The Ghana Country Water Partnership (CWP-Ghana), in collaboration with the Federation of Environmental Journalists (FEJ) of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) and the Ghana WASH Journalists Network (GWJN) organised a Symposium on Environmental Reporting. The symposium was held on 22nd April, 2015 at GIJ Seminar Room. In attendance were members of FEJ, the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), WACDEP National Training Coordinator, GWJN executives, students and a member of the photography faculty of GIJ. In all, there were seventy four (74) participants at the symposium.
In Burkina a national workshop was organized in February to validate the National Adaptation Plan to Climate Change (NAP). This workshop brought together a hundred participants to review the final version of the NAP document that integrated the amendments made by the workshop of April 1, 2014 including those on water security, water has been integrated as a cross cutting sector.
In a quest to leverage funding for projects in the water sector, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate (MEWC) in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) hosted a Water Resources and Infrastructure Investment Conference at Rainbow Towers in Harare from the 24th to the 26th of June 2015. The conference attracted more than 400 delegates and was officially opened by the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, the Honourable E.D Mnangagwa and was also graced by the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation for the Republic of South Africa, the Honourable Pamela Tshwete and Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, the Honourable Saviour Kasukuwere.
A critical component of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is the protection of our aquatic ecosystems, not only for anthropogenic benefits but also recognising the needs of the plants and animals that depend on these natural resources.
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.
A validation workshop was held on 19 and 20 February 2015 in Niamey, Niger for the validation of three studies carried out in December 2014. The first one was on the national consultation on the objectives and methodology of the Mekrou project, the second one on the institutional participatory diagnosis and the third one on the assessment of existing capacities and the needs for capacity building for knowlegde management organizations in the country.
The first dam on the Lower Mekong River Mainstream, Xayaburi was notified to the Lower Mekong Countries in 2010. The public consultations took place in each country. The result favoured the construction to be postponed for 10 years to allow further study.
Participation in the Climate Info Session To Support Ghana On The Road To Paris Global Agreement
The Project Manager, Mr. Maxwell Boateng-Gyimah and the Young Professional, Isaac Barnes, participated in an Information Session at the conference room of WASCAL in Accra on 17th June, 2015. This session was organised by the European Union in Ghana in collaboration with West Africa Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Frédéric Clavier, the French Ambassador to Ghana and Ambassador John Benjamin, British High Commissioner to Ghana. Other participating institutions included the French Embassy, Environmental protection Agency (EPA), Kasa Ghana, and Water Aid Ghana (WAG).
IWRM has been implemented in China since it was founded at both provincial and country levels. The cases present the utilization of IWRM ToolBox tools in different provinces and areas. All of them are collected into GWPO ToolBox database to share with others around the world.