Each year, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) holds its Regional Days and Annual Consulting Partners (CP) Meeting in Stockholm, Sweden home of the global Secretariat. The CP Meeting is a consultative approach in which Partners recommend actions to be taken, which is fundamental to the operation of the GWP network, which spans over 3000 partner organisations in more than 180 countries.
The Chair of GWP West Africa, Prof. Abel AFOUDA accompanied by the Regional Coordinator and Communication took part in the GWP regional days 2015 in Stockholm from 22 to 25 November. This meeting was an opportunity to review the progress made by the global network in its fields of action and to make projections into the future. GWP and several partners express satisfaction since their efforts to have a water dedicated sustainable development goal come true. Discussions are underway to better position the network of partners in supporting countries to be successful in the implementation of the SDGs as a whole but especially the goal 6 with its different targets. Discussions at the regional days gathered ideas for a better positioning of GWP.
A presentation on Gender Mainstreaming in the SADC Water Sector was made during the 6th RBO workshop held on 15-17 October, 2014 at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. GWP SA has facilitated the organization of the RBO workshops, which are aimed at enhancing and building the ability of the RBOs to prepare, respond and recover from water related impacts (flood and droughts) and build resilience to climate change within the RBOs through all aspects, including gender mainstreaming.
Global Water Partnership West Africa (GWP / WA ) as part of its work program and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Central Africa and West African Programme (IUCN/ PACO) as part of its new program "Partnership for environmental Governance in West Africa - PAGE" are launching the second edition of the "Water and Environment " media contest.
A training course on International Water Law (IWL) in Africa took place in Kampala, Uganda, in June. It was the second year running that GWP and its Partners organised the course, with the aim to strengthen transboundary water resources management in Africa. The training was appreciated by the participants who lauded its significance in improving water governance in basins.
The Cercle Elais Hotel in the Commune of Gombe in Kinshasa, DRC was a hive of the SADC Water week activities that ran from the 27th - 29th of April, 2015. This highly anticipated event was perceived as a big water celebration and brought together national stakeholders from a variety of sectors including civil societies, academic institutions and consumer associations. The programme started with the journalists training which was coupled with the youth forum in an attempt to provide the media practitioners with topic ideas on the challenges and realities faced by the young water professionals. The youth aged from 15 to 35 years old were representatives of various students associations, youth organisations and private companies.
From 29th to 30th September, 2015 the meeting of the “Taskforce” for the development of central Africa regional hdyro-meteorological strategy was held in Douala, Cameroon. It was organized by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in collaboration with GWP-CAf.
In addition to ECCAS and GWP-CAf’s experts, the meeting was attended by national experts in meteorology and hydrology from Cameroon, Congo, Chad, DR Congo, Gabon and Sao Tomé é Principe as well as representatives of UNESCO and Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).
The “Taskforce” meeting planned during a working visit conducted by GWP-CAf to Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in July 2015, enabled experts to better understand the regional hydrometeorological strategy elaboration process and approve the regional synthesis report of baseline studies for National Hydrological and Meteorological Services conducted in six (6) pilot countries in Central Africa. The road map for the development of regional hydro meteorological services strategy in Central Africa was also discussed and approved.