The unique value of GWP lies in its capability to mobilise action on the global water crisis through a combination of social capital, shared values, credibility within the global water community, bottom-up orientation, and expertise. This ensures that the ‘voices of water’ can influence local, national, regional, and global development priorities.
Coordination and facilitation bodies (CFBs) and instruments play the very important role of articulating and harmonizing the actions and visions of the numerous entities concerned with water management. Whether it is at the international, national, or even regional level, mediators are always needed in dealing with water related issues. Tools under this section can be seen as tying strings for an IWRM strategy and for good water governance to crystalize.
The integrated approach is called Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and is defined as a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Managing the world’s water resources is foundational to development. If you want to feed the world—and contribute to poverty reduction, human health, and economic prosperity—pay attention to water.
GWP participated in the UN climate conference in Marrakech, COP22, with representatives from various parts of the network. Adaptation and financing were two topics that dominated many discussions, with a strong youth perspective throughout.
In our interview series marking GWP 20 Years, we talk to GWP Steering Committee (SC) member Dr. Gunilla Björklund. Her ties to the network run back all the way to its founding days, and over the years she has been involved in GWP project evaluations as a consult. She says the main challenge as a SC member is to have a global overview while still maintaining an understanding of the details.
GWP Central America hosted a regional workshop on Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) on 22-23 September in El Salvador. The workshop brought together practitioners from across the region. GWP Caribbean also took part, under the theme “Considerations for Implementing Policies and Practices Related to Rainwater Harvesting and Addressing Climate Change.”
The GWP Latin American International Water Law Training Programme held a successful VIII edition of a regional workshop with focus on La Plata Basin on 26-29 September. It was attended by 23 participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay, most of them from public institutions.
In our 2016 interview series to celebrate GWP 20 years, we talk to Ruth Beukman, Regional Executive Secretary for GWP Southern Africa. After 13 years, she is preparing to leave her job at the end of this year. But she will never completely leave GWP, she says, and speaks fondly of the network – the “GWP family”, whose strength lies in its strong relationships, diversity and flexibility.
On 10 October in Slovenia a National Consultation Dialogue on Drought took place for a third time. The event was organised by the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) and Global Water Partnership Slovenia in the framework of the Integrated Drought Management Programme in Central and Eastern Europe (IDMP CEE).
