GWP Chair Dr Oyun Sanjaasuren will be one of the panellists in a UN General Assembly Water Dialogue on World Water Day, 22 March 2017. Experts are invited to discuss how to improve the integration and coordination of UN's work on the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets.
In celebrating World Water Day that falls annually on 22nd March, GWPSA joins the rest of the world in reflecting and campaigning on the importance of reducing and reusing wastewater. In the face of growing concerns regarding climate change in the region, the need to meet the ever-increasing demand and efforts towards reaching the SDGs, and promoting innovative approaches to wastewater management and water recovery is imperative. The treatment and reuse of wastewater has become even more critical to contributing to the drive towards the provision of sufficient water for population growth and industrial demands.
The Tanzania Water Partnership together with representatives of the 10 -member states of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and other stakeholders converged at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to commemorate Nile Day on February 22nd 2017.
GWPSA joined other key stakeholders working around climate change adaptation at a regional workshop on Climate Change National Adaptation Plans for African Anglophone countries. The workshop, which was held in Lilongwe, Malawi from 27 February-3 March 2017, was organised by the UNFCCC LEG and was attended by about 50 participants from 25 Anglophone African countries. The regional training was officially opened by the Chief Director for Environment and Climate Change Management, Dr. Yanira Ntupanyama, Malawi. Remarks were also given from UNFCCC (Dr. Paul Desanker, Manager of NAPs and Policies, and LDCs Expert Group (LEG) Chairman, Mr. Abias Huongo-Angola.
The Board of Directors of Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) is pleased to announce that Mr. Alex Simalabwi has been named the new Executive Secretary, Head of Africa Coordination Unit and GWP’s Global Lead on Climate Resilience. His appointment was effective from 1st January 2017. Mr. Alex Simalabwi succeeds Ms. Ruth Beukman who had served GWPSA since 2003.
GWP and AMCOW – the African Ministers’ Council on Water – have been working together for over a decade. AMCOW Executive Secretary Dr Canisius Kanangire recently visited the GWP secretariat in Stockholm to discuss current and future collaboration. Dr Kanangire says that GWP has a lot of knowledge, experience, and expertise that can support AMCOW to reach results in many aspects of water resources management.
Coinciding with World Water Day, 22 March, GWP is launching a brand-new website – in 14 editions! Every GWP region (13 in total) has its own regional website, plus the global website www.gwp.org tying them all together. This hasn’t changed, but in addition to a new responsive look and design, the big makeover lies in new search functions for knowledge, news, events, and partners, as well as more highlighting GWP’s results. We strive for easy and quick access.
The Central America region is generously endowed with water resources, but concerns are growing about water scarcity in parts of the region. This can mean both a physical lack of water and a lack of mechanisms and actions for effectively managing, allocating, and developing water resources. A new GWP Technical Focus Paper focuses on these issues.