The GEF Drin Project ‘Enabling transboundary cooperation and integrated water resources management in the extended Drin River Basin’ [1] organized its 1st capacity building workshop on “Transboundary Water Cooperation and International Water Law” in Athens, on 14-15 June.
The 3rd Regional Alumni Workshop in the framework of the Sida funded and Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) labelled programme ‘Water Integrity Capacity Building Programme for the MENA Region’[1] was organized by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), in collaboration with Al Akhawayn University, on 23-26 May 2016, in Ifrane, Morocco.
The studies on "Identification of national development priorities on the Mékrou basin in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger were validated after comments made by the consultant were discussed and taken into account by national consultants.
Since 2015, the Country Water Partnership of Benin (Benin CWP) initiated with the support of the Water Integrity Network (WIN) the development of a charter for good governance in the frame of the Multiannual Programme for the promotion of integrity in the area of water and sanitation in Benin. A working group with the support of a consultant led the drafting process of the Charter. From October 2015 to date, the Charter was developed, and stakeholders were consulted on its contents as well as its operationalization mechanism that was also developed.
Many participants from West African countries took part in the International Water Law training in Kampala (Uganda) from 6 to 12 June 2016.
The implementation process of national and regional platforms on the Integrated Management of Drought is ongoing. Thus the regional core group as well as the national core group of Niger held their first meeting of 2016 respectively on Wednesday, June 15 in Ouagadougou and Wednesday 22 June in Niamey.
A far-reaching political and technical process towards establishing a joint vision for water security in the Mediterranean towards 2030 and beyond is on-going in the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). It draws on integrated responses, focusing on the feasible and the tangible. Building trust among countries and stakeholders, it aims at linking capacities and financial resources towards addressing needs. GWP-Med contributes to the UfM process servicing as its technical facilitator.
The International WaterCentre (IWC) is currently offering several full scholarships for high calibre international candidates interested in studying the Master of Integrated Water Management (MIWM) commencing in February 2017 at The University of Queensland.
The National Council for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, headed by H.E. the President of Montenegro, Mr. Filip Vujanović, convened in Podgorica, on 15 June 2016, to review the draft National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2030 that will be presented in July at the Political Forum's session of the UN Economic and Social Council. The National Council also discussed issues and actions related to the coastal zone management and the protection and management of water resources in Montenegro.
Five old, hand crafted rainwater storage cisterns located in the villages of Pyrgos, Mesa Gonia and Exo Gonia, were in the focus of a research project recently concluded in Santorini. The project aimed at advancing rainwater harvesting in the island of Santorini, undertaken by the University of Cornell and Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean, with the support of the Municipality and the Water Supply and Sewage Authority of Thera (Santorini).