GWPSA is a key partner involved in the implementation of some WaterNet Activities. These activities are currently being guided by the Phase III WaterNet Strategy (2012-2016), themed “Achieving Sustainability by Increasing Impact”. GWPSA’s main area of involvement has been through the WaterNet/Water Research Fund for Southern Africa (WARFSA)/GWP-SA Symposia, which have been held annually in the Eastern and Southern African regions for the past thirteen years.
Activities such as horticulture and tourism around the Great Barrier Reef create sediment, nutrient and pesticide runoff, placing increased pressure on the ecosystem. The World Wildlife Fund has taken action, predominantly by raising awareness. The key lesson is how a carefully orchestrated campaign can convince decision-makers of the importance of integrated river basin management as a means of reducing land-based marine pollution.
In Central Asia, water is unevenly distributed with states positioned downstream being placed in a very unfavourable position. The situation is further complicated since the benefits from cooperation are highly asymmetrical. Despite the challenge, the states have taken action and entered into a regional agreement, which attracted the international donor community to engage further. This case illustrates how international initiatives can influence institutional arrangements in transboundary basins.
Climate change and the increasing number of competing water users have led to the overexploitation of the Pangani river basin resources. Action has been taken to establishing environmental, economic and social implications of different river flow scenarios under expected climatic conditions. This helped to prioritize the allocation of water resources to meet basic human needs and those of ecosystems. The main lesson learnt was that providing a platform for dialogue between key stakeholders and increasing knowledge about the climatic variability and future risk are essential for successful water management solutions.
GWP Chair Dr. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss gave the introductory keynote to the Second Mekong River Commission Summit and International Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 2 April. She presented some key elements related to the Post-2015 Development Agenda, stressing the need for a dedicated water goal in an ever-changing world.
Many dialogues and seminars on river pollution have been organised over the past 20 years. Generally there is an agreement that countries desperately need to do something about the sad state of rivers, especially in countries which hope to achieve developed nation status by 2020.
In Benin, water use has not been regulated. Furthermore, water management has been sector-based, fragmented and compartmentalised. To change this, action was taken to initiate IWRM in Benin. A baseline study was done followed by drafting of an IWRM action plan. From the experience, the lesson learnt is that advocacy for strengthening political will for supporting the process must be seen as a transversal and on-going action throughout the whole IWRM process.
In preparation for the new Water Law in Bulgaria, as well as the EU Water Framework Directive, the watershed council was set up as a pilot to test on-site effective and participatory approaches to river resource management in the Varbitsa River. The key lesson drawn is that participatory, open, citizen-friendly and bottom-up approaches are more efficient than top-down administrative approaches.
Interview with Ms. Kasiet A. Musabaeva, President of the NGO "Aiymzat Bulagy" in the Kyrgyz Republic.