The national reserve Sur is deteriorating. Action has been taken by NGOs to initiate a project to restore water conditions in the reserve, including the interplay between water and soil. Despite the projects importance, it failed to be implemented due to conflicts with national authorities. This case illustrates the danger of EU initiatives being implemented without an active public involvement since this creates risks of low acceptance of local communities and land owners.
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) is seeking to recruit a suitable candidate for the position of Regional Coordinator of the organisation. The duty station for the position is in Trinidad.
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.
Frederik Pischke joined GWP as a Programme Officer in the summer of 2013. He is part of the global GWP secretariat in Stockholm, but Frederik is based in Geneva, Switzerland. He works with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in a unique collaboration between GWP and WMO, with strong focus on floods and droughts. Frederik explains the background.
The Ghana Country Water Partnership through WACDEP provided technical support to Water Resources Commission to hold a consultative meeting for stakeholders in the White Volta Basin, from 28th to 30th January 2015 at the Ex-Tee Crystal Hotel in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region. The aim of the meeting was to initiate the process to update the basin’s Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan after its preparation in 2008 to take into account the emerging issues in the basin, on the one hand, and to use the output as part of the input to the preparation of Investment Plan for the said basin, on the other hand.
The Second workshop of the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe was held on 8-9 April in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
IUCN China Office launched a new pilot project on protecting drinking water source with Danone Ecosystem Fund and Danone Waters China on January 20, 2014 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. The Launch event was sponsored by IUCN, International Forestry Cooperation Center of State Forestry Administration, Guangdong Provincial Forestry Department, and Danone Waters China, and co-supported by South China Agriculture University and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Forestry.
On July 29, 2014, the Global Water Partnership China had a working meeting with the World Research Institute (WRI) in Beijing to exchange work plan and discuss cooperation proposals.
Water resources, in particular conventional rural water supply systems/sources are among the first to be impacted by climate variability. Accessibility to portable water in the sudano-sahelian part of Cameroon is a course for concern given that the population relies mainly on springs, wells and boreholes for the supply of potable water in rural areas.
"The Mékrou Project, which will test and correct our various national tools for integrated management of water resources is a vast field of institutional, technical and technological innovations and scientific research in order to better understand the resource and establish a real sustainable plan for its use." It is in these terms that the Secretary General of the Ministry of Water, Water Facilities and Sanitation of Burkina Faso, Mr. Ali TRAORÉ, spoke at the official launch of the project. He expressed himself on behalf of the Honourable Minister and noted the importance of the new project on March 18, 2014 in Ouagadougou.