder partnerships with the shared value to contribute to local water security;
- to promote knowledge and sharing of experiences on aspects of NCWR applications that can be further used.