The GWP 2021 Network Meeting of Partners took place online on 1 & 2 December under the Theme “Leading Change and Innovation through our Partners”. GWP-Med was actively involved, presenting examples of success stories from its work around the Mediterranean in several Breakout Sessions.
Being innovative in the face of an ever-changing world, delivering GWP’s strategy despite the challenges of COVID, and connecting water communities across the globe – these were some of the key messages during this year’s GWP Network Meeting.
On 18 November, the Starting at the Source to Save the Ocean event was co-convened by members of the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management (S2S), as part of the United Nations ‘Ocean Decade’ (2021–2030). Participants learned of the importance of taking action on land in order to improve ocean health. The event focused on the interlinkages of freshwater and marine water resources.
On 16 November, the Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance Train stopped at its last destination for this year. Participants had the chance to learn about water diplomacy and negotiation, as well as the tools and methods that can be used to peacefully settle conflicts over shared waters.
The Transboundary Freshwater Security Governance ‘train’ stopped at its second destination in the new season on 19 October, where webinar participants discovered linkages between transboundary freshwater systems and the marine environment in the framework of the Source-to-Sea approach (S2S). This topic was introduced by speakers who provided a comprehensive overview of this approach, and highlighted challenges with possible solutions.
The 9th session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP9) to the UN Water Convention concluded on 1 October after a week of sessions, all serving to review and propose action towards transboundary water cooperation. GWP Executive Secretary Darío Soto-Abril was a panelist in a high-level session on the theme of 'Water and Peace'. One of his key messages was on the importance of turning challenges into opportunities.
The second Danube Floodplain Webinar will focus on examples of successful nature-based solutions, connecting different projects, and understanding design and implementation
The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security has entered its second year, and coinciding with this, the interactive series of sessions that explore related topics resumed on 21 September. Over 100 participants joined the event on the topic of international water law and dispute settlement. The speaker presentations highlighted the complex and long-running nature of international water disputes.
The World Bank and Global Water Partnership CEE organize an online workshop on 20-21 September 2021 to tackle water scarcity and droughts which are amongst the most tangible and devastating consequences of the climate crisis.
