Luke Smith, a Trinidadian graduate student at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, has claimed the top spot in the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) Media Awards on Water 2015 – Video Competition.
The sixth statutory meeting of the Assembly of Partners of Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) was held on 7 and 8 May 2015 in Cotonou, Benin. The theme of the meeting was " The challenge of the post-2015 Development Agenda in Africa: what role for Partnerships in the context of Climate Change?'. Organized by the GWP Regional Secretariat in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, petroleum exploration, mining, water and renewable energy, and the Country Water Partnership of Benin, it was under the patronage of the Minister.
Two missions of the secretariat were undertaken in Niger and Burkina to follow up on the recommendations of the audit report for 2014 and to see how ta carry out projects both wth the Dori and Tera municipalitie in Burkina and Niger.
The finance and Mekrou project managers went in Niamey on 12 and 16 April 2015 to work with the Niger CWP and host institution Eau Vive on the recommendations contained in the 2014 audit report on the implementation of the Mekrou project in Niger.
Benin CWP has coordinated the setting up of the national National Youth Parliament for Water and Sanitation (PNJEA) of Benin with the aim of involving Youth more in the issues around water and sanitation through education, facilitation and sensitization. The Parliament will work for a greater involvement of Beninese youth in the issues of Water Resources Management Integrated; educate the youth on water-related issues and sanitation; facilitate good cooperation between youth and policy makers in the strategic decision making (water sectors, sanitation, energy, food security and biodiversity).
The Ghana Country Water Partnership (CWP-Ghana), in collaboration with the Federation of Environmental Journalists (FEJ) of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and the Ghana WASH Journalists Network (GWJN) organised a Symposium on Environmental Reporting. The symposium was held on 22nd April, 2015 at GIJ Seminar Room. In attendance were members of FEJ, the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WACDEP National Training Coordinator, GWJN executives, students and a member of the photography faculty of GIJ. In all, there were seventy four (74) participants at the symposium.
The 7th World Water Forum was held from April 12 to 17, 2015 in South Korea. This event, which is now included in to the global sustainable development agenda has brought together thousands of participants from all continents of the world. Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP-WA) was represented by the WACDEP program Manager Mahamoudou TIEMTORE and Mrs. Felicite CHABI-GONNI Epse VODOUNHESSI IDMP Project Officer.
From 19 to 20 March 2015, the Country Water Partnership of Benin organized a national workshop on the ownership of the guidelines for the development of large hydraulic infrastructures in West Africa.
This workshop follows the regional one held on 17 and 18 November 2014 in Lomé, Togo. About thirty stakeholders involved in the process of conducting water works namely the public structures, NGOs, consumers, municipalities, research institutions, etc. took part in the meeting.
With global change projections pointing to increasing water scarcity and drought in the Mediterranean, which are bound to cause significant environmental and socio-economic impacts, the development of a new management approach for water basins by integrating scientific thinking with sociological considerations seems essential.