Thirty participants from 5 Middle East & Nortnern Africa (MENA) countries - Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia - gathered in Tunisia, on 8-19 February 2015, in a course held in the framework of the 4-year MENA Integrated Sustainable Coastal Development Training Programme (MENA ISCD), financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and jointly implemented by NIRAS Natura AB and the Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med).
In December this year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) will take place in Paris. Governments are supposed to come to a universal agreement regarding climate which will determine the future of our planet.
19 to 22 April 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Below normal rainfall is most likely during the 2015 southwest monsoon season (June – September) over South Asia as a whole. Below-normal rainfall is likely over broad areas of western, central and south western parts of South Asia and some areas in the north eastern-most parts of the region. It is noteworthy that except southern part of islands of the region no other part of South Asia has above-normal rainfall as the most likely category.
GWPSA is using a number of knowledge products (information briefs, animations, checklists, slideshows, glossaries and infographics) in providing an easy understanding of “investing in the management and development of shared water courses”. The knowledge products also set out key messages advocating for more investments in the management and development of shared water courses. This is to ensure improved water security and climate resilience through strengthening cross-sectorial national engagement to integrate water issues into socio-economic development and climate change adaptation processes.
Lebanon and Jordan are exploring the possibility of joining the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention). To assist the two countries in this process, UNECE and the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), with financial support provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), have organised national workshops to increase awareness and understanding of relevant stakeholders of the different legal and institutional frameworks for cooperation on shared waters resources, the specificities of the UNECE Water Convention, in comparison to the UN Watercourses Convention, as well as the complementarity of the two agreements.
GWP China co-hosted three thematic sessions under the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) on IWRM, Water and Food Security as well as Water and Cities at the 7th World Water Forum that was opened on April 12, 2015 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea. The GWP China Delegation of 9 members participated in the opening ceremony, sessions and events during the 6-day conference.
GWP China representatives were at the 7th World Water Forum in Korea in April, taking part in many of the events and sessions of the conference. In addition to delegates from the regional secretariat, some experts from GWP China Regional Water Partnerships were actively facilitating the processes.
Representatives of GWP Kenya and GWP Ethiopia recently carried out an exchange visit to share experiences on water resources management practices.
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.
The 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) took place in Sendai, Japan, 14-18 March. The planned outputs were met, with the announcement of a Declaration and a new Outcome Document to replace the Hyogo Framework for Action; the UN's previous disaster risk reduction deal, which expires in 2015.