Water, vital for sustaining life, is becoming increasingly scarce as global demand has surged tenfold over the past century. In Southeast Asia, ASEAN countries share 19 transboundary water resources, including surface and groundwater, most of which are managed bilaterally. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), formed by Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, aims to promote sustainable development, management, and conservation of the Mekong Basin. Despite growing cooperation, challenges remain, such as the lack of legal frameworks for managing shared aquifers and the absence of cooperation mechanisms beyond the Mekong region. Water diplomacy provides a vital approach, offering strategies to address disputes and foster joint water governance through political processes that extend beyond traditional water agreements.
The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa Board has announced the appointment of Mr. Andrew Takawira as the Interim Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. The appointment is effective 1 February 2025.
Turkmenistan is vulnerable to climate change due to the steady temperature rise and increasing water deficiency. While the changing climate is impacting the entire economy, the water sector is suffering the most acutely. The Government of Turkmenistan seeks to strengthen its adaptive and resilience capacities to climate change by integrating climate risks and adaptation measures into planning and budgeting processes via the development of a National Adaptation Planning processes (NAPs).
On the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris, France, on 12 February, OECD and IEEE are convening a session to explore the energy and water footprint of AI, drawing on GWP’s expertise in AI and water usage.
