Search

The Segura Basin in Spain is the driest in Europe. With 365 mm of annual rainfall, this basin has the lowest rainfall in the European Union. Nevertheless, it is also a region which exports fruit and vegetables. The Segura River is thus the main water sources for irrigation. In 1986, when Spain became a member of the European Union, the production of agriculture and canned food significantly increased. As a consequence, a rise in wastewater discharges and lack of water in the already water-stressed Segura River brought extreme deterioration of the water-related ecosystem and a strong social discontent.

“Thinking of pastoral care and water policies may sound farfetched for water managers and civil engineers with whom I spend a professional life – but not so. The ways we discuss water policy decisions often closely mirror broader social and ethical decisions.” GWP Technical Committee Chair Jerome Delli Priscoli recently addressed experts from around the world in a workshop at the Pontifical Academy of Science in the Vatican City.

The NCWR Programme, designed and implemented by GWP Mediterranean since 2008, has since realised 100 works in 4 countries across the Mediterranean aimed at increasing water availability.

South Africa was the first of seven countries to kick-start a global consultative process to agree on the values of water in a bid to ensure more equitable use of water as it's becoming a limited resource.

A new budget proposal submitted for EU approval includes a budget line of 50,000 to support the implementation of demonstration projects in countries. The projects proposed by each country were initially budgeted to be implemented with much more funds, so it was asked from each country to resize the projects to fit the proposed budget or raise funds at national level to complement.

 

GWP is participating in the UNFCCC COP21 conference taking place in Paris, France from 30 November until 11 December. Funding for water resources management and future financing mechanisms are two of the topics that GWP will speak up for at the gathering.

On November 21 and 25, 2016, the Communications Workshop 2016 of Global Water Partnership Organization and Regional Partnerships was held in Stockholm, Sweden.