At a time of increasing water demand and the prospect of climate change, the problem of water scarcity in the Mediterranean region and in particular the Greek islands deepens and becomes more critical. Hence, there is an urgent need to enhance water efficiency and to explore further alternatives to ensure water availability using innovative approaches. The revival of traditional water harvesting and management techniques, which have been overlooked in favour of modern technologies, sometimes less sustainable, appears to be one of the most promising alternatives for supplying freshwater in the face of increasing water scarcity and escalating demand.
National IWRM visions, resulting from a ten-year pilot project in the Fergana Valley based on GWP's concept of IWRM, have been approved, adopted and released by the national water authorities.
GWP China Yellow River, jointly with Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research and Yellow River Research Society, invited stakeholders from governmental organizations and NGOs as well as related experts and practitioners to discuss how to make better practice of integrated river basin management of the Yellow River under the new policies on November 20 and 21, 2013 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.
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.
The Country Water Partnerships invited to take part in the inaugural session of the Steering Committee meeting of GWP met with the Regional Secretariat and the Network Officers in the afternoon of November 25. This was an opportunity to review the latest version of the GWP 2014-2019 Strategy and GWP West Africa 2014-2016 Work Programme as well as initiatives and opportunities that may be of some interest to CWPs.
The Khimti 1 Hydropower Project was initiated to increase hydropower supply in Nepal. Action was taken to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment to identify promotion of livelihood, economic enhancement and social well being of the project area communities. The project formulated an Environmental Monitoring Plan as well as environmental mitigation and monitoring programme. The key lesson to learn is the importance of assessment prior to the development of any project.
GWP SA joined approximately 38 other stakeholders on 12-13 March 2014 at the Lombardy Hotel in Pretoria in absorbing discussions that looked at Water Research Impact and Uptake. The workshop was hosted by the Water Resource Commission and the International Water Management Institute, Southern Africa to chiefly explore the complexities and responsibilities of research impact and uptake.
About 120 representatives of competent institutions, authorities, regional and national NGOs, academia, representatives of the private sector from the Drin Riparians as well as international organizations and donor countries participated in the 2nd Drin Basin Multi-Stakeholders Conference (Tirana, Albania, 10 -11 December 2013).
Both water and energy are essential to every aspect of life; social equity, human health, ecosystem integrity and economic sustainability. The longstanding division between energy and water considerations is particularly evident in the case of energy and water management. These resources are fundamentally intertwined; energy is used to secure, deliver, treat and distribute water, while water is used to develop, process and deliver energy.
Lake Chad is an important resource, both in terms of economic development and biodiversity. However, unsustainable management of natural resources, population increase and desertification pose severe challenges. Action has been taken by the WWF and its partners to promote sustainable management. This case illustrates that independent organisations, such as WWF, can play a unique role as a catalyst and facilitator for change.