Seven African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries have laid the foundation to becoming international models for water leadership after implementing a 3-year Global Water Leadership in a Changing Climate (GWL) Programme that helped them identify major challenges in water resources and services management as well as develop strategies to resolve them.
Growing populations and climatic impacts are placing unprecedented pressure on water resources. This is true of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region which comprises 16 Member States, whose population in 2018, was estimated to be at 345.2 million, a rise from 336.9 million as of 2017. Rivers play a pivotal role in the region's socio-economic development, as evidenced by its reliance on these waterways. Southern Africa boasts of 15 major transboundary river basins, shared among neighbouring countries, with 13 basins entirely within the region's borders. However, the equitable distribution of water resources remains a challenge, exacerbated by climatic factors influencing rainfall patterns and the geographical distribution of river basins. While these rivers can spark conflicts, they also serve as conduits for peace and cooperation. Therefore, prioritizing transboundary water cooperation is not merely about economic prosperity but also essential for nurturing stability and harmony throughout the region.
Lilongwe, Malawi, March 14, 2024 – Leaders from seven African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries including high-level delegates from UNICEF, the British High Commission in Malawi and the Global Water Partnership are meeting in Lilongwe, Malawi, to assess efforts made in the seven countries towards building more climate-resilient water services under the multi-partner Global Water Leadership (GWL) Programme.
On 26-27 November 2024, Bratislava welcomed youth leaders, water management experts, and key stakeholders for the DANUrely Roundtable: Empowering the Next Generation in Water Management. Hosted at the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU), this two-day event united participants from across the Danube region to explore innovative solutions for water challenges and foster collaboration between generations.
An evaluation of portfolio project proposals of the National Designated Authority (NDA) in the Central African Republic revealed that gender was not adequately considered in climate project proposals submitted to Climate funds most especially, the Green Climate Fund. This meant that the project proposals did not meet the GCF requirements for the inclusion of gender and the NDA did not have the capacity to verify gender inclusion. To address this, the GWL-led GCF Country Readiness project in the country coordinated the development of a Gender and Social Inclusion Assessment Framework.
The GCF Readiness program in the Central African Republic
Title: Advancing the CAR Country Programme by supporting the NDA and country stakeholders in programme development for climate finance
At the recent High-Level Forum for Ministers with responsibility for Water (HLF-Water) held in Guyana, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank provided feedback to Ministers and heads of utilities on progress towards establishing the Caribbean Water Utilities Insurance Collective (CWUIC). So what is this about?
CWP Côte d'Ivoire (PNECI) requested and obtained an audience with the UNDP Resident Representative in Côte d'Ivoire. The audience enabled PNECI to inform the UNDP representative about the IWRM operationalisation process in Côte d'Ivoire and to request his support for its implementation.
