16-18 July 2008, Ohrid
A Capacity Building Workshop on "Integrated Management of Shared Lakes Basins", was organised in Ohrid FYR Macedonia, 16-18 July 2008 by the Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean (GWP-Med) and the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO/ECSDE) in cooperation with the GEF/UNDP "Integrated Ecosystem Management in the Prespa Lakes Basin of Albania, FYR-Macedonia and Greece" project and the FYR Macedonian Ministry for Environment and Physical Planning.
In preparation for detailed implementation of the WACDEP and in order to scale up the programme activities to other WACDEP countries, the 2nd WACDEP Technical Coordination workshop was held on 9-11 May 2012 in Cairo, Egypt just before the Africa Water Week.
How consolidated efforts can help to reach sustainable development in the region of the Mediterranean Sea to ensure preservation and improvement of the environment and the rich biodiversity, was discussed and presented at the Side Event “Challenges and Opportunities for a Mediterranean Green Growth.”
To inspire Caribbean journalists to report more on water, GWP Caribbean launched its first annual Media Awards on Water on 5 March 2012. The winner is Mr. Shane Hubbard, an Editor and Videographer from CNS TV6 in Guyana who produced a television piece under the theme “Water and Food Security”.
GWP Caribbean developed a rooftop rainwater harvesting system as a way to address water security in rural communities.
Aiming to sow the seeds of cooperation on water and to forge links across sectors, GWP Myanmar, the Myanmar Irrigation Department and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation brokered a meeting in August 2012 where government agencies, NGOs and journalists met to discuss water, energy and food security.
In Uganda, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) provide most drinking water, however, this is predominantly in urban areas. Attempting to improve water provision in rural areas, a programme supported by the World Bank was initiated. The main action taken was to commercialising service delivery through public-private partnerships. Despite being viewed as a great success, this case study highlights that circumstances can change and thus be different from those anticipated during the bidding stage.
With water scarcity now a serious global concern, agencies involved in water resources management internationally are seeking to work together to promote efficient and sustainable solutions. Recycling and reclaiming water should be a key objective for both agricultural and urban supply, says Global Water Partnership’s Executive Secretary Dr Ania Grobicki in an interview with the magazine "Global - the International Briefing".
The African continent has the highest number of transboundary river basins that collectively cover 64% of Africa’s surface area and contain just over 93% of its surface water resources. These rivers are shared between many countries. While a common water resource is a potential source of conflict, it also has tremendous potential as a driver for economic growth on the African continent where, for example, less than 4% of the available water is utilised, and less than 7% of the hydropower potential is realised.