"Millions of lives could be at risk if we don’t take the water crisis and global warming more seriously" was among the key closing messages of the 2019 World Water Week (25-30 August, Stockholm), organised by SIWI. Many of the Week’s 250+ sessions showcased water-related solutions to global challenges such as climate change and food scarcity. More than 4000 participants from 138 countries called upon governments, institutions and stakeholders including the private sector, to improve water management and practically implement available solutions to critical water challenges.
With over 54 shared river basins in Africa, cooperation in the management and development of transboundary water resources is a key building block towards regional and economic integration. However, the pace of investment in transboundary water projects in Africa remains very slow hampering progress towards the continent’s economic growth aspirations and 2030 SDG targets.
The Country Water Partnership of Niger together with the Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation through the Permanent Secretariat for IWRM (SP/PANGIRE), the Directorate General of Water Resources (DGRE) by Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) have submitted a project proposal “Water for growth and poverty reduction in the Mekrou sub-basin in Niger” or "Mekrou Project Phase 2 - NIGER".
With 20 stakeholders in attendance, the Republic of Congo is the second country in Central Africa to hold a consultation workshop to validate the country report on indicator 6.5.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals which monitors the degree of implementation of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM).
Professor Amadou Hama MAIGA is the new chair of Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA). It was proclaimed following a recruitment process approved by the Assembly of Partners on 29 September 2017 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A new Operational Drought and Water Scarcity Monitoring System was created in Hungary to assist communities and farmers in making timely interventions.
