From 20 to 24 March 2023, the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) in collaboration with its regional implementing partners, the Mono Basin Authority and the Global Water Partnership West Africa, organised visits and consultation meetings in the project areas in the two countries concerned (Togo and Benin).
GWP-Med is leading the "Maximising impact through communication, dissemination and exploitation" Work Package of the new Horizon2020 SpongeWorks project, coordinating activities that will boost the project's visibility and overall impact. SpongeWorks will implement 19 sponge measures in three demonstrator sites in France, Greece and a transboundary basin shared between the Netherlands and Germany aiming to enhance water retention and management while contributing to climate resilience and ecosystem health. Through effective communication and dissemination strategies, GWP-Med will ensure the project's results are widely shared with stakeholders, facilitating broader adoption and long-term sustainability of sponge measures.
The 'Resilient Thessaly' project, based on partnership between GWP-Med, the Municipality of Trikala and The Coca-Cola Foundation, will implement stormwater management works, within the frame of a holistic intervention aimed to strengthen the city's climate resilience in response to the devastating floods caused by storm Daniel in September 2023.
As part of the implementation of the pilot initiatives of the Water Development and Management Plan (SAGE) of the Niger portion of Mékrou, the Mekrou phase 2 Niger project financed by the European Union has rehabilitated the Belandè multi-village mini drinking water supply system with an extension of the standpipes.
Opened in Niamey on 02 March 2023, the national workshop was jointly organised by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of Niger and the Secretariat of the Convention (UNECE). It provided an opportunity to inform stakeholders about the Water Convention, to share information on the processes initiated by the Government of Niger to become a party to the Water Convention and to discuss the next steps in the accession process.
The West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) organised from 9 to 11 July 2024 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the meeting of the Experts in charge of water resources and sanitation of the WAEMU Member States.
GWP-WA in collaboration with the WAEMU Commission, the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Sanitation of Burkina Faso, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Burkina Faso, Pôle Eau Dakar, the Secretariat of the Water Convention, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-DHI Centre on Water and the Environment and partners, is involved in a regional forum on the theme: "Capitalization and scaling up of IWRM best practices for water security and population resilience in the WAEMU Space" from November 28 to 30, 2023 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The ACCISI-GEM project marked an impressive success for natural resources conservation and sustainable farming in water-stressed Northern Tunisia, helping farmers increase agricultural production by 27%, while reducing irrigation water use by 3%.
The implementation of the project "Water for Growth and Poverty Reduction in the Mekrou sub-basin of Niger" (Mekrou Phase 2-Niger Project), financed by the European Union, has made significant progress in the area covered by the project, namely the communes of Tamou and Kirtachi in the Tillabery region and Falmey in the Dosso region.
On 8 October 2024, nearly 300 members of the GWP Network came together virtually for the annual Network Meeting. This important event brought Partners from 91 countries to reflect on achievements and discuss the development of GWP’s 2026-2030 Strategy. It also introduced a new voting mechanism, designed to enhance Partner participation, which will soon be piloted.