The Nile region relies heavily on its groundwater, nevertheless, it is often neglected in national water policies. However, efforts were made to integrate groundwater as an aspect of IWRM, predominantly through a proposal of relevant capacity building actions. These were categorised into three groups: groundwater governance, operational management and, analytical tools to support operational management, illustrating that the main focus should still be devoted on the institutional and regulatory frameworks and management instruments.
The Maasai live in an area of Kenya that has no water in the rivers for half a year. To address the water scarcity, the Water for the Maasai project was initiated. In this project, the Maasai, the donor and the NGO work closely to cooperate in the key issues of education, training and long-term guidance. The key lesson is that it takes time to build trust among donors, NGOs and native populations.
The Lake Basin Development Authority was set up to manage the entire catchment area of all rivers draining into Lake Victoria. However, its performance was not to the expectation. A further, action was taken to decentralise management and priority was given to achieve access to basic water requirements for the poor, as well as quality of water and improving availability of water for livestock and irrigation. The key lesson learnt is the importance of a participatory approach.
Water is a source of conflict around the Berki River Basin in Ethiopia, predominantly a consequence of a lack of IWRM awareness and an institutional framework. Action was taken to implement an IWRM pilot project to account for different stakeholder interests, resulting in the development and adoption of the Berki Basin IWRM. Key lessons drawn from the project include the importance of capacity building, consensus building, and the importance of decentralised multi-stakeholder platforms for conflict management.
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 realization that climate change and its impact on water security is real, and consequential is recent in the region. Deep in rural communities of the region, prolonged absence of rain/drought, floods, landslides and reduction of water levels can be associated with ‘unhappy gods.’
Water, Climate and Development (WACDEP) is the Program implemented by Global Water Partnership through its regional secretariats and offices.
Partnership is our strength. We strongly believe that water security and climate resilience in region will be achieved through collaborative partnerships and functioning networks. As a result, we have 8 functioning Country Water Partnerships and local active networks and partners.
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 Lake Ossa complex is faced with unsustainable fishing practices, habitat destruction and deteriorated water quality. These trends have severe negative impact on the livelihoods of people, leading to further unsustainable over-exploitation. To combat these developments, a sustainable livelihood approach has been applied to foster collaboration among stakeholders. From this experience, it is evident that active local NGOs can be vehicles for facilitating dialogue and mobilising different stakeholders.