In 2018, the International Coordinating Council of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme approved the registration of the Lower Prut Biosphere Reserve, which has now officially become the first biosphere reserve in Moldova.
This month, Howard Bamsey began his duties as the new Chair of GWP. He did so with a visit to the global secretariat in Stockholm, Sweden, where he met staff and got briefed on current issues around the network. We took the opportunity to discuss his thoughts on joining GWP, and his reflections on some of GWP’s most recent activities at the UN climate change conference, COP24, in December.
The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) facilitated a Southern African Development Community (SADC)– Water Division and Climate Services Centre (CSC) collaboration with the Green Climate Fund in Phase IV of the SADC- Hydrological Cycle Observing System (HYCOS) project. The collaboration was in the form of a workshop that involved the preparation of a regional proposal to enhance the Hydrological Cycle Observing System, DRR and climate information services in the region, including scope and targeted impacts. The workshop was held on 22nd March 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
GWP SA has, since its inception, supported the implementation of the Regional Strategic Action Plan on Integrated Water Resources Management. As an implementing partner for the past 19 years, GWPSA has been requested to support implementation within the framework of the SADC-GIZ Transboundary Water Management Programme.
Activities under this focus area aim to promote gender mainstreaming in the water sector as part of implementing priority intervention P3.1 in the RSAP IV on IWRM in line with the SADC Gender Policy and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.