Freshwater ecosystems and rainforests are the world’s most biologically diverse terrestrial environments. They play an essential role in sustaining the global
water cycle, the carbon cycle, and nutrient cycles.
Global institutions are still in the learning phase when it comes to successfully managing water and energy in an integrated manner as part of the quest for sustainable development. According to World Bank official Daryl Fields, understanding the water-energy nexus is critical for addressing growth and human development, urbanisation and climate change, but many policy-makers are finding it challenging to transform this concept into a reality. Fields, who is also a Technical Committee member of the Global Water Partnership, was speaking at a recent meeting of the GWP Consulting Partners, held in Trinidad for the first time.
River Indio’s watershed is the source of water supply for the growing demand in the metropolitan area of Panamá. However, due to extensive human activity and mismanagement the area has been affected by extensive deterioration. Action has been taken to reinforce natural resources restoration and water resources conservation, grounded in government strenthening and integrated management. Important lessons can be drawn from this in terms of IWRM, as it sets a clear example of active participation of the communities and the local authorities.
Decades of underinvestment led to poor water and wastewater services and low coverage in Manila. Due to this poor service, the government was unable to increase its water tariffs due to customers’ unwillingness to pay. This situation translated into very low cash flows for the government, thus leading again to the issue of underinvestment, which soon turned to a vicious cycle.
On July 8, 2014, the Global Water Partnership China visited the School of Linzhi Agriculture of Tibet University and organized the conference to discuss the issues of water protection and water source management under the climate change.
Hungary has joined the Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) in 2013. National organizer of the SJWP is GWP Hungary Foundation in agreement with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The patron of the Hungarian competition Mr. János Áder President of the Republic.
Lake Cerknica is one of the most important Slovenian Karst sights known worldwide. The phenomenon of intermittent (disappearing) Lake Cerknica has become famous worldwide as an area where cattle can graze, farmers can plow fields, catch fish and drive boats in the same place. A project (2007-2009) supported by EU funding (LIFE06NAT/SLO/000069) aimed to restore the unique ecosystem of Lake Cerknica. This project was possible due to a favorable legal setting - Lake Cerknica was included in a European network of nature protection areas Natura 2000. In 2006 it was registered as Ramsar site