From 19-23 May 2014, the GWPEA in partnership with the Kenya Water Partnership and the Nile IWRM Net organised a regional training workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a tool for adaptation to climate change. The training aimed to strengthen the capacities of the countries in the Nile Basin and regional organisations for understanding climate change impacts and develop and implement adaptation programmes.
Global Water Partnership Southern Africa attended training on the application of Environmental Flows in the management of transboundary river basins in Southern Africa, with a special focus on the Pungwe River Basin. The training which brought together about 20 participants was an IUCN initiative and was held from 30th November to 3rd December in Cape Town, South Africa. The main parties involved were the government representatives of both Mozambique and Zimbabwe who share the river Basin and therefore needed to come together and agree on the Environmental Flows requirements to ensure equitable socio-economic development and growth.
Limited land space, high population densities and population growth, coupled with increased urbanisation has led to a decline in freshwater and coastal water quality in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Caribbean.
On the occasion of World Water Day (22 March), GWP China hosted the 3rd Regional Partners’ Meeting during which the new council members of GWP China were elected for a term of three years (2016-2018) in Beijing.
GWP delegates are taking part in the UNFCCC climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, 1-11 June 2015. The conference is part of the preparations for the up-coming COP21 conference in Paris, France, in December. In Bonn, GWP is organising a side event and a GWP booth with information is available during the second week of the conference.
The Water, Climate and Development Programme was re-launched during a session held during the UNFCCC COP21 conference taking place in Paris, France on 1st December, 2015. GWP is responding to the climate change challenge through the Global Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) which includes a portfolio of programmes and projects aiming to build climate resilience through better water management. The WACDEP in Africa programmes and projects are being implemented on behalf of the African Union and African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), and in collaboration with relevant governments and regional economic development communities.
A meeting was held on October 27, 2015 in the conference room of GWP West Africa to discuss issues related to the establishment of the regional platform for stakeholders on drought management in the region. During this second meeting a presentation was made on various tools that could be used to ease communication between members of the platform before and when it is set up. Among these tools were social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), Google communication tools, Yammer, etc.
UNITAR and GWP are extending an exclusive invitation to the January 2014 – June 2015 trainees of the AU-AMCOW-WACDEP Capacity Development Programme on the “Economics of Adaptation, Water Security and Climate Resilient Development” programme to undertake the UNITAR – GWP online assessment from 3-14th July 2015.
The assessment is being administered on the UNITAR virtual learning platform (www.learnatunitar.org). Read more
The regional workshop on the adoption of the inventory of the types of scientific / technical data to be retained in the Mékrou Project was held in Cotonou from 5 to 7 November 2014. It brought together about thirty participants from the three countries covered by the project (Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger) and partner organizations (GWP, JRC, NBA, etc.).
The International WaterCentre (IWC), in collaboration with GWP, is currently offering full scholarships (tuition fees and living expenses) for two high calibre candidates from developing countries to study the Master of Integrated Water Management programme (MIWM) in Australia next year.