GWP China has launched a new bilingual website, offering the latest GWP news from the region. Now all 13 GWP Regional Water Partnership websites share the same platform and branding.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day (8 March), Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) has interviewed women in the water community across the Network on their journey to become successful in their professions, how to overcome obstacles they face as women, and also recommendations to other women.
Name: Maria Amakali
Occupation: Director of Water Resources Management
Country: Namibia
Country of Work: Namibia and SADC
What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?
I started working as hydrologist in the Department of Water Affairs in the early nineties. I had studied in the US and was ready to come and work in a newly independent Namibia. My responsibilities included planning and execution of research and investigations regarding sustainable development of water resources; and providing advice on the effective utilization, protection and conservation of such resources. At a time I found a lot of males, in the department. Except for the two women scientist in Hydrology Division, most women were doing mostly secretarial or office administrative work. I remember one day standing outside, waiting for my ride home and this man came to me asking whose secretary I was. In an independent Namibia, I was quite shocked that the old stereotype mentality that women can only be secretaries still exists. Those days there were not many women or black hydrologists, but I was still offended.
The 6th Africa Water Week (AWW6) takes place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 18-22 July. The event is convened by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) together with the African Union Commission and other development partners. GWP will convene/co-convene a number of sessions.
The Executive Secretary of GWP, Rudolph Cleveringa, says that GWP as a network needs to change: “We can’t use the same agenda as we did 20 years ago”. Approaching World Water Day 2016, Cleveringa takes a moment to reflect on GWP’s 20 years in the water world and talks about his vision on how to make the network fit for the future – local inclusion and diversity are words he uses to make his point.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) will be jointly organising ‘Climate Services User Forum (CSUF 27 and 28 April 2016) for the Water Sector in South Asia’ in association with WMO’s South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF-8) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
On May 13, 2016, the MoU was signed between GWP China and other three Asian Regional Water Partnerships under the witness of all GWP family members in Stockholm, Sweden.