23-25 March 2010, Ashgabat, Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan
Background
GWP representatives from Stockholm were specially invited to participate through an initiative by our partners of the upcoming Country Water Partnership of Turkmenistan. This event was regarded as a strategic opportunity for introducing how IWRM can be a helpful mechanism in a concrete project.
Two major events take place - a national celebration in Sofia city on 22-23 March and a regional conference in Veliko Tarnovo town on 22 March.
The GWP network with more than 2000 partners worldwide, celebrates World Water Day with a number of activities and events in different regions of the globe: awareness campaigns on public radio, releases of video films about water security, participation in seminars and organisation of workshops for students, pupils and policy makers.
International organization Humanitas organized a conference "Water as a Global Challenge" on March 18 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Urgency for a Water Secure World
Throughout the planet, a number of issues affecting the availability and state of water resources cause a growing concern. The population is increasing. Pollution is increasing. Development pressures are mounting. However, water supply is not. Water demand by people, agriculture, food production and industry heavily pressurizes the limited water supply of the planet and ecosystems which are also dependent on water.
On March 3rd, 2010, the host of Singapore International Water Week awarded Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2010 to the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC).
The GWPO Network Officer Mr. Bjorn Guterstam, accompanied by GWP CEE Chair Mr. Liviu Nicolae Popescu, presented the statement on behalf of observer organizations to ICPDR at the Ministerial Meeting on 16 February in Vienna, Austria. At the meeting, Ministers endorsed detailed actions for environmental protection in the Danube River Basin.