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In Bolivia, shifts towards the privatisation of water supply and sewage services caused strong dissatisfaction, resulting in the eruption of social conflict. Because of the severe dissatisfaction, action was taken to cancel the previous agreements and instead launch a forum where government representatives, social organizations, the private sector and municipalities participate to formulate of a new policy. This case illustrates the crucial importance of rooting policies with the public.

In the framework of the campaign ÔVI (eau=vie / water=life) in Tunisian primary schools to raise awareness on water scarcity and the importance of water saving among the Tunisian youth, the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med), along the Enivronmental Commission of the District 414 of Lions Clubs International Association, is organising a youth workshop to celebrate World Water Day 2016, on Saturday 19 March, at the Hotel le Sultan, in Hammamet, in the North of Tunisia.

The implementation process of national and regional platforms on the Integrated Management of Drought is ongoing. Thus the regional core group as well as the national core group of Niger held their first meeting of 2016 respectively on Wednesday, June 15 in Ouagadougou and Wednesday 22 June in Niamey.

This year, GWP marks the International Women’s Day by highlighting quotes from women water champions. Drawing on the global theme for this year: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, we are asking women in the water community to answer the question: How can the water sector step it up for gender equality?

The Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med) is seeking to hire a Laboratory/Institution to conduct a Training on laboratory analyses of water samples with emphasis on priority substances.

The scientific conference on River basin management and hydrological events will take place on 10-11 October in Vyhne, Slovakia.

There will be three vacant positions on the GWP Steering Committee (SC) to be filled for the November 2017 Steering Committee Meeting, for terms of three years. All three will be selected from independent candidates (who can be self-nominated or proposed). Note 10 April: the deadline for this call has passed, we are no longer accepting nominations.

Interview with Inga Blaževičienė from Vilnius University in Lithuania.

Name:                               Maria Amakali

Occupation:                     Director of Water Resources Management

Country:                          Namibia

Country of Work:           Namibia and SADC

What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?

 

I started working as hydrologist in the Department of Water Affairs in the early nineties. I had studied in the US and was ready to come and work in a newly independent Namibia. My responsibilities included planning and execution of research and investigations regarding sustainable development of water resources; and providing advice on the effective utilization, protection and conservation of such resources. At a time I found a lot of males, in the department. Except for the two women scientist in Hydrology Division, most women were doing mostly secretarial or office administrative work. I remember one day standing outside, waiting for my ride home and this man came to me asking whose secretary I was. In an independent Namibia, I was quite shocked that the old stereotype mentality that women can only be secretaries still exists. Those days there were not many women or black hydrologists, but I was still offended.