Name: Maria Amakali
Occupation: Director of Water Resources Management
Country: Namibia
Country of Work: Namibia and SADC
What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?
I started working as hydrologist in the Department of Water Affairs in the early nineties. I had studied in the US and was ready to come and work in a newly independent Namibia. My responsibilities included planning and execution of research and investigations regarding sustainable development of water resources; and providing advice on the effective utilization, protection and conservation of such resources. At a time I found a lot of males, in the department. Except for the two women scientist in Hydrology Division, most women were doing mostly secretarial or office administrative work. I remember one day standing outside, waiting for my ride home and this man came to me asking whose secretary I was. In an independent Namibia, I was quite shocked that the old stereotype mentality that women can only be secretaries still exists. Those days there were not many women or black hydrologists, but I was still offended.
In order to examine and internalize the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE)’s report on Water for Food Security and Nutrition (FSN), GWPEA facilitated on 11th August, the Ethiopian national consultation group workshop.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March), Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) has interviewed women in the water community across the Network on their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women.
The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is pleased to welcome Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, to the GWP as a Patron of the organisation.
The GWP network celebrated World Water Day 2015 with a string of events throughout the world, from Central America to China. This a summary of some of the highlights, with links to reports.
Lake Naivasha is an internationally renowned Ramsar site located in the Rift Valley in Kenya. But unlike most other designated wetlands of international importance, the water in Lake Naivasha also anchors a flourishing horticultural industry. The Lake Naivasha Riparian Association (LNRA) was established in 1929 to protect local land owner’s rights. and the LNRA became more strident in trying to balance the impact of the expanding commercial interests surrounding the lake with protecting its environmental integrity.
The South African Development Community (SADC) in partnership with South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), and the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) hosted the South Africa SADC Water Week which took place from 29-31 July 2015.
The Executive Secretary, Dam MOGBANTE and the Mekrou Project Manager, Corneille AHOUANSOU met the Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority in Niamey. The meeting aimed at get the NBA to record the Mekrou Project in the agenda of their Ministerial Council to be held at the end of the year for the signature of the Framework and mechanism for cooperation. The NBA ES showed readiness to collaborate with GWP-WAF on various initiatives.
The Global Water Partnership, Eastern Africa in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, the Nile IWRM-Net/ Cap-Net and Water and Land Resource for Ethiopian Country Water Partnership (WLRC) organized a Regional Training on Drought Risk Management and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 15-19 June 2015.