2020 proved to be a difficult year for people worldwide, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cascading effects this brought to every aspect of life, both personal and professional. While 2021 may not seem that different to 2020, there are glimmers of hope that show a light at the end of a dark tunnel. In the ongoing collaboration on youth stories between GWP and the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW), we asked young people what gives them hope in 2021.
Reducing the emission of greenhouse gases by 35% and reinforcing climate adaptation is a part of Cameroon’s main 2035 emergence agenda. The country’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NAP) which was adopted in 2015 is pivotal to the achievement of this objective and after the first five years of its implementation, an end-of-phase evaluation was carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) in collaboration with GWP-Cameroon.
To effectively and efficiently support GWP Central Africa and its partners in implementing the Gender Equality in Water Security and Climate Resilient Development Programme (WACDEP-G) in Central Africa, as well as in mainstreaming gender in its work, GWP-CAf is recruiting a full time Gender and Water Advisor who will work with the GWP-CAf regional secretariat in Yaoundé.
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt wrapped up on Sunday 20th November with a historic agreement for a fund to help vulnerable countries cope with climate impacts.
Global Water Partnership (GWP)’s Africa Coordination Unit hosted the first Transboundary Water Governance Lab online event on the 18th November, with the purpose of assessing interest in the establishment of an International Water Law Community of Practice (CoP). The event was attended by alumni and partners of the Pan-African Water Governance and International Water Law, which has taken place annually since 2015.
In 2014, GWP and UNICEF established a strategic partnership to work on climate resilience and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). While the world’s focus is currently on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and its immediate consequences, the GWP-UNICEF collaboration is preparing for the next phase of this crisis: the support needed once governments begin to rebuild economies and introduce recovery plans to bring renewed, sustainable progress in their countries.
GWP-WA regional coordinator had on 29 and 30 June 2021 in Niamey, a meeting to provide clarification on the methodological note for carrying out the study on the ''Finalization and operationalization of the Water Development and Management Scheme (SAGE) of the sub-basin of the Mekrou in Niger and definition of pilot initiatives for implementation''.
By the end of 2020, GWP PAN-Asia has successfully implemented the PAN-ASIA SDG Learning Exchange on Monitoring and Reporting of SDG Indicator 6.5.1 Degree of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Implementation. The report has been finalized in 2021 and therefore the network discussed the outreach Plan of the report, as well as another regional agendas.