Taking advantage of their presence in Ouagadougou, the GWP WAF chair, Abel AFOUDA and the network officer for West Africa visited with the Executive Secretary some of our partners. In view of getting in touch with the technical and financial partners, a series of meetings were organized.
In Thailand the risk disaster early warning system has been designated by law to the department of the disaster prevention and mitigation. However, the representation of the department is only at the provincial level. The assistance from the department has been seen as not enough and not in time and communities were stimulated to recognize their own risk and the need to work together to solve or reduce the flood risk.
The national workshop to validate the results of three studies carried out on behalf of the Mékrou Project in Benin in 2014 was held on 8 and 9 January 2015 in Cotonou. These studies examined the reports on the National Consultation on the project objectives, on the participatory institutional diagnosis consultation with all major stakeholders and on the participatory assessment of existing capacity and needs in capacity building. This workshop is organized by the Country Water Partnership of Benin (Benin CWP), which, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Water (DG Water) and the National Water Institute (INE), coordinate the project in Benin, on behalf of GWP / WA.
GWP West Africa took part in the regional workshop to validate the sub regional report on the West African process of the 7th World Water Forum on "Risk and uncertainty management for resilience and preparedness to disasters".
Water Security for Development
Water is the key to the world’s ability to cope with climate change. Whether it is food security, poverty reduction, economic growth, energy production or human health – water is the nexus. Climate change is the spoiler. No matter how successful mitigation efforts might be, people will experience the impacts of climate change through water.
GWP is responding to the climate change challenge through the Global Water, Climate and Development Programme that includes a portfolio of programs and projects that aim to build climate resilience through better water management.
The Integrated Drought Management Project in West Africa (IDMP-WAF) was officially launched at the workshop held on 28 and 29 January 2015 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Forty participants including 4 women, mainly from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Sweden, Switzerland and representing regional (CILSS, ECOWAS) and international organizations (ACMAD, WMO and GWPO) took part in this meeting placed under the patronage of the Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources, Sanitation and Food Security of Burkina Faso.
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.
From 26 to 31 January 2015, the Chair of GWP-WA, Pr. Abel AFOUDA and the Network Officer for West Africa, Mr. Manuel FULCHIRON were having a working visit at the Regional Secretariat. For the first meeting of the New Year, the Chair expressed his good wishes in the hope that this year will be shining for GWP-WA to support CWP for greater visibility in the countries.
The Ghana Country Water Partnership through WACDEP provided technical support to Water Resources Commission to hold a consultative meeting for stakeholders in the White Volta Basin, from 28th to 30th January 2015 at the Ex-Tee Crystal Hotel in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region. The aim of the meeting was to initiate the process to update the basin’s Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Plan after its preparation in 2008 to take into account the emerging issues in the basin, on the one hand, and to use the output as part of the input to the preparation of Investment Plan for the said basin, on the other hand.
"Delivering Solutions"
The 3rd workshop of the Capacity Building Programme “The Economics of Adaptation, Water Security and Climate Resilient Development” took place in the framework of the Water, Climate, Development Program for Africa (WACDEP), in Hammamet, Tunisia, on December 22-25, 2014. The Programme is composed of a series of five workshop trainings that are following the framework cycle developed under WACDEP for water security and climate resilience.
