World Water Day 2014 marks a big day for Global Water Partnership (GWP). Not only is the network taking part in the worldwide UN campaign to raise awareness on water-related issues – as it does every year – but this time GWP is also launching its new Strategy, Towards 2020, on this very day.
The Zambian Government and numerous stakeholders have attached great importance to the water agenda as evidenced in its participation in the SDG Consultation on Water held on 5th March 2014 at Cresta Golfview Hotel, Lusaka, Zambia.
“Although water is central to development, its value is often overlooked. It is thus essential that this national consultation helps to ensure that water is properly reflected in any post-2015 agenda. Moreover water is tied to most development themes – such as food, health, energy. So it is essential to recognize the obvious linkages with these other thematic consultations”
Water and energy are inseparable. To draw attention to the links between water and energy, GWP has released a new video about the theme of World Water Day 2014.
Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, lies on the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle and Bassac rivers. These rivers are the main source of freshwater for the city’s population of about 1.3 million. Many of the Asian cities’ publicly managed water utilities perform below their potential. Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) undertook major reforms and transformed a war-ravaged water utility into a commendable model that stands for other cities to emulate
GWP SAS is arranging a workshop with the aim to share lessons and experiences on current water management issues, opportunities and challenges faced by the deltaic regions in South Asia, including impending climate change impacts.
Frederik Pischke joined GWP as a Programme Officer in the summer of 2013. He is part of the global GWP secretariat in Stockholm, but Frederik is based in Geneva, Switzerland. He works with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in a unique collaboration between GWP and WMO, with strong focus on floods and droughts. Frederik explains the background.