On September 21 to 25, 2015, GWP China RWP, Standing Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Congress, GWP China Shaanxi PWP and Water Resources Department of Shaanxi Province conducted a on-site survey under the framework of “WACDEP: Investment on Water” to collect the data and information on implementation of national and provincial investment on water projects, particularly on small irrigation areas and rural drinking water security. The “last Km” refers to the full completion of the irrigation structures invested by the national/provincial budgets; the final beneficiaries of the water projects in rural areas are farmers. The issue of “last Km” aims at achieving the best social benefits that can reflect the publicity, fairness, response and effectiveness of policies.
GWP launched its new Youth Engagement Strategy at Stockholm World Water Week on 25 August. The youth strategy supports the wider GWP “Towards 2020” Strategy as does the GWP Gender Strategy, which was launched in August 2014.
In his address to the participants during the official ceremony of the Integrated Drought Management Project in West Africa (IDMP-WAF), the Chair of GWP-WA, Pr. Abel AFOUDA made a vibrant plea inviting organizations represented at the workshop and other regional institutions and governments in the region to add their voice to the GWP in the campaign for a dedicated "Water Goal" in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be adopted in September 2015 on the occasion of the 70th ordinary Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Ghana Country Water Partnership organised 30th Steering Committee meeting on 18th May, 2016 at the conference room of the Water Resources Commission. The main purpose of the meeting was to start discussions on the preparation towards WACDEP 2. In all, there were 7 members present at the meeting representing Ghana Irrigation Development Agency (GIDA), Water Resources Commission (WRC), Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), ProNet and Volta River Authority (VRA). The meeting was chaired by Mr. Ben Ampomah.
The Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean (GWP-Med) has established a formal agreement with the Department for Planning and Conservation of Agricultural Lands at the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture towards integrating climate change considerations in water and soil conservation planning, under the WACDEP (Water, Climate & Development) Programme; and in this context, it has entered a very fruitful collaboration with the Ministry, as well as the Regional Department for Agriculture in Bizerte, in Tunisia’s North, using the Douimis Basin in the Bizerte Region as a pilot for the development of the climate change mainstreaming methodology.
The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) adopted a new climate agreement in Paris, France, on 12 December. GWP welcomes the landmark agreement, which was signed by nearly 200 countries, and is committed to support it.
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.
The 11th edition of the Festival on the Niger was held from 4 to 8 February 2015 in Segou, Mali. This cultural event on the Niger River has become one of the flagship events of Mali. The theme for this year was "Culture and Employment: What cultural industry for Africa?». The night of the balafon, Festival on the Niger over the river, cultural caravan for peace, concerts on the river, the Segou symposium, professional artistic encounters, visual arts, theater and dance, international fair of Segou, Boromo of puppets Burkina Faso and the assistance of culinary art. These were the main activities that marked this event.
GWP and four of its partner institutions are organising a joint training on International Water Law (IWL) in Africa. The training will take place in Kampala, Uganda, 5-12 June 2016. It is open for up to 40 participants, and funding is available for 30 African-based participants.