As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many meetings, workshops, and consultations suddenly went online. In many parts of the world, in-person meetings were impossible for a long time, and only now are slowly resuming. In other parts, hybrid meetings with online presence and in-person participation are becoming the new norm. Each of these formats comes with its pros and cons. In-person meetings allow for broader and deeper discussions, while online meetings are logistically easier to manage and make it easier for more participants to join. A new publication analyzes the impact that different formats can have on the quality of the interaction in the context of multi-stakeholder consultations.
GWP-Med is leading the communication and dissemination component in this new H2020 project which aims to close the gap between science and policy in natural resources management. The REXUS project is bringing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus concept to an operational level as a tool for analysis, planning and decision-making, through an innovative integrated approach applied in 5 pilot sites across Europe and Latin America.
The 2nd Danube Floodplain (Online) Webinar was successfully held on 7 October 2021 with over 50 participants who actively engaged with questions and comments to the discussion.
A Learning exchange on gender mainstreaming in water resources management (WRM) was organised on September 16th, 2021, to present the findings of the study on that topic. The event was also used as a platform to better understand and discuss how to advance on the key enablers and overcome common bottlenecks for gender mainstreaming in WRM, for those working on SDG 6.5 and SDG 5; and to understand the need for support from national governments and other stakeholders to advance in this key area for sustainable development.
The 8th Africa Water Week (AWW8) and the 6th Africa Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene (AfricaSan6) are being jointly organised this year as a virtual conference on 22-26 November. Joined together as the Africa Water and Sanitation Week (AWSW), the conference is convened by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission and organised with other development partners.
Cairo Water Week (CWW) is an annual event organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in collaboration with national, regional and international partners, including GWP Mediterranean. The 4th edition of CWW takes place on 24-28 October under the theme “Water, Population and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities”. The event will be arranged in a hybrid style, with some in person sessions in Cairo, Egypt, and some online.
After three years of intensive work, the GEMWET project has successfully concluded, proving that environmental conservation and sustainable development is a win-win recipe that benefits communities, promotes economic prosperity and ensures the protection of natural resources.