GWP Knowledge search

A new and much awaited book by the Cornell University, the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future and the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean was published in September 2014. As its title indicates, the book is a mosaic on its own - of stories, insights, questions and answers about water in the Mediterranean.

The Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia, beginning its 4,200 km journey in the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau, passing six countries and reaching the South China Sea. Policy reforms to adopt integrated water resources management had been initiated and water related laws had been developed. However, there were still major gaps in the supporting knowledge and information. IUCN and its program Water &Nature Initiative (WANI) supported to scale up so called Tai Baan research (villagers’ research) that enabled local communities to represent their own social reality and through media and public forum, this knowledge can be mainstreamed into water management research and implementation.

The European rivers Mura, Drava and Danube form a 700 km long “green belt” connecting more than 800,000 ha of highly valuable natural and cultural landscapes in five countries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia). This area is a symbol of unity among the countries and is planned to become a protected Transboundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Mura-Drava-Danube” (TBR MDD).

The paper explores how international law facilitates transboundary cooperation in a manner that is accessible to the wider transboundary water community. It discusses the norms and principles contained in treaties and rules of customary law and examines how these work in selected case studies from across the GWP network. This is a Technical Background Paper, written by the GWP Technical Committee, a group of internationally recognised professionals in integrated water resources management.

The challenge of accessing water and energy for food production are central to reducing poverty and hunger in Asia. This paper compares and contrasts the ways in which India and China are tackling the same challenge of harnessing water resources under growing water scarcity and competing demand. Technical Focus Papers are publications of the GWP Technical Committee that harness and share knowledge generated by GWP Partnerships.

This policy brief explains the importance of cooperation between states in order to resolve water problems and share limited resources. It describes where the critical challenges lie and which international laws and instruments are available to solve conflicts between States that have competing claims. Policy briefs provide policy makers with information on water resources management. They are written by the GWP Technical Committee, a group of internationally recognised professionals in integrated water resources management.