Our approach is hinged on two mutually objectives: delivering GWP strategy in the region and responding to water and climate resilience needs and contexts at all levels in the Eastern and Greater Horn of Africa.
Regional priorities in groundwater management in West Africa are knowledge; environmental, social and economic aspects; irrigation and climate change; dialogue and communication; management and institutional aspects; and capacity building/improving competence.
GWP Central and Eastern Europe and GWP Slovenia are now able to support water management processes and be involved in activities related to public participation and education through GWP's observer status at the International Sava River Basin Commission.
Cameroon actively works with a project to implement IWRM at national level. Action has been taken in a four stage process including the preparation of a national IWRM Action Plan. As a result of these measures, the foundation for IWRM Strategy and Action Plan has been laid and the strategic options identified. The key lesson learnt is that it is crucial to present key facts and results in a concise manner for effective participation in the future.
The Bodrog River Basin is exposed to severe flooding caused by jumbled urbanisation and low connectivity between land (agriculture and forestry), urban and water planning. Management is made more complex by the transboundary nature of the basin. A project was, however initiated to strengthen cooperative management and to mitigate consequences of floods through achieving consistent and holistic management of flood risk in three basin countries. This case illustrates the importance of transboundary flood management.
GWP’s Water, Climate, and Development Programme has been formally introduced in Central America. Launch events have taken place in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and there will be events in Guatemala and El Salvador by the end of October.
There have been many dialogues and seminars on river pollution in the past 20 years or so. Generally everyone agrees that as a country, we desperately need to do something about the sad state of our rivers, especially when we hope to achieve developed nation status by 2020. However, we have not been successful in translating consensus at these forums into changes on the ground.
Currently, water resources management in irrigation and drought, flood management are effecting greatly by climate change. Learning and disseminating of related information systematically will help facilitate the adjustment of water resources management of responsible agencies in time and responsive to the changing situation. Evidences from climate change on watershed ecosystem are obvious and diversified, for example, irrigated water insufficiency, disasters from floods, landslide, and drought. Data and information about these are available with consulting firms or line agencies. To be more effective in dealing with these problems, local stakeholders and the RBC should have sufficient knowledge to fully and equally participate in the process. Thus the RBC and local stakeholders’ capacity will be strengthened in monitoring of the IWRM, especially in the critical river basins.
Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP) implementation team from Rwanda and Burundi resolved to fast-track the implementation activities and fill existing gaps identified in the 2013. The commitment was expressed during a joint review and self-assessment meeting bringing together 21 participants in Kigali, Rwanda November, 8th 2013.