From March 21 to 25 the fourth workshop of the EU-FP5 project MELIA (Mediterranean Dialogue on Integrated Water Management) was held in Amman, Jordan, with the title „Benchmarking exercise and recommendations on the application of the Water Framework Directive“.

It was organised in conjunction with a workshop of another project, GEWAMED and hosted by the University of Jordan. The workshop had the title „Benchmarking exercise and recommendations on the application of the Water Framework Directive (WFD)“ and aimed at presenting and discussing experiences made in the application of the WFD in EU countries as well as in other countries of the Mediterranean.

Representing SERI at the workshop, on the first day Stephan Lutter gave a speech presenting the results of a study carried out as a part of the MELIA project regarding the selection of indicators for the management of water resources in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, he contributed to the discussions in the different sessions presenting experiences of the application of the WFD in Austria as well as building on his expertise with “virtual water” and other macro-economic water management concepts.

The MELIA project aims at establishing a strategic dialogue between experts, scientists, consumers and producers on integrated water ressource management in the Mediteranean region. At the end of the workshop a mangement board meeting was held in which actual topics like the status quo of the project, dissemination activities as well as possible proceedings were discussed.