Between 2017 and 2023, global performance on implementing integrated water resources management (IWRM) increased from 49% to 57%. However, the current rate of progress would need to at least double in order to meet the 2030 goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).
The Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) played a key role in the Drought Resilience +10 Conference held from 30 September to 2 October 2024 in Geneva. Building on the outcomes of the first High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policies in 2013, the conference focused on accelerating actions to build drought resilience worldwide. It gathered countries, experts, and practitioners to review progress in drought management and outline a collective path forward.
Drought resilience and biodiversity conservation are closely interlinked. Conservation efforts that protect and restore biodiversity help maintain ecosystem services, such as water retention and soil health, which are crucial for mitigating the impacts of drought. Healthy and diverse ecosystems can also withstand and recover from droughts more easily. Thus, preserving biodiversity strengthens ecosystems’ natural ability to endure drought conditions and enhances long-term sustainability.
On 18 July 2025, stakeholders in the Beninese section of the Volta River basin established a national coordination committee for natural resource users in the basin. The event took place in Natitingou and was chaired by the Prefect of Atakora, Ms Déré Lydie M. CHABI NAH.
At the AU – AIP Africa Water Investment Summit 2025, held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13 – 15 August 2025, H.E. Retno Marsudi, United Nations Special Envoy on Water, delivered a powerful address affirming her commitment to advancing Africa’s water agenda.
“I am glad that within this short period, I was able to harvest more than 50 kilograms of cassava from the plot allocated to me which I shared with my fellow farmer families and sold the rest in the village market. I especially thank GWP Sri Lanka/SLWP for being with us from the beginning and supporting us in finding planting materials and training us on water efficient home gardening”.
Join us for a transformative training designed to foster partnerships and build your expertise in transboundary water law. The 2024 Pan Africa Water Governance and International Water Law (IWL) Training which will be held on 9-12 December 2024 in Entebbe, Uganda in a hybrid format will help participants gain skills and knowledge needed to develop effective agreements and promote stronger cooperation over shared water resources across Africa.
Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan have successfully completed their national assessments for the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) 2025, contributing to a thematic chapter that explores the continental-level relationship between water security and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).
This year, World Water Week broke with traditional themes by showcasing innovation for a ‘water-wise world’. The foremost annual water conference brought more than 15,000 participants to Stockholm – physically and virtually – to rethink how we can responsibly manage water with the aid of innovation. With more than 20 events as well as a booth, GWP played its part in putting water at the centre of development.
