Wednesday, 10 April 2013
The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources Development and Management (MWRDM), today launches the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) for Africa in Zimbabwe. The launch, which is in the form of an Inception Workshop is being held on 10 and 11th April 2013 at the Holiday Inn, Harare, Zimbabwe
The water sector in South Africa is dynamic and facing major challenges such as reduction in capacity of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) to engage as extensively with stakeholders. As a result of a weak partnership base, it has been difficult to ensure the implementation of equitable and sustainable IWRM. Although a South African Country Water Partnership (SA CWP) was launched in 2002, and was active in early GWP activities such as the Framework for Action (FFA) over the years the sense of purpose for a partnership among water actors diminished as the water sector changed it’s strategic dimensions. One of the challenges that the SA CWP of the Global Water Partnership faced was defining exactly what its role in South Africa would be and how it would partner with other Water sector stakeholders to ensure that it executes its tasks and achieves success.
During the first quarter of 2013, CWP-Benin was busy with the final work (technical and financial reports, project final report; capitalization report) of the Multiannual program to support Water and sanitation sector (PPEA) phase I implemented by CWP-Benin which was completed in December 2012. Similarly, the CWP has also participated actively in the formulation and the launching of phase 2 of the program which will run over three years from 2013 to 2015.
NGO MAMA-86, host institution of GWP Ukraine, successfully completed the first part of an online course on "Integrated Water Resources Management in the Climate Change Conditions" in May 2013.
Mr. Bulat Yessekin, GWP CACENA Regional Council Member from Kazakhstan, is selected to the GWP Steering Committee for 2013-2015 by the GWP Nomination Committee.
GWP CACENA participated in the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on 19-20 May 2013, on the theme of “Water Security and Water-related Disaster Challenges: Leadership and Commitment.” The meeting was organized by the Royal Thai Government in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) and supporting regional and international organizations.
GWP CACENA Regional Coordinator - Vadim Sokolov attended 49th meeting of Board of Governors (BoG) of the World Water Council on 12-13 May 2013 in Seoul (Korea) as an Observer on behalf of the GWP Executive Secretary, Ania Grobicki.
A National Consultation on Water in the Post-2015 Development Agenda organized by the Bangladesh Water Partnership, was held on 30 March 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Fifty two participants from government and semi-government agencies, universities, research organizations and NGOs involved in the water resources sector took part in the consultation.
GWP CACENA has contributed to the Post-2015 Development Agenda through National Stakeholder Consultations on Water held in CACENA countries: Georgia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. These national stakeholder consultations were part of the process taking place to listen to country needs and priorities regarding the post-2015 agenda for water and sustainable development.
A series of 22 country consultations took place from February to May 2013 to address the importance of water to national development.