GWP Eastern Africa was constituted in 2003 by stakeholders to support the sustainable development and management of water resources at all levels in the region. It focuses on achieving the vision, mission and strategic goals of GWP global through approved workplans and budgets. It is based in Entebbe, Uganda.
One of GWPEA key partners to convey its messages and reach out to various stakeholders is the media. GWPEA values its crucial role and is constantly engaged in media relation initiatives, building the capacity of media practitioners and journalists to pick interest in water and climate change reporting so that there is an increase in number and quality of related stories in the media.
A three-day (3-5 August) Africa wide Training on International Water Law (IWL) for improved transboundary water management in Africa has concluded in Entebbe, Uganda. The training attracted 40 participants from 21 countries across the continent; mid- to high-level practitioners from River Basin Organizations (RBOs) and governments.
GWPSA is a key partner involved in the implementation of some WaterNet Activities. These activities are currently being guided by the Phase III WaterNet Strategy (2012-2016), themed “Achieving Sustainability by Increasing Impact”. GWPSA’s main area of involvement has been through the WaterNet/Water Research Fund for Southern Africa (WARFSA)/GWP-SA Symposia, which have been held annually in the Eastern and Southern African regions for the past thirteen years.
A delegation from GWP is travelling to Sendai, Japan, to take part in the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) on 14-18 March. GWP will co-lead a working session on “Integrated Water Resources Management” together with WMO and UNESCO.
The International WaterCentre (IWC), in collaboration with GWP, is currently offering full scholarships (tuition fees and living expenses) for two high calibre candidates from developing countries to study the Master of Integrated Water Management programme (MIWM) in Australia next year.
GWP Eastern Africa’s communication and knowledge management strategies and activities are informed by the objectives imbedded in the overall GWP communications strategy and work plans.
The Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) are seeking a Consultant to review and revise the Antigua and Barbuda Draft National Water Policy (Drafted in July 2011), with consideration of institutional changes to date, on-going processes and highlighting the evolving nature of the water sector due to climate change.
Although the West African Sub-region is well advanced in IWRM, some countries still need more support. A strategy was developed to help countries that had formally requested IWRM planning assistance. The lesson learnt is that participatory processes take much longer than non-participatory ones, nonetheless, they are still favourable since they provide a platform for discussion and a place to exchange ideas.
GWP SA is a member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Gender Water and Development (GWD) Conference which will be held from 7-11 July 2014 in East London, South Africa. During the month of March 2014, the LOC reflected on the role of gender equality and how this can be prioritised as a mechanism for creating more equal societies and spurring development. Reflecting on the 2014 International Women’s Day Theme “Equality for Women is Progress for All”, The LOC resolved that this was a key message that needed to be rolled out as the world commemorated International Women’s Day, which fell on 8th March.