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This article is part of a wider coverage of the “MENA Focus” events, a set of four regional sessions dedicated to the Middle East & North Africa, officially launched at the Stockholm World Water Week 2016, alongside the Regional Days for Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) had been selected and serves as the overall coordinator for these “MENA Focus” events. The sessions were organized in partnership with a number of international regional institutions and organisations. “World Café 2016: Water, Growth, Stability” was the last of the four sessions, held on the 31^st of August.

Across the globe, March 8th is recognised as the United Nations’ International Women’s Day (IWD). This year, the theme is “The Time is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives.”

Since 2015, the Country Water Partnership of Benin (Benin CWP) initiated with the support of the Water Integrity Network (WIN) the development of a charter for good governance in the frame of the Multiannual Programme for the promotion of integrity in the area of water and sanitation in Benin. A working group with the support of a consultant led the drafting process of the Charter. From October 2015 to date, the Charter was developed, and stakeholders were consulted on its contents as well as its operationalization mechanism that was also developed.

 

On July 1, 2016, Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren assumes the role of new Chair of the Global Water Partnership (GWP): "I think those who set up GWP 20 years ago - the people, organisations, governments - were very visionary and had good foresight. It is only more recently that water and water governance gained wider understanding and support”. Dr. Oyun says that now is a crucial time for GWP to influence the global development agenda. 

To support local authorities in the development of initiatives to promote Integrated Water Resources Management, CWP-Benin in partnership with Protos highlighted 4 initiatives for the economic development and local governance of water from artesian boreholes in the Mono basin.

Bangkok, Thailand (12/8/2017). Southeast Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate change for several reasons. First and foremost, in many of these countries large portions of the population live in poverty. The proportion of the population living below the poverty line ranges from the lowest in Thailand at 10.2% to 53% in Lao PDR (ADB 2008). The poor are particularly vulnerable to climate change, as they lack the resources necessary for many types of adaptive actions. With its extensive coastlines, Southeast Asia is also home to many millions of people living at low elevations that are at risk from sea level rise. Moreover, ongoing social and environmental challenges in the region – notably growing income inequality, rising food prices, and widespread deforestation – contribute to social vulnerability and make climate change more likely to bring significant harms.

How does GWPEA go about these challenges? Which approaches, resources and solutions?

We have seen the Buriganga die a silent death because of abuse by people living in its banks. The river Hooghly is showing the same symptoms - pollution, dumping of waste, sewage water draining into the river, sand mining among others. If it was the Buriganga yeaterday, then it could be the Hooghly tomorrow.

Dr Khondaker Azharul Haq

President, Bangladesh Water Partnership cum

former Managing Director of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority

Ivory Coast has celebrated World Water Day 2016 and the second edition of the National Water Week from March 22 to 24. The topic of celebration was inspired from the global theme: "Ivory Coast, emerging in 2020: what contributions of the water sector to creating jobs and wealth? »