The NCWR Programme was presented at the Water Showcase Live World Final & Award Ceremony of the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu, The Republic of Korea, on 15 April 2015. It was the only non-Asian showcase, with strong competition from India, South Korea, Bangladesh and Indonesia. A total of 120 showcases from around the world had been submitted to the competition. The final ranking was the result of the nine showcases’ preliminary scores, the Jury’s judgement and the audience’s onsite voting based on the showcases’ oral presentation, complemented by the display of a poster which summarised their activities and achievements. The 2nd place bears a prize of $9,120.
"Being ranked in second position of the water showcase world final is a proof of acknowledgement that the programme constitutes a showcase which can be adapted and replicated in water scarce communities not only in the Mediterranean but also around the world. For GWP Mediterranean, it has been a continuous effort to develop and expand the programme in the Mediterranean since 2008 with the support of Coca-Cola. This distinction makes us very proud", said Ms. Konstantina Toli, Senior Programme Officer at GWP Mediterranean and Coordinator of the NCWR Programme, as the result was announced.
The NCWR Programme is designed and implemented by GWP Mediterranean in partnership with private sector actors (the "Mission Water" Environmental Program in Greece, the Coca-Cola System in Malta, Cyprus, and Italy and The Coca-Cola Foundation), the public sector (municipalities in the Greek Islands, the Ministry for Gozo and the ecoGozo project, as well as the Ministry for Energy & Health and the Sustainable Energy & Water Conservation Unit in Malta, the Ministry of Education and the Pedagogical Institute in Cyprus), and non-governmental and civil society organizations (Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development, Mediterranean Education Initiative for Environment and Sustainability, Nature Trust Malta, and the Ekoskuola Programme).
The programme is supported financially by the Coca-Cola Foundation, with substantial local co-financing. It has the potential to boost a golden partnership triangle between a regional organisation and non-governmental/civil society initiatives, the private sector and the national/local authorities, since it merges the expertise, the financial sustainability and the increased community ownership.
With the majority of the Mediterranean islands encountering water scarcity challenges due to small catchment areas, climate vulnerability and change impacts, as well as human pressures, the mobilisation of NCWR, such as rain-, storm- and greywater, is crucial for enhancing the local water budget and contributing to local water availability.
The programme uses a holistic approach towards NCWR management, focusing on showcasing innovative techniques and methods through infrastructure works, creating a new water culture through training, education for sustainable development, awareness raising and capacity building, as well as contributing to the NCWR integration into the national water resources planning through policy dialogue.
The programme was launched in 2008 in Greece, in 2011 in the Maltese Islands, in 2013 in Cyprus and in 2015 in Italy.