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105 DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION (IsDB) and the National Office of Electricity and Water Supply (ONEE) of Morocco to organize the international Peer Learning And Knowledge Sharing Workshop onWater Desalination in Muscat, Oman, in January 2018. The work- shop was the result of an arrangement by the three parties to look for a means to collaborate in areas specifically related to desalination, especially in research and capacity development. The workshop offered the organising parties the opportunity to assess support requirements and to establish a framework for the development of SSC among IsDB member countries and future collaborative efforts that respond to those needs. The three-day event offered a platform for peer learning and knowledge sharing and strengthened MEDRC’s reputation as a regional hub and catalyst for the development of solutions to fresh water scar- city. The workshop brought together ten IsDB member states including Oman, Morocco, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Senegal and Libya. The knowledge sharing workshop aimed to: • Generate knowledge among the participants about avail- able tools and approaches in water desalination and its applications and related technical areas in IsDB member countries • Map knowledge and capacities in ONEE and MEDRC and the needs in IsDB member countries that could be met by ONEE–MEDRC joint actions • Gauge demand for and interest from member countries for the use of such tools • Assess priority knowledge, support and capacity needs for water desalination in member countries where MEDRC support is required • Identify modalities for further deepening of cooperation between IsDB, MEDRC and ONEE on mutual areas of interest by preparing a funding proposal for capacity devel- opment responding to IsDB’s capacity development vision. The workshop was a good opportunity to present the state- of-the-art of desalination projects in IsDB participating countries, and to discuss their main challenges, and also to map the needs and knowledge localised in some areas. In addition, the participants got the opportunity to visit the Ghubrah Plant, one of the biggest desalination plants in Oman, as well as MEDRC RO Pilot Plant. Representatives of those countries agreed to strengthen their partnership in the framework of an informal network, coordinated by MEDRC. They also drafted a joint mid-term roadmap and agreed to meet annually to review progress. The roadmap aims to: • Enhance collaboration between interested countries to embark on knowledge-sharing actions • Map and document centres of excellence and the proven solutions on water desalination available in the participat- ing countries, including success stories, good practices, and technology such as small, autonomous desalination systems fed by renewable energy • Conduct training and policy dialogue on desalination • Set up an annual meeting or forum to discuss priorities and to follow up on the joint activities implementation. However, the IsDB countries need to localise knowledge. Desalination has been used as a source of freshwater for more than 50 years but every component of the desalination plants is still imported. In addition, there are not enough qualified staff to operate modern desalination technolo- gies, including solar desalination plants. This is why it is important to invest in research, training, knowledge trans- fer and capacity building. By designing incentives for local businesses, governments can attract domestic investment in manufacturing key components and cultivating local inno- vation to attain economic sustainability. Steps should also be taken to attract local investors using set targets for locally produced products and the labour force and to manage these assets by minimising the life-cycle cost of water and the environmental impact. In the same way as private enterprises, government enterprises should value energy at world market prices and provide incentives for in-house research and development departments to promote innovation in technology and operation. Visit to the MEDRC RO Pilot Plant by participants of the MEDRC–IsDB– ONEE peer learning and knowledge sharing workshop on water desalination, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, January 2018 Image: MEDRC