On 31 January 2019, the German, Czech and Slovak partners of Danube Floodplain project organized a one-day stakeholder consultation meeting held back-to-back with a workshop on ecosystem services. The event took place at the Research Institute of Water Management in Bratislava and brought together key stakeholders from Slovakia and Czech Republic, giving the project partners the opportunity to present and discuss Danube Floodplain project with stakeholders from various areas.
Phase I also aims at identifying concrete investment projects - with a focus on multi-purpose water infrastructure - which could be funded under Phase II. The SADC WEF Nexus Dialogue Project is a strategic fit in the implementation of SADC's Regional water, energy, food policies, strategies and action plans. It will also contribute in implementing SADC's Roadmap and Strategy for Industrialisation. The project is expected to promote better interaction and synergies between the water, food, and energy sectors in order to unlock and optimize development potential of the region for economic growth and transformation.
Livelihood strategies and food security for the poor often depend directly on functioning ecosystems and the diversity of goods and ecological services they provide. Increasing population, climate variability and change with its long-term implications for social, economic and ecological systems is an inevitable and urgent challenge.
GWP-Med facilitating dialogue with youth on Nexus approach toward achieving SDG Goals and their role at the first African Young Water Professional Forum
GWP promotes youth inclusion in water resources management. One of those ways is through a robust internship programme. Civil Engineer Axel Martinez, 26, from Nicaragua, spent five months with GWP Central America as a Young Professional Development Initiative Intern under GWP’s Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP). He says the experience has helped him to grow professionally.
The governments of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger have committed to develop their national drought plans in the framework of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The UNCCD adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 is one of the three Rio Conventions adopted by 193 countries including Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. Like other countries, the three (3) West African countries have committed to develop a national drought plan as part of the first phase of the UNCCD drought initiative.
During the months of December and January the Country Water Partnership of Mali undertook to closely sensitize main stakeholders to raise the dwindling political will in the country on IWRM. On Thursday, December 27, 2018, a meeting was held with the Malian Association of Municipalities (AMM), to exchange with local authorities on Integrated Water Resources Management.
The Chair of the Country Water Partnership of Guinea met successively from 05 to 10 December 2018 with Mr Philippe GUETTIER, Director General of the French Water Partnership
GWP, Cap-Net UNDP, and other partners have introduced a new tool to foster Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) on a global scale. The online course, Unpacking the Opportunities of IUWM for Sustainable Cities, was held in October-November 2018. It attracted 154 applications, with 72 accepted, and a follow-up course is being planned for 2019. “The great thing with the course is that it can be adapted to fit any project as needed,” says GWP Senior Network Specialist François Brikké, who sees a big potential in further developing the course at regional and country level.
Colombo is one of the first 18 cities that has been accredited as a Ramsar Wetland City at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP13) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 25 October 2018.
