Interview with Kuralay Yakhiyaeva, the main specialist of the Kazakh Branch of the Scientific Information Center of Interstate Commission for Water Coordination
Hammamet-Médenine, Tunisia, 22-26 November 2007
The first workshop organized within the framework of the MELIA project "Water culture and water conflict in the Mediterranean area" will be celebrated in Tunisia from the 22nd to the 26th of November.
The well-being of people all over the world depends on the various goods and services provided by ecosystems, including food, fuel, construction materials, clean water and air, and protection from natural hazards. Ecosystems, however, are under increasing pressure from unsustainable use of resources and other threats including outright conversion of lands, pollution, expansion of infrastructure and urbanisation.
GWP Central and Eastern Europe and GWP Slovenia are now able to support water management processes and be involved in activities related to public participation and education through GWP's observer status at the International Sava River Basin Commission.
Due to increased agricultural irrigation and large scale dam projects, and inappropriate land and water management practices, the water inflow to the Komadugu Yobe Basin has dramatically been reduced. Action has been taken to establish a legal and policy enabling environment, as well as to increase knowledge among the local communities to establish more sustainable behaviour. The main lesson learnt was that although a multi-stakeholder participatory approach is slow, it helped to mobilise partnership.
The theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2013 chosen by the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) is “Water and Biodiversity”. This theme was chosen to coincide with the United Nations designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. The International day for Biological Diversity is celebrated annually on the 22nd of May.
The Prut River is subjected to cross border pollution. Action was taken by the Eco-Counselling Center to initiate a project to facilitate a regional, trans-boundary approach, to enable the multi-stakeholders involvement and to ensure transparency and participation on the Draft Prut River Management Plan. This case highlights an applicable approach to improving water policy and management through stakeholder integration and cross-border cooperation.
GWP conducted a training course on the “Application of the GWP IWRM ToolBox” at the Yerevan State University in Armenia, 25-26 April 2012. One of the main purposes of the training was to demonstrate how the GWP IWRM ToolBox can be used in university curricula.
Lake Chad is an important resource, both in terms of economic development and biodiversity. However, unsustainable management of natural resources, population increase and desertification pose severe challenges. Action has been taken by the WWF and its partners to promote sustainable management. This case illustrates that independent organisations, such as WWF, can play a unique role as a catalyst and facilitator for change.
Responding to the invitation of Member States, a High-Level Interactive Dialogue during the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly in New York on 22 March 2013 World Water Day, was held at the same time as the official celebrations in The Hague, to mark the 2013 International Year of Water cooperation and the twentieth anniversary of World Water Day (A/67/204).