Uneven geographical distribution, coupled with pressures from rapid population growth, increased urbanization, industrialization and environmental degradation, is a big challenge to the sustainable development of Uganda’s freshwater resources. However, the policy and institutional framework has advanced over the past two decades in Uganda. The policy and legal reform process started with the introduction of the Water Act (1995) and the Uganda Water Action Plan (1995). Other key policies included the National Water Policy (1999) and the Local Government Act (1997, 2000). A key Lesson learnt is that political support matters in achieving success, as does the nature and logic of the political system. In Uganda, political prioritization of water and poverty was central to progress. The depth and longevity of sector reform relies on political support, which can ebb and flow.
With active participation through a wide range of events, GWP advocated for a higher profile of water in the global climate change policy process in Lima, Peru, and promoted the need for a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for water.
The Country Water Partnerships invited to take part in the inaugural session of the Steering Committee meeting of GWP met with the Regional Secretariat and the Network Officers in the afternoon of November 25. This was an opportunity to review the latest version of the GWP 2014-2019 Strategy and GWP West Africa 2014-2016 Work Programme as well as initiatives and opportunities that may be of some interest to CWPs.
A regional consultation workshop took place in Tunis, on September 11th 2014, aimed at supporting the development of the ten-year strategy (2015-2025) and the detailed five-year action plan (2015-2020) for the African Network for Basin Organisations (ANBO) to become an effective tool in strengthening and promoting institutional management mechanisms for shared water resources in Africa.
The Nigeria Water Partnership (GWP-Nigeria) has carried out successfully on 15 June 2015 in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources the national consultation on water and food security. The Chairman of GWP Nigeria, Dr. Hassan Bdliya in his welcome address stated that in recognizing the looming food and water crises, the United Nations Open Working Group on Sustainable Development made a proposal for a dedicated goal on food security (Goal 2) – ‘’end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’’ and another dedicated goal on water (Goal 6) – ‘’ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’’.
A training workshop was organized in Tunis, in the framework of the Water, Climate, Development Program for Africa (WACDEP), on 20-23 October; the second one out of a series of five training workshops composing the capacity building program “The Economics of Adaptation, Water Security and Climate Resilient Development”. This series of workshops follows the Framework cycle developed under WACDEP for water security and climate resilience.
An Expert Task Force of the joint GWP/OECD project “Global Dialogue on Water Security and Sustainable Growth” has presented provisional results of research into the economics of water security. Although still a work in progress, some striking patterns stand out, and the experts believe this could be a game changer in the quest for a dedicated water goal in the post-2015 development agenda, as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be decided upon.
The call for quotations involves the reinstatement of the stormwater reservoir at Paola, Malta within the framework of Climate Change Adaptation through Non Conventional Water Resources Management in North Mediterranean Programme (a.k.a. Alter Aqua).
The Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) is organizing its flagship Forum on 1-3 October 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.