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“Water, gender and development are closely interconnected, and GWP realizes this fully. We think that water empowers women, and empowered women transform their societies.” These are the words of GWP Interim Chair Alice Bouman-Dentener on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2016 (#IWD2016). Alongside her, some of the remarkable women in the GWP network speak up - about their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are deemed to be some of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. This is in part attributed to sea-level rise, coupled with the small size of these territories amidst growing populations and other development challenges. Of these development challenges, achieving water security remains an enduring issue which will only be further exacerbated by the threat of climate change.

In Sub Saharan Africa Climate Change is worsening an already alarming situation vis-à-vis food security and water resources and everyone has a responsibility to develop/ use appropriate means to address the issue.

Nine countries in Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda) carried out national consultations on water and food security whose outcomes were used by (or contributed for) the United Nations Committee on Food Security (UN CFS) to issue recommendations on Water and Food Security and Nutrition at the end of 2015 offering a strong basis for a new momentum.

GWPEA has a cumulative membership of over 300 registered partners from the 9 Country Water Partnerships. Most of these partners' scope of work is hinged against Water Security and Climate Change management although organizations dealing in other sectors which are closely related to climate change can also apply.

The contribution of the Zambezi River Basin to the socio-economic development of the basin’s riparian states and the SADC region has been applauded by Honourable Lloyd Kaziya, Zambia’s Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection.

The Paris Climate Conference will take place in Paris in December 2015 (COP21). Governments, particularly sensitive to environmental and climate issues, are expected to commit the fate of the planet during the COP21.

The Minister of the City, Youth and Sports, Mr Patrick KANNER, also co-chairman of the board of OFQJ is actively acting to ensure that youth is also engaged in public policy for sustainable development.

Three-day AWC First General Assembly-Summary Report
Reported by HE Mr. Watt Botkosal
Regional Chair, GWPSEA on 30 March 2016

 

 

The 1^st Asia Water Council General Assembly was hosted and Co-organized by Ministry of Public Works and Housing and AWC Secretariat on 24-26 March 2016, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa, Bali, Indonesia. The AWC was established by 15 Founders of Countries and international Agencies since the 7^th World Water Week in Korea. The AWC aims to raise global awareness of Asia’s water problems and promote the sustainable development of Asia by resolving regional water issues. The General Assembly aimed to discuss the AWC Constitution and the operation plan for the AWC and to share the commitments from Founders. The General Assembly was attended by about 200 participants from about 50 organizations including Minister, Vice-Minister, Directors General, Directors, Chairpersons, AWC Secretariat, national and international organizations from Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia such as UNESCO-IHP, FAO, and ADB (Asian Development Bank), KOICA,  Representative of GWP SEA, Country Water Partnership of Indonesia, national agencies etc. 

 

Some 40 key stakeholders from the government; private companies and banks; research institutes and Academia; media as well as the Civil Society discussed and contributed to the final draft of the Report ‘Governance in Palestine: Sector Reform to include Private Sector Participation’, during the Third Consultation Workshop of the Palestinian Water Policy Dialogue. The workshop was organised by the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med), within the Union for the Mediterranean project Governance & Financing for the Mediterranean Water Sector and under the patronage of H.E. Mazen Ghuneim, Chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA), in Ramallah, on 16 June 2015. 

The first draft of the national studies in Benin, Burkina and Niger on the identification of development priorities in the Mekrou Basin have been submitted to the Project Manager. These drafts were forwarded to the Project Management team as well as to the international consultant recruited by GWPO to make a coherence in the national studies. The international consultant is to ensure the national consultants’ work comply with the Terms of Reference and create a coherence between the three studies.