The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting societies and economies of countries at their core at different levels. It will most likely increase poverty and inequalities in South Asia, making achievement of SDGs even more urgent.
Laurent-Charles Tremblay-Lévesque joined GWP as IWRM & Knowledge Management Specialist exactly one month ago. In his new role, he will develop and share tools and knowledge resources to help GWP’s Partners design and implement water-related strategies and projects aligned with the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). To mark World Toilet Day 2020, we asked him to share an experience from his previous role within the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector. He says that “toilets can help us fight climate change”.
World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, focuses on the importance of freshwater. For the 2021 edition, UN-Water is leading a campaign about what water means to people, its true value and how we can better protect this vital resource. The conversations gathered will inform a report about what water means to people around the world.
Fifteen media representatives in Cameroon have been trained on issues related to the water, climate and environment sector and some key national and regional laws that seek to address them. This media mobilization workshop was organized by GWP-CAf from June 9th - 10th, 2021 in Douala, Cameroon. .
The Government of Zanzibar has signed a bilateral agreement with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for EURO 660,000 as part of support to the Zanzibar Water Investment Programme.
The 6th PIDA Week was postponed in 2020, but it is now set to take place 18-21 January. The event is hosted by the Government of South Africa under the auspices of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The theme is “New decade, new realities, new priorities – positioning PIDA and infrastructure development in Africa’s continued growth and economic recovery”. On 18 January, GWP Africa and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) are co-convening a session titled “Mobilising resources for PIDA Water Projects”.
From 26 to 29 November 2019, a tour was organized to disseminate at the local level, reviews on the management of the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation sectors. The results of the report on the mapping of integrity risks in the said sector were also shared in a separate meeting.
Through the Directorate of Water in Sao Tome and Principe, the Sao Tome and Principe Country Water Partnership (GWP STP) is supporting the implementation of a European Union (EU) funded reform program for the water sector in Sao Tome and Principe through several community outreach activities with women at the forefront.
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.