Thanks to an innovative partnership between the Global Water Partnership and the IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science, under the auspices of UNESCO, based at the University of Dundee, the first joint group of International Water Law Scholars from Cameroon, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Ukraine and Zambia were able to begin their studies by attending the 2nd Annual Workshop on International Law and Transboundary Freshwaters, held at the University of Dundee.
In light of the recent development of its Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) model in 2010, Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) has and continues to engage in a series of public education activities targeted at building awareness on rainwater harvesting as a means of water conservation.
A one day sensitization workshop took place on 30 July 2013 in Banjul, Gambia. The meeting brought together about twenty (20) journalists from various media houses and freelance journalists from The Gambia with the aim to inform participants on the ratification process of the UN 97 Law on the use of international watercourses for purposes other than navigational in the country.
The preparation of the Buna/Bojana Transboundary Integrated Management Plan aims to assist in identifying steps towards the reduction of pollution and the preservation of biodiversity in the area. Through multi-stakeholder consultations, the Plan will identify problems and issues in this basin shared between Albania and Montenegro. The Plan is prepared in the framework of the GEF MAP UNEP MedPartnership Programme by UNEP MAP PAP/RAC, GWP Mediterranean and UNESCO
In May, GWP Cambodia launched a report on river basin management in Asia together with the Asia Development Bank (ADB) and the Cambodia National Mekong Committee, outlining results from a 4-year programme, including an investment roadmap for water and related development. The report, which will serve as a case study for the application of IWRM in Cambodia, is available in Khmer or English and can be ordered on the GWP Cambodia website.
Further steps towards implementing a Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) were taken on 26-28 September 2011 in Rome at a meeting co-organised by FAO and WMO. The aim of the meeting was to develop a strategy for the agriculture and food security and water sectors of the User Interface Platform which is intended to link climate service providers and users with a view to “building the capacity of users to make better use of climate services, collecting users’ requirements, assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of the Framework and promoting a global understanding of the Framework”.
To drive the interest of Integrated Water Resources Management at the political level in the Caribbean, since 2005, the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) in collaboration with its partner, the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) host an Annual High Level Forum of Ministers (HLFM).
On May 19, 2010, Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, met with the GWP Steering Committee members at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and had a dinner together later. Some other senior leaders of the Ministry of Water Resources, the leader of GWP China’s host institute together with Mr. Wang Shucheng, Chair of GWP China, Dr. Dong Zheren, Standing vice Chair of GWP China, Prof. Wang Hao, Vice Chair of GWP China and Mr. Zheng Rugang, Coordinator of GWP China also joined.
Five (5) Caribbean Ministers with responsibility for water resources management from Barbados, Anguilla, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Nevis and the Turks and Caicos Islands, and five (5) senior ministerial/ government representatives from Saint Kitts, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe and Belize have endorsed recommendations for placing greater value on wastewater in the region and its role in the holistic management of water in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Overall Objectives of the Regional Water Partnership in Central Asia and Caucasus
According to the Johannesburg Declaration (2002), the ultimate goal of the activities of Central Asia and Caucasus Partnership Network is to support and assist the countries in implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development and Millennium Development Goals. This process must be accompanied by public involvement in decision-making, support for the political will for cooperation between sectors and countries, initiating dialogue among all stakeholders and supporting practical activities locally implemented including capacity building.