Twenty-five years ago, the European Union and the Southern Mediterranean partners committed to turning the Mediterranean basin into an area of dialogue, exchange and cooperation, guaranteeing peace, stability and prosperity. The 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Declaration reminds us that a strengthened Mediterranean partnership remains a strategic imperative for the European Union, as the challenges the region continues to face require a common response. Recognising growing interdependences, the new Agenda for the Mediterranean aspires to turn common challenges into opportunities, in a mutual interest approach. Servicing these, regional cooperation efforts will continue, with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) as a focal point, supporting sub-regional and inter-regional cooperation, including with African partners, and joint initiatives between partner countries across the board.
“Partnership as a driving force for achieving water security” is the motto of the competition organized by the Global Water Partnership for Central Asia and Caucasus to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Global Water Partnership.
The GWP Gender Action Piece was launched in 2017 with the aim to improve gender equality and social inclusion in water resources management. The publication captures the views of 40 experts from around the world and contains four clear action areas to serve as drivers for progress. New language versions are now available: French, Spanish, and Russian. A broader audience is expected to lead to a renewed boost in interest and action.
The Fourth World Irrigation Forum (WIF4), together with the 74th International Executive Council (IEC) Meeting, jointly hosted by ICID, the Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chinese National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (CNCID), and organised by the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, will be held 16-22 April 2023 in Beijing, China.
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.
The Masungi Georeserve was announced winners of the Water ChangeMaker Awards in a ceremony at the Climate Adaptation Summit on 25 January. Their project is about restoring forgotten watersheds through youth-led movements. On 4 March the team behind the success joins us for a Facebook Live session to share their experiences.
46 participants, including 38 women from 8 associations, including Kolweogo, took part in training session on associative life, management and the proper keeping of accounting documents in Komki Ipala, in the greater Ouagadougou area.
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) will be offering two (2) capacity building courses targeted at Caribbean children to commemorate World Toilet Day 2021.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is celebrated annually on 17 June to raise awareness around desertification and drought. GWP Senior Water & Climate Specialist Valentin Aich, who works on the Technical Support Unit of the Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP), shares some insights on what’s currently on the IDMP agenda. One of the major activities is expanding the programme to Caucasus and Central Asia (CACENA). Aich is passionate about this but explains that it is a process that will take years to achieve – however, all the elements are now in place and the time is right.
