1. Groundwater Working Group IW: Science Presentation of preliminary activities and findings Ofelia Tujchneider and Jac van der Gun co-chairs Project Inception Meeting, Macao, 25 January 2010

2. The Groundwater Working Group (GWG) Team of 20 professionals Different professional disciplines Reasonable geographical representation: – North America: 2 – South America: 2 – Europe: 11 – Africa: 3 – Asia: 2 Group operational since about September 2009 Shaminder Puri (GBR) Greg Christelis (NAM) Todd Jarvis (USA) Kevin Hiscock (GBR) Emilio Custodio (ESP) Julio Kettelhut (BRA) Han Zhaisheng (CHN) Alfonso Rivera (CAN) Bo Appelgren (ITA) Fabrice Renaud (DEU) Frank van Weert (NLD) Stefano Burchi (ITA) Mark Zeitoun (GBR) Alex Makarigakis (ETH) Abou Amani (GHA) Guiseppe Arduino (IDN) Alice Aureli (FRA) Andrea Merla (ITA) Ofelia Tujchneider (ARG), co-chair Jac van der Gun (NLD), co-chair

3. What did GWG do so far? 1)Familiarization with the project’s objectives and proposed approach 2)Preliminary attempts to addressing Core Questions 3)Start reviewing inventoried project documents 4)Preparing for Macao meeting

4. Preliminary attempts to addressing Core Questions WHY? Early start to get the group operational, (even without access to full project information) To prevent running short of time during the project To encourage thinking on the subjects, in preparation for the Macao meeting HOW? GWG members were invited to prepare each a brief write-up on one or two core questions Allocation of core questions as much as possible according to individual preferences Only limited project information, based on suggested websites RESULTS? Received so far: 18 contributions on 10 Core Questions In addition: two more general contributions (background info) Insufficient access to project information was (is) a severe handicap Many interesting views have been collected already Useful learning experience Detailed info is crucial

5. GWG’s review of inventoried project documents First step (October 2009): searching the internet for websites on 18 identified groundwater related GEF projects Second step (January 2010): assignment of tasks to review the IW: Science document data base (groundwater related projects) Next steps: carrying out these reviews and initiating action for improvement (time frame not yet clear)

6. Number of groundwater related project documents in the IW:Science database All projects Eastern Desert TWAP Guaraní Nubian GIWA SADC GG-GFCA HRMEP SPREP GW Nile Iullemeden MENARID DIKTAS NWSAS TBWR-Africa Sistan Lerma-Ch-S WCG Status:CICOCNCOCIC CATEGORY OF DOCUMENTS Administrative project documents 7133145541410402524410 Progress reports 720069000003000000000 Final administrative report 2000011000000000000 Meetings, presentations and newsletters 11620693261025040021010 Technical and scientific reports 116002406600110080070000 Final technical report 2000010000000010000 TOTAL 379531768996172841225 5420

7. Preliminary comments on documents regarding groundwater related projects in the IW:Science document database Are all 18 identified groundwater related projects relevant? 13 projects are aquifer or basin focused (8 of which are transboundary aquifer projects); 5 are regional or global projects. Do we have to add projects? Suggested: La Plata project and Mediterranean partnership. Probably more can be identified. What about adequacy of sets of identified documents in IW:Science documents database? Impression exists that the documentation is incomplete for all or most of the projects. Final reports for completed projects are almost non-existing. Technical reports are not numerous for most of the projects. Accessibility of identified documents in IW:Science documents database? Several of the identified documents cannot be accessed by clicking. Absent, corrupt files or IT problems? Projects to be excluded for lack of documentation? Unless more documents are identified, at least half of the projects has to be excluded from the analysis because of insufficient information available.