Dr. Monika Weber-Fahr, GWP’s new Executive Secretary has visited West Africa in the last week of June. She had a stay in Dakar, Senegal to take part in the World Water Forum’s Board of Governors’ meeting, and in the Climate KIC strategy meeting.
“This opportunity has opened my eyes…it has taught me to think in a whole new manner about the climate change problem as it relates to Small Island Developing States.” These are the words of 27-year-old Khadija Stewart from Trinidad and Tobago, when asked about her experience as a 2019 Peace Boat Ocean and Climate Change Youth Ambassador.
The Water Resources Coordination Centre (WRCC) has organized a meeting in Lomé from 20 to 22 February 2019 to validate the data produced and entered into the platform of the West African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring (WASSMO).
On 11 September 2019, GWP, together with the World Bank and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), launched a new working paper: “Framework for the Assessment of Benefits of Action/Cost of Inaction (BACI) for Drought Preparedness.” The launch took place on the Drought Preparedness Day at the 14th UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP14), held in New Delhi, India.
GWP China’s host institution, the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), celebrated its 60th anniversary with a week of academic sessions in Beijing, China. On 18 October, an international high-level forum was held on the topic of Modern Water Governance and Technological Innovation. Around 1000 guests were invited, including GWP representatives from its worldwide network.
A mixture of personal and professional characteristics led Maria Angelica to a career in Civil Hydraulic Engineering: “On the personal side, a strength of character combined with a dose of rebellion and of not accepting the status-quo just because it is what it is. Professionally, something that brings a sense of strength is talent combined with a great technical capacity and professional training. With these characteristics it is less complicated to position yourself as a woman leader because it also allows you to disrupt sexist and discriminatory biases in the water sector.” In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD2020), Maria Angelica shares her career story.
Hurricane relief efforts are underway in Abaco and Grand Bahama. Search and recovery efforts continue, as you have probably seen or heard in the news. Shortly, our Partner, the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) of The Bahamas, will start rebuilding the water and sewerage infrastructure.