Water insecurity costs the global economy some US$ 500 billion annually, according to Global Water Partnership (GWP). That figure does not take into account environmental impacts so the total drag on the world economy could be 1% or more of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The United Nations World Water Day (WWD) is celebrated on March 22nd each year. This year’s (2016) WWD theme is “Water and Jobs.”
The Chair of GWP- WA, Professor Abel AFOUDA conducted a working visit to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Niamey in Niger from 4 to 8 February 2014 to discuss mainly on the new project ''Water for Growth and poverty Reduction in the Mekrou transboundary River basin”.
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in partnership with the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) is seeking a suitable consultant to review and revise the Antigua and Barbuda Draft National Water Policy, with consideration of institutional changes to date, on-going processes and highlighting the evolving nature of the water sector due to climate change.
At the SADC Water Week in Mozambique held from 20-22 May, 2015, stakeholders discussed the challenging aspects of managing water resources in the country in view of Mozambique sharing a number of river basins with its neighbours. For instance, the supply of water for the river basins located in the southern part of the country is heavily dependent on the Basins of international rivers. The solution to this challenge was seen in Mozambique requiring to always adapt an integrated water resources management approach and having long-term cooperative arrangements with its neighbours to avoid water availability being a constraint on future growth.
The UN-Water annual Zaragoza Conference serves as preparation for the annual World Water Day. GWP representatives participated in several of the sessions.