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.
During the year, Vietnam Water Partnership reviewed the existing irrigation management status and plan as well as drafted a proposal for new irrigation management plan. Two key government institutions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) of Vietnam, are fully supporting the implementation of the activities that are under WACDEP program. Vietnam Water Partnership also coordinated closely with National Focal Point of Vietnam to UNFCCC, which will utilize the results of this program into other program of climate change agenda in the country.
The Chair of GWP- WA, Professor Abel AFOUDA conducted a working visit to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Niamey in Niger from 4 to 8 February 2014 to discuss mainly on the new project ''Water for Growth and poverty Reduction in the Mekrou transboundary River basin”.
The Office of the Prime Minster of Kosovo in cooperation with Global Water Partnership organized a National Drought Dialogue on 12 November 2014 in Pristina.
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).
The National Council for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Integrated Coastal Zone Management, headed by H.E. the President of Montenegro, Mr. Filip Vujanović, convened in Podgorica, on 15 June 2016, to review the draft National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2030 that will be presented in July at the Political Forum's session of the UN Economic and Social Council. The National Council also discussed issues and actions related to the coastal zone management and the protection and management of water resources in Montenegro.
Africa Water Week (AWW), the African continents premier biennial event on the water calendar was held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania from 18-22 July, 2016. The sixth AWW was held under the theme “Achieving the SDGs on Water Security and Sanitation”. The theme was built on the success and deliberations of the 2014 5th Africa Water Week on “Placing Water at the Heart of the post 2015 Development Agenda”.
The new GWP Gender Strategy was formally launched at a well-attended event at Stockholm World Water Week 2014 on 3 September. On the same day GWP added to its strategic allies by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the French Water Partnership, the European Water Partnership and UNESCO-IHE.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March), the officers of the Global Water Partnership have interviewed women in the water community across the global network on their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women. In GWP China, talk with Qihua CAI was in the office of the regional secretariat, hearing her 38 years of karma with the work in water sector.