Tell us something about yourself?
My name is Manta Devi Nowbuth, from Mauritius and I am the Dean in the Faculty of Ocean Studies at the University of Mauritius.
What would you say are the main challenges in your work as a woman?
As a woman at work, I have often noted that my suggestions are subject to relatively more queries before they are accepted, and also when a responsibility is given to a woman, expectations tend to be relatively very high.
What have you done to overcome these obstacles/challenges?
I would say that women have the added advantage of being more understanding and patient, so these skills help to bring the harmony much needed in a working environment.
Advise to other women in similar situations (in the water world)
My own career in the water world has been highly enriching and I wish all women working in the water sector the same rewarding experience.
Ghana Country Water Partnership (CWP-Ghana) organised a two (2) days interaction session with the communities and institutions involved in the water security and climate resilient development field demonstration project. This was a follow up to the discussions held with the implementing partners in November, 2015. This took place on 12th and 13th April, 2016. The visit was carried out by the Communications Officer of WACDEP Ghana and members of the Project Coordination team from the White Volta Basin Office led by the Project Assistant of the Coordination Unit.
An Expert Task Force of the joint GWP/OECD project “Global Dialogue on Water Security and Sustainable Growth” has presented provisional results of research into the economics of water security. Although still a work in progress, some striking patterns stand out, and the experts believe this could be a game changer in the quest for a dedicated water goal in the post-2015 development agenda, as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be decided upon.
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.
Freshwater is under acute pressure from climate change in North Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, COP20 delegates heard on Wednesday. Experts from countries as diverse as Tunisia and Belize urged visionary leadership from politicians to protect natural resources, reports CDKN’s Mairi Dupar from Lima, Peru. The experts from the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCOW), Global Water Partnership and CARICOM also called for water managers to build on their local innovations for climate resilience – and to get savvier about communicating solutions to policy-makers. The event was an opportunity to learn about common problems and possible solutions across Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, based on a South-South learning project supported by CDKN.
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.
The Chair of GWP West Africa, Prof. Abel AFOUDA accompanied by the Regional Coordinator and Communication took part in the GWP regional days 2015 in Stockholm from 22 to 25 November. This meeting was an opportunity to review the progress made by the global network in its fields of action and to make projections into the future. GWP and several partners express satisfaction since their efforts to have a water dedicated sustainable development goal come true. Discussions are underway to better position the network of partners in supporting countries to be successful in the implementation of the SDGs as a whole but especially the goal 6 with its different targets. Discussions at the regional days gathered ideas for a better positioning of GWP.
Lake Jipe is facing a number of environmental and management problems which if not addressed, might lead to the disappearance of the lake. These problems include siltation, soil erosion, recurring droughts leading to shrinking fishery, deforestation, reduced lake run off, overgrazing and invasive waterweeds. The Lake Jipe Basin Integrated Management Plan (2009-2014) was developed in a consultation with various stakeholders including government, civil society, private sector and the local communities.